Miss England Finalist Makes History, Competes Without Makeup

A finalist at the Miss England pageant, Melissa Raouf, Saturday, made history as the first to go makeup-free during the 94-year history of the pageant.

According to Independent UK, Raouf said, she decided to appear barefaced in a bid to promote inner beauty and challenge the beauty ideals perpetuated on social media.

“It means a lot to me as I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so. If one is happy in their own skin we should not be made to cover up our face with makeup. Our flaws make us who we are and that’s what makes every individual unique.”

“I never felt I met beauty standards. I have recently accepted that I am beautiful in my own skin and that’s why I decided to compete with no make-up.

“I still feel confident in myself, with makeup I’m all concealed. This is who I am, I’m not afraid to share who I am. I wanted to show who Melisa truly is,” she added.

The organiser of Miss England, Angie Beasley, introduced a makeup-free modelling round to the completion in 2019 but say it is the first time anyone has chosen to compete without makeup.

Credit: Independent uk