Pageant Central: Univision Crowns "Nuestra Belleza Latina 2011" and Nick Verreos Rates the Gowns!!

La Más Bella...

Sequin Queen: Nasstasja Bolivar, Nuestra Belleza 2011

8.4 Million (yep! MILLION!!!) people tuned in two days ago on Sunday night and watched the Season Finale of Univision Network's "Nuestra Belleza Latina 2011" (Our Latin Beauty), the Spanish-speaking version of "Miss USA"/"America's Next Top Model". The telecast – which saw Miami’s Nastassja Bolivar (of Nicaraguan descent) declared “Nuestra Belleza Latina 2011” and win...

Beauty Cash: Nuestra Belleza Latina Winner Nasstasja Bolivar holds up her $250,000 Winning Prize Check

$250,000 in cash and prizes, along with a one-year contract to be Univision on-air talent – led the Network to a third place finish for the entire night among all broadcast networks among Adults 18-34, ahead of CBS and NBC, and #4 among Adults 18-49, ahead of CBS. Additionally, last night’s telecast was the highest-rated finale in the history of “Nuestra Belleza Latina”. So, yeah, kids, it's time you might want to be paying attention to Univision and "Nuestra Belleza Latina".

"Nuestra Belleza Latina" is a Reality TV-style Beauty Show, in its fifth season, where ladies of Latino descent--from all over the USA , are chosen through "American Idol"-like castings (in various cities like Chicago, San Antonio, Los Angeles, NYC, Miami and San Juan Puerto Rico). Two of the finalist were even chosen through online fans of the show. Like I said, this year's winner was the tall and very bella Nasstasja Bolivar who "represented" Nicaragua. Her First Runner Up was Puerto Rican Gredmarie Colon. Both of their final evening gowns were elegant and on the "Pageant Lite" side--which Thank Goodness, is a good thing. The First Runner-Up's gown had a slit (not too high, gracias!) and the winner didn't even have a slit!

Nasstasja's gown was a purple strapless Princess -seamed fit-and-flare design, featuring silver beading bust-and-waist detail. Let's just say she WORKED that gown OVERTIME!!!

Afterward, she did an Outfit Change (At-a-Girl) and posed for Red Carpet Photos as well as posed with past winners (left to right) Alejandra Espinoza, Greidys Gil, Melissa Marty and Ana Patricia Gonzalez, who all looked very "Pageant Perfect" in their gowns. I especially loved Melissa's and Ana Patricia's gowns (far right).

"Nuestra Belleza Latina" TV Host Giselle Blondet (above), who never met a gown she didn't like--looked very elegante in a one-shoulder Mermaid-silhouette black-colored style. Her swept-back hair and over-sized earrings and bracelets perfectly finished her look.

During the telecast, Giselle also gave a "cocktail look", wearing a strapless canary yellow mini dress with sequin waist and folded side-peplum as seen in photo above. I thought she looked great!

Gown Heaven: Left to right--Lupita Jones, Julian Gil, Giselle Blondet, Nuestra Belleza Latina 2011 Winner Nasstasja Bolivar, and Osmel Sousa

Other "Gown Notables" included the ever-so-fabulous Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991 and Director of Nuestra Belleza Mexico/Miss Mexico Pageant. She is also one of the judges of "Nuestra Belleza Latina".

Red Universe: Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991 and Nuestra Belleza Latina Judge

Miss Jones, is a Drag Queen's Dream in her over-the-top lipstick red satin taffeta one-shoulder ruffled-and-shirred gown with cascading detail. Lupita does not waste a red carpet moment as can be seen above. Once a Miss Universe...ALWAYS a Miss Universe.

Turquoise Judge: Nuestra Belleza Latina Judge and Miss Venezuela Director Osmel Sousa

Speaking of Miss Universe--this "Nuestra Belleza" posting would not be complete without the notable mention of "La Diva", Osmel Sousa, "Miss Venezuela" Pageant Director, Beauty Pageant Svengali, and "Nuestra Belleza Latina" judge. He's like the Simon Cowell of the show...and everyone loves it! In case you didn't know, he took a little ol' pageant--the Miss Venezuela Organization--and turned it into THE POWERHOUSE of International Pageants. Under his direction, Miss Venezuela has won six Miss Universes, five Miss Worlds, six Miss Internationals and many many others. Osmel decided to turn it up a notch on Sunday night when it came to his own ensemble: A Turquoise blue satin dress shirt, printed jacket, ascot, and styled hair...well, Osmel you are un Dios!

Miss Venezuela 2010: The Evening Gown Wrap-Up: Nick Verreos Picks the "Muy Bueno" and "Oh No!"

Venezuela's Queen of Beauty Is...

Vanessa Goncalves, "Miss Miranda". 5'9", 24 year old Vanessa was crowned last week in a four hour ceremony that for the first time was held in oil-rich Maracaibo, Venezuela. The Miss Venezuela Pageant is famous for being "The International Beauty Factory" since they have had so many Miss Universes (TWO back to back in 2008 and 2009 with Dayana Mendoza and Stefania Fernandez), Miss Worlds, Miss Internationals, and so on.

Pre-Blond: Brunette Vanessa Goncalves, the new Miss Venezuela 2010

I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and my sister Rita,was a contestant in Miss Venezuela 1988 so I have been a fan of the pageant, well, since "back in the day"! I know all the in's and out's of the pageant (my sis gave me all the dish!) . But many people already know that the pageant is ruled with a firm hand by "Beauty Pageant Czar" Osmel Sousa.

Pre-tan: The new Miss Venezuela 2010, Vanessa Goncalves

He chooses the women to compete each year via castings and then "gives" them the State they will represent so most of the time, the girls do not even hail from the state/region they are representing (there are one or two state contests that then send their winner to the Miss Venezuela). They go through an intense one year training program; there's an in-house Plastic Surgeon, a Dentist, as well as runway and voice coaches. It's SERIOUS!!! It is widely rumored that Sousa also chooses months ahead--if not one year --who the winner will be. He also chooses the gowns that each of "his girls" will wear.

In Their Thrones: Miss Venezuela for Miss Universe 2011 (left) and Miss Venezuela for Miss World 2011 (right)

The Miss Venezuela Pageant has always been famous for its gowns--be it over-the-Haute Couture to over-the-top tacky. But no "Happy Medium", just over the top. And this year, there was no shortage of both. It's a safe bet that whichever girl is wearing the "best gown" will probably win; it's not an accident. I just feel bad for the girls that get the "Oh what the heck is that?" gowns! They MUST know that, well, this ain't their year darling...

Now onto the Miss Venezuela 2010 Evening Gowns:

Blue Queen: One of the best gowns was worn was by The Winner (of course), Vanessa Goncalves, a baby blue silk Habotai multi-layered gown with coral sequin detail and high side slit (of course!) by Designer Gionni Straccia, who has designed the winning gowns for various Miss Venezuela's at the Miss Universe.

The jeweled detail is his "thing" and can also be seen on the gown Stefania Fernandez wore when she won Miss Universe 2009 as well as...

Miss Oklahoma USA 2010 Morgan Elizabeth Woolard, who was First Runner to Miss USA 2010 earlier this year, in this gown by Gionni Straccia.

1984 Overskirt: Miss Amazonas Ivian Sarcos was crowned Miss World Venezuela (First Runner Up) in this silver-gray strapless fitted gown with attached over-skirt by Rex Fabrics Miami (?). The base gown was fine by itself and didn't need that over-skirt but after all, it is the Miss Venezuela, and we must always take it, FIVE steps further. It's a little 1984 for me, but I still somehow liked it! (1984 was a good "Gown Year" I hear!).

It also reminded me of this fuchsia gown worn by Jacqueline Aguilera (from Venezuela of course!), when she was crowned Miss World 1995, which also featured this similar over-skirt silhouette. But again, this was 1995. That's FIFTEEN years ago!

Here's My Leg: My favorite of the entire night--gown and girl--was Miss Monagas--the exotically beautiful Angela Ruiz. She is SO Mestiza Filipina GORGEOUS!!! Pageant fans on the world-wide web argued that maybe she was "too exotic" to win the Miss Venezuela title.

Her blue-green one shoulder gown by Rafael Cennamo was Red Carpet Ready--I could totally see an A-List actress wear this at the Academy Awards--and I could still see her wear it at Miss Universe. Alas, she isn't going. She did make it to the Top 5 at least. How she didn't win is beyond me. Another favorite (gown) of mine was...

Miss Nueva Esparta Melanie Reza Feliz (who was a semi-finalist of course: Hello, pretty gown=Finalist!) in this bubblegum pink column gown with silver details. I'm a sucker for Bubblegum Pink...but NOT this Bubblegum Pink:

Now the Not-So-Bueno: Oh Dear! Miss Sucre Ariana Kuper Osorio sauntered onto the Miss Venezuela 2010 stage in this dress and it was just all about a mess! Needless to say, poor thang didn't even make the Semi-Finals. This silk gazar gown features a lot of Couture-worthy draping, folding and pleating...but maybe TOO MUCH! It was overwhelming and yes, she should have known when she got this dress that possibly she wasn't going to "make the cut".

Red Carpet Not: Another beauty who was "Gown-ill-advised" was Miss Cojedes Eliana Calicchia Arcila. Although in this photo, it doesn't look so bad but trust me kids, it wasn't good! She could barely walk in it (not a good sign) and looked like Big Bird after she got caught in a wind storm. In case you're wondering, yeah, she didn't make the top ten. I bet she doesn't even get to keep the gown (why would you want it?). But there was worse:

It's a Jumpsuit...No, It's A Gown: Miss Dependencias Federales Axel Lopez Aldana takes the "Miss Drag Queen Venezuela Gown Prize", for this concoction that I'm sure every Gay in the room was SCREAMING for (and not in a good way!). I give the designer and her "Nick V. Points" for being SO Camp--and the audacity of her to actually wear it--but seriously: What was she thinking? This is Miss Venezuela for the Miss Universe, not Miss Hot Stripper in Vegas.

See, this is why I LOVE the Miss Venezuela and the gowns! Until next year!