Judging based on beauty, charm, poise, and confidence in both formal and fashion wear. Personality and communication ability judged in private/personal interview. Contestants walk runway in competition attire and personal introductions.

This category is the biggest category at each of the competitions, other than the champion titles. This category is mandatory if you wish to qualify for the Grand Champion (highest score received from two of the three main categories – Beauty, Model & Talent - ) or the Elite Champion (highest score from all three categories combined) at the official state and national levels.

Elite USA is a glamorous system, very different from everyone else. We combine the best of both worlds from natural and glitz systems.

Modeling: Basic pageant walk, similar to "T" formation (National competition and some state competitions include a runway). No pro am/runway style modeling in this category.

Hair: Hair should be fixed and elegant, without being over bearing on the child or distracting. Hair pieces are allowed, but keep in mind that if that is the first thing a judge notices on the child, above and beyond her appearance, you may want to re-think it. Enhance without distracting. We allow hair pieces because this system promotes the building of self confidence in each competitor. If she is afraid to present herself because she was not gifted with great hair, hair pieces allow her to hold her head high and enjoy her stage time. Use your best judgment.

Makeup: Part of the fun of being in a pageant, in our opinion, is dressing up. Makeup is allowed on all age divisions, again, as long as it is not distracting. False eyelashes, heavy liner and dark lips should not be on contestants under the age of 12. Flippers are allowed but not always recommended, as they tend to inhibit clear speech. Since interview is almost 50% of our score, be careful with these. Part of being a kid is a missing tooth, so be proud of it. Natural colors, light gloss, light blush (so you don't appear pale under stage lights, and mascara is just about all you need in the younger age divisions. If you are gifted with great skin color and lashes...natural is great! There is no "one way is better than another" in this area. It is based on an individual basis.

Clothing: We encourage custom clothing. If you put thought into what you compete in, to us, it means you care about wearing an Elite title and take your participation to heart. Glitz type clothing is acceptable, however, we have seen many "over-the-top" outfits that look more like costumes than custom outfits. Stay away from these. Your outfit should enhance who you are as a contestant, not hide who you are. Formals adorned with crystals and beads are fine, as well as cupcake formals (babies, toddlers and Tiny only), ballgowns in Little Miss through Jr Teen and form fitting gowns with slits and trains in divisions Teen and up. If you have a formal you wore in a wedding as a flower girl, or it is "T" length from a dept. store, you should upgrade your gown at the state and national level.

Props: Do not use props of any kind in Beauty. This includes clothing props such as hats or jackets that are removed.

Music: NO custom music. We supply appropriate music for each portion of competition.

Personal Intro: This will be a mandatory portion of competition at BOTH state and national level and is timed. You have a max of 20sec to present a memorized, personal introduction about yourself. There is a point penalty assessed by the head judge for over-limit intros. The idea is to leave a lasting impression and stand out of a crowd, so give an intro that represents the best of you. This is done on stage before fashion wear at each event, wearing your interview attire (unless specified differently in your specific entry form).

Interview: We make many appearances during the year, so royalty that speaks well and is not afraid to talk is important. Interview and presentation skills will carry you through life, and Elite feels that it should be these skills, above all, that should be most important in competition. Personal interview, combined with a 20sec personal intro on stage, counts as 45% of the over-all score. This is why it is not always "the most expensive dress" that wins a title with Elite.

IMPORTANT: Always remember, judges all have opinions and you are being judged on their opinion. Rules are only suggestions to judges and they will judge on what they prefer. The outcome is merely a combination of all their opinions combined. Dress your best, present yourself with pride, and you should be victorious.