Are Christian Women Allowed to Wear Makeup, Earrings or Jewelry?
1) Direct Answer
Christian women should avoid makeup and ornamental jewelry, including earrings. Dress should be modest, simple, and shamefaced. A plain wedding band as a token of covenant—not as decoration—can be acceptable.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says, “Women adorn themselves in modest apparel… not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9–10). That is a clear call away from outward show.
- “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold… but let it be the hidden man of the heart… a meek and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:3–4). God points us to inner beauty, not external display.
- When pride and show took over, God reproved it: the tinkling ornaments, chains, rings, nose jewels (Isaiah 3:16–24). He took them away as a judgment.
- Jezebel “painted her face” to present herself (2 Kings 9:30). Scripture never commends face paint; it ties it to a worldly, seductive spirit.
- Jacob called his house to put away strange gods—and they handed over their earrings (Genesis 35:2–4). Earrings in Scripture are often linked with idolatry and worldliness.
- Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost; we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). We present ourselves a living sacrifice, not conformed to the world (Romans 12:1–2).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice, the apostles didn’t point women to decorate the outside, but to adorn the inside with holiness. Outward glitter draws eyes to the flesh; the Spirit draws hearts to Christ.
- If Peter says “not with… wearing of gold,” why argue for gold and glitter? If Paul says “not with… pearls,” why defend them? Show me one Scripture where God praises painted faces or flashy ornaments.
- A plain wedding band can serve as a simple token of a vow, not as adornment. But earrings and showy jewelry exist to ornament the body—exactly what the Word says not to pursue.
- You see, this isn’t harsh law; it’s love. When Christ lives within, a woman gladly chooses modesty, simplicity, and separation from the spirit of the world.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Choose the hidden beauty of a meek and quiet spirit. Lay aside makeup, earrings, and ornamental jewelry, and let your life shine with holiness. That’s the kind of adornment God honors.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Resurrection
53-1205 §51
And when I got back there, there stood a great big woman with about enough clothes on that you could put in a aspirin box. And that woman, she had... And enough jewelry on (Now, that ... I ain't making fun. I'm stating facts, because I'm in the pulpit.) that would've fed poor children, and paid my missionary trip twice to Africa. And she had a pair of specks in her hand on a stick holding them out like that. Now, you know that woman couldn't see through them glasses out that far, holding it out like that. She had h...
Jehovah-Jireh
61-0209 §64
And you come to America. Was ever anybody ever in Europe and Rome, and went down to St. Angelo's? A disgrace to our nation even in Italy. It's got a sign, right there by the side of St. Angelo's catacomb, said, "American women, please put on clothes to honor the dead when you come in here." Oh, my. Brother Arganbright and I was sitting there eating, doing pretty well with a good steak till Miss United States happened to rise up, with enough jewelry on her hands for this ten cent store, a cigarette out about that fa...
From that time
60-0716 §74
...nd on a stick, holding out like that. Now, anybody with sense knows you couldn't see on a glass just holding out like that. Great big woman with enough jewelry on her wrist to send a missionary around the world five times. Yes, sir. Hanging on. And she said, "Are you Doctor Branham?" I said, "No, ma'am; no." I said, "I'm Brother Branham." "Oh," she said, "I am cha'med." And she held that big hand up like this. And I got that... I reached up and got her by the big fat hand and pulled it down there. I said, "I'm glad...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §93
Any man that lets his wife get out and wear those little ol' things before men, and them little ol' things ... get out on the lawn and mow the yard, and things like that, mister, I'm telling you, brother! I don't mean to be mean; God knows that that's my heart. But I'm going to have to change a whole lot before I'd let mine do it. I'm going to be boss up on the hill up there as long as I can, you see; and when I can't, I'm going to move off. That's right. Oh, brother, that's a shame and a disgrace for women to do t...
Going beyond the camp
64-0719E §19
For instance, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but back and forth across the nation I have condemned women wearing short hair. That's the Bible. I've condemned women wearing shorts, using makeup; and every year it gets worse. It shows that there is another finger somewhere pointing them some other way. And they're not getting through to Christ. And they say, "We belong to a church; our church don't..." Don't make any difference what your church believes, God said, "It's wrong!" And if they did get through to...