Although the old adage claims that beauty is only skin deep, Cecilia Montalvo hopes to make hers do more than just help her win beauty contests. Entered to compete in this year’s Ms. American United States National Pageant in Orlando, Fla. next month, Montalvo hopes to this will propel her into a career that can help less-fortunate people.
“I want to start my own cosmetic company to help people who have disfigurements,” she said.
Montalvo is a theatric, film and television make-up artist as well as a professional model. She is currently Ms. June 2000 for a calendar called Urban Beauties. She has also served as 1998 Miss Latina New York.
She said a cosmetics teacher introduced her to the idea that she might be able to help people through cosmetics.
“Part of the reason I want to win this title is because when you have notoriety, people listen to you, and I think the prestigious title can help me help other people,” she said.
Her idea would be particularly beneficial in Hudson County, she said, because she is bilingual and there are currently no programs of this kind available to Latino women.
“I talked with the American Cancer Society and other groups and they told me this kind of program is needed,” she said.
Montalvo, 25, was named Ms. New Jersey 2000 in June, although this state has no pageant. Officials in Florida, where the competition is based, said that while the program is in its seventh year and women from nearly every state compete in the national competitions, local organizations currently exist only in 13 states.
Established in 1994, the pageant has been sanctioned by the International Pageant Association, giving it much more credibility than many of the fad beauty contests flooding the market over the last few years. Montalvo, who competed previously in other pageants, heard about this pageant earlier this year.
“I was modeling when one of my friends told me about this contest,” she said. “New Jersey doesn’t have a pageant so I went up on the Internet and printed out the application.”
Along with the application, she sent photos, the $25 entrance fee and a resume and a list of her accomplishments. This was late April, and she had just missed the pageants in New York and Connecticut – where she could have competed. On June 9, the competition notified her that she had won. Officials in Florida said judges go over the application, review the data and interview the potential candidates before making their decision in those states where no pageant is held.
“Then they sent me a letter and said I had been named Ms. New Jersey 2000,” she said. “They said I would be going to the Ms. American United States Nationals pageant.”
This is scheduled to be held from Aug 10 to 12 at the Omni Rosen Hotel in Orlando , Fla. She will compete with delegates from across the United States for over $15,000 in cash and prizes, as well as the national title.
Until a year ago, Montalvo lived and competed in New York City. She now lives in Harmon Cove. As a model, she has appeared in numerous national advertisements and calendars. She has also done makeup for other models for television and movie ads. She hopes that by winning, some of the cosmetic companies may join her effort to help people less fortunate they herself.
“When you help other people, God finds a way of helping you,” she said, in an attempt to explain her motivations.
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