Look at the new crop of beauties

How would you define beauty? Is it physical appearance or is it reflected from inner confidence?

Well, the winning answer likely lies in a mix of the two, and it should be seen in the upcoming Miss Hong Kong Pageant, the 49th edition, which will reach a high point with a winner on September 5.

First, though, there's a long slog for hopefuls, with tears and smiles and talking and dressing up.

And it started yesterday with a first round of interviews, when 489 candidates from all walks of life and with lots of impressive shapes and looks arrived at TVB.

Early hot picks included Fabienne Kwan, the 26-year-old daughter of actor Eddie Kwan Lai-kit, 26-year-old Yvette Chan, who has more than 30,000 followers on her Instagram, and Chloe Leung, 23, from City University of Hong Kong.

Naturally, some failed to pass the intense scrutiny of netizens.

Even a pageant auditor named Alice failed to impress. She was compared to the character Sadness in the Pixar animation Inside Out.