Miss England Finalist Competes Makeup-Free and Rejects Unrealistic Beauty Standards

Beauty pageants are often associated with glitz and glamour, where contestants are embellished with thick layers of makeup. One participant, however, has decided to go against the norm and leave her makeup bag at home. Finalist, Melisa Raouf, stood before the judges with a completely bare face, showcasing her natural beauty and confidence.

She is the first contestant in the pageant’s 94-year history to compete bare-faced.

In August 2022, Melisa Raouf, a 20-year-old political science student from Battersea, London, made history by becoming the first makeup-free contestant to make it to the final of the Miss England pageant in its 94-year history. Raouf aimed to promote inner beauty and challenge the unrealistic beauty standards propagated on social media.

She started wearing makeup at a young age.

Melisa Raouf’s journey to the Miss England final without makeup is a testament to the pressures that young women face in today’s society. She admits to starting to wear makeup at a young age but never feeling completely comfortable.

“I never felt I met beauty standards. I have recently accepted that I am beautiful in my own skin, so I decided to compete with no makeup,” she shared.

She wants to encourage women to embrace their inner beauty.

“I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of comfort. “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, which makes every individual unique.”

“I think people should love and embrace their flaws and blemishes,” she continued, “as we know real beauty lies within simplicity.” Her words conveyed a powerful message of self-acceptance and appreciation for the unique qualities that make us who we are.

She wants to use her platform to fight toxic beauty standards.

Raouf is also inspired by the overwhelming support from other young girls and women on social media who have expressed that she has helped them feel more confident and empowered.

“With mental health being such a big topic, I want to make all girls feel good,” she explained, emphasizing her commitment to promoting positive self-image and mental well-being. “I just want to remove all beauty standards. I feel like all girls are beautiful in their own way. I feel like I’ve done it for all girls.”

She started the #BareFaceTrend movement.

She has taken the world by storm through a powerful movement on Instagram. In her latest post, she announced the success of the #barefacetrend movement, proudly showcasing a collage of stunning images of women who have chosen to embrace their natural beauty without makeup or filters.

“Each and every one of these girls is absolutely stunning, as every girl is! It is truly wonderful to see these women embrace their individual beauty in their own skin. These women have chosen to post bare-faced images online as a statement to show that we women have a choice on what gets posted on social media,” Melisa wrote.

Don’t miss out on the incredible stories of women who have challenged beauty norms:

• 10 Body Positive Celebrities Who Bravely Spoke About Beauty Standards
• 10 Mighty Women Who Couldn’t Care Less About Beauty Standards
• 10+ Stars That Had to Fight Impossible Female Beauty Standards
• What 16 Celebrities Who Don’t Fit Into Hollywood’s Beauty Standards Looked Like in Their Youth
• 8 Women Opened Up About Fighting Unrealistic Beauty Standards in Hollywood