Melisa Raouf, a 20-year-old woman from London, England is going viral online for participating in the Miss England pageant and becoming their first makeup-free contestant.
Raouf is a politics student who made it past the semi-finals of the pageant and will now be competing in the finals too. For her appearance in the semi-finals, she decided to ditch the makeup and go for a bare-faced look. something she is being hailed for online.
She will compete against 40 other women in the finals in October to be crowned Miss England.
"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," Raoud said in an interview with The Independent.
She describes her decision as "daunting but amazing" and adds that it is only now that she has come to terms with her appearance and felt the need to let go of cosmetics.
"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," she explained. "This is who I am, I'm not afraid to share who I am. I wanted to show who Melisa truly is," she added.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
Users online were amazed at this rare choice of appearance by Raouf, and have praised her courage.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)