Miss England contest considers removing no make-up round

Ed Chatterton, The Independent

The Miss England contest is considering scrapping its make-up free round. The beauty pageant is debating whether to ditch its "Bare Face Top Model" contest after it divided opinion among beauty queens. It comes just months after it issued a ban on the swimwear round. Organisers had been running the round for the last six years as a way to promote natural beauty and a more realistic body image. But the concept — designed to empower women by focusing on natural looks — has received a backlash from some current and former contestants.

Some have argued the no make-up round prevents women from being able to make their own choices about their appearance. As a result, Miss England organiser Angie Beasley is now holding talks about scrapping it altogether in future. Angie said: "We brought this round in to promote more of a realistic image on social media and in the competition as a whole. "At the time I was receiving so many entries with filtered images and contestants looked nothing like their entry pictures. "We now have our first plus size winner, qualified lifeguard Milla Magee, from Cornwall,who's getting ready for the 72nd Miss World.

"Milla is a true natural beauty and doesn't really wear much make up at all even at events. "I think the message has got through that we promote natural beauty in the competition so I thought we would have a vote whether to keep this round or not as I'm not sure if its needed anymore." The round is held in the qualifiers where contestants are encouraged to post images on social media without filters, cosmetics or editing.

The “Bare Face Top Model” contest started in 2019 with Love Island star Rebecca Gormley winning the very first national award. At the time, beauty queens said they were taking part in the initiative to help women be comfortable in their own skin and to promote "inner beauty". But it will now be put to a vote whether it will remain in the 2025 competition — 18 months after they also ditched their swimwear round.

Mum-of-two and Miss UK 1996 winner Rachel Warner said: “I’ve always had mixed feelings on this round as although empowering for some it can be equally daunting for others, especially those who have experienced bullying traumas. "Expressing yourself and presenting yourself as you choose to enables you to be your best version. "It’s key as it is important to feel good and to be confident presenting yourself as you feel comfortable."

Miss Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire organiser Sean Maloney, a celebrity make up artist, also wants the make-up free round to go. He said: “I don’t want the make-up free round at Miss England to stay because I think wearing make-up isn’t always about beautification but about confidence and a general love for cosmetics and the industry. "Whether someone is wearing make-up or not shouldn’t be a factor which determines if they become Miss England. "Their talent, charisma, fundraising, stage presence and commitment to the system and greater good should be what determines if they win Miss England.

"Although I think the bare face round is a great way to celebrate natural beauty, I don’t believe this round plays a vital part in determining who should become the next Miss England.”

Afrose Ameen, 24, from Lewisham, South London, is currently the title holder of the Bare Face Top Model from Miss England 2024. The London Underground engineer said: "I personally didn’t want to be the make-up free Miss London in last year's Miss England final. "I was offered the opportunity to represent London make up free in Miss England by the organisers but declined. "Its purely because I love makeup and see it as an art form. "Pageantry was a great outlet for me to express myself through fashion, hair, makeup etc and I was very excited to have different makeup looks and I wanted to look my best.

"Also, I didnt think I was confident enough to be the only person not wearing any makeup in the Miss England final. "Having said that, I do still think there should be a barefaced round in the Miss England final. "I think it’s important to show that pageantry and Miss England isn’t only just about the glam. "I also think it’s reassuring for young girls that might be looking at us as role models that we don’t need a lot of makeup to be seen as beautiful. "In a world where physical trends are always changing for women, it’s important to be able to show the real version of ourselves and not feel judged."

Politics student Melissa Rauf entered the whole competition make-up free aged 20 in 2022 and remains the only contestant to walk the Miss England final catwalk totally bare faced. Melissa said: “I strongly believe the makeup free round should remain a key part of Miss England and even be made compulsory. "While pageants are often associated with makeup, glamour, and glitz, this round offers something unique and refreshing: an opportunity for contestants to embrace their natural beauty and feel confident in their own skin.

"It’s not just empowering for the women competing — it inspires thousands of girls watching to feel comfortable and radiant as they are. "For me personally, I used to feel really insecure about even posting a photo without makeup or filters. But this round in Miss England completely changed that. "It gave me the confidence to see myself in a new light, to the point where I ended up doing the entire contest without makeup! It brought out a whole new side of me and made me realise how powerful it is to embrace who you truly are.