Makeup for Teenagers and Tweens – When, How & How Much?
Catching your little girl prancing in front of the mirror dressed in your heels, your jewelry, and sporting generous amounts of lipstick for the first time is a common memory for parents that will most likely make its place in your heart and settle there comfortably. The fascination with makeup can begin as early as age 4 or 5. But during these years, it has more to do with ‘looking like mommy’ than looking like any tween-teen movie star of their liking.
Fast forward a couple of years and makeup is a significant part of young girls’ daily routines. Little girls as young as 10 can be seen discussing lip glosses and eye shadows among themselves. As parents, it is natural to be concerned about your little girl beginning to wear makeup and grow up too fast. Questions like ‘Is this safe for her?’, ‘Is she even old enough to be wearing this?’ and ‘How much is too much?’ start to be common thoughts in your head.
If you feel like giving your child a talk about it being too soon for makeup - don’t be too quick to take control. After all, with teenage hormones at the ready, there is a chance that your child is more likely to rebel at the idea of being told what to do. To avoid such conflicts, introduce your daughter to makeup on your terms to ensure she doesn’t feel the need to get the advice elsewhere.
The Right Age for Makeup
What is the right age to begin wearing makeup? There is no ‘right’ answer to that question. A lot of factors come into play, making the right age a very individualistic choice. If your daughter is a dancer or a dramatist, she might have to wear makeup from a tender age. The right age also depends on what you are comfortable with. Some moms are completely at ease with their daughters trying out different makeup products from their kit while others might blow a fuse if the daughter as much as touches a lipstick. The only thing you need to keep in mind is the reason why your daughter wants to indulge in makeup. Is it peer pressure? Is it rebellion? Sometimes, resorting to makeup is just the means to vent out underlying concerns they have about growing up and you might want to be more concerned with those feelings than the makeup itself.
The Right Amount of Makeup
Most mothers don’t like the idea of their young daughters wearing too much makeup. But how much is too much is a question that only you and your daughter can answer. Your friend might be okay with her daughter wearing eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss, but are you? What works for someone else might not work for you. Sit your daughter down, and experiment a little to set up some basic ground rules for what you deem as acceptable.
The Right Kind of Makeup
Light makeup looks best on young tweens and teenagers. Introduce one product at a time, even if it means giving your girl a tube of lip gloss as early as age 9. It will prevent her from going overboard when she finally gets the green signal from you at age 16 or 18. At this age, makeup should be more about accentuating than hiding.
However, if your girl insists on going the entire way, here is what you can get her to constitute her first makeup kit:
Face
At this age, there is no real reason to hide behind layers of foundation. Consider getting her a bottle of tinted moisturizer to hydrate as well as even out her skin tone. Teenagers have a natural blush, ruling out the need for an artificial one. But for special occasions, a lip stain in pink can be used as a blush.
Eyes
The glow of youth is evident in the clear eyes of your little girl. Help her accentuate that with clear mascara. For the evening, a swipe of light silvery eye shadow can be very appealing.
Lips
The market is saturated with lip balms and butters that smell divine and also stain the lips lightly, apart from keeping them hydrated and supple. Buy the strawberry or cherry flavored ones for the best color.
Before you go out and put your foot down on makeup, realize that it is a natural transition that every girl must go through. Don’t try to fight it. Lay down reasonable rules and then go buy her beauty and makeup essentials as well as help her with the process - it can prove to be a great mother-daughter bonding exercise!
