In a powerful stand against unrealistic beauty standards driven by social media filters and heavily edited images, Miss England is set to host its first make-up free auditions in the Midlands next month.
The event invites young women aged 16–27 from across the region to step forward — not with layers of cosmetics, but with confidence in their natural selves.
Picture: Afrose Ameen
The auditions will take place on Saturday, 7th September at Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, and mark the opening stage of the renowned Miss England contest. The move reflects a growing call within the beauty and fashion industries to prioritise authenticity over airbrushed perfection.
With filters, editing apps, and beauty-enhancing tools dominating platforms like Instagram and TikTok, many young women feel pressure to conform to impossible ideals. But Miss England’s make-up free round is flipping the narrative.
“We feel it’s so important to promote natural beauty amongst women, especially on social media,” said Angie Beasley, Director of Miss England since 2002.
“We want contestants to feel good about their real selves — not a version of themselves created through filters.”
Beasley introduced the make-up free round in 2019 after noticing that some contestants were unrecognisable in person compared to their online photos. Since then, the initiative has been met with widespread praise for encouraging self-acceptance and inner confidence.
Alongside the auditions, a special presentation at 1:30 PM will highlight the power of embracing natural beauty. Attendees will hear from Afrose Ameen, last year’s winner of the Miss England Bare Face Award and a London-based law student, who will share her own story of rejecting the pressure to hide behind makeup.
“Stepping out without makeup in a beauty contest was daunting,” Afrose admits, “but it taught me that confidence isn’t something you apply to your face — it’s something you build from within.”
Those interested in auditioning are invited to submit a recent photo — preferably make-up free or wearing minimal make-up — to info@missengland.info or complete the online form at www.missengland.info.
Successful applicants will be invited to audition on 7th September, with the Miss England Semi-Final taking place on 3rd October. Fifty contestants from across the country will take part in a one-day, fashion-show style event that raises awareness for humanitarian projects through the Beauty with a Purpose campaign — the global ethos of Miss World.
For more information, visit: www.missengland.info/enter-competition/
