How much is too much?

 

That’s right. Today we’re talking about cosmetics. No, I’m not going to give you beauty tips. I’m going to talk about Christianity and makeup. Some people seem to think they don’t jive. Well, I disagree … to a certain extent. So here are my thoughts – and my advice – to you.

As girls, we want to look our best. We like to be pretty. Makeup can definitely enhance our natural beauty … or cover up anything you don’t think is beautiful. We also want to feel safe. Makeup can give you security. We want to be accepted. Makeup is definitely popular nowadays.

This isn’t going to be another post about you being beautiful on the inside. Being beautiful on the inside is what counts – but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about makeup.

I think I was about twelve when I started wearing cosmetics of any kind (except for costumes or when my big sisters put it on me). Of course, I only wore something to cover up that nasty acne (which was almost nonexistent then … *sigh*) and some lip gloss. I only bothered to put it on for special occasions.

Now? You won’t see me go a day without putting on my mascara and cover up if not more. Now, that’s not a lot, I know … but it’s every day no matter what and I don’t feel put-together until I put it on.

Here’s what I look like in the morning before and after makeup:

It’s a bit of a difference … but it’s not a lot. I argue that, after some of the sleep got washed off of me, I wouldn’t look too bad without makeup.

So why do I feel like I need to wear it? Do I wear it for other people? No, I don’t think so. I’m not aching to attract a boy (my friends will affirm this … *apologizes to a lot of boys for being mean to them as kids*), my family knows what I look like without makeup, and most of my friends don’t wear makeup anyway.

So that must mean I wear it for myself. Because it makes me feel good. But in the Bible it says …

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

We’re obviously not supposed to be too focused on outward beauty, then, right? Which means we shouldn’t wear makeup … right?

Well, to be honest, I don’t think the act of wearing makeup is wrong. I think you can wear any amount of makeup and still be a godly woman.

What matters is why.

Here are some bad reasons to wear makeup.

You Probably Shouldn’t Wear Makeup …

• To attract boys. Look, you can’t wear that stuff for the rest of your life! 😉 Seriously, though, if you can’t attract him without makeup – without a face, for that matter – then he’s not worth it. Trust me. Whether or not you wear makeup in this case is totally irrelevant. (Not that you should remove all your makeup every time you meet a guy. That would be a hassle. Just that that shouldn’t be your reason for wearing it.)
• To attract friends. Again, anyone who cares about how you look isn’t worth your time. You are a special, unique person, created by God for His glory, and you don’t need to be involved in any kind of meaningful relationship with anyone who judges you based on how you look.
• To be beautiful. Hooooold it there, why else would you wear makeup? Well, I have some pretty good reasons, but first let me explain why this is a reason not to wear makeup. You already all beautiful! I thought we established this fact already. There’s no need to add a bunch of gunk onto your face. Cosmetics can’t make you beautiful. They can add to your natural beauty … or they can erase the true you and replace her with someone else, depending on how you use them. But they can’t make you beautiful.

Now that we’ve gotten through those, let’s move on to some good reasons for wearing makeup.

You Should Wear Makeup …

• To dress up. Makeup is no different than a fancy dress and a new pair of shoes! You wear nice clothes to church, right? Then wear makeup to church, too, if you choose to! So wear makeup because you want to ‘dress up’ nicely.
• To glorify God. Say what? That’s right! As I said before, wearing makeup is no different than putting on nice clothes … and if you can put on nice clothes to glorify God (which I really think you can), then you can put on makeup to glorify God. You are His perfect creation, and you represent Him. Look your best!
• To have fun. You gotta admit, putting makeup on is fun!

So is wearing makeup wrong? Not at all! However, you can wear makeup for the wrong reasons. So take a peek inside your heart. Why do you wear makeup? Is it really for the right reasons, and are you really honoring God by doing so?

Let’s go back to the title question.

How much is too much?

There is no such thing! Wear as much makeup as you want to wear. Just remember that, as a Christian, you are representing God, so …

• Don’t call unnecessary attention to yourself. Leave that to the movie stars and models. 😉
• Don’t make yourself look garish or ridiculous. Remember that makeup is to enhance your natural beauty … not to make a whole new you!
• Let God be your guide. If you feel like makeup is going to call attention away from what is important – namely glorifying God – then don’t wear it! Use your conscience. 🙂

Before I go, a quick disclaimer:

It’s not just up to you.

Your parents get to make the final decision as to whether you wear makeup or not and how much makeup you wear. Remember to respect their opinions. They probably have a good reason for their decisions. If you want more makeup privileges, try bringing it up to them in a respectful manner. 🙂

Thanks for reading,

Do you wear makeup? Why or why not? What kind of makeup do you wear (if you do)? How often do you wear it? What are your thoughts on the great makeup debate? Comment below!