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Secondary education

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Original poster

Is putting on makeup every day for school the norm?

45 replies

lesliexanita · 18/09/2016 11:09

Hello, we are from overseas and my daughter will be boarding in uk for year 10. What I have heard from my friend, who had moved to the uk earlier, is that her daughter's classmates (her dd is same age as mine) all put on makeup for school every day! I'm not saying if this is a particularly good or bad thing, it's just that this is quite different from in hk, where no one is allowed makeup in school. My daughter (probably at this age) would certainly not bother with putting on makeup, with exceptions to very special occasions. So I s this the norm in uk? Just curious.

OP posts:
NicknameUsed · 18/09/2016 14:13

Loads of girls at DD's state comprehensive wear make-up. It looks like it has been troweled on.

DD doesn't wear it and has never felt obliged to follow fashion like a sheep.

swingofthings · 18/09/2016 16:43

My DD was a popular girl at school and went through the stage of putting make up at the age of 12 (not at school). She looked like a panda! She gave it up at 13 and has never worn any through school (even when she had a boyfriend for about 3 months!).

Lonecatwithkitten · 18/09/2016 17:42

DD's independent school ( all girls) 'light business make up' from year 10.

BizzyFizzy · 18/09/2016 17:44

My DDs don't wear makeup to school.

Themoleisdead · 18/09/2016 17:49

Ask for the school policy on make up - my experience is that light foundation and light mascara are allowed and worn by most (but not all) of the girls.

minesawine · 18/09/2016 18:27

My DD's school has a no make up rule and my 14 year old DD spends more time applying 'invisible make up' than she does on her homework. From clear mascara, nude lips and brown eyeliner, she knows all the tricks to hide it from her teachers. And has now started contouring her face. I cant keep up. I don't mind at all and think it is between her and the school. If she gets away with it then fine. If she gets caught then she gets the punishment. It is no different to me at her age.

Ta1kinPeace · 18/09/2016 18:55

leslie
my DD is 18
every school has a no makeup policy
they are fascinating to read
ANY school that says they enforce it is lying.

Teenage girls will wear makeup.
The school will clamp down on the obvious
they will exclude for blue hair
but highlights are impossible

sit outside the school at kicking out time
if the look like oompa loompas there is a problem
if not, worry more about the bits you are paying for

motherinferior · 18/09/2016 19:01

Some wear a full face - including a number of young women who are going to end up with a string of A* - some wear a bit, some wear none.

NeonPinkNails · 18/09/2016 19:06

At DD's school the rules state 'girls' make-up must be discreet' or similar wording which implies that they expect it will be worn. DD14 wears a bit for school (she's another one very into beauty bloggers and fancy products) while some girls go for the full-on drag queen look, but according to DD nobody ever get pulled up on it which annoys me - I couldn't care less if they wear it or not, I don't think it impacts on their work, but if it is a rule I think it should be enforced (DD included).

bearleftmonkeyright · 18/09/2016 19:07

I would say most teenage girls have some interest in make up. My DD is 14 and doesn't bother very often. Some of her friends wear quite a lot. They're just trying it out, sometimes getting it wrong and it's not an issue in terms of academic performance. If your DD doesn't want to wear make up she won't be seen as unusual. I was 14, 32 years ago and wore make up to school. I do remember trying to look like Madonna.

BackforGood · 18/09/2016 19:14

Depends on the school rule, and how strictly they implement it, but also hugely depends on the girl. Neither of my dds ever do, but they say there are those that do.

Titsywoo · 18/09/2016 19:20

Not allowed at DDs school. Although she is already pretty spotty at 12 and if she gets very upset with it I would let her wear a bit of foundation/concealer/powder and I doubt it would be noticed.

thisagain · 18/09/2016 21:30

My year 10 doesn't put make up on for school. Occasionally, if a but spotty, has put a little bit of, properly matched to her skin, foundation on but still looks as if she has none on.

pointythings · 19/09/2016 18:48

The secondary my DDs goes to allows makeup and no-one seems fussed. What you get ranges from face full of orange slap to absolutely nothing at all. I'd let my DDs wear it, they just don't want to.

Cocochoco · 19/09/2016 21:21

No rules at all at dd's school. Her friends range from minimal to full-on nightclub make-up - dark eyebrows, bright red lipstick and full eyeshadow. It's ridiculous!

teta · 20/09/2016 13:57

Yes,English school girls wear a lot of make up compared to HK schoolgirls.I used to find it fascinating how glamorous many of the young city workers were compared to the schoolgirls in hk.But I'm sure your DD will be with some other Chinese girls and will be able to do her own thing if she wishes.My eldest dd is half Chinese in a independent school and she wears full make up including contour and highlighter.She has been wearing full make up since year 9 and eye make up since year 8.

elfonshelf · 20/09/2016 20:21

We all wore make-up from Y9 onwards at my grammar school - given it was the 1980's, there seemed to be a contest between the goths and their black eyeliner and the non-goths and their electric blue. Nobody ever made us take it off and Friday/Saturday evenings in the boarding house were often make-over night where we got everyones make-up out and experimented... lots of fun memories (rather grateful that digital photography was not around in those days).

DD and her friends (Y3 Hmm) are all obsessed with tinted lip balms so I have already resigned myself to the make-up at secondary school being a given and not a battle I plan to pick.

If your DD doesn't wear/own make-up, it might be fun to take her shopping for a few bits and pieces in subtle colours so that she has something for special occasions.

mummybear701 · 23/09/2016 00:23

There's makeup and there's makeup. Discreet natural looking is quite reasonable, especially if you have spots Wink. Full on is just a bit much for school age. My DDs are sensible about it and I don't interfere with this, though I had a thing or two to say about one's purple eyeshadow once.

Grikes · 23/09/2016 01:10

Depends on the school. At my daughter's they are allowed light makeup. Hair can not be dyed nor can there be too many ear piercings or any other piercings.

VenusRising · 23/09/2016 01:39

It depends if they have acne or rosacea doesn't it?

If they have to conceal some very large spots they can.

My 13 year old sometimes wears concealer with tea tree if she's got a biggie brewing.

When they get to 16 they can wear subtle make up, but most don't. When they are 18 they can wear whatever they like, so long as it's subtle. That goes for hair colour and piercings too.

Shocked at your form teacher being so abusive and bullying AnxiousCarer
Name calling and hate speech like that is against the law! Shock that's horrific misogyny. Poor you. Flowers

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