Beauty becomes her (+video)

Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina Teen contestants arrived in Columbia on Saturday to begin a week of competition, making an appearance at the S.C. State House.

The young women brought talent and sparkle – along with loads of sequins, teeth whitening kits and tailor-made responses to curing world hunger.

And in today’s world, what was once known as a beauty competition requires more than good looks to come out on top. It takes guts and perhaps guile – on top of hair gel and gowns – to snag the crown and sash.

This story was originally published June 20, 2015 at 7:39 PM.