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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

What age for make up?

18 replies

Bimmy76 · 09/07/2018 19:53

DD wants to have some make up to wear to eg friends’ birthday parties. She’s thinking of a lip gloss, subtle eye shadow and bit of mascara, not full face of slap.

I wondered what age other people’s girls started wearing make up like this?

OP posts:

Jenniferturkington · 09/07/2018 19:56

My 9 year old loves makeup. She has spent pocket money on it from Claire’s or Superdrug in the past. She puts it on occasionally and frankly looks rediculous but as far as I’m concerned it’s harmless enough. FWIW I hardly ever wear makeup so she’s certainly not learning from me.

kaytee87 · 09/07/2018 19:56

I don't have a girl or a teenager (yet) but I didn't start wearing make up until I was 14 for lip gloss then 16 for other stuff. This was my choice, I don't remember my mum ever telling me I couldn't.
The only girls who wore make up at school were the ones with the bad skin really.
I appreciate its entirely different these days though and my flower girls (9&13 at the time) had lip gloss and shimmer eyeshadow for my wedding with their parents blessing.

rosesandflowers1 · 09/07/2018 19:58

DD1 showed interest in having makeup at 11. I took her out and bought her some. They have very limited money at that age and I'd rather I bought them some safe ecofriendly products that won't harm their skin than leave them to get PoundShop stuff that'll ruin their faces. She only wore it on special occasions and not much.

Now she's 16 she's still quite lowkey with her makeup, a touch of mascara, brow shaping and some foundation, maybe lip tint.

DD2 is a bit of a diva Sometimes I cave and give her "insta-brows" but all she's got are those children's lip gloss/eye shadow sets (good quality ones). She only wears the eyeshadow for parties!

BitchQueen90 · 09/07/2018 19:59

No DDs here but I started wearing things like eyeshadow/clear lip gloss to parties at about 10 years old. No foundation or the like until I was a teenager (this was in the early 00s).

19lottie82 · 09/07/2018 20:00

My 2 DSDs started wearing a bit when they were about 13. The eldest more as she has quite bad skin.

The youngest is now 14 and has just grown out of plastering on foundation onto her baby soft skin that most teens would kill for. Thankfully that phase didn’t last long!

I felt like a right grandma (I’m 36 😂) telling her she has lovely skin and didn’t need all that make up.

hidinginthenightgarden · 09/07/2018 20:00

I would say lipgloss is okay from age 10ish (coloured lip balm).
Mascara/eyeshadow from 12. I wouldn't like my child using foundation until 14 but I imagine most start by the end of year 7 these days.

Myotherusernameisbest · 09/07/2018 20:00

14 here for actually going out in it. But no lipgloss. When they are 16 we'll revisit the whole lipstick/lipgloss thing but I hate to see that on kids. Somehow it's just a different level to eyeshadow and mascara.

hazeyjane · 09/07/2018 20:02

Dd1 is 12 and has just bought her first make up, powder, mascara and tinted lip balm. I think it is just because her friends wear some

Dd1 and dd2 (11) wear makeup for dance shows - foundation, liquid liner, mascara and bright red lipstick. It makes them look about 19, it's terrifying.

pinklils · 09/07/2018 20:03

My DC started wanting to wear it at 3! so they had their own chapstick for "lipstick"
I started wearing make up when I was about 13, was my choice. But id let my DC's do it earlier. I think just make sure they put it on properly without looking ridiculous. Nowadays for young girls it's more of an art form than trying to look older! (imo anyway) I

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 09/07/2018 20:05

I’d allow a pretty lip gloss and nail polish for parties. That’s about it.

I wore make up from age 11 purely because I got spots and people took the piss. I am glad my mum didn’t try and stop me because I would have been devastated but at the same time I wish I didn’t have to.

blackteaplease · 09/07/2018 20:06

What age is your Dd? Mine has had play make up for use at home since she was 6 and will wear lip gloss and light eyeshadow on special occasions now she is 8.

wrenika · 09/07/2018 20:07

I think they should wait until they're 16, but I have no kids to inflict that opinion on and I never wore makeup as a teen myself...I didn't try makeup until I was adult, hated it, and went back to plain skin. I'm too lazy for makeup!

Pengggwn · 09/07/2018 20:13

I'd be happy for a young teen (12 or 13) to wear minimal make-up: lip gloss, mascara, but with a light touch.

GreenMeerkat · 09/07/2018 20:15

My 4 year old is already interested in makeup and wants to wear it. No idea where this has come from as I don't wear it often.

She's not having any though!

roboticmom · 09/07/2018 20:27

My DD 10 has see-through nice tasting lip gloss, nail polish, hair chalk and perfume. If she wants to wear proper make up once she is at high school I'll certainly let her- especially concealer for spots. I don't wear much make up so she doesn't have the urge to experiment with it yet. Her girly gran bought her a child's make up set and it has only been touched once or twice. I have to admit I'm super glad about that.

midnightmisssuki · 09/07/2018 20:35

i would say 16. Well - for me it was and for my daughter, it will be.My daughter has had a few of her nails painted once, she didnt like it and tried to scratch it off.

SadieHH · 09/07/2018 21:15

DD1 is 10 and has no makeup apart from a couple of lip gloss sets from Claire's that are pretty much see through when she puts them on. I'm not keen on girls wearing make up too early, 14 would be my personal minimum but I suspect when it comes to it I won't have much say in the matter...

happymummy12345 · 09/07/2018 21:19

No women in my immediate family ever wear makeup, and neither do I. But I'd say a teenager could have a bit, as long as it's not ott

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