This year, the Miss Universe pageant will be running for its 74th year. Most contestants opt for makeup and hair extensions to enhance their beauty, but these accessories might actually add years to some of their looks.
For the upcoming Miss Universe, several women from different countries will participate in various challenges to earn the 2025 crown. Although the beauty they are judged on is often enhanced, over the years, past pageant winners have revealed what they look like naturally. Let’s have a look at the competition’s revised rules before having a look at the winners.
Miss Universe’s Inclusive Rules
According to its website, the Miss Universe Organization’s goal is to honor a legacy that celebrates women’s values, empowerment, and transformative journeys. Over time, its focus has shifted to highlight the deep, personal stories of each contestant, emphasizing that true beauty lies in their motivations, cultural diversity, kindness, leadership, and their ability to uplift others.
Its commitment is to transform lives, create prosperity, and serve humanity with equality and no distinctions. The organization’s president is Raul Rocha Cantu and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Anne Jakrajutatip.
In 2024, the organization changed its rules to be more inclusive by removing age limits for contestants over 18. Previously, the age limit for the pageant’s contestants was 28. The competition also allow married, divorced, and pregnant women to participate.
R’Bonney Gabriel, a Filipino-American fashion designer and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe 2022, shared, “What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they’ve designed for us.”
Gabriel added, “It’s a bold group of women in charge over here, and you know what, a lot of people tend to follow what we do — it’s nice to be a standard-bearer, and I’m proud that we get to do this.”
In 2025, the Miss Côte d’Ivoire pageant in the Ivory Coast banned wigs, weaves, and hair extensions during its preliminary rounds to promote natural African beauty. Contestants are now required to compete with their own hair—whether braided or straightened—marking a significant departure from long-held beauty standards.
The new rules also include a lower entrance fee, increased age limit, and reduced height requirement to encourage broader participation. While some contestants welcomed the change as empowering, others expressed concerns over a loss of personal expression and the economic impact on the local hair industry
The initiative has sparked national debate but received overwhelming support, with organizers considering its extension to the final round. Miss Universe has shed many of its outdated rules to embrace a more inclusive and modern vision of beauty.
Contestants are no longer judged solely on their appearance. The pageant now values intellect, communication, and achievement. Traditional symbols like the scepter, cape, and the ceremonial “Misses’ Oath” have also been retired.
These updates reflect a broader commitment to diversity and empowerment, positioning Miss Universe as a platform for women of all backgrounds to inspire and lead. While the organization is modernizing its rules, one industry secret was eventually revealed.