It’s no secret that Arab women have a flair for bold and dramatic makeup, but heavy eyeliner, smoky eyes, bright lips, and an overload of blush can be extremely difficult to pull off—especially when combined together. If done well, however, it can highlight your features in a chic way. We’ve selected some of our favorite beauty looks as well as those, which should never be repeated.
MAKEUP DONE RIGHT
Dalal AlDoub
Instagram.com/dalalid
Dalal AlDoub is a Kuwaiti fashion and makeup blogger and an expert when it comes to color combinations. Here, her turquoise winged liner enhanced her brown eyes. The makeup maven opted for blue smoky shadow to frame her peepers and chose a set of natural lashes. Her brows were neatly filled and she added a hint of color to her face with a dab of blush. AlDoub finished the look with a neutral lip.
Diala Makki
Instagram.com/dialamakki
TV presenter and Style.com/Arabia/MEN’s contributor Diala Makki is the classic Arab beauty with thick brows and long chestnut locks. We love this fresh look with emphasized brows. Makki’s skin was glowing and highlighted to perfection while her eye makeup was kept minimal. She opted for black liner and fluttery, false eyelashes.
Sondos Alqatttan
Instagram.com/sondos_aq
Kuwaiti makeup artist Sondos Alqattan’s selfies never cease to impress, and this one is no exception. Alqattan’s metallic smoky eyes were accentuated with a sharp wing and framed by meticulously shaped brows. Her subtle contour created a healthy flush against her glowing complexion while the peach lipgloss added a refined touch.
DONE WRONG
Maya Diab
Instagram.com/mayadiab
Lebanese songbird Maya Diab replaced her signature brown smoky eye and neutral lip with a less flattering makeup look at the Eid Al Fitr concert in Egypt. Her spray tan left her looking orange while the added dose of bronzer made her appear sunburned. The concealer underneath her eyes was too light and the black smoky eye makeup was too heavy. Her bold, unkempt brows and false lashes only served to make the look worse, as did the coral lipstick that contrasted badly against her skin tone and made her teeth look fluorescent.
Rola Saad
Instagram.com/rola_saad
Everything about this photo screams, “How to never do your makeup.” Lebanese pop star Rola Saad’s sharp, linear eyebrows that furrow diagonally make her appear as if she’s scowling. Her eye makeup is too dark and dramatic against her pale complexion that lacks any hint of color. Let’s brush this look off as a momentary lapse of judgment.
Diana Haddad
Instagram.com/dianahaddadofficial
Lebanese singer Diana Haddad is 38 but her face is exempt from any signs of aging, which makes it hard for us to understand why she opted for such heavy makeup that works against her youthful front. The black, smoky eye requires more blending while the Barbie pink lipstick lacks taste.
