Twin beauties Rina and Romy Chibani have won first and second place in the Miss Lebanon 2012 pageant on Saturday night.

Rina was crowned Miss Lebanon, while her sister became the First Runner-Up.

During the winners’ announcement, the olive-skinned girls clutched hands, holding them up high, in what onlookers described as an “unusual” ceremony, seeing two similar faces winning both titles.

16 women competed to win the title, as a jury composed of 9 members evaluated them, among them Lebanon's first and so far only Miss Universe, Georgina Rizk, former Lebanese minister Ziad Baroud, Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram and Lebanese Champion Maxime Chaaya.

Other runners-up included Christelle Lotfi who came second, Elsa Maria Stephan as third and Joanne Semaan was the fourth runner-up.

Rina, who was handed over the crown by Miss Lebanon 2011 Yara Khoury Mikhael, now holds her spot in the Miss Universe contest that will be held in Las Vegas in December.

And world pageants are no stranger to Lebanese beauty.

In August, Lebanese-Australian beauty Jessica Kahawaty won third place in the Miss World 2012 competition, as a representative of Australia.

It was not Kahawaty’s first bid in beauty contests; she participated in the 2008 Miss Lebanon Emigrant and also competed for Miss Lebanon 2010.

Kahawaty, olive-skinned and grey-eyed with features that some have called “an exotic mixture between West and East,” qualified for Miss World after winning the Miss Australia competition by playing a rendition of Beethoven’s Furelisea on the piano with a severely injured hand.














Reuters