The beauty business is booming in Saudi Arabia

They must cover themselves from head to toe in long, black cloaks when they leave home. Their faces are invisible in most public places. But Saudi Arabian women are among the biggest spenders in the world on cosmetics.

They exchange beauty tips on Twitter and gather together for "make-up nights". Television satellite dishes and the internet allow almost all Saudi women to see the latest looks of Western film stars and Arab pop stars.

"Women of all ages [are] spend[ing] more on their appearance," Jacqueline Clare of Diagonal Reports told the Financial Times. "Hair salons are ahead of their counterparts in the US and Europe in using social-networking sites." Last year, despite having to face repression at the hands of the religious police, known as the Mutawa, Saudi Arabian women spent €1.9 billion on cosmetics. Analysts forecast that the market will grow by 11 per cent this year.