Do ladies have a minhag not to wear makeup on Yom Kippur?

amother

Seablue

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 11:07 pm

amother OP wrote:

So it seems that it’s not brought down anywhere about the makeup it’s just something that some people do. I’m not talking about getting all glammed up, I’m talking about enhancing your face and to look b’kovod as it’s a yomtov and not aveilus.
For people who don’t put on jewelry, do you wear your wedding rings?

Most people stay with their daily weekday jewelry. Like rings that they never take off, or earrings.
Mostly Necklaces and bracelets get removed.

amother

Mon, Oct 03 2022, 11:26 pm

I wear light makeup every day. I’m not comfortable going out without anything. That’s how Hashem made me and at least I have a little makeup to work with since it makes a huge difference for me.
This was not a discussion about wearing makeup in general. I wanted to make sure it’s allowed on Yom Kippur since I noticed some women coming to shul with bare faces. I wouldn’t be able to do that. Even on a 3 day yomtov I still have a drop of makeup left from beforehand. I wouldn’t be able to go to shul without a drop of makeup on. I’m glad it isn’t something that’s assur.

amother

Amber

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 12:13 am

amother Peach wrote:

You can't do it on YK. No issur of doing it before YK. You could go to a spa and get a full-body massage from head to toe with olive oil and heavy cream just before your seudah hafsekes if you had time for that and it would be fine. I myself would never go to bed with makeup on my face, so I don't wear makeup on Shabbos and YT except for translucent powder that matches my skin, and that's mainly to absorb excess oil. I wear a minimum during the week, so I have no fear of my weekday friends dying of shock should they happen to run into me on a Shabbos and YT. I feel sorry for women who are so insecure that they would "never let anyone see me without makeup on." Unless you're really damaged by something like vitiligo or major scarring, in which case I understand the need for camouflage, you've been sold a bill of goods by your mothers, sisters, kallah teachers and the entire beauty industry.

You cant really make make comparisons from one person to the other. People have different skin types and different coloring. You say you wear minimal makeup during the week so I'm assuming you have a fairly good skin type and color. Some people have ghost like white skin, some have bad complexions and dont feel comfortable walking around like that. It takes maturity and a strong character to brave the world when you always cover up. That doesnt mean anyone sold them a bill of goods. They're doing what works for them.

OP, the minhag of not wearing jewelry is accepted by many. The minhag of no makeuo is a much less popular one. So focus on what works for you - what will you allow you better to focus on the important stuff of the day.

synthy

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 12:19 am

amother OP wrote:

I doubt it's assur. Like many posters said, some women won't wear any because they feel it doesn't pass. I do wear light makeup just so I look like a mentch. I usually apply in the morning and don't reapply before the zman. I've seen women come to kol nidrei with fresh hot pink lips and stark eyeliner, it does look a bit out of place.

amother

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 12:21 am

Curious if anyone knows if not wearing makeup is brought down in any seforim.
Although I never learned about not wearing gold jewelry in school I happened to have seen it written in the kitzur shulchan aruch when I was an adult. It didn’t say anything about makeup. So if it’s written somewhere I’d like to know where.

amother

Hunter

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 12:51 am

amother OP wrote:

I specifically said they come to shul for Kol nidrei without makeup. That’s Yom Kippur night so obviously I would apply before yk begins.
It’s definitely not allowed on Yom Kippur

I feel when I face Hakadosh Baruch Hu, I come humble, simple, here to connect with Hashem.

I feel that make up or nail polish is inappropriate when coming to the king to ask humbly to forgive us.

I wear extra conservative+ white , pretty but Tzanua.

facing Hashem on Yom Hadin

amother

Hunter

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 12:53 am

amother OP wrote:

There is a Pasuk in Tanach my teachers quoted, but I dont want to start a debate here.
If you truly want to learn and grow, and interested to be Mekabel,
if you post your SN, I will send you directly.

amother

Honeydew

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 8:30 am

amother Opal wrote:

We don't wear makeup. We'll cover a zit or a dark circle, but nothing to enhance. It's about coming simple, like malachim. We also wear white. I was brought up with wearing white and no jewelry or makeup. It amazes me bow to see that the minhag of white seems almost gone.

It amazes me that people wear white.
Kids stains, periods, sweat stains...so impractical. Some even feel that its too eye catching to walk around in full white. You are not a kallah!

Funny how in my shuls most ppl wear black. Simple, serious, solemn...each to their own. I am so pale, I look ill in white with no blush or color...I guess everyone should do what they do..

amother

Hunter

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 1:36 pm

SuperWify wrote:

It’s a YT.
Not tisha bav!

the spirit of Kedusha and tznius and more Kedusha.

Yes, its not T Bav, but I disagree with this comment. I also dont do any color on my face on RH YK.

Kedusha is glowing from all faces. If you start thinking spirituality, you will be able to see it!

amother

Hunter

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 1:54 pm

amother Honeydew wrote:

with young kids, ppl would look for washbale white top w dark skirt, or wear for shul and at home change. or for candle lighting......

I think pale ppl need more make up wearing black than white?

we are holy, on a holy day.

you wear whatever your tradition is/ works for you.

amother

Brown

Tue, Oct 04 2022, 3:36 pm

amother OP wrote:

I specifically said they come to shul for Kol nidrei without makeup. That’s Yom Kippur night so obviously I would apply before yk begins.
It’s definitely not allowed on Yom Kippur

I would never put on makeup if I wasn’t allowed to wash my face. That’s just me. I don’t need to break out.

Elfrida

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 3:37 pm

I thought of this discussion when I was on the way to Kol Nidrei yesterday. The sky was pale gold, and the street was full of people on their way to shul. Almost everyone was wearing white. The men had kittels over their suits, and and almost all the women were wearing white (cream, ivory etc) dresses or skirts. It caught the atmosphere, and was a wonderful opening to Yom Kippur.

SuperWify

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 5:07 pm

amother Gardenia wrote:

For those of you who wear makeup on YK - how do you remove it? Doesn't it look even worse the morning after? Or is there a trick. I'm asking because I honestly would like to know. I've never worn makeup on yk.

Do you never wear makeup on Shabbos? I sleep with it and wake up. It’s the same. That simple.

amother

DarkMagenta

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 5:19 pm

amother Gardenia wrote:

Yes, no difference then shabbos.

I dont put on a lot on yom kippur because I dont usually go out and its not a priority fof me to look good.

amother

Gardenia

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 6:42 pm

SuperWify wrote:

Do you never wear makeup on Shabbos? I sleep with it and wake up. It’s the same. That simple.

Thanks for answering, and the same to you, another DarkMagenta. Admittedly it's probably been almost 20 years since I last wore makeup on Shabbos so I'm a bit out of it. I would be less worried about washing off runny makeup on shabbos morning than on yk and that's why I asked but as I said it's mostly an hypothetical question to me so I won't go further off topic on the thread.

amother

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 10:19 pm

I wore a little makeup because I always do and would be very uncomfortable to go out without. I don’t have eyelashes. I mean I do have very thin lashes but you wouldn’t be able to see them. I’m also very pale and have no lip color either. I should probably look into getting my eyebrows permanently dyed but instead I use dark mascara every day. By the end of Yom Kippur there was almost no makeup left but at least I had a little this morning. I spent most of the day in shul. I wouldn’t have cared much about looking presentable had I spent the day at home but I’m not in that stage now.
I was home for Yom Kippur for over a decade so only recently I started noticing what other people are doing. I don’t know how malachim look. I’m sure we don’t really look like malachim when we don’t wear makeup. I certainly don’t look like a malach without a stitch of makeup. I tried to daven with kavanah and I hope that elevated me somewhat.
The not applying makeup thing on erev Yom Kippur seems to be something some people added as it’s not brought down anywhere.

SuperWify

Wed, Oct 05 2022, 10:24 pm

amother Gardenia wrote:

I don’t wash it off. I wipe the smudges under my eyes with a tissue which I was told is ok.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Oct 06 2022, 2:43 am

amother OP wrote:

I wore a little makeup because I always do and would be very uncomfortable to go out without. I don’t have eyelashes. I mean I do have very thin lashes but you wouldn’t be able to see them. I’m also very pale and have no lip color either. I should probably look into getting my eyebrows permanently dyed but instead I use dark mascara every day. By the end of Yom Kippur there was almost no makeup left but at least I had a little this morning. I spent most of the day in shul. I wouldn’t have cared much about looking presentable had I spent the day at home but I’m not in that stage now.
I was home for Yom Kippur for over a decade so only recently I started noticing what other people are doing. I don’t know how malachim look. I’m sure we don’t really look like malachim when we don’t wear makeup. I certainly don’t look like a malachim without a stitch of makeup. I tried to daven with kavanah and I hope that elevated me somewhat.
The not applying makeup thing on erev Yom Kippur seems to be something some people added as it’s not brought down anywhere.

Yeah people get mixed up with tisha bav, nine days, being an avel, and yom kippur. I never heard of a halacha of no makeup on YK.

In a similar vein, I see peacocks being sold for the sukkah, and I'm wondering who started the tradition. Some old granny decided to wear a white shawl on YK and people decided it's good for the spirit to wear white. I've even seen middle aged mothers wearing white tights!!