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Original poster

Am I hopelessly out of touch re makeup for small girls?

53 replies

flashingnose · 04/12/2005 11:09

A friend has bought my dd a makeup set for her 5th Birthday. She has a dd the same age, so I'm assuming that she thinks 5 year olds wearing makeup is fine and normal. I don't, but am quite happy to be persuaded otherwise if I am an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy.

And if you think 5 is too young, at what age would you think it was OK?

OP posts:

Twiglett · 04/12/2005 11:10

about 13

WickedWinterWitch · 04/12/2005 11:14

A friend's 12 yo had quite heavy eye make up on recently and I have to admit I was slightly shocked. I think 14, since that's when I started wearing it, and that was considered precocious among my peer group, but I suppose these days it's younger because of kids growing older younger

Roobietherednosedreindeer · 04/12/2005 11:16

I would say around 14 as well - with taste guidance from mum

SnowmAngeliz · 04/12/2005 11:19

My sister bought my dd (4) a tiny make up set (just lipgloss and stuff) as a pass the parcel present. I let her dress up with it as i didn't want it to be a big no no but i explained that it was like her dress up stuff, for indoors only.

(My dd also wanted to get a tattoo like my sister till i explained how they did it! )

PantomimEDAMe · 04/12/2005 11:28

Five is definitely too young, wouldn't even allow it for dressing up games (although if someone wins it in pass the parcel I'd let them play with it once and then 'lose' it).

Went to a primary school fete recently where they were applying nail polish to small girls (fingers, obviously). My friend's dd had hers done and I was shocked. Thank goodness I've got a ds...

WickedWinterWitch · 04/12/2005 11:30

I don't mind nail varnish at all for some reason, my ds used to wear it from 2+ because he wanted to copy me. He only stopped when he went to pre school and realised that most boys don't wear it.

serenitysaysHoHoHo · 04/12/2005 11:44

I wouldn't buy any for a nonteenage girl, and I wouldn't really be comfortable with it done 'properly' on little kids. However, done very badly by little kids to themselves is just roleplay and whilst I wouldn't encourage it by buying little-girl-makeup, I wouldn't stress too much over it either. I'm not keen on nail varnish either, but I don't mind when they colour their nails in with pens or crayons

myturn · 04/12/2005 11:52

My 12yo is desperate to wear makeup. She tries to sneak out with lipgloss occasionally. I loathe it - feel very uncomfortable about it and won't let her until she is at least 14.

I do wonder if it my absolute refusal to let her wear even the tiniest of makeup which is contributing to her desperation to wear it though..

SNOWaMANda · 04/12/2005 11:53

My dd is 6 and no way I'd let her wear make up. Sometimes I'll put clear or pale pink nail varnish on for special occasions but nothing more than that.

I would have thought 13/14 is the right age. But maybe I'm a fuddy duddy, too!

serenitysaysHoHoHo · 04/12/2005 11:55

myturn - could you compromise a bit and get her one of those really lightly tinted lip balms? They rub off in about 10 seconds and aren't really make up as such, but might be enough to satisfy her for now.

Hulababy · 04/12/2005 11:55

I wouldn't buy makeup for a child of this age. However DD got the barbie vanity table for her 3rd birthday and that did come with make up, which I removed but did leave the nail varnish. I will allow her to have some varnish on at a weekend (it is good as it rubs off within a few hours) if she hasn't bitten her nails - bribery as recommened by MNetters! I have since removed this though (and have retained just a couple for brivery purposes ) as she was silly with it with another little friend one day.

magnolianMistletoe · 04/12/2005 11:57

Yep you are all fuddy duddys

My eldest is 10 and has make up but still only uses it for role play with her sisters and putting it on daddy

I do let her have a tiny bit on for parties and maybe it's awful to some people but I don't have a problem with it.

The twins are 6 and they have been bought real kiddy makeup for Xmas.

Even the youngest who is 2.5 is allowed pale nail vernish if they are all playing dress up.

myturn · 04/12/2005 11:58

Serenity, that's a good suggestion, but knowing dd1 I don't think she would be content with that. Give her an inch... I feel that if I give in with this she will just push and push for more.

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 04/12/2005 12:01

For pretendy play is ok but I don't like the thought of them having their own kit very much. I used to use my mum's cast offs, but only for dressing up. Having said that, I have just bought my toddler son a set in the hope of stopping him from pinching all mine to smear on his plastic baby. He obviously has ambitions as a make up artist.

To wear for parties or going out I would be comfortable with them beginning at around 12, but just a touch.

WigWamBahhumbug · 04/12/2005 12:31

If someone bought my dd a make-up set for her fifth birthday I would assume that they intended it for play, not so that she could be properly made up - she's 4.5 and has a pretend make-up set, which she loves and which I don't have a problem with. I can't see anything wrong with 5 year olds playing with make-up or children's nail polish for role-play and dressing up games, and I don't think it's anywhere near the same thing as putting a 5 year old in make-up to take them out or for parties.

For going out and for parties I'd probably lean towards 14 or so, but wouldn't have a problem at all with a little bit of lip gloss from 11 or 12.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 04/12/2005 12:33

My dd is 5 and is beginning to talk about make up. I make it perfectly clear to her that make up is for grown ups. I suppose I would let her start experimenting for certain events when she is about 14 ish.

Although she had her finger nails painted last week at a Christmas bazaar, so I am not totally puritanical about it.

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 04/12/2005 12:39

This thread is interesting - I am not sure how many of the posts are coming from people who have teenagers or know other people's teenagers. Banning make-up till girls are 14 would be quite unusual these days, unless all the teenage girls I know are putting it on in secret when their parents aren't looking! Most start wearing it around 11 or 12 IME.

Hulababy · 04/12/2005 12:41

DD (3.5yo) also has proper pretend makeup - the type that is just plastic and makes no marks. And she has some make up brushes, which came with her vanity table. She loves to play pretend and copy mummy.

magnolianMistletoe · 04/12/2005 12:42

I don't see the point in banning it to be honest they will just do it anyway and the mums who say 'well my daughter woudn't' are aither in the minority or kidding themselves.

I have 4 girls and they see me put make up on and they do know it is most of the time for grown ups but there is nothing wrong with it during dress up, even for boys

Blandmum · 04/12/2005 12:49

I am a form tutor to 11 year olds and often have to send them out to wash the make up from their faces. Make up is banned in school. I find it rather upsetting to see a child of 11 in full face make up!

ElfBert · 04/12/2005 12:55

I had a real interest in makeup from the age of about 8. A tomboy friend had loads of real stuff (freebies as her mum worked at Almay) I can remember begging her to play makeup when I went to visit. I can remember her being very uninterested in it (two much older brothers and not girly at all - she also taught me how to ride a bike!).

I cannot remember, however either of our mums having a problem with us playing with it as a game...

I began wearing makeup regularly by the time I was 15 (was told to take it off at school - that's why I remember! But Electric Blue mascara was THE thing at the time, and not at all subtle for school!!!)

LIZS · 04/12/2005 13:13

sorry but yuk ! I'd syphon it off and either throw or return it. I was quite shocked that at the school bazaar yesterday the little girl's present in Santa's grotto was glittery lip gloss. There is something in the McD's Strawberry Shortcake toy we got yesterday but think I'll just not draw any attention to it. If pushed may be I'd accept nailpolish but otherwise will try to avoid as don't feel the need to encourage this yet, although I'm sure dd would enjoy fiddling with it.

I find it all too reminscent of those US mini- miss beauty pageants and mini sized adult style clothes emblazoned with glittery captions. Lets allow our little girls to be little girls.

ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas · 04/12/2005 13:45

Maybe I will have more success limiting my dd's make up weating days as I don't wear a jot of it myself. I wasn't very interested in it when I was a teenager and I always put that down to the fact that my mother has never worn make up either.

Clearly my dd is not going the same way as my mother and I as she is already interested in it, but I am pleased that I am not the only one who thinks it is more appropriate for teenagers rather than primary school girls.

SnowmAngeliz · 04/12/2005 14:29

Yes Edam i 'lost' it after that once.

TBH though, i only ever thought of tiny girls make up as dressing up. There is NO WAY i'd let her out with any make up on. EEWWWW!!

Stilltrue · 04/12/2005 14:44

Proud to be fuddy duddy here. My dd is 7 and I wouldn't be happy if someone bought her make up. Last year I picked up her 6yo friend to take both girls to a party. I was shocked to see that dd's friend had blusher and coloured lipgloss on.
It's like cropped tops for little ones. Not an Option in Our House.

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