Behind the scene with Mubarak's former makeup artist
Mohammed Assub applied makeup to the likes of Yasser Arafat, Saddam Hussein and even Netanyahu; the former makeup artist tells of his experiences in an interview with Egyptian newspaper.
After years of working to make the aging ousted Egyptian president Husni Mubarak appear young and strong enough to rule Egypt, makeup artist Mohammed Assub sat down for an interview with the Egyptian Al-Hayat newspaper and revealed what it was like to work so intimately with one of the most notorious leaders in the Arab world.
“No one could get close to Mubarak and touch him other than me,” said Assub proudly, “it was not easy to get to him.”
Five security guards always surrounded the former Egyptian president and even ministers could not approach him unless they were called upon.
Assub, who was chosen by the Egyptian president’s office to be Mubarak’s resident makeup artist, said that the former president would always get his makeup applied before any appearance.
However, there was one exception.
During his last address to the nation, a day before Mubarak officially resigned, the ousted president decided not to have makeup applied – a sign that could point to his deteriorating emotional state at the time.
According to Assub, Mubarak would take 15 minutes before each public appearance to have his makeup applied and thus Assub and Mubarak developed a friendly relationship - with conversations turning to matters other than just makeup.
“To be honest, Mubarak was not like a celebrity or artist who just talks to you about his face,” said Assub.
Assub spoke of the “cosmetic fixes” he was required to perform on Mubarak – “Mubarak’s skin was very dark and it was necessary to make it a bit lighter. I would also hide all of his wrinkles.”
Assub said that Mubarak was indeed suspicious of him at first but their relationship eventually warmed up.
“I’m tired, I want to rest,” Assub recalled Mubarak saying during small-talk with the former president.
“They always thanked after I applied makeup to Mubarak,” said Assub who once applied makeup for the previous first lady of Egypt Suzanne Mubarak.
“She usually put on her own makeup,” said Assub of the former Egyptian first lady, adding he had a closer relationship with Jehan Sadat, former president Anwar Sadat’s widow and previous first lady of Egypt, for whom he also worked as a makeup artist.
“She is, in my opinion, the first lady of Egypt. The mother of Egypt,” said Assub of Jehan Sadat.
Assub added that her deceased husband and former president Anwar Sadat did not like having his makeup applied but really loved getting his picture taken.
Although he no longer works for Mubarak, Assub holds a special place for the ousted president in his heart. “I used to speak to him like a friend. It is true that I was in awe of his position as president, but there was a sense of closeness.”
Assub also revealed something that was presented as a shocking secret on Egyptian television: “I applied makeup for Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres when they visited Egypt.”
The interviewer seemed shock at the idea that an Egyptian makeup artist would also work for Israeli leaders and asked, “The presidential office asked you to apply makeup for both of them?”
Assub responded: “Of course. I was the makeup artist for the presidential office. Anybody who visited got makeup applied.”
When asked by the interviewer how he felt when he applied makeup for Netanyahu, Assub defensively said, “I served my nation as part of my position.”
Assub is known as a prominent makeup artist in the Arab and Egyptian art scene. During his tenure as the official makeup artist for the Egyptian presidential office, he applied makeup to several heads of states including King Hussein of Jordan, former president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, former US president Jimmy Carter and former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as well as current Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Assub said he had to work very hard when applying makeup for deceased ruler of Libya Muammar Gaddafi. “As he got older his eyes starting closing up, and the makeup helped with this,” said Assub.
However, more interestingly, Assub told of a peculiar incident regarding Gaddafi that led him to report the Libyan leader to the Egyptian government.
Assub said Gaddafi tried to use him in order to advance a plan to assassinate Adel Emam, one of Egypt’s most famous movie and stage actors, who had acted in a play called “The Leader” which was about the life of a dictator.
Gaddafi believed that the play was aimed to belittle him, and according to Assub, Gaddafi asked the makeup artist to connect him to Emam’s managers to arrange for the show to play in Libya.
“Only later on did Egyptian intelligence inform me that the goal was to assassinate Adel Emam and I immediately relayed the information to the government,” said Assub.
Despite the incident, there were individuals who scared Assub much more than Gaddafi – namely Saddam Hussein.
Assub applied makeup for the former Iraqi leader before a television show and did not do so happily: “He was the only leader I was hesitant to apply makeup for. He was scary. When I finished applying his makeup, I thanked God. “
