It’s a milestone every little girl looks forward to and every parent tries to put off. That day you at them and realize they aren’t a little girl anymore. And they look in the mirror, and reach for the make-up.
Studio 5 Beauty & Style Contributor Holly Stone helps you tackle the touchy topic “Girls and Makeup: When and What.”
I am a woman. I wear makeup. I love make up and I work in the cosmetic industry. I was once a young woman who learned to wear makeup from my mother. And today, I am a mother of a 10-year-old daughter. She sees me working in the world of make up and she asks questions. Here is what I teach her and what I fundamentally believe as a mother and professional make up artist.
THE VIEW
1. The view of make up for a young woman through the eyes of the media:
Goal: Sell, sell, sell! Doesn’t matter who you are, how you act, what you look like or how much money you have.
Necessity to get boys interest, must wear to be beautiful, trendy, fun, creative, makes you look older, gives you a sense of style.
2. The view of make up for a young woman through a professional make up artist (and mother’s) eyes:
Goal: To make you look your best, using the right products, the right colors customized for YOU as an individual. At the price you can afford. And at the right time to help you achieve positive reactions, and personal success.
Beauty is an action word. If you are doing things that enrich your life and the life of your friends and family, then you are portraying beauty. Make up is an extension of your personal style and should only be used to enhance your natural beauty. If your make up is all one can see when someone looks at you, then it is time to go back to the beginning and reach inside or to re-learn the power of positive image. Use make up to express style, to have fun with creativity and to extend your best-refined effort forward. Make up should never be taught synonymously with self-confidence. It should be a compliment when you feel it appropriate. You are beautiful because you act beautiful. You are attractive because you understand the importance that personal grooming communicates that you care about yourself and others. Make up is part of personal grooming.
FOR THE FIRST TIMERS
There are four important things to consider for the first time make up users:
· Age appropriateness: there is a time and place for make up application. Know these parameters to help inspire your daughter.
· Quality matters: Cheap product (think Justice, dollar store etc.) typically is riddled with ingredients that could be considered harmful to delicate, youthful skin. You don’t have to buy luxury brands to get quality but you should be conscious of the product your daughter is putting on her skin. Begin with well-known brands such as L’Oreal, Max Factor, Hard Candy, and Maybelline. She will begin to gravitate to the brand the most reflects her individuality but please start her on a quality path from the beginning.
· Shades by product: Just because you can be wearing lip gloss at age 9, 10 does not mean it can be fuchsia pink or eggplant purple. Eye shadow should not be blue, green and purple from the start. Bolder colors are also age appropriate and should be incorporated at the right time.
· Keep it light: Work together. Teach her by showing her on yourself and then standing by to watch and positively encourage as she does it herself. If you don’t spend the time to teach her, she has friends who will. And chances are, they are making critical mistakes. Chances are, if she learns by you and then applies IN FRONT OF YOU, she will adopt those habits and make them hers.
THE MAGIC AGE
So, what is the age for girls to start wearing make-up? Here is the breakdown:
Age 9-11
Chapstick, lip gloss. Period.
10 years is still but a child and I believe that a parent has the responsibility of preserving the youth of a child as long as possible. This does not mean halting their maturity or disrupting their refinement. This simply means encouraging them to play, love, laugh and enjoy life with the innocence that is only found in childhood. Children seem to think outside themselves if given the encouragement. They dream and pretend. They dress up and make believe. When they begin to look at themselves with a more scrutinizing eye, the world swoops in with powerful messages that force them to awareness of grown up things. Make up turns her thoughts to her face, and possibly her “imperfections” that are inconsistent with the worldly messaging of BEAUTY. I want my daughter to grow with confidence and wonder, not with insecurity and doubt. By allowing her to be a child, by encouraging her to enjoy THIS TIME NOW, and by delaying her need to spend time in front of the mirror, I feel she will reach adulthood without the desire to revisit a lost childhood, and with a more positive self-image. She will mature at a natural pace that will allow life to bloom before her eyes. Make up can wait until she has crossed into the young woman phase.
Try:
· EOS Chap Stick Ball (Wal-Mart, $3.49). Good quality ingredients, great flavor, a fun shape
Age 11-13
Lip gloss, 1 color of light eye shadow.
Young women have a tendency of a heavy hand when first applying makeup. They are crossing over from dress up to daily and the difference in application is extreme. Don’t start with liner and mascara! These products are by nature too heavy, and could detract from natural beauty of a blossoming young woman. Instead, allow them to experiment with shades that are somewhat mistake proof.
Try:
· L’Oreal lip gloss in soft neutral colors(Walgreens $5.99). Colour Riche in Baby Blossom is a good start.
· L’Oreal eye shadow colors, soft pink, peach, cream or a subtle shimmer
(Walgreens, $3.99). I recommend Studio Secrets Single in Satin Tutu or Frosted Icing
Age 13-14
Lip gloss, brighter eye shadow, brown mascara, concealer if needed
Try:
· For bolder eye shadows, try Hard Candy Kal-eye-descope Baked Eye Shadow Duos. Color: Ab Fab (Wal-Mart, $6.00).
· Hard Candy Split Personality Duo Eye Shadow (Wal-Mart, $4.00)
· A great starter mascara is Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extend
(Walgreens, $6.99). The wand is long and thin for smaller hands and smaller lashes. Mascara is a tricky product to learn so gently stand by your daughter and positively encourage each stroke.
Age 15-16
BB cream (mostly for SPF benefit but also to smooth uneven skin), lip gloss, mascara, eye shadow
Try:
· Best drugstore BB Cream for young skin is Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (Target $7.99). Light, nice coverage with healthy ingredients for skin
Age 17+
add eye liner and lip liner if interested to explore full cosmetic usage
Try:
· Eye liner Hard Candy (Wal-Mart $4.99)
· Lip liner L’Oreal (Wal-Mart, $6.99)
I know it is cliché to say that we are all beautiful in our own way. I do not think that statement is true unless we truly understand that Beauty is a verb, not a state of being. If you are acting in a way that builds other up in your presence, that encourages confidence with consciousness of others rather than yourself, and that leaves things better once you touch it, then yes, you are beautiful and NO ONE can take it from you. Anything else is just attraction and can be purchased at any price. Own your beauty and share it with others. That will make all the difference in your self-confidence.
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