Tween Turning Point: Does Your Daughter Want to Wear Makeup?
If you’ve got a tween who is ready to experiment with makeup, lipstick, eye shadow and foundation, how do you know how much is enough? How do you know how much is too much? What age should your daughter start wearing makeup?
It starts so innocently and so incredibly slow that at first you almost don’t notice it. It’s a little bit of lip gloss here, and a tiny bit of mascara there, and then the next thing you know, your tween comes downstairs with a full face of makeup on like it’s no big deal!
If you’re wondering when or how to start your tween on a makeup routine, or if your tween is asking to wear some makeup, here are a couple of tips that might help you into this next phase of parenting.
- Each family will decide what’s right for their tween, but for our family, 13 felt like the right age for our daughter; although she did start experimenting with it at home earlier, she didn’t actually wear it to school until then.
- When you think she’s ready, encourage her to start out with the very basics: a lightly-tinted lip gloss and light mascara (one coat is all she needs!). The FPgirls were even all abuzz about clear mascara over at the Style Mag recently, so perhaps your daughter can start with that!
- Try to discourage foundation at her young age. Her skin is FLAWLESS and it really clogs her pores and causes acne. Keep her young skin free from chemicals as long as you can!
- Likewise, eye shadow isn’t necessary on a daily basis. If she’s attending a party or a dance, opt for a light shimmering color, but eye shadow rarely looks natural on young girls.
- If she wants to be responsible enough to wear makeup, make sure she is responsible enough to wash her face with a mild face cleanser every single night.
- Buy her a good moisturizer with SPF in it to protect her skin. She should apply daily. If she ‘thinks’ she wants to wear a foundation, you can always get her a tinted moisturizer.
- Let her have fun with colors and brands at home, even before it’s time for her to wear makeup for real. Playing with makeup and finding what she likes is fun, and experimenting with makeup together can be a great bonding experience for the two of you!
She’ll eventually discover on her own what works and what doesn’t, and these are just some tips I’ve learned as I’ve raised my tween into the young teen she’s become. Hopefully these suggestions will get your tween set in the right direction as you smooth your way into the world of makeup with your daughter!
Want a sneak peek into the world of what tweens have to say about wearing makeup? Check out the comments from this poll at FPgirl Style Mag asking, Do you wear makeup?
Has your tween had the makeup experience yet? What have you learned from it? We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
Image credit: blog.amazingcosmetics.com
About the Author:
Stephanie Elliot, in no particular order, is a wife, writer, blogger, book reviewer, editor and mother to three kids, two who have already been tweens, and one who is right smack in the middle of his tween-ness. Her oldest son is almost driving and her daughter survived her tween years so Stephanie must be doing something right. Find out more at stephanieelliot.com.
