BEAUTY without MAKE-UP Miss England 2022 Contender MELISA RAOUF Will be Entering Semi-Finals Make-up Free
It certainly takes courage to enter a national beauty pageant make-up free, especially such as Miss England that will be sending the winner to the Miss World competition.
Contestant Melisa Raouf (20), a politics student, will be doing just that when stepping in front of the judges at the Miss England Semi-Finals, taking place on Monday 22nd August. Melisa already holds the title Miss Bare Face Top Model London that she won in the recent London heat of the national beauty pageant.
Melisa says “Being the Bare Face round winner of this year’s Miss London competition means a lot to me as I feel many girls of different ages wear makeup because they feel pressured to do so. 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” says Melisa.
Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, launched the bold Bare Face round back in 2019, in reaction to the heavily made-up images submitted for the competition.
“I launched the Bare Face round after receiving so many images where I couldn’t recognise the contestants! This was due to thick make-up and filtered photos they were submitting thinking that’s what we wanted to see. I felt we needed to do something as our entry age is 16-27. I’m all for make-up to enhance your natural beauty but there’s no need to wear a complete mask, especially at such a young age” says Angie.
The recent no make-up round was reported in the media and spotted by top portrait & beauty photographer Bruce Granville Mathews who invited Melisa to take part in a photoshoot in Paris . Bruce specialises in photographing models make-up free and promotes natural beauty.
“I came across an article talking about the no make-up round in the Miss England competition and felt I had to congratulate Angie Beasley, director of the contest, on her innovative thinking in the world of beauty competitions. My beauty photography is firmly based on the ethos of no make-up because that’s where I feel real beauty is revealed” says the Paris-based photographer.
The Bare Face Top Model Award is sponsored by Cetuem Cosmetics, a natural skincare company based in London.
Andria Vassiliou, co-founder of Cetuem Cosmetics says: “I was instantly drawn to Miss England’s Bare Face Model campaign. As a cosmetics company specialising in natural skincare, we are proud to help the contestants to look after their skin so their natural beauty can shine through. Give them the confidence to throw away their make-up and not be influenced by the unrealistic filtered images that appear on Instagram”.
As part of the Miss England competition, entrants are invited to post no make-up photos of themselves on their own social media and tag in #barefacetopmodel .
Melisa will be taking part in the Miss England semi-final alongside 40 women from across England.
If successful she will gain a place in the Miss England National finals taking place 17th October 2022
MISS ENGLAND 2022 SEMI-FINAL
FINAL CATWALK
Monday 22nd August
3 pm
The Taj
51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences
London SW1E 6AF
Photographer: Bruce Matthews