Beauty pageants are usually all about glitz and glamor. Contestants make sure they are dressed to impress and have their hair and makeup done professionally to increase their beauty and their chances of winning.
But one contestant made a decision that shocked quite a lot of people. Keep reading to learn more…
Twenty-year-old Melisa Raouf is one of the 40 women vying to become the next Miss England. However unlike all the other contestants, she is doing something that makes her unique. In the 94 year history of the pageant, no one has competed without any makeup.
She wanted to do something different and promote the message of inner beauty and defy the current beauty standards that exist as the norm 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,” Raouf said in a comment. “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 think people should love and embrace their flaws and blemishes, as we know real beauty lies within simplicity.”
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This is the first time in history a contestant has decided to compete with makeup. Raouf said it was a “daunting but amazing experience.” And that she also intends to go without makeup in the final.
Raouf shared how she had been wearing makeup since she was young. She said, “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 makeup. 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.”
Raouf said she had gained a lot of support from women and young girls for her choice. She said, “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, I feel like I’ve done it for all girls.”
Mental health has been a big focus for Raouf, she has also been promoting Papyrus during the contest, which is a UK organisation working to prevent youth suicide.
The organiser of the Miss England pageant, Angie Beasley shared that they began the bare-faced round in 2019. This began when most contestants submitted heavily-edited pictures with layers of makeup.
The round was designed to encourage women “to show us who they really are without the need to hide behind makeup and filters on social media”. In order to participate in it, contestants were asked to post pictures without any makeup on their social media accounts.
Beasley said of Raouf, “We wish her the best of luck in Miss England, it’s a very brave thing to do when everyone else is wearing makeup but she’s sending out an important message to young women.”
This is honestly a very brave thing for a young woman to do considering the current status-quo and the profession she is in! We wish her the best of luck in the competition and beyond.
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