Melisa Raouf: Going make-up free in the Miss England final
The public's perception of beauty pageants may be that they are flashy, beautiful events at which young ladies wear elaborate costumes and plenty of makeup. Melisa Raouf is on a quest to alter the latter statement, which may or may not have changed since the first. The 20-year-old student hopes to send a message to young women that they do not need to apply makeup in order to feel beautiful by competing in the Miss England final without it for the first time in the competition's nearly 100-year history. Ms. Raouf, a resident of south London, won a "bare-face" phase of the tournament last week, guaranteeing her spot in the grand final on October 17th, which will feature 40 competitors. She will not be returning to wearing makeup for the final, unlike previous victors of this stage. To "inspire the world," she plans to compete in the Miss World pageant without it if she wins. "I wanted to prove we have a choice," she says to BBC News. In other words,...