Make up kit for 5 year old

[Gingerbreadheads]

At the top of Dds Christmas list is a make up set, it’s quite surprising as she’s generally quite tomboyish, other items on her list include Teenage mutant ninja turtles and a skateboard. I have a make up bag but rarely bother with make up these days. I don’t love the thought of her using make up tbh.
Would you get the make up set? Am I being a bit precious?

I do and have but only real make up from boots etc rather than the plastic kids sets. I read that the toy makeup isn't tested like the adult stuff is and I don't want to bring her out in a rash.

A colourful pallet from revolution or Barry M etc always goes down well with my 5yo, she often uses it as face paint and never outside of the house so I let her crack on. I refuse foundation, mascara etc as that's 'grown up' makeup.

I do get the kids nail varnish though as it's peel off so no need for acetone and comes off in the bath.

I don't impose gendered expectations in either direction - so I let my kids play with 'boy toys' and 'girl toys.' My DD2 loves looking 'beautiful' and has asked for nail polish and makeup for Christmas so I've got her kids' sets for her to dress up with. In the same way I let her dress up in fairy dresses, I let her play with makeup, costume jewelry and nail polish.

If it's what she wants, let her use it. You could have a rule that she only wears it/plays with it indoors. Don't unintentionally give the message that traditionally feminine things are lesser and to be avoided.

Look at Miss Nella, it's all designed for kids and is fully hypoallergenic. Dd is violently allergic to most make up Brands and this has been a godsend especially for ballet ahows/exams!!

Definitely not. Dd, also 5, put it on her list this year. No chance of that. We had the school disco tonight. More than one of the girls in her year had make-up on. Eyeshadow, mascara and coloured lip gloss. I was shocked.

Just nail polish. Forget the rest.

My DD has a makeup kit and all the kids love playing with it - including my DS!

To them it's basically like a face painting kit, or a way to do colouring in but on their body. They also enjoy mimicing adults.

Before she got it I was a bit uptight about it (probably read too much MN) but honestly it's been great fun and very innocent and sweet. They also enjoy doing mummy and daddy's makeup, and that is priceless.

Face paints yes, but not imitation adult make up

All 3 of mine (2 girls and a boy) had one at that age for stage (panto)
Blusher and lipstick mainly, and eyeshadow for the girls. A couple of years later they added foundation.

They are now adults and still only wear makeup on stage.

Definitely not. Dd, also 5, put it on her list this year. No chance of that. We had the school disco tonight. More than one of the girls in her year had make-up on. Eyeshadow, mascara and coloured lip gloss. I was shocked

Major difference between a wee girl (or boy) playing at home and a girl going to the school disco in a proper face full of makeup.

Personally no i wouldnt permit makeup for a 5yo. I never wore makeup until I was 20. I wouldn't want to encourage that in my children I seen it with other family members the insecurity is off the chain. My 15year old cousin can't go to school without a tonne of slap on including laninated brows and fake lashes! I was 15 i had chapstick and off I went to school.
I wouldnt purchase any of that for my kids. Nope.

I was quiet tomboyish as only had older brothers so played a lot with them.

I don't see the difference.

My then nearly four year old asked for make up last year. I just went to toys r us and found the most childish make up set I could find, basically a bit of eye shadow and tinted lip balm.

Another vote for Miss Nella if you are concerned about sensitivities.
One have asked for make up at various stages, I put Miss Nella nail varnish in their crackers when they were 4 or 5, last year when they were 6 they got a Barry M glitter palette in their stocking and some eye shadow in pastel colours, they also get the tinted Nivea lip balms.

They like to pop the nail varnish on when they see it, and if they are going to a party they like to get some glitter on their eyes which I think is perfectly reasonable.

I also got them glitter hair spray last year but that's rarely used as it's so messy!

I don't see the difference

Right...

The makeup kits at that age are about pretend play, make believe, dressing up fun. Pretending to be a grown up, playing around with artistry, exploring different textures and what happens with different brushes etc. It's fun and learning.

My girls got a make up kit from a family friend and they just wiped random stuff across their faces, ending up looking like parrots!

I am really against make-up, bikinis/crop top on children in public (my child that is).

However, at home, my dd will put red lipstick, mascara & hideous thick blue eye shadow on. She sits for hours caking it on! I think it’s because I barely wear any!

I just get the cheap palettes from B&M’s for her & she loves them.

Jesus, no.

I’m really not sure. I purchased a kids one from Amazon-sparkly unicorn bag, stick on nails, glittery eye shadows etc…part of me is No way and the other half thinking it’s only for fun. There’s no way she’d wear it out of the house. She’s begged for it, which is really unusual for her as she’s so not a girly girl

Not the point, but how do you remove mascara from a 5 year old? Ds wants his nails done like me this Christmas (nail wraps, so just stickers with snowflakes on), but he won't even tolerate face paint!

Face make up for little girls (discounting temporary tattoo type stuff) makes me uncomfortable and I'm not sure why? My dd isn't 2 yet, so while we have dress up clothes for both kids, capes and tutus and masks, makeup isn't yet a thing.

You can get pretend make up kits, my 4 and 2 year old love theirs! They have had the kids make up stuff too before but I find it so sticky and greasy it makes my skin crawl. At least with the pretend ones - no mess!

Don't unintentionally give the message that traditionally feminine things are lesser and to be avoided.

Alternatively you could argue that on buying the make up you are giving the message that a woman’s value is in her appearance are you not?

It is a tricky one, some people view it as harmless play just the same as dressing up or role playing games, others will see it as a slippery slope to obsession with looks.

For me personally make up is a no. Face paint sure, nail varnish fine but if I’m honest I do find it sad when I see my children’s friends with a full face of make up (yes some of them including foundation!!) There is plenty of time for make up and worrying about their appearance when their older, but each to their own - I’m sure other parents think of me as uptight for not allowing make up!

Agree, I have a 5yo, no way would I buy her makeup. People saying it's the same as face paint are being disingenuous, why not just buy them face paints then in that case?

My DPs had strong views on this too themselves (and still do). I wasnt particularly 'tom boyish' myself, but just not massively overly bothered about appearing attractive the way that a lot of my peers were. That's carried on into adult life for me too thankfully, for example I've never really worn makeup to work.

Misses the point..🙄

You’re all enforcing the stereotype that make up is for trying to be attractive. Why can’t women (and girls) just want to use it for fun and because they like it?

DD had some at that age. I just gave her mine as I had loads and didn't actually use it. I really didn't like the texture of the kids ones and she had quite sensitive skin so we went for the "proper " stuff. She just ended up using it as face paint really. All the colours everywhere with no rhyme or reason. She found it hilarious. Never wanted it out of the house except for Halloween if enhanced the costume.

She's in secondary now and she has her own makeup stuff that she still only uses to mess around/experiment at home. She never wears any to school and for parties it's just mascara and lipgloss.