QUESTION:
Is it permissible for a woman to adorn herself for her husband by using makeup for colouring her cheeks, lips and eyelids? Could you kindly explain, bearing in mind that this kind of makeup is the adornment of the western women?
ANSWER: It is prescribed by Islam for the woman to adorn herself for her husband using the means legislated and made permissible by Allāh. The wife may adorn herself with beautiful clothes and clean herself with soap and such things. Soap beautifies and cleanses the body. If there are permissible cosmetics that do not contain ḥarām or Najis (impure) components, or something that may harm the face, or have bad side effects, there is nothing wrong with using them. We can take from the East or West the things that will benefit us, but we must avoid the things that will harm us.