“Women are pressured to look a certain way because of society’s narrow perception of beauty and perfection, and they’re often scrutinized for not conforming to them,” she said in an interview. “I wanted to challenge these unrealistic beauty standards by taking that bare-face round to the next level.”
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Because she was self-conscious about her inherent beauty, Melisa Raouf used to spend three hours perfecting her makeup. Raouf, however, chose not to wear his as the other competitors did in order to compete in this week’s Miss England pageant.
Raouf, 20, made history by becoming the first contestant to compete in Miss England without wearing makeup in the competition’s 94-year history. As a result, she became the spokesperson for a global movement that encourages women to go bare-faced. Raouf claimed that after experiencing years of shyness and insecurity as well as being deterred by an ecology of social media populated by well edited and filtered images, she decided to take on the task.
Skin-positive activists have condemned the beauty industry for using manipulated photographs to advertise its goods and taking advantage of women’s concerns. Raouf, a student at King’s College London studying political science, said she wanted to motivate ladies who, like her, felt unqualified.
The Miss England finals were held Sunday and Monday in Birmingham, and contestants could enter by winning a regional competition or a specific title (like “publicity queen”). Raouf made it after taking first place in the optional Miss London Bare Face Top Model competition in June and then winning the Miss England semifinals in August. The Miss London Bare Face Top Model competition is a 2019 addition that asks competitors to post a photo of themselves without makeup on their social media accounts.
Raouf participated in a 10-kilometer race and litter cleanup in London prior to the finals to collect money for the Miss World-affiliated charity Beauty with a Purpose, which offers food, water, and education to those in need. Additionally, she created the #barefacetrendmovement, which boosted her self-esteem and introduced her to a group of other women who were interested in skin acceptance.
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“I’m very proud of her,” said Elle Seline, who last year became the first woman to compete makeup-free in the Ms Great Britain contest, a pageant for women ages 31 to 44. “It’s awesome that other women are waking up and using their platforms to make that conversation continue.”
Seline, 32, utilised her position as Ms Great Britain to advocate for women’s empowerment and the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies, including whether to wear makeup or have an abortion. Despite having battled bulimia as a child and been teased for her olive skin tone and larger features, she claimed that being by herself during pandemic lockdowns offered her the opportunity to improve herself ahead of the competition.
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