Burkha Under My Lipstick [exclusive] -

There is a specific kind of silence that comes with being a modern, visibly Muslim woman.

The Burkha Under My Lipstick: On Duality, Choice, and Being a Woman in Between burkha under my lipstick

So, to the woman looking in the mirror right now, confused by her reflection: Stop trying to peel off one layer to reveal the "real" you. The real you is the sum of the layers. There is a specific kind of silence that

Let your hijab sit next to your highlighter. Let your prayer mat sit next to your vanity table. Let your hijab sit next to your highlighter

And I am the woman who wears a slick coat of crimson lipstick over a mouth that prays for forgiveness.

Choosing to cover in a world that wants you naked is an act of radical agency. Choosing to wear lipstick in a community that says beauty is only for your husband is also an act of radical agency.