Melisa Raouf made a powerful and groundbreaking statement when she decided to not wear any makeup as a contestant in the UK’s Miss England competition finals – the first contestant to do so in the pageant’s 94-year history.
Because of this Cybersmile has chosen her as their Cybersmiler of the Month for August.
A 20-year-old student from London, Melisa Raouf progressed through the Miss England competition. Her decision to compete without make-up is a first in the history of the competition and an important step forward in body image empowerment.
Talking about her decision Melisa said “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.”
While Director of Miss England, Angie Beasley commented on the “important message” she is sending out, “We wish her the best of luck in Miss England, it’s a very brave thing to do when everyone else is wearing makeup but she’s sending out an important message to young women.”
Melisa regularly her social media to spread her message and posted a selfie during the semi-final round telling her followers she was ‘embracing blemishes and imperfections.’ She will compete in the finals of Miss England in October.
In winning Cybersmiler of the Month she joins other worthy winners including Selena Gomez.
You can find out more about the amazing work Cybersmile does to make the internet a safer and more inclusive space for all, here!