Photo from blog.showmakeup.com
I just read two crazy articles in the Daily Mail and New York Post that discuss ways to make cosmetics last throughout Shabbos and Yom Tov. The articles interview orthodox women who have developed creative methods for extending the wear of their makeup for 24-48 hours. Some of the tips mentioned were:
- sipping soup through a straw on Friday night so as not to disturb their lipstick
- telling their husbands not to touch them on Shabbos or Yom Tov for fear of ruining their makeup
- putting on rouge in multiple layers to make it last
- not eating anything oily over Shabbos or Yom Tov so that skin won’t get greasy and makeup slick off
- using a black Sharpie permanent marker as eyeliner before Shabbos or Yom Tov
- spraying hairspray over eyes and cheeks to set makeup into place (only an expensive brand like $25 Kenra spray does the trick)
- use ‘a whole pound of gel and mousse’ in your hair before Shabbos or Yom Tov so that it stays put the entire time
- sleep with a sock over your head to keep hair from becoming frizzy
- apply ‘drag queen foundation’ before Shabbos and sleep all night on your back
I enjoy wearing makeup with the best of them, but some of this advice is ridiculous and dangerous. I certainly hope that people take these articles with a grain of salt. I don’t think it’s common for orthodox Jewish women to put permanent marker on their eyes or spray hairspray into their faces to make their makeup last all Shabbos. I have never witnessed a woman sipping soup through a straw in order to preserve her lipstick, and I would imagine that most would be embarrassed in front of hosts or guests to do so.
Of course, many of us would like to be able to wear our weekday makeup on Shabbos or Yom Tov. That being said, for me, following the advice above would take away from the simcha of Shabbos and Yom Tov. I just can’t bring myself to care that much about my makeup that I would alter my behavior to such an extent. One consolation is that since we aren’t allowed to take photos on Shabbos or Yom Tov, there is no evidence of how pale or blotchy we look without it!
