Podcast Summary: Miss Represented – Miss Earth USA Eco 2025: Kiara Landon

Episode 66 | Released September 29, 2025
Host: Lisa Opie
Guest: Kiara Landon, Miss Earth USA Eco 2025 Finalist, Nurse, Environmental Advocate

Overview

In this vibrant episode of Miss Represented, host Lisa Opie sits down with Kiara Landon—a Seattle-born nurse, environmental champion, performer, and model. The conversation covers Kiara’s life in pageantry, her advocacy for sustainability (especially in beauty and healthcare), her Filipino heritage, and the importance of self-care for those in high-stress professions. With laughter and heartfelt moments, the show celebrates personal empowerment, cultural pride, and eco-conscious living.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life Behind the Glitz: Pageantry, Glam, and Sisterhood

[01:28–04:41]

• Nationals & Sisterhood: Kiara and Lisa reminisce about the whirlwind experience at Miss Earth USA Nationals, focusing on the camaraderie and chaos backstage:

  "I remember being backstage and we're like, getting dressed and getting your hair changed and doing everything in like, 30 seconds, and you're, like, practicing your speech that fast." — Lisa Opie [01:50]

• Chaotic Quick Changes: Kiara credits the Lady Code team for their help, underscoring how teamwork made the pageant process manageable.
  • She emphasizes how makeup and good presentation boost confidence on stage and in pageantry.

2. Sustainability in Beauty and Healthcare

[02:17–07:43]

• Makeup with a Mission:
  • Kiara values sustainable beauty: from vegan and cruelty-free products to reduced packaging waste.
  • She highlights Lady Code’s partnership with charities like “Wands for Wildlife,” reducing makeup-related landfill waste.
• Connecting Health and the Earth:
  • As a registered nurse, Kiara has witnessed medical waste firsthand and promotes awareness of microplastics and single-use plastics in healthcare.
  • She strives to educate youth through her Eco Explorers Club:

    "If you're teaching kids at a young age, you're basically shaping a better future for tomorrow." — Kiara [06:45]

  • Nurses for Nature tagline: Uniting healthcare workers for environmental advocacy.

3. Performing, Modeling, and Fashion for a Cause

[03:15–18:58]

• Performing Arts Roots:
  • Started dance at age five, performing in The Nutcracker—heavy makeup as formative in shaping her beauty routine and stage confidence.
• Modeling Journey:
  • Began modeling at 10; significant highlights include New York and LA Fashion Weeks and commercial work for Boeing and Amazon.
  • Passionate about sustainable fashion, especially Musa Fabrics—Philippine-based brand creating garments from banana leaves:

    “You can literally make clothes out of banana leaves… It feels really good too. Like, you could tell. It's like a really sturdy material and it's amazing.” — Kiara [17:03]

  • Loves working with designers who use thrifted or recycled materials.

4. Pageantry as Growth & Empowerment

[07:48–14:54]

• Miss Earth USA Experience:
  • Kiara details the lengthy, multifaceted national competition: preliminaries, reality show filming (in NYC), and the upcoming coronation.
  • Reality show bonds (“like big brother but big, big sisters”) and down-to-earth challenges—digging in sand and interacting with worms!
• Cultural Representation:
  • Kiara’s Filipino heritage is central to her identity and platform.
  • Both Lisa and Kiara share moving stories about childhood isolation due to lack of Asian representation and how pageantry, community, and advocacy have helped them reclaim pride in their cultures:

    “If I could just give her a hug and be like, you should be proud of your heritage…” — Kiara [13:45] “That’s actually what got me into makeup—I learned how to make my eyes look more blond.” — Lisa [14:14]

• Role Models & Visibility:
  • Kiara stresses the importance of Asian American visibility in pageantry for the next generation:

    "If we can have more role models... it would encourage that little girl in me." — Kiara [15:20]

5. Advocacy, Community, and Mental Health

[18:58–21:49]

• Mental Health for Caregivers:
  • Kiara prioritizes mental health, emphasizing the need for self-care among nurses and caregivers:

    “You’re filling someone else's cup when yours is empty.” — Kiara [19:23]

  • Her go-to coping strategies: journaling, meditation (loves the Calm app), and spending time in nature—especially the forests and waterways of Washington State.
• Lisa shares her own retreat to Washington after NY Fashion Week, validating the restorative power of nature and change of scenery.

6. Rapid Fire: “This or That” Fun Segment

[22:43–23:59]

• A quick-fire Q&A on personal preferences reveals Kiara’s down-to-earth personality:
  • Stage makeup or natural glam?

    "Everyday natural glam. Love it. Especially for the summer." [22:53]

  • Ballet shoes or hiking boots?

    "Okay, probably hiking shoes." [23:07]

  • Modern Filipino power suit or traditional dress?

    "Modern." [23:51]

  • Forest trail adventure or city rooftop dinner?
    (No verbal response, but laughter confirms forest trail adventure as her choice.)

7. Looking Ahead

[21:52–24:27]

• Upcoming Events:
  • Kiara encourages everyone to tune into the Miss Earth USA coronation (July 6 on Queen Beauty Network) and the next “Pretty Down to Earth” reality show episode (“Gold. Also gold bees.”).
• Where to Follow:
  • Instagram: @KiaraLandon23
  • Facebook: Kiara Landon

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sustainability in makeup:

  “Sustainable makeup is so important because you know, we use it so much on a day to day basis...there's a lot of waste that's accompanied with makeup products, with the packaging itself.” — Kiara [02:22]

• On advocacy:

  “I'm trying to educate people on the dangers of single use plastics...microplastics, how they accumulate in our food, our water systems.” — Kiara [05:59]

• On cultural pride:

  “If I could like go back and tell like, my little girl… you should be proud of your cult, your heritage.” — Kiara [13:45]

• On self-care:

  “You’re filling someone else’s cup when yours is empty.” — Kiara [19:23]

• Reality show behind the scenes:

  “We were freezing our butts off, but hopefully you guys couldn't tell.” — Kiara [09:07]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Guest Introduction: [00:00–01:28]
• Pageant Life & Sisterhood: [01:28–04:41]
• Sustainable Beauty & Eco-Advocacy: [02:17–07:43]
• Performing Arts/Modeling Origins: [03:15–18:58]
• Miss Earth USA Experience: [07:48–14:54]
• Cultural Identity & Representation: [13:08–16:08]
• Modeling & Sustainable Fashion: [16:21–18:58]
• Mental Health for Caregivers: [18:58–21:49]
• Upcoming Events & Where to Follow: [21:52–24:27]
• Fun “This or That” Segment: [22:43–23:59]

Tone & Style

The episode maintains an uplifting, relatable, and empowering tone. Kiara and Lisa blend heartfelt emotion with fun “tea-spilling,” making their advocacy approachable and inspiring.

For Listeners

This episode offers more than just a behind-the-scenes look at pageantry—it provides practical inspiration for living sustainably, embracing cultural heritage, and caring for oneself and others. Kiara Landon stands out as a multidimensional role model, weaving together empowerment, advocacy, and authenticity.