I'd love it if they'd close the whole cosmetic industry.

Face painting and that sort of thing is fine for geishas and clowns, but really... I doubt very much the best of lady saints wore rouge.

 :rolleyes:

Are you excusing vanity just because it's widespread?

What purpose does makeup serve and when is there ever a good reason to wear it?

I admit I'm a little "extreme" perhaps in my views on these things. I absolutely loathe these things, because they are, by their nature, devices of deception and pride... if not seduction.

Now I think there is something to be said for beauty, and I think to some extent, it almost seems as though a woman does honor to what she is and should be, when she dresses in a way both modest and "pretty". Beauty is a good, and God is all good things to perfection. If we love beauty, I'm guessing we love it because it is a faint whisper of the Creator, and it speaks to the heart and soul of that eternal, most beautiful abode of the blessed, and of the author of all beauty. Thus do we experience that thrill when we walk into a great church full of beauty.

I don't think there's anything wrong with beauty. In fact, I think to some extent, we now more than ever need woman (whatever their faces look like or however little they resemble Barbie in figure) who have the guts and integrity to dress like women, and embrace even externally that which is truly beautiful... but above all, virtue.

When a woman puts on makeup, it's to either hide something, or flatter herself. Women HAVE to wear clothes. They DON'T have to wear makeup. That's one difference. But the other is, rather than discovering the spirit of humility, that may be caused by one too many freckles, a spot, a mole, or whatever else they're trying to cover up with six inches of foundation... they choose instead not only to reject that humility, but even to flatter themselves over and above even the appearances of being "normal" by trying to make themselves up to be more beautiful than they'd even be without the spot or the freckles or whatever.

But ultimately there are two problems: 1) the refusal of humiliation, which could actually give grace, and show other women that there's more to life than what you look like on the outside... and 2) the fact that finally, a made-up woman IS more attractive... or even seductive, depending on how nice she looked to begin with. And that's not something we should be advertising publicly.

Now lots of people will think I'm being ridiculous. (I think that has something more to do with the fact that most of us have been born into a day and age where giving yourself a nicer face than what you have is so widespread, rather than that they actually believe in the vanity or consequences of that vanity.) But the fact of the matter is, humility is a virtue. Vanity, seduction, human respect or esteem, and rejection of suffering and humiliation are not. And let me tell you... as a Catholic, I have a lot, LOT more respect for a girl who would rather be laughed at than be vain.

The most important beauty is, after all, on the inside. It can only be seen in the actions, words, and sometimes in the eyes of a person. (Not their eyeBROWS.) Virtue is what should commend us, not a mask we put on every morning to look prettier than the next girl, or even than ourselves.

Now when a virtuous woman puts on a pretty, modest dress... she sends a message... there is another option besides wearing a miniskirt and 9-inch heels, or something brown that resembles a tent. There is, happily, an inbetween. A sane, middle ground. Women in the victorian days were plenty modest. Not all of them wore nothing but plain or ugly colors. In fact, you can hardly find patterns of cloth as nice as some of the ones they had back then. But there was something yet dignified, and certainly not automatically seductive, about a woman in a dress with pretty flowers on it. As if it complimented what she was. There's beauty, then there's vanity. But makeup and the like, by their very nature, are all about saving ourselves humiliation, and/or vanity and seduction. It's all about our opinion of ourselves, and everyone else's opinion of us. And there is nothing about those things that compliment a virtuous woman.

As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing so beautiful as a plain, or even a somewhat homely woman, dressed in modest, feminine clothing, and conducting herself with virtue and dignity and sweetness. And I'd trade one such woman for 95 of the rest in any case. They are the example of what all women should be: decent, and yes, feminine (no fear of wearing a pretty, floral pattern on that modest attire, and not vain if she does)... but not afraid to look the world in the face as she is, suffer whatever humility her real face may occasion (since God gave it to her), and not be ashamed, but at peace with how she looks, precisely because she ISN'T vain.

It's a hard line to walk, but I think it's the perfect median between vice and scruples here. Not afraid to dress with dignity yet femininity, yet not the least afraid to be what God made you, come what may.

It's God that has to approve of us, not the people who are little enough to make fun of or sneer at a woman's facial imperfections.

When a woman puts on makeup, it's to either hide something, or flatter herself.

Or out of consideration for others? Other people have to look at her!

Women HAVE to wear clothes. They DON'T have to wear makeup. That's one difference. But the other is, rather than discovering the spirit of humility, that may be caused by one too many freckles, a spot, a mole, or whatever else they're trying to cover up with six inches of foundation... they choose instead not only to reject that humility, but even to flatter themselves over and above even the appearances of being "normal" by trying to make themselves up to be more beautiful than they'd even be without the spot or the freckles or whatever.

I don't wear make-up, and I can assure that my reason has nothing to do with humility or lack of vanity.

It is because I was a tomboy in adolescence, when all the other girls were acquiring the skill of applying make-up. It seems that, at 34, it's a bit late for me to learn that skill, and if I did put make up on, I'd make a mess of it, and people would laugh at me!

If I were humble, I would not care!

But ultimately there are two problems: 1) the refusal of humiliation, which could actually give grace...

I ought to start wearing make-up then.

Now lots of people will think I'm being ridiculous. (I think that has something more to do with the fact that most of us have been born into a day and age where giving yourself a nicer face than what you have is so widespread, rather than that they actually believe in the vanity or consequences of that vanity.)

I don't think it's unique to this day and age.

But the fact of the matter is, humility is a virtue. Vanity, seduction, human respect or esteem, and rejection of suffering and humiliation are not.

Neither is inverted vanity: "See how vain I'm not!"

And let me tell you... as a Catholic, I have a lot, LOT more respect for a girl who would rather be laughed at than be vain.

A woman's husband might not appreciate people laughing at his wife.

That's an interesting point -- "waste too much time or money on cosmetics."

You know how expensive makeup is these days -- especially if you don't buy it at wal-mart. You have companies like Avon and Mary Kay which have pretty expensive stuff -- enough to support stay-at-home-moms who sell the stuff PLUS pay the company for the actual makeup. That has to be more expensive than just buying it at the discount store. But how many women sell Avon or Mary Kay? There's got to be a lot of money involved there.

Plus a lot of makeup has chemicals in it that are dangerous...

Matthew

All of us there were already into make-up though, so it was O.K :wink:

To counterbalance it, the nuns told us were we beautiful without make-up anyways. We got flattered a lot by them!

As for costly cosmetics, I get mine in bulk on Ebay, so I save roughly 60-70% on them and don't have to worry about shopping for make-up for a year or so at a time. If I bought my foundation in the shops though, it would put me back approx. £23 per 30ml bottle- that's $40. I wouldn't dream of buying it unless I could get it reduced by at least a half.