What is the ruling on a woman using makeup?

The questioner : Is it permissible for a woman to use artificial makeup for her husband? And is it permissible for her to appear in it before her relatives or before Muslim women?

The Shaykh : A woman adorning herself for her husband within the limits prescribed by the Shari'ah is something she should do. The more a woman adorns herself for her husband, the more it encourages his love for her and the harmony between them, and this is the intention of the Lawgiver. So, if makeup beautifies her and does not harm her, there is nothing wrong with it and no blame. However, I have heard that makeup harms the skin of the face, and that consequently the skin of the face changes in an ugly way before the time it would naturally change due to old age. If this is established—and I hope women will ask doctors about it—then using makeup would be either forbidden or at least disliked. This is because anything that leads to disfigurement and ugliness in a person is either forbidden or disliked.

The questioner : And a second time, nail polish.

The Shaykh : This is called nail polish. We seek refuge in Allah from what is evil and from nail polish. Nail polish is a type of medicine applied to the fingernails that a woman uses, and it has a coating. It is not permissible for a woman to use it if she prays, because it prevents water from reaching the skin during ablution. Anything that prevents water from reaching the skin is not permissible to use, because Allah says, for example, "Wash your faces and your hands." If a woman has nail polish on her fingernails, it prevents water from reaching them, so it is not true that she has washed her hands. Thus, she has left an obligatory part of the ablution. As for one who does not pray, there is no blame on her if she does it, except if this act is a characteristic of the women of disbelievers, in which case it is not permissible due to the imitation of them involved in it. I have heard that some people issued a ruling that this is of the same kind as wearing leather socks, and that it is permissible for a woman to use it for a day and a night if she is resident, and for three days if she is traveling. But this is a wrong ruling, an error. Not everything that people use to cover their bodies is equated with leather socks. The place for leather socks is the feet, and a man needs warmth and covering because he comes into contact with the ground, pebbles, cold, and other things. So the Lawgiver made it easier for him and allowed wiping over the leather socks. They may also analogize it to the turban, but this is not correct, because the place for the turban is the head, and the obligation for the head is originally reduced. The obligation for the head is wiping, so it is reduced, unlike the hands, whose obligation is washing. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit a woman to wipe over gloves, i.e., the hands. This indicates that it is not permissible for a person to analogize a barrier that prevents water from reaching the skin to the turban and the leather socks. It is obligatory for the Muslim to follow guidance, not desire, because some people—and I do not accuse anyone, but due to a person's deficiency or negligence—may issue a ruling that contradicts the Sunnah. And Allah is the Guide to the straight path.