Beauty pageants are often famous for being glamorous and glamorous events where young women appear under a thick layer of make-up.
The first part may be true, but Melissa Raouf He has a mission to change the second.
The 20-year-old will be The first person to compete without makeup In the final of the Miss England contest, in its nearly 100-year history, trying to show girls that they don’t have to wear it to feel beautiful.
Raouf, from south London, won a special round of the “open-top” competition last week, securing her place among the 40 contestants who will compete in the final on October 17.
But while the winners of previous editions of this round have come back to make up for the final, it won’t.
And if she wins, she says she won’t make it to the Miss World contest either, hoping to “inspire the world.”
“I wanted to show it We have a choice“We don’t have to put makeup on if we don’t want to,” he told the BBC.
makeup weight
Like many of her colleagues, Raouf started wearing makeup as a teenager.
She says she was “grossly insecure” and found that comparing herself to the “unrealistic level of beauty” shown on social media had a negative impact on her mental health.
“I have never felt comfortable with who I am, I have never felt so comfortable in my own skin“, He says.
But as she got older, she gained confidence and believes that entering a beauty pageant, even though it was “too overwhelming” at the time, Starch That confidence.
“I just thought, ‘I’m doing this for all of us. ”
Since last week’s head-to-head tour, Raouf says she has been “overwhelmed” by positive messages on social media.
“I’ve heard from girls of all ages, and from women in their forties and fifties, that they feel more comfortable in their own skin,” she says.
Raouf is not against wearing make-up in general. It will continue to do so on other occasions.
I used some skin products that are allowed on the exposed face, including toner, moisturizer, and lip balm. “I value makeup as a form of art and creativity,” she says.
“It’s OK to wear makeup to enhance your look or for special occasions, but it shouldn’t define us. It’s about choice. I wanted to show that we don’t have to wear makeup if we don’t want to.”
Rauf wants girls to place more value on their “inner beauty” instead of comparing themselves to others.
“When you wear that much makeup, you’re only hiding yourself. Take off all those layers and you’ll see who you really are‘, he adds.
beauty pageant
Miss England, owned by the Miss World pageant, is one of four beauty queens from each country in the United Kingdom to send a contestant to the global event each year.
Miss World was first created and organized in the UK in 1951 by TV presenter Eric Morley. His widow, Julia Morley, became CEO after his death in 2000.
The franchise has faced some criticism embodies a womanThe most famous protest was in 1970 when members of the women’s liberation movement used flour to disrupt the Miss World final at Royal Albert Hall in London.
There were also demonstrations by various groups, including the London Feminist Network and UK Feminista, when the final match of the competition was held in the British capital in 2011 and 2014.
Some rules for entering the competition Unchanged since 1951.
The Miss England contestants cannot be more than 27 years old when they enter the contest and They cannot be married or have children.
In 2018, Veronika Didosenko, who was crowned Miss Ukraine, said the rules should be changed after she was stripped of the title for being a mother.
Julia Morley later said that it was difficult to change the rules of participation because local competitions were held in so many different countries.
But for Rauf, these events are for her The effect of “positive and inspiring”.
“The contestants are using their platform to do some good in the world.”
Rauf who takes Second year Bachelor of Politics from King’s College LondonHe wants to enter diplomacy after graduation.
She says the women who compete alongside her have a wider variety of interests and backgrounds than is often portrayed.
“Everyone has their own story,” he says.
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