Bratz or Barbie: Your Daughter’s Make Up Choices

As your daughter grows up, you will hit several different milestones, and one of those is the makeup milestone. This can be a difficult one to determine where to set. Many parents will say no single dating until age 16, no driving until the same age, no school dances until high school, etc. However, with makeup, there are no hard and fast rules about how old you are when you are old enough to wear it. So, as a parent, you have to consider your child personally, and their life. If your child is only thirteen, but every one of her friends is wearing makeup already, it might be time to let her, otherwise she might just sneak it on while at school. Rather than have your daughter sneaking behind your back to wear makeup, consider the following suggestions.

• 1. Take the time to teach your daughter about proper skin care. Your daughter is too young for makeup still if she does not exercise proper hygiene as it is without the complication of makeup clogging pores, etc. Teach your daughter about proper skin care, specifically when wearing makeup, and evaluate if she is old enough and mature enough to care for her skin, remove her makeup properly, etc.
• 2. Take the time to teach your daughter about event appropriate makeup. Girls love makeup, so at first they might go overboard. It is important that you help your daughter understand that makeup is much like clothing in that not every look is appropriate for every situation. Help them learn about natural looks for everyday use, and more dramatic or keyed up looks for school dances, parties, etc.

Little girls love to play with makeup.

• 3. Take the time to teach your daughter about the impact makeup can have on their life, and the message they send with makeup. The best way to do this is simply ask them if the way someone wears their makeup has ever impacted how they felt about that person. You will find that they do understand it, but need to think about it. If they wear too much it can send the wrong message. If they wear the wrong colors etc. So, help them learn how to apply their makeup the way that will send the message they want sent, and garner them the attention they want. Heavy black makeup, for example, is associated with gothic.
• 4. Take the time to teach your daughter what colors and application techniques work best for her. A great way to do this is have a professional makeup consultation for your daughter at a department store or makeup representative. This way it is not coming from you, and they have a professional on their side.
• 5. Understand that wanting makeup is natural. Do not fight it too long, or they will win and overcompensate.

In other words, it is important as a parent that your daughter is emotionally and physically prepared for makeup. Help her know what to do, how to do it, and how to handle any changes that might come as a result. (Such as extra attention from boys). Once you have done these things, and your daughter appears to be well educated and prepared, she is probably old enough for makeup.