A politics student has reached the Miss England final after becoming the first ever beauty queen to appear make-up free at the pageant in its 94 year history.
Melisa Raouf, 20, from London, wowed the judges with her natural beauty when she appeared at the semi-finals of the competition in London earlier this month.
She said she decided to take to the catwalk without any cosmetics or beauty products in the hope of inspiring other women to embrace their natural looks.
Melisa was left stunned when she landed a place in the Miss England final, and said she now wants to eliminate the ‘toxic’ narrative surrounding makeup and social media, adding: ‘It means a lot to me as I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so.’
Melisa Raouf explained: ‘When I started wearing make up at a young age, I never felt comfortable in my own skin.
‘I never felt I met beauty standards.’
Melisa said she took the unusual step of entering the competition bare-faced in a bid to promote inner beauty in an age of social media obsession.
Since appearing on the 94-year-old Miss England stage Melisa has had her inbox flooded with support from people who say she has ‘inspired them’.
Melisa, who studies at King’s College London, said she will once again brave the catwalk make-up free when she appears at the Miss England final – and revealed she feels like she has done it for ‘all girls’.
She will now compete alongside 40 other women to be crowned Miss England on October 17 at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Coventry.
Organizers of the world-famous pageant had previously introduced a ‘bare-face top model’ round but say it’s the first time they have known anyone to compete at the pageant without wearing make-up.
Melisa said: ‘It was quite a daunting experience but so amazing to win this way.