A Miss England contestant who studies politics dazzled the panel of judges by performing makeup-free.
Confidently Beautiful
It’s the first time a participant hasn’t worn makeup in the pageant’s 94-year history.
When Melisa Raouf, 20, competed in the competition’s semi-finals in London this week, she simply relied on her inherent beauty.
She has advanced to the final stage.
The Battersea woman disclosed that she made the decision to go bare-faced in order to emphasize inner beauty in a time when social media is so preoccupied.
“It was quite a daunting experience but so amazing to win this way,” the 20-year-old student said.
“It means a lot to me as I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so.”
She added: “Our flaws make us who we are and that’s what makes every individual unique.”
The King’s College student claimed that since she made the audacious decision to walk the catwalk makeup-free, she has received a deluge of supportive comments on social media.
“I’ve had so many girls message me telling me how I’ve made them feel more confident in themselves,” she said.
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“With mental health being such a big topic, I want to make all girls feel good. I just want to remove all the beauty standards. I feel like all girls are beautiful in their own way.”
She added: “I feel like I’ve done it for all girls.”
The 20-year-old said she now plans to compete “bare-faced” in the finals.
“I would love to use my Miss England platform to empower natural beauty and eliminate this toxic mindset,” the south London woman said.
At the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Coventry on October 17, she will compete against 40 other ladies to be named Miss England.
The renowned pageant’s organizers had previously added a “bare-face top model” round in 2019.
Angie Beasley, who organized Miss England, claimed she instituted the round after being astounded by the volume of makeup and filler used by the competitors.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a contestant completely makeup-free competing in a semi-final and she said she felt empowered against all the other contestants,” Beasley said.
“I’m all for makeup to enhance your natural beauty but there’s no need for youngsters to wear It so thick that it looks like a mask.”
She added: “I wish Melisa the best of luck in Miss England 2022.”