Women in Saudi Arabia have increasing access to the latest global fashion trends and the Arab pop industry through their televisions, prompting a growing demand for high-end beauty products. Indeed, in the past year, Saudi women spent $2.4 billion on cosmetics, one of the highest per capita sums in the world. Women continue to cover their faces in public, but dress up for most special occasions between women such as weddings, birthdays, bachelorette parties and baby showers. Salons have also become a popular hangout between friends.

This has sparked a debate throughout the country, as religious leaders condemn this new development. Official rules limit beauty parlor licenses, which leaves companies vulnerable to raids by the Mutawa, or the religious police. Some beauty parlors display stickers warning women of damnation for plucking eyebrows or showing a made-up face to anyone other than their husband.

However, as more women enter universities and travel abroad, analysts suspect that the beauty industry will grow. Hair salons, for instance, boom as word-of-mouth, peer reviews and social network sites make it increasingly easy to find new products and trends. Women exchange beauty tips on Twitter and teenagers organize “make-up” nights, where girls can show off their new discoveries. It would seem, therefore, that femininity in Saudi is undergoing redefinition.

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