Muslims on Twitter are roasting MAC Cosmetics for a Ramadan-themed tutorial video they say missed its mark.
MAC Cosmetics Middle East published a video on YouTube this week offering Muslim women makeup tips for… drumroll please… the pre-dawn meal suhoor.
The video, titled “Get Ready For Suhoor,” features a makeup artist applying kohl, eyeshadow and mascara to a woman before she eats.
The cosmetics brand appears to have confused suhoor, which most Muslims consume before starting the day’s fast, with iftar, the meal they typically eat with friends and family after the sun sets and fasting ends.
During Ramadan, the holiest month in the Muslim calendar, Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual reflection and increased devotion.
While it’s not uncommon for women (and men) to dress up for iftar, few people put time and effort into how they look during suhoor. In fact, most people enjoy the meal in their pajamas, looking expectedly disheveled.
MAC’s apparent faux pas elicited funny responses across the twittersphere.
“MAC really thinks we go full glam for suhoor/sehri. I guess I have to look beautiful for my food,” wrote Twitter user Zaynub.
Yomna Nassar tweeted side-by-side photos explaining the problem. “What Mac thinks the ‘suhoor look’ is versus what it actually looks like,” she wrote.
“LooooL mac’s ‘get ready for suhoor’ ad is the funniest thing I’ve seen today. Who tf is tryna put on a full face of makeup at 3am,” quipped another user.
Still, not all commenters mocked the cosmetics brand. Some suggested the video was geared to affluent communities in the Gulf, where suhoor gatherings are apparently in vogue.
“All you guys mocking that MAC ad about suhoor looks… in Dubai some actually go out for suhoor,” wrote Aneeqah. “When I was there during Ramadan in 2015 we went out for suhoor. It’s so festive and the people are dressed in their best abayas and of course wearing make up.”
Estée Lauder, the company that owns MAC Cosmetics, did not respond to request for comment. MAC Cosmetics Middle East on Sunday appeared to have removed the video from YouTube.
Ramadan culminates with the holiday Eid al-Fitr, which will be celebrated this year in mid-June.