As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times, doesn't leave it to chance. In Venezuela, girls as young as four can be found attending beauty schools, where they can learn a range of skills from how to walk to the correct way to hold a wine glass. "Hair must always be completely clean, make-up should look natural, and you should always, always wear high-heels," advises Andrea Reyes, a teacher in a school of Caracas with 160 students. Beauty contests are treated in Venezuela much as sporting competitions are elsewhere. Many Venezuelan parents believe that if their daughters can succeed and get the beauty crown, their future as famous and public persons is sure to come. As a result, the girls are trained to compete at a young age. Among former beauty queens are Irene Saez, who went on to compete for the country's president, and Eva Ekvall, whose battle with cancer helped to make more people know about the illness in Venezuela. However, voices against the trend can be heard all over the country. At one time, a feminist   group tried to stop the Miss Venezuela broadcast. President Hugo Chavez has spoken out against the culture of plastic surgery in Venezuela, calling it a "frightening thing". The BBC reporter Sarah Grainger says that acceptance of the contests is partly a result of the country's "machista"   view of the different roles that men and women should play, "Men are supposed to be strong and brave and women to be gentle and beautiful". Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, knows the price to be paid when you're no longer seen as attractive. After winning the beauty contest, she said all she wanted to do was "eat, eat and eat". Her weight gain later and warning by the organizers of the contest to replace her as queen with the _ was among the hottest topics in the country, especially in Latin America. What's the advice given by a teacher in Caracas to her students?
Attending beauty schools as early as possible. Wearing high-heels at times. Washing your hair quite often. Fighting against cancer bravely.