Pretend make up for 4 yo?

[Bluejellybean23]

My 4 year old went to a role play place the other week and loved the beauty salon area and putting on the pretend make up and doing her hair. She often sees me doing my make up. She asked if she can get some purple eyeshadow like her Elsa doll has.

I feel like maybe she's too young for that and should stick to the pretend make up sets (that do look realistic I was quite impressed!). Any recommendations if so?
Or is even pretend make up a bit OTT for 4 years old?

OTT!

I was given some pretend makeup when I was 5yo. I loved it.
I have rarely worn make up since.

All my dc (including ds) have used makeup from that age for the stage. None of them (late teens and adults now) wear makeup any time other than the stage.

If she likes it now, let her have it. It's not starting her down a road of destruction.

My DD 4 is exactly the same.

She will be having some pretend make up for Christmas, but on the clear understanding that it's for home/ dressing up/ playing.

Oh and by pretend make up I mean the one that doesn't actually have any make up in its just plastic and looks like make up!

So she won't actually have any sort of substance on her face? I wouldn't do it at all at that age beyond a glittery face paint at a fayre or something, but when DD started mucking about with that sort of thing at 10 I got her cheap but real make up, not the waxy fake kids stuff. She still did it like clown face and actually at 12 doesn't wear any at all, thinks it's all pointless and silly and takes the piss out if her peers who make a big deal about it.

At that age they are role playing, they're not looking at it as a beauty asset or something they need.

my 4 year old was given some for her birthday, she loved going round putting make up on everyone, it was gone in a few days. There wasn't much she put on herself but it wouldn't have bothered me, it's explorative play.

Yea there's no actually make up on it just plastic sets that look like make up.

Le Toy Van do a beautiful wooden beauty set, perfect for role play

My DD loved her plastic pretend make up. She's 5 now and uses it less but when younger used to sit with me and 'put her make up on' while I did mine.

I don't see any problem with her pretending to do that any more than all of the other pretend things they enjoy at that age eg pretend cooking, cleaning etc. they are just learning and copying what you do, and i think it's almost more confusing making a big deal out of this one. I sometimes give mine my (older) brushes and pretend there is a bit of powder on there or something. As long as it is play and not then trying to change how they look I don't see the harm. If you're doing it they just want to be like you!

Something I did for the nursery I worked at, and for my children, is getting an old Avon book, cutting out the pages of colour swatches of each kind of make up, sticking it to card and laminating it.

Then a cheap pack of real brushes, they can pretend to use the colours.
I did a page of hair colours and of scents as well.

They have a box of washed out mini toiletries, or saving bottles with characters on they have had, hair brushes, bobbles, plastic mirror, play scissors that don't cut at all, so they can play hairdressers.