Beauty Industry

MAC’s Makeup Tutorial Sparks Debate Among Muslims

MAC Middle East posted a video tutorial to its Instagram account --- and some beauty fans felt misunderstood.

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By: Marie Redding

Senior Editor


MAC Middle East recently posted a makeup tutorial to its Instagram account, and it sparked a slight controversy and extensive discussion on social media. 

The video is entitled “Get Ready for Suhoor,” and it is sort of a “how-to glam up for suhoor” tutorial. Suhoor is a predawn meal that Muslims consume each day during Ramadan.

Since Muslims in the West don’t dress up, some of MAC’s customers felt misunderstood – and that the brand’s video made no sense. One tweet said, “How MAC thinks I look for suhoor vs. what I actually look like” and included a photo of a glamorous girl next to a funny photo of a doll with messy hair. (It is shown above.)  

Another commentor wrote, “I will totally live-tweet the next suhoor event I go to because there is so little insight into it, particularly if you’re a Muslim from the West.” 

But in certain Middle Eastern countries, such as Dubai, women do ‘get glam’ for suhoor. 

Teen Vogue reached out to MAC Cosmetics for a statement — here’s what the brand said: 

“At MAC, our global fans are a constant source of inspiration. This video was inspired by Suhoor customs in the Gulf Cooperation Council – GCC where during Ramadan friends and family often gather socially. In this context we wanted to support our fans by providing makeup looks celebrating the beauty of Ramadan.” 


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