Suggestions for teen first make-up set?

[PermanentlyDizzy]

Dd has expressed an interest in trying out some make-up. Essentially, she has noticed a lot of the other girls her age (Y8) seem to wear quite a bit, even thought they are not supposed to.

We’ve had a chat and she says she doesn’t want to wear any in school like they do, but does want to start experimenting for when she meets her friends outside of school.

She doesn’t want to be fully ‘made up’ like a lot of the girls - she likes a natural/simple look, hates ‘done’ eyebrows etc, and has asked how I do mine. I have never been big on make-up, just a bit of concealer, mascara and tinted lip salve is my go to when I do wear it. I am not up with current brands/products, for example, I got really confused when they stopped selling tinted moisturiser and I had to work out whether I needed bb cream or something else to replace it. I also only buy cheap brands for myself. (My favourite items these days are actually from Wilko!) Plus of course, I am 50 and she’s 13, so the same products won’t suit her skin.

For reference, she’s not very conventional, has her own style, which I can best describe as a mix of hipster, punk and hippy. She’s not interested in fitting in and wearing what everyone else is, she just wants to develop her own style.

I thought it would be nice to get her a sort of starter set together for Christmas. Maybe a few bits for stocking fillers and then perhaps a nice make-up bag and ‘set’ for a main present.

So, any advice on where to start, brands, etc would be really appreciated.

TIA

@tofuschnitzel

Essence, sold in Wilko, is a German brand that has some excellent products. I would get your daughter a few bits by Essence and also Barry M. Both brands are vegan, and I haven't bought anything I didn't like from either brand.

Morphe is generally not worth the money as the quality is not consistent for the price. As a brand, it's not rated highly by many lovers of make up.

@tofuschnitzel, yes it’s the Essence range that I use. To be honest I’ve found them better than really pricey brands I’ve tried out. I’m not really into make-up, so it’s good to hear that others rate it too. I also found a couple of Barry M bits I thought she might like on ASOS today. I remembered this afternoon that I used to buy Barry M when I was a teenager, as they were the only cruelty free brand (other than The Body Shop) you could easily get hold of back then.

What I like about the Essence range, other than it being cruelty free and decent quality, is that it’s cheap enough for me to buy her a few different options to try out and see what she likes best. So I can buy her the wand/applicator, brush and stick concealers and she can see which one she gets on with, same with mascara, they have several different types and I know she has a lot to say about the mascara some of her classmates have been wearing, so she can choose which one she feels suits her the best.

I can then look at maybe buying a few special bits from more pricey eco type ranges for her birthday, when she has a better idea of what she likes.

We had a chat this evening and I was right, she definitely wants just the basics and nothing fancy. So, concealer, eyeliner, mascara, tinted lip salves and maybe some natural-ish eye shadows just to have a play with. She would like to try a few different colour eyeliners, which is easier than trying to pick which colour I think she would like best.

I always recommend elf make up and skincare as a great starting point. Its great and when you like something you can usually find out what they have done a dupe of and then you have a new brand (usually more expensive) to explore.

That sounds great, I'm sure your daughter will be pleased with the items you have chosen for her! Essence is a popular brand in Europe, and I haven't found any duds in their range so far. Barry M have brought out some great products recently, particularly the Multitude lip and cheek pens, and the liquid blushes. Again, I have not been disappointed by any of their products. The Multitude pens are particularly good as they have four shades in each pen, so you get a nice range of colours.

I have done professional, theatrical makeup for almost 30 years. For her age a good basic moisturizer is the best start. I started my daughter with original oil of Olay at that age. A few lip colors, some sheer, some opaque, a simple eye palette with mostly basic colors, neutrals, then a second with some fun colors. Drug store brands are fine for her age. A set of basic brushes, a good sponge, some disposable, latex free sponges, a very light foundation, a compact with some basic cover girl powder is probably fine. She shouldn't need any real heavy face makeup at this age. I gave my daughter just the powder compact at that age, you can use it wet or dry to get a variety of coverage. A light blush and non waterproof mascara. That should be all she needs to start.

Starting out with lots of product or expensive product is too much at this age. Learning to apply it so it looks natural, and not to heavy is the key so giving her less will help her do more with less. This is pretty close to what I started with around the same age, I'm 46 now and I have yet to find a wrinkle, smile line, or forehead crease anywhere on my face. The moisturizer part and a good makeup remover, cleanser is the key to that, and staying out of the sun.