Why I Don't Wear Makeup

As a general rule, girls are vain creatures. Maybe it's because our world puts so much emphasis on beauty. Women are the "fairer sex", so maybe God wired us to care about it more. Maybe it's just our sinful nature showing up, or a combination of all three.

Regardless of the why, businesses have made a mint by marketing things to make you even more beautiful. Clearer skin, darker lashes, rosier lips - you can have all of it simply by applying enough of their miracle product.

Today I'd like to explore my personal reasons behind avoiding makeup. As a disclaimer, I'm not trying to force these views on you. They're personal convictions, and while I do believe they're right for me (obviously XD), I encourage you to do your own soul-searching and ask God about the boundaries he's set for you. <3

That being said, let's get started!

(P.S. This is a long post. Sorry. XD)

Reason #1: Money

Did you know that in the U.S. alone, the cosmetic industries make $49.2 billion per year? And the average American spends between $244-$313 on cosmetics per month. [source] That's a lot of cash coming out of your pocket! The industry is still growing, too. I'd rather be saving up for a car and college than spending that much on my face. :P

Reason #2: Time

As you may know, I happen to be at camp at the time that this is published. And something I've noticed about summer camps is that most girls bring maybe a tube of mascara and some face cream if they bring any makeup at all. But there's usually one girl who brings an entire bag full. She has to get up much earlier than everyone else so she can get her makeup done before flag raising, and she comes to bed later at night because she had to spend so long taking it off. I do not have the time or energy to spend on fixing my face up every morning and taking it all off at night. Some girls can do it in the snap of their fingers, but I think that'd be exhausting for me - and I'd be even later to most events than I am now. XD

Reason #3: Personal Shortcomings

To put this bluntly, I’m too vain and under-disciplined to even start in the cosmetics department. I don’t want to be uncomfortable going out in public with an un-beautified face because I got too attached to my makeup, and trust me, if I started wearing makeup consistently, that's where I'd end up. I know myself well enough to know where some of my danger zones are, and this is definitely one of them. Prevention is the best cure, right? So it's best not to even go there. XD

Reason #4: It Makes a Statement

Two statements, actually:

• The statement of, "You don’t need makeup to have friends who care about you." I am living proof that you can very much have great friends without being drop-dead gorgeous. In fact, if people aren’t going to be your friend unless you're pretty, maybe you should rethink your friendships. ;)

• The statement of, "When you wear makeup all the time and then go without it a day, people notice the difference. When you don’t wear makeup and then use it a day, people notice the difference." Which difference would you prefer to be noticed?

Reason #5: The "Good-for-you" Debate

People can’t seem to decide if makeup is good for you or bad for you, physical-health-wise. However, most seem to agree that if you leave your makeup on for too long/wear too many thick layers and never let your skin breathe, it can be damaging and cause things like acne and other reactions. Obviously this point doesn't apply if you use your makeup in the way it's intended and don't use too much of it, but it is something to be aware of.

Reason #6: I Really Don't Like Mascara Brushes

This one is a little weird and probably unique to me, but… I really really don’t like mascara brushes next to my eyeball, especially when someone else is holding it. XD Something about seeing that spiky stick of black death coming towards me makes my spine crawl and it is extremely difficult to hold still, which just makes matters worse. Yeah. Not good. XD

Reason #7: It Doesn't Last

Beauty is fleeting. You can't depend on it. Eventually you’re going to get wrinkles and aging skin. Maybe you’ll get in a car wreck and your face will be disfigured. Maybe the government bans makeup and you have to go out in public without your products. (Okay, that one’s a little far-fetched. XD) My point still stands, though. There will come a day when no amount of layering foundations or plucking of eyebrows or what-have-you is going to make you look as beautiful as you once did. What will you be left with, at that point? In the car wreck scenario, if your beauty is taken from you that early on, what do you have left?

Something that is completely in your control and that no human can take from you is your character. You could lose your entire nose and be left with a gaping hole in your face and still have the most beautiful character on the planet. Or you could be flawless with or without makeup, but your character is so bad that people don’t want to be around you. We’re called to focus on eternal things, and beauty is not one of them.

Reason #9: The Theological End

(Be forewarned, there are multiple facets to this one and it is definitely my biggest point. Just so you know. ;) Also, all verses are taken from the ESV translation.)

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

-Proverbs 31:30

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.

-1 Peter 3:3-4

These are just a couple of examples where we, as women and girls, are told to focus on beautifying the inner person instead of the outer adornment. There are multiple other places where this is mentioned, but since I already talked about this a bit in the last point, I'll move on.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

-Psalm 139:14

God is a perfect God. He doesn’t make mistakes. When he knit me together in my mother’s womb, he knew exactly what he wanted my face and body to look like, and I trust him with that. I’m certainly not as stunning as I could be with enough surgeries and products and essentially being changed into a different body altogether, but… I am wonderfully made. And so are you. <3

Piggybacking off of that, I’m also made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). There are debates about whether or not that means his literal image (which… he’s spirit, so that makes it a bit difficult to imagine what he looks like XD) or his character (ability to speak, moral code, etc.). Regardless, God is a beautiful being and I’m modeled after him, so ha. 😛

*rubs hands together* Okay, this one is the most important to me, so it's the longest. Prepare yourself. ;)

If it is true that God is a perfect being (Matthew 5:48), and if it is true that he’s the one who made me (Psalm 139:13-16), and if beauty is not a moral thing… what right do I have to change it?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are people who can use makeup without searing their consciences, and I don’t think this applies to everyone. But for me, if I were to put on mascara or foundation or any of the other things, it seems like I’m saying, “Oops, God, you messed up! My eyelashes should be darker and look fuller. Here, let me help you with that.”

For me, deep down, makeup is an issue of pride more than vanity. It’s me assuming that I know better than God what I should look like, or being afraid that people will think less of me if I don’t look like them.

But that’s the thing, isn’t it? God knows so much better than me about what I should look like (and a million other things - have you ever read Job? God kinda proves this point in there really well XD). And we are called to be set-apart, to be so different that those in the world who are chasing after each other and following in each other’s footsteps pause and say, “Hey, something’s weird about you, and it’s kinda attractive. Want to let me in on your secret?”

See, humanity without God has no compass other than other fallen humans. They seek to be beautiful like their heroes, which is a sinful kind of beauty. But we, as Christ-followers, seek to be beautiful like God. Like Christ himself. And if you look in Isaiah 53, you’ll see that Jesus was no supermodel while on earth. He was as plain as you and I, but still the crowds followed him. Why? Because of his teaching. Because of his miracles. Because they knew that he had something they didn’t, something more eternal, something that reminded them of God.

We should be attractive for the same reasons: not because we're unusually beautiful or rich or what-have-you, but because we remind people of God and awaken an ache in their hearts that only God can fill.

Bonus: the Guys

I kinda figure that this is one of the reasons girls wear makeup in the first place: they want to attract a guy. There's a lot that I could say on that, but I'm going to keep it short and sweet and say that, in my limited experience, there are plenty of guys out there who actually dislike makeup, and even more who could care less about it. Just some food for thought. ;)

Conclusion

Beauty isn’t bad. I mean, look around you at the mountains and forests and oceans and starry skies. There’s completely natural beauty everywhere. The issue with beauty comes when it takes a higher seat in your heart than your character development or loving others or loving God. Beauty is like money - it’s good and useful, but when you love it it becomes a root of all kinds of evil.

So search for yourselves. Find out what your boundaries are, and why you have them. If you struggle to stay within those boundaries, maybe find a friend to be an accountability partner for you. ;)

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What are your thoughts on the matters of makeup, fashion, and beauty in general? I'd love to hear them! Do you agree with my points? Why or why not? Are you also afraid of mascara brushes, or is that my own special phobia? :P

Until next time,

Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! ^_^

-Joelle