SASHES AND TIARAS.....The Most "Oh Dear!/Ayyy Mija!" Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2015!

Oh No! Pageant Gowns of 2015--(Clockwise, L to R) Miss Oklahoma USA (and eventual Miss USA) at Miss USA 2015; Miss Croatia at Miss World 2015 Top Model/World Dress Designer Competition (center); Miss Sucre at Miss Venezuela 2015; Miss Croatia at Miss Universe 2014-2015 Evening Gown Website Portraits; Miss Guatemala at Miss Universe 2015 (far lower left)

In my previous post HERE, I discussed my Best of 2015 Pageant Gowns so now, it's time for my Worst of 2015 List. These gowns were a combination of Too Mucheey, UBER Pageant Betty, Too Hoochie (Slit-a-licious), or just a Gown Mess. So, let's get to the "Uh No!" Beauty Pageant Gowns...

SASHES AND TIARAS....Best Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2015!

Best Pageant Gowns of 2015--(Clockwise L to R), Miss Philippines Universe; Miss Colombia Universe 2015/2016; Miss Lebanon at Miss World 2015; Miss Vietnam at Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries; Miss Colombia Universe; Miss Thailand Universe

Well Pageant Fans, it's that time again: My End of the Year Best and "Uh Oh!" Lists. As usual, in 2015 I covered lots of international and national pageants--in relation to one of my favorite subjects: the Evening Gowns--giving my insight and analysis on the Good, Oh Dear! and Pageant Betty of Beauty Pageant Gowns throughout various competitions during the year so...in following with tradition here on my blog, it's time for my Best of 2015 Beauty Pageant Gown List.
And don't you worry, following this will be the "Oh Dear!/Ayyy Mija!" List of 2015.
But for now, here were some of my FAVORITE Pageant Gowns of 2015. I've divided them by pageant, staring with...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2015! XO Nick

Christmas 2015 NIKOLAKI Fashion Diva (and our little Benny!)--Sketch by Nick Verreos

Wishing you and your loved ones a Wonderful and Fabulous Holiday and Stylish New Year!

XO Nick Verreos

SASHES AND TIARAS.....MISS WORLD 2015 Finals EVENING GOWN Recap!

Miss World Pretty: Miss Spain Wins Miss World 2015--Miss World 2015 Finals, Sanya China

Over the weekend, the day before that other international pageant that had the ESCANDALO crowning...the Finals of the 65th Annual Miss World Beauty Pageant happened. Miss World is considered the "Granddaddy" (or Grandma) of International beauty pageants because it is older than Miss Universe (by one year) and usually has more contestants; this year, Miss World 2015 boasted 114 contestants, as opposed to "just" 80 for Miss Universe. I do have to say, 114 is out of control for a pageant and kudos for the Miss World Organization for being able to achieve that.

Crowned Bella: Last year's Miss World, South Africa's Rolene Strauss (middle, in red) crowns Miss Spain Mireia Lalaguna as the new Miss World 2015 with 1st Runner-up Miss Russia (left) and 2nd Runner-up Miss Indonesia (right) looking on--Miss World 2015 Finals, Sanya China 

Because of these reasons primarily, a lot of pageant fans (and some national pageant directors) consider the London-based Miss World pageant more important. But, many of those same fans say the international beauty pageant has lost its "Wow Factor"; while Miss World's are regarded as very pretty and sweet, and perfect to be the face for charitable causes, the Miss Universe winners are the sexier "sister" (as of late) to Miss World. Now that we got that out of the way, time to discuss this year's very pretty and sweet-looking winner...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe: EVENING GOWN Recap + The Oh My God! Moment

Miss Universe 2015 Finals Evening Gowns and Mis-Crowning--Miss Universe 2015 Finals, The Axis Theater Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas

So...you might have heard about what happened last night:

Ummm, Ladies, get closer because...

Ayyy Dios Mio: Miss Colombia, I gotta take your crown and put it on...

The real winner, Miss Philippines--The outgoing Miss Universe, Colombia's Paulina Vega, crowns Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach--Miss Universe 2015 Finals, The Axis Theater Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas

During the crowning of Miss Universe 2015, the show's host Steve Harvey announced the winner as Miss Colombia....but then, after exiting, he was approached by the stage manager and was huddled in a grouping at the back of the stage. Meanwhile, Miss Colombia, the supposed new Miss Universe, was waving, crying and thanking the rest of the contestants behind her (as well as the audience).

The Final Card--Miss Universe 2015 is Philippines!

Steve Harvey then returned and announced he had made a "mistake"--and the Announcement That Was Heard Around The World occurred: He had announced THE WRONG WINNER! The gorgeous Sofia Vergara doppelganger Miss Colombia Universe Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo was not the winner but instead, it was Miss Philippines Universe, the equally beautiful Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.

Miss Universe 2015 "Miss Philippines" Pia Wurtzbach

My better half David Paul and I were actually AT THE PAGEANT! yes, kids, we attended the Miss Universe 2015 Finals at The Axis Theater Planet Hollywood Resort& Casino in Las Vegas. Knowing how much of a pageant fan I am, David got me an early Christmas present and bought tickets to attend Miss Universe. We are both still--24 hours later--speechless over what we witnessed. Check out my Instagram HERE--I even uploaded a video of the Colombian fans' reaction the moment Steve Harvey made his announcement OOPSIE. If you think it was cringe worthy watching it on TV, I can only tell you to trust me when I say, that it was TRIPLE the "OH MY GAAAWDDDD!" feeling when you are there live.

ICE STYLE.....ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals 2015--LADIES and MEN!

Men and Ladies Costumes: Costumes Highlights of the 2015/2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals Barcelona

In my last ICE STYLE post HERE, I talked about the PAIRS and ICE DANCE Costumes Highlights of the 2015/2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals which occurred a couple of weekend's ago in Barcelona Spain. Now, it's time for the LADIES and MEN.

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2015 National Costumes: My Top 15 Favorites

Best National Costumes--Miss Universe 2015

During Thursday night's Miss Universe 2015 Preliminary Competition, the 80 contestants competing for the coveted crown also presented themselves in the much-awaited "Miss Universe 2015 National Costume Presentation". They taped introductions of themselves (to be shown during Sunday night's Live Telecast) in costumes representing their native lands/culture or something "special" and/or unique about their respective countries...

Feathered Beauties: (L to R) Miss USA and Miss Venezuela onstage during the Miss Universe 2015 national Costume Parade of Nations taping--The AXIS Theater Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas

This is always one of the favorite parts of the Miss Universe beauty pageant and much loved by the fans. And as always, this year's costume couture did not disappoint. It always blows my mind, when I wonder how the heck some of these costumes get packed and sent...and WHO paid for the UBER expensive shipping costs!? Well, enough of that--time to discuss the costumes: Of all the 80 costumes, I have chosen my TOP 15 Best Costumes. And here they are--in alphabetical order. Let me know what you thought and if any of YOUR favorites made my Top 15 List. Oh, and I added one extra as a "Special Mention", just because :)

SASHES AND TIARAS.....My 10 LEAST FAVORITE Gowns of Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries

The Sale Rack: Some of Least Favorite Gowns seen at the Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries

In my last post HERE, I discussed the Top 15 Best Gowns (in my humble opinion) from this past Thursday's Miss Universe 2015 Preliminary Competition. I have to say that for the most part, there were a lot of Good gowns--out of the 80 on display, worn by the beauties from all over the world, there weren't too many cray-cray ones. But...there were some. So, I've compiled a list of my TEN LEAST FAVORITE gowns from the Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries. Either for the lack of "gown funds" in each national pageant's organization, or lack of taste level, or just lacking anything resembling what a top Hollywood actress and/or model would wear to an important red carpet event, these were among some of the reasons why these ended up here... 
At the end, I also included a couple gowns which disappointed me, especially because the candidates wearing them are A) considered favorites and B) I expected more; plus a "Special Gown Mention"...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2015 Preliminary Competition: Top 15 Gowns

Very Good: Gowns from the Miss Universe 2015 Preliminary Competition, THE AXIS Theater Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas

Thursday night was the ever-important Preliminary Competition of the 2015 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. This is the event that decides who the 15 Semi-Finalists are--and will be named--on Sunday night's Finals of the 64th Annual Miss Universe. During the Preliminaries, the 80 contestants from all over the world competed in both Swimsuit and Evening Gown. This post is all about the latter, since that's what I'm interested in, of course. So...without further ado, here are MY Top 15 of Best Gowns--I only judged on my Favorite Evening Gowns--from the Miss Universe 2015 Preliminary Competition. See if your fave made my list:

ICE STYLE.....ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals 2015: PAIRS and ICE DANCE

Pairs and Ice Dance Grand Prix: Costume Collage of Pairs and Ice Dance at the 2015/2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals Barcelona

This past weekend were the Finals of the 2015/2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating which were held in Barcelona Spain. The top skaters in various disciplines competed for the top titles.  I've discussed many of the costumes during this season's Grand Prix series here on my blog. Just go to the "Search" section (on the right of this blog) under "Ice Style" and you'll find them all.

2015/2016 ISU Grand Prix Final Barcelona Spain

So...it's time to recap some of the costumes from the PAIRS and ICE DANCE skaters. I'll do a blog on the LADIES and MEN afterward...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2015 Evening Gown Portraits: Part Two

Too Mucheey Hoochie & Chonchee and Too Mucheey Everything: Miss Universe 2015 Evening Gown Portraits

Photos courtesy of MissUniverse.com

In my last post HERE, I discussed my FAVORITES from the Miss Universe 2015 "Official Website Evening Gown Portraits" (as well as which designs disappointed me), so naturally, now it's time to talk about the Pageant Betty's and "Ayyy Mija!" designs--and one last special "Go-On Girl" Gown recognition...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2015 Evening Gown Portraits: Part One

The Best Gowns: Collage of some of my favorite gowns from the Miss Universe 2015 Evening Gown Portraits

Photos courtesy of MissUniverse.com

The Finals of the Miss Universe 2015 beauty pageant are not until this upcoming Sunday December 20th in Las Vegas Nevada, but this past weekend, the "Official Evening Gown Portraits" were released on the MissUniverse.com site. Any pageant fan--and pageant gown aficionado (and critic)--yours truly included--always looks forward to the Miss Universe Evening Gown Portraits. It's a chance to see the taste level of the contestants and see the variety of gowns--some Good and some "Oh Dear!".

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss World 2015 "World Fashion Designer Dress": Part Two

Can You Guess Which The Good and Which are The Cray-Cray?--Miss World 2015 "World Fashion Designer Dress" event--Miss World 2015 Sanya China
All photos courtesy of MissWorld.com

In my last post HERE, I discussed the announcement of the Top Ten (according to the Miss World Organization) Designer Dresses in the Miss World 2015 "World Fashion Designer Dress" event. I was skeptical and slightly questionable of the choices so...I decided--after looking at all the designs--to give MY Top Choices that should have been there. Because it is the "Miss World" pageant and this is the "World Fashion Designer Dress" event, there's always a bit of Cray-Cray and Oh Dear! creations. So, in addition to my choices for good, I've also added some of the Cray-Cray. Let's get started:

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss World 2015 "World Fashion Designer Dress": The Top Ten

World Fashion Designer Top 10: Maybe, Maybe Not--Miss World 2015 "World Fashion Designer Dress" Event, Sanya China

Photos courtesy of MissWorld.com

Events leading up to the Finals of the 65th Annual Miss World Beauty Pageant are occurring this past week. The Finals are December 19th but yesterday there was a "Preliminary" event for the Miss World--World Fashion Designer Dress Event, where all the 100+ contestants wore ensembles/gowns made by designers from their home countries. Tomorrow are the Finals of this event where the Miss World Top Model and World Designer Award fashion gala take place.

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2015 National Costumes Sneak Peak!

Universal Costumes: Collage of Miss Universe 2015 National Costumes (Clockwise from top: Vietnam, Thailand [middle], Curacao, Great Britain, Panama)--Miss Universe 2015 Beauty Pageant Las Vegas USA

December 20th is the date for the Finals of the 64th Annual Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. After WME/IMG took the helm from Donald Trump (Thank goodness!), this will be the first Miss Universe contest under the William Morris Entertainment and International Management Group global talent, sports, acting, theater, model agency. And the first time it will be televised by Fox.

Miss Universe 2014 Colombia's Paulina Vega and the 80 contestants vying for "Miss Universe 2015"--Las Vegas

The pageant will be held in The Axis at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Las Vegas. Eighty contestants from all over the world will compete for the coveted title. The contestants have been in Las Vegas since December 1st taking part in all the exciting activities leading up to the Finals later this month. The very popular "National Costume" show isn't until December 16th but that doesn't prevent me from showing you a sneak peak of some of the contestants' costumes that I found researching the web...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Earth 2015 Finals: EVENING GOWN Recap

Gowns & Tiaras: Miss Earth 2015 Finals, Vienna Austria

December is quickly becoming "International Beauty Pageant Month"--Last Friday was the Finals of Miss Supranational 2015 with over 80 contestants competing for the crown and Miss Paraguay eventually winning. December 19th is the date of the Miss World 2015 Finals occurring in Sanya People's Republic of China, and on the next night, December 20th, the Miss Universe Pageant will take place in Las Vegas. And on top of it all, in this blog, I will be talking about the Miss Earth 2015 Finals which happened this past Saturday in Vienna Austria...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Supranational 2015 Finals: Evening Gown Recap!

Supranational Bella: Miss Supranational 2015 "Miss Paraguay" Stephania Stegman (center)--Miss Supranational 2015 Finals, Warsaw Poland

Photos courtesy of GlobalBeauties.com and Miss Supranational Facebook

This past Friday night was the Miss Supranational 2015 Finals Beauty Pageant. The pageant--considered one of the top "Grand Slam" international beauty pageants, along with Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth--was held in Poland.

ICE STYLE.....NHK Trophy 2015: LADIES, MEN, PAIRS

Skating Couture: Highlights of some of the figure skating costumes seen at the NHK Trophy 2015, Nagano Japan

This past weekend was the last of six events on the 2015-2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating competitions in advance of the Grand Prix Finals. The event was the 2015 NHK Trophy and it was held in Nagano, Japan. I've covered my Figure Skating Costumes Highlights of 2015 Skate Canada HERE, 2015 Cup of China HERE, and the 2015 Rostelecom Cup of Russia HERE, so now, of course, it's time to talk about some of the costumes from 2015 NHK Trohpy.

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss World 2015 National Costumes Highlights

Costume Couture: National Costumes from the 2015 Miss World "Dances of the World" auditions (Clockwise, top to bottom) Miss Bahamas, Miss Myanmar, Miss Venezuela, Miss Turkey

All Photos here and below courtesy of MissWorld.com

The 65th Annual Miss World Beauty Pageant kicked off last week in Sanya Hainan Island, People's Republic of China. The finals of the 2015 Miss World will be on December 19th. Coincidentally, the other International beauty pageant "biggie", the Miss Universe 2015 pageant finals will occur the following day, December 20th--in Las Vegas Nevada USA. So, in terms of beauty pageants and beauty pageant followers, that will be a big weekend! For this year's Miss World, over 100 contestants from all over the world are vying for the coveted title (minus Miss Canada World who was not allowed to enter China).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2015

Happy Thanksgiving 2015 Fashion Sketch by Nick Verreos

May you have a wonderful time this Thanksgiving, with friends and family! Enjoy, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Oh, and always keep it stylish! XONick

ICE STYLE.....2015 Rostelecom Cup of Russia: Ladies, Men, Pairs & Ice Dance!

 2015 Rostelecom Cup of Russia

The fifth in the 2015-2016 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating competition event was held this past weekend: the 2015 Rostelecom Cup of Russia. The competition was held at the Small Sports Arena of Luzhniki in Moscow Russia. In my continued love of figure skating--and particular--figure skating costumes--I have already discussed Skate Canada 2015, Cup of China 2015 and now it's time for the Rostelecom Cup of Russia 2015...

TRAVELING IN STYLE.....Lanzarote Canary Islands: Pool, Beach and Food

Lanzarote Holiday: Photos from my "holiday" in Lanzarote, the Canary Islands

After my QVC UK debut in London and a few days of sightseeing and shopping there, and then subsequently a quick stop in Madrid Spain, David and I then had a goal: TO GET AWAY! And have a mini-holiday. It's been a long time since we did that so we thought "Where in Europe...IN NOVEMBER...could we go where it was SUNNY and we could do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING??"  Before we left to Europe, back in our home in L.A., we researched and researched--online--"Europe...November...Sunny...Where?" And every site kept coming up with "Canary Islands". Done and done...

TRAVELING IN STYLE.....SPAIN: Madrid, Museums, Food and Shopping

Madrid Collage: Nick Verreos and David Paul--Madrid Spain November 2015

After we left London (Click HERE for that blog), David and I flew to Spain. We went to the cosmopolitan and very chic city of Madrid. I had been here before with my family but this was David's first time so this is why we came here. Madrid was wonderful! It made me step up my style game...those madrileños dress very well! Especially the abuelitas!

TRAVELING IN STYLE.....LONDON: Tour of "Mademoiselle Prive" Exhibition at Saatchi Gallery

London Boys: Nick Verreos and David Paul explore London, November 2015

Nick Verreos and David Paul at the "Chanel Salon" stairs reproduction--Mademoiselle Privé Exhibition Saatchi Gallery London UK

A couple of weeks ago, I was in London for the Debut of my NV Nick Verreos clothing line on QVC UK. Naturally I went with my better half--David Paul. We had been here before, several years back, and did the requisite tourist visits to Westminster Abbey, the Victoria & Albert Museum plus much much more, so this time around for our short stay in London, we decided to just shop and make sure to go to the Mademoiselle Privé Exhibition. 

                    Tourist Nick: Nick Verreos in front of iconic London red telephone booths

FIDM .....Fall 2015 Open House: Photo Blog Recap!

FIDM Los Angeles Open House Collage: Nick Verreos MC's FIDM Los Angeles Fall 2015 Open House Alumni Panel Discussion

This past weekend, I had the honor--as the Official Spokesperson of FIDM--of MC'ing the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM Fall 2015 Open House. The FIDM Open House is a way for anyone interested in attending FIDM to visit the college and meet instructors, alumni, check out the campus and generally, get to know the campus. As part of this Open House experience, I hosted an Alumni Panel Discussion with FIDM graduates...

NICK APPEARANCES.....The Makeup Date Bloomingdale's Beverly Center Event RECAP!

 Bloomingdale's Beverly Center "The Makeup Date" Fall 2015 Event Hosted by Nick Verreos

In one of my most recent posts HERE, I RECAP'ed "The Makeup Date" event I hosted for Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria...and now it's time for Bloomingdale's Beverly Center "The Makeup Date". I had SOOOO much fun hosting this event. Here is my Blog Photo Recap of all the Makeup, Beauty and Skincare Bloomingdale's fun...Demo's, Giveaways, Meet-&-Greet and More!

 Ready to Host: Nick Verreos Hosts "The Makeup Date" Fall 2015 Bloomingdale's Beverly Center

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Colombia Universe 2015-2016: EVENING GOWN RECAP

Gown Gorgeous: "Miss Choco" Andrea Tovar wins the Miss Colombia Universe title

Last night was the 81st (!) annual Señorita Colombia--or Miss Colombia Universe Beauty Pageant, held in Catagena Colombia. There were 23 total entrants and the winner was "Miss Choco", the stunning Andrea Tovar... 

            La Mas Bella: Andrea Tovar "Miss Choco" is Miss Colombia Universe 2015-2016

21-year old Andrea Tovar is a model, a student of Industrial Design and Photo Imaging Production at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University. She stands a statuesque 5' 11" (1.80 m) and will now represent her country at the "Miss Universe 2016-2017" pageant.

NICK APPEARANCES....."The Makeup Date" Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria RECAP!

 Ready to Host: Nick Verreos at Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria "The Makeup Date"

This past weekend was a weekend of BEAUTY, MAKEUP and SKINCARE fabulousness, as I hosted not one, but TWO wonderful Bloomingdale's "The Makeup Date" events. The first was this past Saturday at Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria and then on Sunday at the Beverly Center location. Here's my Recap of the first Glendale Galleria one. And a huge Thank You to everyone who attended! I had a blast and I hope y'all did as well!

 Host with the Most: Nick Verreos Hosts "The Makeup Date" Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria

In case you are not caught up with what Bloomingdale's "The Makeup Date" is, these are events showcasing the season's Top Trends in beauty, makeup, skincare and fragrance. There are demos from representatives from lots of the top beauty, makeup and skincare brands--such as Estee Lauder, La Mer, Lancome and many more--plus LOTS of Giveaways! (yes, that's the guests' FAVORITE part!).

Scene at "The Makeup Date" Fall 2015 event, Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria

Demos:

Mask-a-Licious: SK-II Demo of its Facial Treatment Mask (on model Linda)--"The Makeup Date" Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria

Demo Photo Collage: Lisette Boren of Tria Laser (top); Gisane Arshakuni of BPI/Narciso Fragrances (middle); and Joe Lorenzo representing Tom Ford Beaute (lower photo)--"The Makeup Date" Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria

Raffle Goodies: A HUGE part of Bloomingdale's "The Makeup Date" event are the Raffle Giveaways. I go into a bowl, stir and chose a winner...who then gets a fab prize of beauty, makeup and skincare products--Above are photos from the raffle giveaways from "The Makeup Date" event at Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria

Meet & Greet Pics: Photos with guests of Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria "The Makeup Date" following the event

Many Hugs and Kisses to Glendale Galleria Bloomingdale's "The Makeup Date" attendees as well as Bloomingdale's Glendale Galleria of course! I had a FAB time! XOXO