Does your Y6 DD wear make up?

[Didntseethemountain]

A large number of DD’s friends (Y6) have started wearing mascara and lipstick/lip gloss and talking about it. A lot. I’d go so far as to say all the time. There’s also lots of chat about whether it’s the “right” make up - whether they’ve bought it from the right place etc - and about skincare.

DD hasn’t expressed any interest to us in buying any make up yet. She is using some skincare because she was getting the odd spot, but just straightforward stuff from the supermarket - she isn’t asking us to buy any of these designer skincare products her friends are talking about. She came home from a sleepover last year saying that the endless chat and constant application and remover of moisturiser was a bit boring, but I am also aware that things change and that it may not be long until she decides that she wants to jump on the bandwagon…

Instinctively, I feel that it’s bonkers for 10 year olds but I also appreciate that when you’re 10, the maintenance of your friendships is hugely important to you and I don’t want to mess that up for her. Please talk to me about what’s “normal” for your Y6 girls - is it that I’m stuck in the past?

Op I think it's generally natural to experiment a little however I do feel somewhat dc have gone too far did young girls with generally amazing skin.

However... I'm also quite thankful that this seems to be the new obsession, fridges, creams and serums rather than changing sex and pro nouns which was the fashion a few years ago.

I don't see a problem mostly but it can be really bad for your skin. My daughter is in Year 5 and she's fairly mature but still doesn't care about the "right" brands. She has an eyelash curler and will put on a bit of makeup for parties but nothing big. I'd say let her if she really pleads but not to a huge extent.

I've also got 2 teenage daughters aged 15, and one of them is pretty into all of this stuff but that doesn't mean it's her whole life. The other one will do her makeup nicely but it is more light and she doesn't care a lot about brands really. They both had a phase where they'd talk about Sephora kids and how sad it was that little 8 year olds were walking around with full faces of makeup and I have to say I agree. It's okay to love it a little but seriously they're children!

Also - I have to say when my teenagers were 10, this was much less common. At discos and stuff, they'd wear jumpsuits and maybe put on a bit of lip balm same as all their friends! I think social media has a big part in this growing up of children.

That's what make up is designed for, why it exists. To make women look attractive.

I don't wear makeup, I won't buy into the narrative that women should mask their appearance to satisfy society.

You can pretend it's is there for self expression, and you can convince yourself a small child uses it for creative purposes, but it isn't. They aren't.

They're being exploited.

Nope! DD turns 11 next month and, despite having (old) friends who are into skincare and make up, she has absolutely no interest. It's been made clear to her that she can experiment if she wants to on special occasions, but she just doesn't want to. She has a group of friends who are into animals, stationery and playing games like Animal Crossing or The Sims.

No, thankfully! And you're not stuck in the past. Some girls are growing up way too fast and it's really sad. I honestly don't understand why parents buy such expensive products for children who don't need it - it's bonkers!

DD will wear a bit of lipgloss for the school disco and maybe lipstick as part of an annual show, but that's it.

She knows what Drunk Elephant is though.. only because a few of her friends at school have mentioned it. But she has never asked for skin care products. She doesn't have access to tiktok.

Her closest friends are not into make up either. She's still playing with barbies and playing outside and playing football. I really hope that continues for a while longer, though she starts secondary school next year so I assume that it might all change then.

You can pretend it's is there for self expression, and you can convince yourself a small child uses it for creative purposes, but it isn't. They aren't.

I think I know my DD13 better than you do. She loves the very artistic make up on shows like Glow Up using the face as a canvas, she likes to play around with that. She doesn’t wear that for school or parties, she sees it as creative and interesting. She rarely uses anything other than mascara and lip gloss day to day, no elaborate skin care routine.

So why do I put it on for a girls only dinner party at a friend’s house? No men present…

@BlackOrangeFrog you seem to be conflating wanting to look ‘attractive’ or, I would say, nice, with sex which is odd. Following your argument to the end would mean never having nice clothes, or cutting your hair etc etc instead being as blank a human canvas as possible. Even in the Stone Age people adorned themselves to express themselves.

I love make up as I can experiment with looks and feel like a different person / style whenever I want. It’s not to be sexually attractive. I wear it at work, going out - and when I am at home and seeing absolutely nobody. Because I enjoy it.

Dd in Y6 wore a bit of lip balm and that’s it. Maybe hotter for a party! Played with my makeup.

started with a bit of clear mascara in y7 and now in Y8 she wears mascara, blush and a bit of concealer on spots/red bits. For her birthday she got a small amount of elf brand makeup and she uses cerave skin care with some spot stuff as well.

some girls wear more, but she’s less inclined. Friends have bought her more high end makeup but I don’t. No way!

DDs friends are all into make up/skincare etc and DD begged for some bits last year for months! I'd kept saying no as I think she's far too young (11 now) to be ruining her skin with harsh chemicals. However at Xmas I did buy some Cerave stuff as she was already getting spots due to hormones and bought some make up bits for her. She was elated on xmas day! Fast forward to March/April and she says she doesn't see what the fuss is about, she hates covering her skin with stuff and now doesn't use any of it.

Sometimes they just want it because 'everyone else has it' so when they get it too the novelty quickly wears off.

She is not interested at all in make up or skincare but some of the girls in her class are. I don't think it's just an age thing, she more interested in playing with her toys. Though she does go online it's to play Roblox or watch videos about that. I wear make up all the time so it's not as though I've purposefully put her off but I'm glad she's not into all that yet and prefers her toys. At her age I liked lipbalms and nail varnishes and experimented with lip gloss and eyeshadow at home, but there was no contouring with foundation or high end face creams for kids.

I hadn't thought about the internet use aspect, but it makes sense.

Interestingly, my daughter has no access to Tik Tok or social media and doesn't wear make up (she's Y11). She's just got into nail art and styling her hair, so I expect it will come along soon. I don't wear make up at the weekends or when I'm off work, so it's not a huge thing for me either.

Tragic.

From year 6 I discovered so many things I never knew of OP, from my daughter and her friends.It started one day when I was informed my dd NEEDED yes NEEDED bum bum cream. My parent panic mode kicked in and I thought I needed to book a doctors appointment for her bits, which may have been sore.Oh no what a prat I was, turns out it was nothing to do with your lady bits but some god awful smelling over priced shite that you lather all over your face..that was an eye opener.My dd was disgusted I had no clue of this manna from heaven that was essential...then it got slowly worse! And no I wasn;t spending 80 quid on 3 tiny bits of whatever it was that was next on the list that ALL her friends have. Next came my introduction to a drunk elephant, why was the elephant drunk I asked only to be met with the upmost disapproval from said dd again! They are all at it ..the Tick tock kids as I call them..fast forward to Year 8 and its calmed down a bit but not much. Now they are smearing over priced shite on their lips and they look ridiculous, you are only on the starting block here lol buckle up! Nightmare!

My DD Y8 uses simple face wipes and the odd bit of concealer. She does have a mascara and eye shadow palette but doesn’t really use it.

Some of her friends are obsessed with expensive skin creams as well as skin care regimen (second more understandable). None of them actually wear much make-up though.

It’s all about the lip balms. Think it depends on friendship group.

(Not on TikTok.)

No. And it wasn't allowed at school.

Why was she on tiktok in y6?

Mine wasnt ..she was shown from one or two girls in her class. She just came home and demanded this array of things she "knew" they had and she had to have. Didn;t happen here trust me! I just cannot buy into that. The only thing my dd has access to which even to me is wildly extravagant, but she started to ask to try mine was the Victoria Secrets body sprays. She is satisfied with having her own one of those! Thing is she always wants what the other girls say they have then says how silly they look..it's a roller coaster of trying to be cool and trying to fit in or even out do each other I think.

@itsjustbiology I actively encourage DD's SO spray obsession...because they're so cheap.

I sometimes wonder if I should introduce her to some "proper" ones but I get over it pretty quickly.

Year 6 = 10-11 yo.

None of my daughters, no.

Our youngst is 11 1/2 yo. I expect her to turn 13 yo before we allow light makeup. Same with her older sister. She wasn't that keen at 13 yo.

The youngst wears makeup for danse performances but her teacher sorts it. That's fine.

Youngst daughter was keen on skincare for some months. It was/is big among her friends. We went to Boots and got her a full set of harmless products - fine with me.

Nope. She's year 6, but also autistic and doesn't really care what the other girls do. I don't think she even washes her face if not having a shower!

I've not noticed it on other girls in her class if we see them out and about either. I know lots of them have socials but we're also in an area of London with lots of low income families who sure as hell won't be sending their 10yo to Sephora (I'm an adult with a decent salary and I still use aldi! My skin is fine).

If you want to avoid this influence keep your kids off tik tok.

Took my 16 yo to Sephora at the weekend to spend a gift card she had, in the queue she said "why is everyone buying this overpriced shite, it's such a rip-off" - she does quite like skin care, and likes a bit of make-up now and then but is not influenced into buying the expensive 'must-have; brands, which is fine by me.

My 12 yo no interest at all, thinks it is the most boring thing in the world (as do her best friends), they are into drawing, writing, books and video games - long may it last.

I'm glad they are like this so far, I think I would have been terribly influenced if I'd had SM as a teen 😂

I think it depends on your personal boundaries. I’m less bothered about make up but seriously bothered about SC, TikTok etc so I would say yes to gloss/mascara & a hard no to SM.

I was informed my dd NEEDED yes NEEDED bum bum cream. My parent panic mode kicked in and I thought I needed to book a doctors appointment for her bits, which may have been sore.Oh no what a prat I was, turns out it was nothing to do with your lady bits but some god awful smelling over priced shite that you lather all over your face..that was an eye opener

i mean I know you thought that was amusing but it’s not to put on your face - it’s a body firming moisturiser. I got a free sample once and it’s divine smelling. But too expensive to buy

My dd showed absolutely no interest in make up at 10 but it massively ramped up once she turned 11.
i think it’s more to do with going into year 7.
they spend hours on FaceTime applying makeup.
Shes not allowed expensive skincare or anything retinol containing but luckily like me she seems to be too lazy to bother with skincare at all!