Makeup, Hairdo and a Gutra, Too

my first reaction is...WHAT :confused: are the muslims coming to......MEN! hmph..FEMININe men!!!

whats yours?

Makeup, Hairdo and a Gutra, Too
Mahmoud Ahmad, Arab News

JEDDAH, 9 May 2005 — “A little eyeliner, a few light streaks in the hair and even up the eyebrows,” doesn’t sound too unusual for a beauty parlor, but now some guys with gutras are getting gussied up, too.

It’s not unusual these days to see men with makeup on their face. The number of Saudi men visiting barbershops for makeup and makeovers is on the rise. In the past, most barbershops had little equipment unrelated to haircuts. These days, they have equipment rivaling a women’s beauty salon.

This new fad is acceptable among many young Saudis who take it as a normal thing to do, but older people and most conservatives maintain it should be for women only.

“The number of strange, male ‘beauty barbershops’ has increased these days to a dangerous level,” said Abu Murad, a 43-year-old Saudi. “It’s not strange anymore to see young Saudis with funny haircuts and makeup.”

Murad thinks it’s a breakdown of society and culture. “I think barbershops that offer these services should be closed down,” he said. “I blame it largely on a lack of parental supervision and the influence of television.”

He can’t get used to the new “look.”

“Teenagers these days look funny,” Murad said. “Some have funny haircuts and funny beards. I once saw a young teenager with David Beckham haircut that looked more like a chicken head.”

A trip to the barbershop can be a little unnerving for some. “It’s disgusting to see young Saudis with makeup on their face,” said Waleed Mansour, a 32-year-old Saudi.

“I was sitting in a Turkish barbershop in Al-Nahda district, and I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was this young man sitting, doing highlights in his hair, doing his nails and face. He went to the extreme of putting women’s makeup on his face so it would look smooth. I was shocked that we have people like this and more so to have places that offer such services to men,” said Waleed. [pfffft]

Young teenagers interviewed by Arab News held different opinions.

“There is nothing wrong with looking good,” said Saud, who is 19. “God is beautiful and loves beauty. The problem is when we try to look good. They accuse us of trying to look like singers. This is us, and this is our identity and what we want to look like, and they have to respect it.”

And for the barbers, times change, but the customer is always right.

“I have a young teenager who comes to me every two days to draw lines of mustache and beard,” said Muhammad Al-Hasani, a Moroccan barber. “Some are asking to line up their eyebrows like women. It is strange but at the end we have to do what the customer asks for.” :zip: :crickey: :-X :rolleyes: :eek: