Answered by: Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani
Question
If a makeup artist works with clothing, jewelry, or makeup brands, doing makeovers of models, for endorsement of a particular brand. Sometimes the models are wearing revealing clothes. Photographs are taken of models and they are published on social media platforms, sometimes these photographs are also printed on huge billboards and those billboards are fixed on different locations. I wanted to ask that the income of that makeup artist would be halal?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It will be permissible for a woman to work as a makeup artist on the condition that she performs makeovers of women only, there is no intermingling of men and women in the work environment, the makeup used does not contain any impure ingredients, the nature of the makeover does not comprise of prohibited procedures (e.g. shaping the eyebrows thin, looking at someone’s awrah [private area] etc.), and one’s intention- when offering such services- is not that prohibited actions occur (e.g. a woman exposing herself before strange men, etc.).
The income received in lieu of the makeup artist’s services, which are Sharia-compliant, will be lawful. Furthermore, the client who illicitly exposes her beauty in front of strange men will be sinful, not the makeup artist. Nevertheless, because it is known that these models will indulge in sinful activities, it would be best to seek an alternative occupation.[1]
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Khulasatul Kalam fi Masalatil I’aanati ‘alal Haram: p. 11