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AIBU?

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Original poster

Children and make up

51 replies

HopAPot · 29/10/2023 19:44

My 6 year old would like “make up” for Christmas.

Looking at children’s make up it’s all a bit… Pat Butcher. Would I be unreasonable to buy her some adult makeup, just a neutral shimmer powder, a sparkly lip gloss and a neutral/sparkly eye shadow pallet, essentially just neutral shimmery things.

Nothing fancy, just some budget stuff, but I’m loathe to find her plastered in neon pink and blue when we need to leave the house!

For context she has been obsessed with make up since she was tiny (I do wear it but I’m a dyed in the wool Tomboy so it’s not like I spend all day doing my hair/make up/nails etc)

OP posts:
WrongSwanson · 29/10/2023 20:14

Sickofatrocity · 29/10/2023 20:06

I wouldn't. Even children's face paint has lead in it, even in Europe, and adult make up is still full of PFAS forever chemicals.

Given pretty much everyone drives everywhere in cars that chuck out pollutants and half the mums in my town had those double buggys with a baby at exhaust height, I'm not sure the occasional use of make up is our biggest worry. Op isn't suggesting she wears it every day. We all seem quite happy to let our children breathe in car fumes every day - just look at the chaos on the average school run

FofB · 29/10/2023 20:17

If the adult make up gets in her eyes, it will hurt. Mine had some for children and while they were learning to apply it and it didn't seem to hurt as much- it washed off really easily as well.

Thegoodbadandugly · 29/10/2023 20:19

I can't imagine why on earth someone would want to put make up on a 7 year old.

Original poster
HopAPot · 29/10/2023 20:26

The six year old wishes to put make up on herself. I don’t insist she has a full face before she leaves the house.

She skilfully applied some rather expensive blusher to her chin, jaw line and forehead earlier so she’s not a novice.

OP posts:
Username917778 · 29/10/2023 20:26

I'd think she'd get more enjoyment from the bright colours. My daughter just loves the pinks and blues all the way up to her eyebrows. I think she looks hilarious but she just loves it and it brings her so much joy.

RedRobyn2021 · 29/10/2023 20:31

Make up for a 6yo?? Wtaf

Why???

LeedsZebra90 · 29/10/2023 20:35

My dd is 6 and I have bought her some adult eye shadow rather than children's make up, she only has really bright colours though (her favourite is a hideous glittery turquoise!) She likes the arty side of playing around with it and I don't see an issue. She has lip balm too but nothing else.

mamaison · 29/10/2023 20:42

DD always wanted makeup. I was the same as a kid even though my mum never wore it.

She wanted Claire’s makeup but I won’t buy it as they had multiple serious contamination issues a few years ago- asbestos even! You can see the news articles online.

I’m wary other kids makeup would have the same issues unless locally made. So she has adult makeup.

Far more ingredients transparency in adult makeup I find.

She just has colourful eyeshadows and shimmers and some lip glosses.

She removes it with coconut oil.

SundayAnon · 29/10/2023 20:44

Because they like it, she enjoys applying it, she likes the bright colours, and the little brushes, and probably feeling a bit grown up.

She likes all sorts of other things that aren't makeup, makeup is simply another way to play.

She doesn't do it to be more "attractive" just because it's fun.

SundayAnon · 29/10/2023 20:44

SundayAnon · 29/10/2023 20:44

Because they like it, she enjoys applying it, she likes the bright colours, and the little brushes, and probably feeling a bit grown up.

She likes all sorts of other things that aren't makeup, makeup is simply another way to play.

She doesn't do it to be more "attractive" just because it's fun.

Sorry intended to respond to @RedRobyn2021

lilsupersparks · 29/10/2023 20:46

My daughter is 8 and loves her makeup. She puts the blue eyeshadow on as ‘blusher’ and has a ‘mascara’ that is just clear with a bit of glitter. She wears a bright pink lipstick.

she will put it on for a party or if we are going out in the evening. I see no harm in it and agree it’s more like face paint than make up!

for a wedding we went to we had Co ordinating outfits and I let her wear some of my pale gold Charlotte Tilbury the same as I was wearing and the same rose lipstick. No mascara for a little one.

she wears a bit of make up for dance shows too.

Twistyripple · 29/10/2023 20:51

MUA do some cheapy eye shadow pallettes in all kinds of colours including bright ones. Maybe get that instead of kids make up - less likely to stain and probably much cheaper!!
Obviously a 6 year old is wearing it for fun and not because they feel they needed to wear it 🙄 ignore the ones suggesting its not appropriate!!

BeckhamSeven · 29/10/2023 20:56

Well I'm obviously the worst mum o

BeckhamSeven · 29/10/2023 21:00

BeckhamSeven · 29/10/2023 20:56

Well I'm obviously the worst mum o

Posted too soon!

Well I'm obviously the worst mum on mumsnet tonight as my 3 year old loves makeup 😂 Nivea do some lovely colourful chapsticks and lip salves, and I find No7 is high quality stuff but reasonably priced for what it is

NoStopping · 29/10/2023 21:11

When my daughter wanted some at around that age, I bought some organic stuff without the harmful chemicals and parabens etc in. It was kids stuff and had both vibrant and neutral colours in. I can’t remember the company name but I bet there’s a lot more of those companies to choose from now than they’re were 10 years ago.

It’s just a bit of fun for kids, as long as you’re letting them know that there are more important things than what you look like. My daughter is now nearly 15 and never wears make up.

fluffypotatoes · 29/10/2023 21:14

BeckhamSeven · 29/10/2023 21:00

Posted too soon!

Well I'm obviously the worst mum on mumsnet tonight as my 3 year old loves makeup 😂 Nivea do some lovely colourful chapsticks and lip salves, and I find No7 is high quality stuff but reasonably priced for what it is

Show quote history

THREE?

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 29/10/2023 21:18

Oh this makes me so sad. Girls so young 'wanting' make up...my 5 year old.doesn't even know what make up is.

Parakeetamol · 29/10/2023 21:22

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 29/10/2023 21:18

Oh this makes me so sad. Girls so young 'wanting' make up...my 5 year old.doesn't even know what make up is.

I used to think this but my dd is just obsessed by make up and fashion. I'm a complete tomboy so found it difficult to navigate but bright pink and blue make up is essentially face paint at this age. My ds(4) also loves a good makeover. They dont see it the same way as adult make up.

WrongSwanson · 29/10/2023 21:27

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 29/10/2023 21:18

Oh this makes me so sad. Girls so young 'wanting' make up...my 5 year old.doesn't even know what make up is.

Be sad if you like. At 5 mine liked climbing trees and football and maths and dancing and reading stories and building things out of Lego and brio train sets and baking and shock horror occasionally mucking around with make up.

She's a tremendously happy girl, who knows she will be accepted and allowed to follow any and all of her interests.

ZeroFucksGivenToday · 29/10/2023 21:42

My now ten year old has been like this for years. I went with sparkly lip gloss at that age, and some shimmery revolution pallettes. She'd spend hours being creative. Revolution do loads of good value eyeshadows and you can go for mad garish to lovely nudes.

She can now do eyeliner flicks better than anyone I know, blend eyeshadows, do cut creases and highlight. She just practises it loads. I limit leaving the house to eyeshadow and lip stuff unless it's a party/event and I let her go with the eyeliner too.
she also competes at taekwondo, climbs trees, plays footy and gets muddy as hell ar every opportunity. But Make up is something she loves the arty side of.

maw29 · 29/10/2023 21:45

My dd is 4 and has real make up. She got it for her 4th birthday. She loves doing her make up.

scrivette · 29/10/2023 22:11

DD has liked wearing makeup since about 4, just sparkly lip gloss or some of my shimmery eye shadow and pretending to put blusher on with a big brush.
I am not keen on painted nails for girls but the makeup doesn't bother me, she just likes the sparkles.
Nivea do a shimmery lip salve or the pink Vaseline pots have a pink colour.

LolaSmiles · 29/10/2023 22:17

I'd buy her some 'adult' make up in that I'd rather buy something that's reasonable quality and won't be nasty on the skin unlike some children's stuff, but I'd not be buying neutral look adult makeup. Some brighter eye shadow or face palettes would be fine in my eyes.

It's the bright colours that are fun at that age. I'd allow it just like I'd allow face paint. It would be just for being creative and dressing up, not outside the house and definitely not part of learning how to do proper make up.

TheFutureIs · 29/10/2023 22:24

My 7 year old loves having a "makeover", basically me swiping a touch of eyeshadow/ blusher on her. She's getting this for Christmas so she can do her own instead of raiding my good stuff

www.thenaturalplaymakeupcompany.co.uk/

SpringboksSocks · 29/10/2023 22:31

So tricky. I would have bought it in your situation, but my daughter is now 11 and recently got herself in to a complete state before school because she had issues with her setting spray. Last year (Y6) she was waking herself up crazy early so she could curl her eyelashes before school. She says the girls are horrible to each other if they don’t look amazing. It’s so sad.

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