chloemorello / Instagram
Australian beauty vlogger Chloe Morello caused quite a stir when she uploaded a video of her latest makeup tutorial. Morello, who has amassed a following of nearly 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a festive makeup look in honor of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday to inspire her Muslim followers.
While Morello describes herself as an atheist, she has posted Eid makeup tutorials for the last three years—all which have been successful with her fans. “I’ve been getting so many requests to do an Eid tutorial,” she said at the beginning of the video. “I started doing them when my Muslim friend was like, ‘You know what, my wife would really like it if you did a tutorial for Eid.’ It was so well received, I’ve been doing them ever since,” she explained.
The Video
The makeup look titled “Soft Glam with Cool Tones,” features glowing skin; a gray, smokey eye with dramatic false lashes; and matte pink lips. The beauty guru then opted to complete her look with a hijab. “I don’t want to offend anyone when I do this,” she told her viewers before wrapping a white scarf over her head. “It’s purely so that hijabis know what it would look like with one on,” she stated.
The Reactions
The video drew mixed reactions, and Morello received hundreds of comments from a multitude of viewers. Some people commended the makeup vlogger for highlighting another culture and religion through her makeup tutorial, while others left negative feedback and conveyed aversion.
“OMG love this look, and you look awesome with the hijab on,” wrote one user. “This is one of the reasons why I adore you! So diverse, love you!” agreed another viewer who took to YouTube to express her gratitude while admiring Morello’s cultural inclusivity.
However, despite Morello’s good intentions, others found the video offensive. One user commented, “I would never wear a hijab. That’s like wearing a kippah as decoration.” Another wrote, “You can’t try on a religion. It’s either your lifestyle or it’s not. Any other form of wearing it is disrespectful to other cultures and religions.”
Others rose concerns over whether it’s appropriate for a non-Muslim to don the religious garment for the purpose of a makeup tutorial. “She is using this as a costume!” one user proclaimed. “If you are not Muslim you will not understand,” another added.
Due to the backlash the video received, Morello took to her Snapchat account to explain herself. “I’m not trying to promote any religion here, I’m trying to promote acceptance,” she said. The 25-year-old beauty maven went on to clarify the cultural appropriation accusations, and emphasized, “I don’t want to wear a hijab on a daily basis. I’m putting it on so you can see how it looks with the makeup.”
