In 94 years of Miss England, not one contestant had ever walked on stage without makeup — until Melisa Raouf did.
No foundation. No concealer. No filters. Just her face, exactly as it was.
She had spent years putting on makeup for hours because she never felt comfortable in her own skin. So she decided to do the opposite — and showed up to one of the world’s most watched beauty pageants completely bare-faced.
She didn’t win the crown. But something more powerful happened. Women in their 40s and 50s started writing to her saying they finally felt comfortable in their own skin for the first time in their lives. Her #barefacemovement spread to women across the world.
The winner of Miss England 2022 was crowned and moved on. Melisa Raouf became a movement.
Real beauty lies in simplicity — and the world agreed.