Julia's Christmas wish list says make-up kit, and I have no idea what that really means.
Look at those beautiful, make-up free faces. So natural. I have no desire to add anything to them at this point.
So, what would you do if your 11-year-old asked for a make-up kit?
Julia (left), in my opinion, is too young for any serious make-up, but certainly not too young to learn about skin care and beauty. After my initial shock at seeing make-up kit in place of toys on the list, I kind of got excited. I get to introduce her to this fun part of being a girl.
So yes, I'm in. My 11-year-old daughter will get her first make-up kit this Christmas, and it will come from me.
As much as is possible, I want to be the one who introduces my girls to what it means to be a woman. When each of them turned nine, I bought them The Care and Keeping of You by American Girl. It's a great book about taking care of your body. It's written for young girls and progresses from taking care of their teeth and braces to healthy diet and exercise to the changes they can expect at puberty, including buying their first bra and getting their first period. I bought each girl her own personal copy, and we read it aloud, one-on-one.
So we've already read a little about skin care and make-up in the past, but back then the information was just tucked away for future use.
Sounds like Julia's decided it's time to put it into practice. And that's a good thing.
Sometimes I think we unintentionally shame young girls for their natural, God-given desires, like the desire to be beautiful. We tell them, "You're too young for make-up!" or "You aren't allowed to wear make-up until you are (whatever arbitrary age we pick) years old," without any affirmation for the rightness of their desire to be beautiful.
It would be easy for our daughters to get the idea that their innocent interest in beauty products and looking pretty is wrong.
It's not wrong.
So between now and Christmas, I'm on the hunt for a cute make-up bag and lots of goodies to put in it. I'm thinking facial cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. Sheer lip gloss.Maybe a facial mask, because those just look fun -- like a day at a fancy spa.
One thing she made clear is that she'd like to try eye shadow. Yikes. I'm not ready to let an 11-year-old out of the house wearing eye shadow. But maybe I'll buy one of those inexpensive sets you can pick up around Christmas and tell her it's just for practicing and playing makeover with her friends.
What do you think? Would you buy beauty products for an 11-year-old? Any ideas for what to put in her bag? Brands that are good for young girls without being too pricey?
Waiting to hear your thoughts on this one.
Sharing today at Imperfect Prose and Ni Hao Yall.
The first make-up my daughter had (about age 11) was something like this: http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/whats-new/new-in/colour-crush.aspx
ReplyDeleteJust a light pink or peach shimmer-sparkle for eyelids and cheeks. I let her have lip glass as well.
I saw a friend's pics of taking her young daughter to Sephora and getting a makeover and purchasing some Bare Minerals products--really pretty and natural. I think it's good to let them play with this a bit (my mom didn't wear make-up or earrings and my dad didn't like it, so I started sneaking makeup on with my friends-- I was obsessed with it since I wasn't allowed to wear it and I decided to let my girls ease into it younger... the novelty wore off fast and they didn't wear it everyday after a while. Have fun!
My daughter is 12 and really has no desire for make-up, but she was starting to have some acne and dry skin on her face. I bought the Velocity cleanser and facial lotion (from MaryKay) for her and she loves it. Kind of felt like a small rite of passage. She does have some eye shadow that is sheer and rather sparkly. While I am glad she is not ready for the complete make up ritual, these small steps are good and I am glad that we can do this together. My younger daughter (who is 8) however, loves to play with make-up and would love to wear it ALL the time. I have some of the bath and body sheer and shiny lip glosses that on occasion she will wear.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy these small steps of transition to her becoming a young woman. (Scary and exciting all at the same time!)
I was only allowed to wear makeup to play with until I was about twelve. That was when I started to get acne. Then, my parents allowed me to get concealer. The only times I shopped alone was at Christmas at the Dollar Store. I began sneak-buying makeup such as eyeshadow and lipstick. This was also the point in time that I started shaving my legs. My mom noticed my legs were shaved and asked me if I'd been shaving. I admitted it and my mom told me to ask the next time I wanted something like that. My parents and I have never had a really good talking relationship, so of course I never did. A few months later, I came out ready for church wearing lipstick. My parents of course noticed, and told me to take it off and not to wear it until they told me I could. I started wearing very light eyeshadow when I was about thirteen. No one noticed, so I continued. When I was fifteen I began wearing pretty heavy eyeshadow, and of course, it was noticed. My mom didn't really say anything, besides that she preferred me wearing brown than blue.
ReplyDeleteUnderstand, I am not trying to say that I was right in sneaking behind my parents' backs. However, I think it would have been better to allow some small makeup. I think it is better to let your daughter have some light colored eyeshadow that will go well with her eyes. The Dollar Store has some pretty good eyeshadow.
Like everything else, kids need guidance. Looks to me like you're family is so grounded the "make up" journey will be fun and encouraging.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 11 and she likes using a facial brush to wash her face.
ReplyDeleteWe let our girls (8, 12, and 14) experiment for play. It satisfies their curiousity but allows us to talk about why women wear makeup in the first place and challenge them to embrace the beautiful face that God gave them. The are involved in drama/dance so that is the only time they get to wear it out in public. They seem satisfied with our arrangement.
ReplyDeleteI would get inexpensive stuff if it's just for play but replace it regularly to keep the germies at bay.
My daughter in 7 yo. She has her own lip gloss wich she never wears, and a small Lady Speed Stick that she uses almost every day. Yes, I think the products you described are apropriate for an 11 yo girl, I will do the same thing for mine if she'll express the desire for such things. Your daughters are gorgeous by the way!
ReplyDeleteBurts Bees have beautiful lip glosses (in different styles- clearish tubes, sticks in a little bit of very subtle color), face washes and lotions, and I think some very natural-looking blush "sticks". They are great quality and are available at Target and most bigger grocery stores!!
ReplyDeleteps.
ReplyDeleteI (at 25) almost never wear any make up, and never have- but these lip glosses are where I go when I want just a little bit. They look more colorful in the pictures than they are once you put them on- perfect for feeling like you are getting "made up", but really a very natural look :-)
Shimmer Lip Gloss: http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Super-Glossy-Shine/dp/B001GIOUYC/ref=sr_1_19?s=beauty&srs=2586556011&ie=UTF8&qid=1386045483&sr=1-19&keywords=burts+bees
Lip Shimmer: http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Shimmer-Cherry-0-09/dp/B006KBFXGE/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&srs=2586556011&ie=UTF8&qid=1386045483&sr=1-1&keywords=burts+bees
Also, this looks cute!
"Radiance Healthy Glow Kit": http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Radiance-Healthy-Beauty/dp/B004EDWMDM/ref=sr_1_10?s=beauty&srs=2586556011&ie=UTF8&qid=1386045345&sr=1-10&keywords=burts+bees