a woman closing her eyes as someone applies her makeup

The idea of beauty is always shifting. Today, it’s more inclusive than ever.

Whom we deem ‘beautiful’ is a reflection of our values. Now, a more expansive world has arrived where ‘we are all beautiful.’

Halima Aden broke barriers when she wore a hijab on the cover of British Vogue and in Sports Illustrated’s 2019 swimsuit issue. Here, her makeup is applied during Modest Fashion Week in Istanbul, Turkey, which celebrates a different side of fashion. Born a Somali refugee in Kenya, Aden moved to the United States and was the first contestant in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant to wear a hijab and burkini.
This story appears in the February 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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