A 20-year-old student, Melisa Raouf from Battersea in London became the first ever contestant to participate in Miss England without makeup in its 94-year history.
The beauty contestant has reached the final round and she revealed that instead of falling into the trap of beauty standards set by social media she wants to inspire other women to embrace their natural beauty.
“It means a lot to me as I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so,” Melisa said.
According to Melisa if we are happy with our skin then we do not need to cover it up with makeup as our real beauty lies within simplicity. “Our flaws make us who we are and that’s what makes every individual unique. I think people should love and embrace their flaws and blemishes,” she added.
“I’m going to the finals bare-faced. I would love to use my Miss England platform to empower natural beauty and eliminate this toxic mindset,” she said, as she plans to go bare face in the beauty pageant competition for the finals.
Recounting her struggle with accepting herself, she said, “When I started wearing make-up at a young age, I never felt comfortable in my skin. 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.”
An inspiration to many women, she said: “‘So many girls message me telling me how I’ve made them feel more confident in themselves. With mental health being a topic, I want to make all girls feel good. I just want to remove the beauty standards. I feel like each and every girls are beautiful in their own way. I feel like I have done it for all girls.”
