Is it sinful and vain for women to wear makeup?

[Fragrant Grace]

Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God
Romans 12:2


My two oldest daughters have been doing a study on the use of makeup and whether it is right or wrong for women to wear makeup.

They would be very interested in your opinions from a scriptural Christian point of view.

Below are some verses they have been considering

Biblical instruction for women

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price
1 Peter 3:3-4

.....that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works
1 Timothy 2: 9-10

Biblical references to ‘make-up/painted faces’

They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewellery
Ezekiel 23:40

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window
2 Kings 9:30

The outward appearance

The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart
1 Samuel 6:7

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another
Galatians 5:26


May the Lord bless you richly as you consider these scriptures

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen
2 Peter 3:18

 

[B-A-C]

I think you had the right verse here.

1 Pet 3:3 Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
1 Pet 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
1 Pet 3:5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;

I think make-up is OK, but be careful of vanity and pride. We all want our daughters to be princesses and in some cases Divas.
Some women over-do the make-up, and maybe that's OK too.
If you are single and looking for a man, or you want to look good for your husband that's great.
If you start having the attitude, "I just want to look good for myself" then I think you have to take a look at your heart. (1 Pet 3:4)

 

[Brad Huber]

Light makeup is okay, IMO, but too much is 10 times worse, sorta like how combed hair on a balding man is okay, but a comb over is also 10 times worse.

 

[B-A-C]

Right after voting on this, I logged onto facebook (yeah, I know)... but I was amazed at how many people have obviously posed pictures.
Teenage girls in "cute poses" and skimpy clothes, and even boys shirtless with their chests puffed out.

I wonder at our need to do this? It could be that women need to feel pretty, need to feel desired. I think some women find security in being desirable.
Could be that we men do not tell the women in our lives they are pretty and beautiful enough? My wife is a grandmother now, she doesn't look like she did in her 20's.
But she is still the most beautiful woman in the world to me, maybe we just need to tell them sometimes?

 

[dannibear]

Is it sinful? No. Is it vain? It depends on the reason the woman would be wearing it.

Matthew 15:11

 

[Fragrant Grace]

I think make-up is OK, but be careful of vanity and pride.
QUOTE]

dannibear

Is it sinful? No. Is it vain? It depends on the reason the woman would be wearing it.​

Thank you for your replies BAC, Brad and Dannibear

Just a couple of extracts quoted above regarding vanity and a couple of questions

When is wearing makeup vanity and when is it not vanity?

Is applying a product to change ones appearance saying to the Lord....'I'm not content with the way You have made me' ?


In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52

 

[B-A-C]

Vanity is vanity when pride enters in. When I am proud of the way I look. When my looks are my idol.
When the way I look causes me to sin. When the way I look is more important than God himself.

"Is applying a product to change ones appearance saying to the Lord....'I'm not content with the way You have made me' ?"

Perhaps. But is everything we do to make ourselves better a bad thing?
Getting plastic surgery, breast enlargement, or a sex change, ... I would say these qualify as wanting to make changes to ourselves that God didn't "do good enough" to meet our standards.
Is getting an education a bad thing? (It can be under some circumstances)
Is studying the Bible and learning more about it a bad thing?
Is having more children a bad thing?
Is losing weight a bad thing?
Is lowering my cholesterol a bad thing?

It all comes back to the heart. Any of those things above can make us vain, or prideful if heart isn't right.
On the other hand, growing and maturing intellectually and taking care of our body's isn't necessarily a bad thing.

2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

 

[David777]

If a young lady attended your church and she very
recently put her trust in Jesus. What would be the
priorities that you think would be important for
her to become aware of. Let's also include that
her presentation was extremely worldly and
she was very attractive.

Let us also assume we were the minister or a
person of strong standing in the Lord.

Where would the issue of personal attire and makeup
appear on the list.


1) ?

2) ?

3) ?

 

[Acebopata]

I never really understood the concept of make-up and jewelry, to be honest, dispute having it explained to me in about 500 different ways. To me, it's a big waste of time and money. But as for wearing such as being sin, I suppose it's dependent on motives, however...

If someone was solely to try and look overly attractive to gain a guy's/girl's attentions, and a fellow brothern/sisterern falls in sin due to this, then that person does contain some blame in the matter.

On another note, why try to cover up a persons natural look? Why try to look like something your not? <---- ^note: Referring solely to using make-up to cover up age^

 

[Fragrant Grace]

If a young lady attended your church and she very
recently put her trust in Jesus. What would be the
priorities that you think would be important for
her to become aware of. Let's also include that
her presentation was extremely worldly and
she was very attractive.

Let us also assume we were the minister or a
person of strong standing in the Lord.

Where would the issue of personal attire and makeup
appear on the list.

Thank you for your response David777

What would it matter how scantily clad, made-up or worldly someone is..... it would be so wonderful to rejoice in the fact that a soul has been saved.
Any physical changes to appearance may come later as the individual grows in the grace and knowledge of the Saviour.

I would prefer to see a 100 'scantily clad, madeup' sinners saved than worry about how they are presenting themselves.


The questions being raised by my daughters are regarding whether makeup is something the Christian woman should wear and the reasons behind wearing it......and looking to the scriptures for answers to this.


But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen
2 Peter 3:18

For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 11:36

 

[amanda123]

I think only bad women are mentioned wearing make up in the Bible.

Surely this is a sgin that its wrong.

If I put makeup on its usually cos I want to lool nice and not drab. I anm being vain if I do this

 

[dannibear]

I think only bad women are mentioned wearing make up in the Bible.

Surely this is a sgin that its wrong.

If I put makeup on its usually cos I want to lool nice and not drab. I anm being vain if I do this

Lets actually look at the Scripture where these immoral women were wearing make-up.

2 Kings 9:30-33

Jezebel was going about her day, when an unexpected guest, Jehu arrives. The story then describes her getting ready, putting on her makeup, doing her hair and going to look out her window. There is nothing here in the scriptures stating that wearing makeup is wrong, only a story describing a woman getting ready to receive company. If we are to say that makeup is wrong because Jezebel wore makeup, we must also use that same logic of guilt by association to say that doing ones hair and looking out of windows is also wrong.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

heard some one ask a pastor once should a woman wear make up in church..?his answer was 'DEPENDS' on what the sister looks like ..LOL how ever if a woman wants to be pretty no problem unless she uses it like bait to draw young men whose mind and heart should be on worship and not on the lady in the third row ..if it is a distraction to a Godly realationship it is in the wrong place at the wrong time that being said lets include short dresses and low tops ....a woman should be dressed in modesty before the lord and not to distraction or the causing of lust in another creating a stumbling block.!! as for me personally to see my wife dance before the Lord she could wear a gunney sack and would still be beautiful to me as long as her heart is before the Lord . .....Rev

 

[amanda123]

Dannibear I don't thonk you understood the point that I was making.

The only few times makeup comes up in the Bible is to do with evil.
I think this must be an important lasson from God.

I see young girls and teenagers all made up all the time in the strrets, even in churches and it seems like girls are wari ng makeup younger and younger to make themselves look pretty older or cos their fronds tell them too

Its got to be wrong

 

[Coconut]

'Make-up' is just mud slathered on top of mud amanda...you could take a bath in mud... roll around in mud...dance in mud...have a good old fashioned mud fight...mud does`nt dirty the heart of a woman ...nor can the lack of it make it clean.

 

[dannibear]

Dannibear I don't thonk you understood the point that I was making.

The only few times makeup comes up in the Bible is to do with evil.
I think this must be an important lasson from God.

I see young girls and teenagers all made up all the time in the strrets, even in churches and it seems like girls are wari ng makeup younger and younger to make themselves look pretty older or cos their fronds tell them too

Its got to be wrong

I understood the point you were making, and you re-stated it again.
"The only few times makeup comes up in the Bible is to do with evil"
Again, that is saying that makeup is evil because evil women wore it.
That is guilt by association. These same evil women ate food to sustain them,
but we don't say eating is wrong. These same women slept in beds. Sleeping in
beds is not wrong. She looked out the window to see who was arriving, but we
also don't deem looking out of windows to be sinful. If your going to use the logic
of guilt by association, then you can't pick and choose where it applies.

 

[bikinigirl]

makeup is awesome and so is fashion, its not a waste of time or money.. girls just like different stuff than guys is all. i think its totally fine to wear makeup and I do all the time plus 90% of my wardrobe comes from victoria secret because its what i love wearing. i think the makeup isnt an issue, take it from mee cause all my friends who are girls wear makeup and they even wear less clothes than me and they are all christian and we all go to church every week. never has been an issue 4 us.

 

[eldon]

The art of artificially beautifying oneself was taught to woman (and men) by fallen angels. (go read the book of Enoch)

The thought would never be planted in the woman's mind to wear makeup had society never received that inclination from something prior... does that make sense?

at every level we know that we are slaves to society.
you can ask a random person on the side walk of any major city, if they feel they are slaves to society.. and they may answer yes, who doesn't? and if they say no, you can challenge them and ask, why then do you conform yourselves to others? and they have no answer.

 

[Fragrant Grace]

'Make-up' is just mud slathered on top of mud amanda...you could take a bath in mud... roll around in mud...dance in mud...have a good old fashioned mud fight...mud does`nt dirty the heart of a woman ...nor can the lack of it make it clean.

Yes sister Coconut certainly makeup cannot change the condition of the heart, anymore than tatooes, cosmetic surgery etc

However, a question

Do you think that a saved woman growing in the grace and love of Jesus should have a heart so changed by His love that the need for thinking of her appearance would fade into insignificance?

Should Christian women be plastering themselves in 'mud' ?



I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

 

[Fragrant Grace]

Just a slightly different question

Is it sinful or vain for men to wear makeup?
Is it scriptural?