Covered Muslim women also use make-up, says artist

A makeup artist and marketer, Hadiza Garba, has said that covered Muslim women also enjoy and apply makeup to beautify themselves.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday that she and her Muslim friends had been criticised on social media for applying makeup.

She said people had left comments on her pictures which stated that Muslim women didn’t need to beautify themselves since they have to be covered up with burkas, hijabs or veils.

She added, “I will never apologise for celebrating my looks and having the art of makeup as a hobby that turned into a career.

“People fail to realise that wearing a hijab or burka has nothing to do with how I look.

“My face is still very visible with my hijab, therefore, my makeup is visible enough for people to see; at least for identification.

“The fact is that the covering up is only when a Muslim woman is in public; she does not have to cover when she is at home, in the presence of family members.”

Chisom Okafor, also a makeup artist, said she saw nothing wrong with women in general acknowledging their beauty and appreciating the effects of makeup.

She said, “Everyone who is into makeup knows that Muslim women are known to have the best makeup techniques which made them to have peculiar style that is inspired by them.

“People believe that Arabian women felt the need to develop those makeup skills as only their faces or eyes were allowed to be seen.

“The Arabian women makeup concept has been adopted by many women mainly those who practice Islam.

“The fact is that these women know how to look extremely beautiful and attractive while being covered up.

“No matter your religion, you should be able to celebrate your beauty the way you want.

“It is nice that most Muslim women are known to have descent amount of makeup which rarely looks heavy.” (NAN)