Miss International 2016 5th Official Hot Picks

Almost a week has passed since the arrival of the delegates, and true to the hype that is surrounding this year’s edition of Miss International Beauty Pageant, the organization did not fail to disappoint us.  The ladies were given VIP treatments, shopping experiences, cultural immersions, TV appearances as well as out of town trips.

Indeed, the whole week did not fly like dusts in the wind.  Each experience has its worth, and although some of the girls have already felt tired and weary due to the hectic schedule, some were able to withstand the rigid tests of stamina and agility.

So, who among the contenders have brought the real deal since coming to Japan?  Leading the pack is none other than Geraldine Ponce of Mexico.  The 22-year-old student has been a head turner since she stepped into Japan, and it cannot be denied that she is some sort of a favorite by the picky Japanese media.  Several times have we seen her being focused by the cameramen, and being interviewed by reporters.  That alone speaks a lot as to how attractive Geraldine is in person.  Will Geraldine finally bring home the third pearl crown for Mexico?

In near second is Felicia Hwang of Indonesia, who is now back into the Top 3 after falling into fifth place in the Pre-Arrival Hot Picks.  Felicia is definitely the Asian delegate to watch out for at this year’s Miss International.  Her styling and overall aura screams “Miss International”, and one staff member was even quoted saying that Felicia’s head is always groomed to be ready for the crown all the time.

However, not to be counted out yet is Poland’s Magdalena Bieńkowska, who is slaying everyone in terms of her looks and natural beauty.  Whenever Magdalena is around, people are drawn to her angelic look.  Her kind of beauty is the one that needs no further justification.  She is beautiful just the way she is, even at some time when we have seen her wearing not-so-flattering dresses.

Meanwhile, in fourth place is Kylie Verzosa of the Philippines, who was specially chosen by the organization to be featured on TV as someone who has a very small face, something that the Japanese are really insecure of, because they perceive themselves to be having big faces.  Unlike her predecessors, Kylie has the freedom to be dressed up by well known Filipino designers, so she has the advantage of being one of the best dressed Miss Philippines ever.  Who can ignore her breathtaking national costume, as well as her dress during the Welcome Party last October 11th?

In fifth place, and a newcomer in our ranking is none other than Alina Kirchiu, the 20-year-old model representing Moldova.  This delightful young woman has the supermodel look, and is sometimes compared to the legendary Evelina Papantoniou, the Greek stunner at Miss Universe 2001.

In 6th Place is Jessica Duarte of Venezuela, who was our pre-arrival leader.   Although she went five places down, we still believe that Jessica is one serious contender who will eventually deliver the goods when they are needed.  Pageant followers, however, would want to see her with lighter and softer make-up.

In seventh spot is Emilia Seppänen of Finland who is back with a bang!  We won’t be surprised to see another Top 5 placement for Finland, considering the fact that during the last three times that a Finnish girl have placed in the Top 5, all of them were blonde beauties.  However, if ever Emilia places high in this competition, it has to be credited, as well, to her wholesome and charming personality.

Ghana’s Cindy Kofie is up on our list, and is in 8th Place.  What we really love about Cindy, aside from her looks, is communication skills.  She actually reminds us of the down-to-earth Paulina Malulu, the first and only Namibian semifinalist and contestant at Miss International.  This statuesque beauty from West Africa stands 182 cm and is actually one of the tallest delegates this year.

Belarus is represented by Palina Tsehalka, who is 9th in our current hot picks.  Well-styles, always smiling and has a great personality, Palina is one of the girls to watch out for because her wardrobes are always above par than the rest.

In tenth place is Hungary’s Csillag Szabo, whom we consider as the spokesperson of the pageant, the type of girl who is always ready to share her opinion and knowledge despite the fact that English is not her first language.  What we like about Csillag is her passion and sincerity in using her social media platform to share her experiences in Japan to her constituents back home.  More than just the usual selfies and cutesy poses, Csillag is here to share about Japan, and not about herself.

The gorgeous blonde from New Zealand, Jessica Tyson is in 11th place, while Puerto Rico’s Gabriel Berrios, the only delegate to have competed in Miss Universe before, is in 12th Place. Hong Kong’s Kelly and her pageant sister Sulin Ip of Macau are in 13th and 14th places, respectively.  Both are doing a great job promoting their experiences here in Japan via social media.  Completing our list and in 15th place is Daniela Ochoa of Panama, the cute Central America chica with an infectious smile.