A barefaced beauty swept a pageant competition without so much as a fleck of mascara or a swipe of gloss.
Natasha Beresford, 26, was crowned Miss London 2023, as part of the “first-ever makeup-free” Miss England pageant.
Dressed in a stark white lace gown from sustainable wedding dress brand Shikoba Bride, the dental nurse beat out 18 other women for the coveted title last week and will advance to compete with the Miss England crown later this year.
“I am thrilled to have been selected as Miss London,” she said, per the Daily Mail. “All the girls that competed are so beautiful and truly inspirational, so it was an honor to be chosen.”
Instead of being dazzled by glittering eyeshadows, contoured cheekbones or a bold lip, judges focused “on the contestants’ occupations and studies” as well as their “natural beauty” and “ethical values,” according to the competition’s website.
Beresford, from Sheffield, moved to London two years ago to work at the Royal London Dental Hospital in the Project Tooth Fairy department, which cares for young children under general anesthetic for pain.
Last year, she traveled to Uganda to volunteer with Dentaid, a charity that provides dental care for people experiencing homelessness, abuse survivors, refugees and other communities in need.
At the time, she provided care to more than 1,300 patients.
Now, Beresford works at a private practice and has aspirations to pursue dental X-rays and oral health education in addition to her volunteer work.
“I find my job really rewarding, over the years I have worked in NHS, Private and Urgent Care dental practices,” she said, according to the Miss England site.
Runner-ups in the pageant were engineering student Afrose Ameen, 23, and accounts assistant and model Temi Adeyemi, 26.
Meanwhile, beauty therapy student Atlanta Richards, 17, won the Beauty with a Purpose fundraiser after raising more than $2,000 for a suicide prevention charity.
The competition is part of the Miss World contest and is strictly make-up-free for this regional heat in London.
The Post has reached out for more information on the pageant’s make-up rules.
Last year, Melisa Raouf was crowned Miss England 2022, making her the competition’s first barefaced contestant in the pageant’s 94-year run.
Pageant organizers first introduced the makeup-free competition in 2019, but Raouf’s boldfaced appearance on stage marked the first time a contestant ditched cosmetics entirely for the semi-finals.
The 20-year-old from London decided to compete au natural in opposition to societal beauty ideals that often make young girls feel “pressured,” she said at the time.
“I think people should love and embrace their flaws and blemishes, as we know real beauty lies within simplicity,” the confident pageant queen told the Independent, adding that “flaws make us who we are.”
“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.”