Angela Meyer holds 12 pageant titles, including having two top-five national finishes under her belt. Now, 20 years after her first pageant, she is a go-to makeup artist and hairstylist for contestants in the Miss America and Miss USA pageant systems. (The Miss USA competition, which airs Monday night, is run by the Miss Universe organization, formerly owned by Donald Trump.)
There’s a thriving pageant mini economy, including a tight-knit network of pros who work with contestants behind the scenes. Meyer is one of these, though she also has a robust business working with celebrities, brands, and brides. Last year’s Miss America, Cara Mund, was a client of Meyer’s.
Meyer started competing in pageants herself in 1997 to earn some scholarship money for college after her dad was forced to retire from his job. She went on to a career as an anchor and reporter in broadcast news in coastal …