The Miss England finalist is the first to compete without makeup in the pageant's nearly century-old history.
Melisa Raouf, a 20-year-old student from south London, performed in the semi-finals of the competition without a single speck of makeup.
Now, she will compete in the finals this October for the crown.
"This means a lot to me as I feel that many girls of different ages use makeup because they feel pressured to do so," Raouf said in an interview with the Independent.
"If someone is happy in their own skin, we shouldn't be forced to cover it up with makeup. Our 'flaws' make us who we are and that's what makes each individual unique," she added.
Raouf said that although she started wearing makeup at a young age, she decided to eschew tradition for the pageant.
"I have never felt that I have met the standards of beauty. I have recently accepted that I am beautiful in my own skin and therefore I decided to compete without makeup", she explained in the interview.
In May, Raouf posted a selfie on Instagram, where she wrote that she was "embracing blemishes and imperfections."
Vieë this post on Instagram
Source: CNN
