Age for girls to start wearing makeup?

[X and G's mom]

Thanks for all your replies!
My DD has been in dance since she was 3, so she knows how to do stage makeup. I've let her wear lip gloss for quite some time now. The shade has always been very light though.
She tried to do the eyeshadow thing last summer for her school pictures. Her eyeshadow and blush was hideous! She looked like she was straight from the 80's hair band videos She was taking that off too! (My DS called to warn me to come home a little early-even he noticed and he doesn't notice ANYTHING!)

I like the idea of going to go to the Clinique counter and to use light shades. Thanks! I think this would be a great birthday gift for her! Wait til I tell her, she will be SO excited!

 

[X and G's mom]

See when I did the Clinique counter when I was a teenager the lady made me look like a French harlot. I had to run to the bathroom as soon as she was done and wash the crap off because there was no way I was walking around in public looking like that.

YIKES!!!! When I take her, I'll make sure to tell the lady neutral colors ONLY!

 

[CathrynRose]

So, what does everyone think?

I think that (and I don't have girl's, but I am one.... ) you will have bigger fish to fry, than eyeshadow and lipgloss, during their teen years.

If it was me, I'd be showing her age appropriate makeup application.

My mom let me start experimenting in 6th grade - so 11 years old.

 

[X and G's mom]

I started wearing make up when I was 11 but I was a cheerleader and would mainly wear it during the games or school functions. I never asked for wear make-up until then and I mom had no problem with it.

My mom NEVER wore make-up. She doesn't like the feel of it on her face. She never discouraged me not to wear it though. She did discourage heavy make-up. Being tasteful about it, is really what it's about.

My mom only wore make-up to church! I got into make-up in 8th grade, then I liked my sleep better, so the make-up thing went away. Now that I'm in my upper 30's the make-up thing is coming back

The make-up I had in jr. high was always the old stuff my mom didn't want, so maybe that was why I never wore much.....hhhmmmm, this reverse psych stuff again....

 

[X and G's mom]

I think that (and I don't have girl's, but I am one.... ) you will have bigger fish to fry, than eyeshadow and lipgloss, during their teen years.

This is what my mom said too!
A woman I work with says, "little children equal little problems, big children equal big problems".
I guess I get to pick my battles and this may not be the hill I want to die on.

 

[2girlsmom]

This is one of those issues that I am MUCH more flexible than DH. My dd12 is finishing 6th grade, and I willingly have put blush on her, and bought her eye shadow for her birthday this spring, but dh won't let her out of the house wearing it. I keep telling him that 1)virtually ALL the girls here are wearing makeup this year, and 2)I would rather she wear it where I can guide her so she doesn't look like a street walker, LOL. But so far he is still resisting anything beyond clear lip gloss for both girls. Now my youngest, almost 10, is fine with that, so far she has absolutely NO interest in wearing makeup.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

My dd12 is just like me. Hates makeup. She has to wear a lot of it for dance competitions, but has no desire to wear it day to day. I have noticed though, that during this school year (6th grade) a lot of the girls have started to wear make-up. Middle school starts in 7th grade here, and I'm told most of the girls wear it there. The 6th graders still look like clowns, but I figure it's a safe place to experiment with it and maybe they'll have it down by fall.

My 7yo wants to wear it now, though. She has had play makeup since she was 3 and just loves it. Our rule is she can't wear it to school, but she did make it there with neutral eyeshadow on one day, without me noticing. I'm more confused about what to do with her. When is she too old for play makeup, but too young for real makeup?

 

[mjkacmom]

I think most here start in 6th grade. I have to say, I'm impressed with a lot of them (including dd13 and her friends) with how minimal the makeup is. Light shadow, mascara, and light blush - nothing like the stuff I piled on my face in the late 70's.

 

[2cats1kid]

My DD started at 10/11, but she is accelerated a year and a couple of the girls in her year are kept back a year, so her friends were 11/12. She saw some of the kids in the year below (so also 10/11) wearing makeup to a school disco and commented on how awful they looked with lots of makeup on, and has been very good at keeping it light and enhancing what nature gave her rather than looking like a dog's breakfast. She is allowed light makeup for school but anything other than that and they are sent to wash it off - no lipstick or nail varnish allowed, but they are allowed a light bit of mascara/eye liner and concealer.

 

[englishteacha]

I started wearing makeup in 7th grade, age 12. I have 4 older sisters and was dying to wear makeup, and I got their old makeup for play makeup. I wasn't allowed to wear it out of the house, though.

Girls where I teach (grades 6-8) start wearing makeup in 6th grade. Some look ridiculous. By 7th grade they generally have it down. Generally it's some lip gloss, mascara, and obnoxious bright nail polish. One girl came in with a tan face and pale neck and assured us that she wasn't wearing any make up at all. Yeah, hon, I'll believe that when the boys in my class stop wearing Axe!

 

[jetprincess]

I'm a child of the 80's and I am relieved that teenagers today do not seem to be wearing as much make up as we did! I rarely see blue eyeshadow, green eyeliner and bright orange lipstick. It seems that most teens seem to be going more natural.

I don't know if that is the case with younger teens as they have to go through their "try it on for size" stage.

Remember Mood Lispstick?

 

[jen0610]

DD 12 in the 6th grade, has for the most part be wearing a very light pink or coral color for most of the year, as far as eye shadow. She has me put on a very fine line of eye liner, once in a while. She wears a different lip gloss every day. Mostly it is clear, once in a while it is pink or peach colored. She has one that has almost a purple hue that her friends all really like, but she knows that isn't an every day one. She wore it with her Halloween costuem and during their spirit weeks.

Full blown make up, she leave to dance recitals and shows.

Her nails on the other hand, no pun, is the one thing she always wants done. Every weekend we are changing her color. Putting decals on or free handing a design on them. And now that it's warmer, she is wanting her toes done too. She keeps getting asked where she goes to get her nails done.

 

[Freyja]

DD is 13 (since December). She never wears make-up to school but if we´re going somewhere formal she has recently started using a little bit mascara and lip gloss. A lot of her friends use make-up on a daily basis though. I´m glad she´s not there yet, but it´s not something I´ve banned her from doing.

 

[CathrynRose]

Remember Mood Lispstick?

Too Faced came out with new ones:

It's actually not bad, in the summer. Shiny, bright pink.

 

[pyrxtc]

my DD was allowed when she turned 13. She never wears it though since she doesn't have time in the morning. She can't do eyeliner so she doesn't and lip gloss has always been an okay thing. She can also do whatever with her hair, natural or not cuz hair grows. She has no interest though.

 

[MomofKatie]

DD doesn't care about makeup at all. She is 11 and just finishing 6th grade. So far, none of her friends wear it, either. I'd say a few 6th graders wear it, about 1/2 of the 7th graders, and most of the 8th graders.

I am just happy I can get DD to shower every other day, brush her hair occasionally, and put on matching clothes- forget about makeup!! She hasn't had a "girly girl" phase since she was about 6. Whenever I ask her about it, she says' "Mom, I'm a sporty girl". She is interested in boys, but not in dressing to make boys notice her.

 

[luvsJack]

DD is 11 and in 6th grade. Her Easter gift was make up.

She only wears a little eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss. The first eye shadow she wore was light blue and then she bought some that was aquamarine ! But she has now settled on some very natural looking beige, browns, and pinkish colors.

Some of the girls in her class wear bright blue, white and even bright yellow (I did not actually know that they made eye shadow in that color!)!!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm not going to restrict it (unless it's really horrid and garish.. then we're gonna head to the MAC store) because I would rather her wear it and I know what she's doing rather than her hiding it from me. DH-- well, he thinks it's ok when she's 40.

 

[Sparx]

I think instead of restricting it, you should teach her how to wear it. I know a LOT of girls when i was in middle school brought their makeup to school and walked around with clown faces until the last bell rang, and then they ran to the bathroom and washed their faces before going home. I think it would be a better idea to teach her how to properly apply it correctly.

 

[PatsGirl]

Dd13 has been allowed to wear lip gloss and blush for the past year or so and I told her recently that if she wanted to try mascara I was okay with that as well. I did notice that her lip gloss is now lipstick (in light shades) but she hasn't shown any real interest in other makeup.

On the other hand, I agreed to let her color her hair in purple streaks and it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would She has about a one inch streak on each side of her face and the bottom inch of the longest layer all the way around colored. It was bleached out because she has dark hair and the color washes out in about two weeks, at which time she can choose to wear the streaks blond or color them again (her next color is hot pink)

We were at an upscale outdoor mall two summers ago and she was approached by a cosmetics saleswoman and I allowed her to do a "tween" makeover. I believe it was Origins and remember them selling a beginner's kit which is what they used on DD, it was very light and I think all natural, for $50. I'll most likely get this for her this summer if we go back to that mall and she shows interest.