You can't compare makeup to women wearing pants, because the former is natural to a woman's nature, while the latter is contrary.  Also, makeup has been around for CENTURIES, while women wearing pants has existed for less than 70 years.  The "social argument" I made is the not the primary one but a secondary one.  The primary argument for makeup is that God created women to be beautiful and attractive, and it is in their nature to want to be, so wearing a modest amount is akin to wearing modest clothes that fit, instead of wearing a potato sack.  All things in moderation....

:applause:

Yep, you've misread a lot of things.  You claim unanimity among the moralists even though a couple paragraphs earlier you mentioned that St. Alphonsus was opposing the opinions of other moralists on this issue.

As I mentioned earlier, as well, saying something is not mortal is not the logical equivalent of saying that it's necessarily venial.

You gratuitously throw in "at least" venially when NONE of the authorities on either side of the issues asserted that it was a mortal sin.

Finally, you miss the entire context of WHY and IN WHAT CONTEXT St. Alphonsus considers it wrong.  It's always in the context of being an incitement to impurity and "on account of men".  And you miss the historical context.  Makeup was not as widely used back in the day of St. Alphonsus, and when it was used, it was not at all subtle.  So you need to understand WHAT he's actually talking about.  He excuses from mortal sin even women who bear their breasts to appear more beautiful ... if it's their cultural custom.  

He also speaks of the intent to "deceive" men in particular.  Few men today, given the prevalence of makeup, are "deceived" by it.

There's no sin whatsoever committed by a woman who applies a modest amount of natural-looking makeup as if it were any other aspect of grooming.

Nice try:
The unanimity of which I speak is that it was sinful to one degree or another.
The difference of opinion, however, centers upon the degree of sin (with those St. Alphonsus saying that those like Cajetan and Navarre who assert the sin is only venial are espousing am opinion which is less probable), not whether the matter is sinful at all.

But with regard to make-up it is always a sin; for women are not permitted to be elegantly dressed except on account of men, and men refuse to be deceived, as a powdered woman would appear to him." (Vol. 1, p. 582)

So, let me help you.  I don't want you to hurt yourself.  He's saying here that makeup is always a sin (IN HIS SOCIETY) because men do not consent to women wearing makeup as they do to their being "elegantly" dressed ... because men do not wish to be deceived.  Men in modern society have not only permitted women to wear a certain amount of makeup but many even expect and demand it of their wives, and, as another poster put it, would pay no attention to women who do not wear makeup.  Notice the allowances all these moralists make for "custom" ... to the point that if custom dictates that women prop up their breasts, partly exposed, they would not sin (at least not mortally) if they're simply following the custom.

 That wasn't even the end of the sentence, idiot.  I love it how you think that increasing your font size suddenly makes your argument more convincing.

Please refute the following: 
St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Alphonsus: 

"But with regard to makeup, it is always a sin."

END-OF-THREAD

Ladislaus-

Let me make an additional observation, not about the thread, but about you:

You typify everything that is wrong with forums: You flew off half-cocked in favor of your own personal opinion, ignorant that the saints opposed it.  But rather than repent and modify your opinion, you dug your heels in (where you clearly should not have), and consequently you became not an agent of truth, but a proud defender of libertines.

Better would it have been had you taken a breather, read St. Alphonsus, and then come back later if you still had some objection (which, you would not, had you truly read St. Alphonsus).

People in traditional “Catholic” circles who pontificate on whether or not a woman can or should wear make up are clearly NOT CATHOLIC.  The same applies to what women can or cannot wear.  

If you think women should look old ugly and like Mormons or Amish, then you are not Catholic.  Women are not cows from the breeding shed nor are they property.  Please people...this is not what the catholic faith is about nor has it ever been.

CULT ALERT.

Matthew: This should be an easy "INSTABAN!"
Translation: The saints can go to hell.  We want makeup!

Young men and women today need to be patient: Finding the right spouse amidst immodest fashions and the crisis in the Church has considerably contracted the pool of worthy spouses.  It might mean not marrying until your 30's until the right guy/gal comes along.  

Ladies should NOT wait until their 30's to get married! Chances are they will just end up being childless spinsters. Just ask the average feminist, liberal gal out there. Women have no much time.