Starter make up for 12yr old to try

[Tailor123]

DD has asked for some makeup for her 12th birthday (not her main present). Does anyone have any recommendations of a starter pack or best thingsI could get? She has lipgloss and nail varnish but would like to try other things and I’m happy for her to explore a bit.

I’m 50yrs+ and don’t wear make up so it’s all very alien to me and I don’t know where to start. I didn’t even know that clear mascara existed! I don’t want her to be hindered because she has a very plain and inexperienced older mum.

Would she like you to take her? My mum took me to Mac or Bobbi brown I think for a “makeover” but it was really matching my foundation/concealer shade and she let me have an expensive concealer as she said it looked awful if that didn’t match! she made it a nice day out and we got a coffee and I remember keep laughing about being “ladies that lunch”

then we went to boots I think (Superdrug probably best as it has revolution makeup) and I got to choose an eyeshadow and a lip gloss and some brown mascara. She told me to spend money on the foundation and for trends go cheaper

also something to take it off with - eye makeup remover and a cleansing balm/wash and flannel

Boots Natural Collection cheap as chips and then maybe some Barry M for more glittery stuff.

Start with some brushes and maybe other tools like a spooli brush and eyelash curlers.
Superdrug do some reasonably priced ranges of makeup.

Thank you all, can you pretend I’m an alien from outer space and explain what a basic list would be please? I have heard of some of the stuff you have mentioned above but I have had to google them because I don’t know what they are for! I can’t buy brushes if I don’t know what product it goes with. Make up is really not in my world.

I read up and I think she’s too young for foundation. Isn’t there a starter pack I could get that is age appropriate for a 12yr old but not too ‘dress up and pretend play’ and not adult?

I’ll split it down - not saying she has to have all this but it’s stuff she might like/want/ask
most kits either seem to be aimed at v young children or £££ adult ones or TEMU type

skin -
a makeup remover, a balm is good as you can use it on the eyes and just take it off with a hot flannel
a concealer if she wants
skin tint is much much lighter than foundation
blusher
highlighter

eyes -
mascara
eye primer (used before shadow so it sticks)
eyeshadow
eyeliner
eyebrow pencil/gel

lips -
gloss probably or a tinted lip balm

good cheap brands
revolution, NYX and ELF

brushes -
you can get a set, probably cheaper online which you need to apply blush, eyeshadow etc
ELF do good brushes but this is on offer and a really good selection

https://www.beautybay.com/p/beauty-bay/prism-12-piece-travel-brush-set-with-holder/?ctyid=gb&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22849954213&gbraid=0AAAAADuI9VmE-ykkwMiYuOzqf9k7QqEGZ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5sDtytLujgMVMT8GAB3RYAx4EAQYASABEgKb1fD_BwE

if it was me I would get
brushes
blusher
highlighter
mascara - brown
eyeshadow palette
lip gloss or a tinted lip balm

What are the reasons you don't you wear make up? (I don't wear it either). If you have good reasons then I'd try and instill those in her too. 12 seems quite young to start deciding your face doesn't look good enough.

My reasons for not wearing it are - my face looks good enough already (as does everyone's), it's icky-feeling on my skin, it's expensive, it takes time I could spend doing other stuff, it gives me acne.

If you have similar reasons, wouldn't they convince her?

Also, I'm sure you're not plain.

I don’t know why my previous reply was hidden!

She’s coming up to being a teenager - they all want to experiment. I did with the makeup that came with magazines etc, it washes off. It’s not that I didn’t look good enough but glitter for a party was fun and comparing lip balms with my friends, and dressing up

Hopefully my previous reply gets put back up but

makeup brushes - beauty bay online have a good set, I can’t link in case it gets hidden again
this is Revolution makeup and what I would buy - it’s all very neutral and no inappropriate names as well

I’d buy your own make up box or travel case and add your own products.
If you were to buy a kit it would probably contain the wrong products or colours.
Boots or Superdrug have inexpensive popular brands and staff who would be happy to help.
They might ask about colouring/ eye colour.
I’d go for mascara ( there are coloured ones too blue, green, purple) a cover up stick, some neutral eye shadows ( powder and stick) maybe a brighter palette, basic cream blush, coloured/ flavoured lip balms. Applicators and wipes/ cotton wool and lotion.

@Mumnewname all of your reasons are mine as well (I have never really thought about it) but also that I am an introverted geek and I never really followed the crowd as a teenager so didn’t really experiment and I wasn’t interested in it as I got older either.

DD is the complete and utter polar opposite. She is sporty and active and very social. She wants to experiment with make up and I see this as a teenage thing she wants to do just like my cousins did but I was never interested in.

ps I know there are plenty of introverted geeks who will like make up and I’m not putting anyone down!

I think at this age the brand is as important as the products. When my now 30 year old DD was 12 she and her friends favoured Benefit and Mac. I’m not sure what the favoured brands are now but I’m sure someone will tell us both.

I would be more concerned about use chemicals, especially for a child and considering the hormonal changes of puberty - and so to go for more natural brands:

https://uk.inikaorganic.com/collections/all-makeup-skin

Perhaps the “lip and cheek cream”, as a combined make up product?

She wouldn’t need a brush for cream products, they can be applied by fingertip.

(Bracketing as wouldn’t generally suggest eye products for this age, but the above website clearly labels brushes eg for eyeshadow:

https://uk.inikaorganic.com/products/shadow-brush?_pos=1&_sid=ffc62c3ba&_ss=r

and eyeshadow quad, this could be fun and pretty without compromising on the chemical aspect:

https://uk.inikaorganic.com/products/natural-quad-eyeshadow-palette-flowers-8g?_pos=6&_sid=7018926c8&_ss=r)

If she wants a face product tinted moisturiser https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/products/age-defy-tinted-dd-moisturiser-spf15-light-30ml is gentle and glowy on the skin and works well on younger skin although marketed as “age defy”.

Skin care routine is good to establish at this age and especially if using make up to remove it properly:

https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/products/sensitive-scent-free-cleanser-make-up-remover-150ml

and

Moisturiser

Also these go down very well in this age group (lip tint balm) https://www.ecco-verde.co.uk/burts-bees/tinted-lip-balm?sai=19729

ps I noticed the organic cheek and lip cream I posed above can also be used on the eyes. She wouldn’t need a brush for this.

https://www.superdrug.com/accessories-and-lifestyle/make-up-brushes/make-up-brush-sets/real-techniques-everyday-essentials-plus-pack/p/818611

this is a really excellent brand and a fab set of brushes. I have it and it's a really good deal right now.

The best investment you could make, and the best lesson you could impart, is a daily spf 15 sunscreen.

At 12, your DD might like to look at a book called Teenage Beauty, by Bobbi Brown. My DDs all loved it. We pored over it together and it gave me a great opportunity to chat about their interest in makeup, what prompted it, what they hoped makeup would do for them, etc.

I got them clear mascara which they used on eyebrows and eyelashes, and some tinted lip balm. I also got them rollerball perfumes that they enjoyed, after persuading them to steer clear of bubblegum scented cheap and horrible perfumes.

I would steer well clear of foundation, and be very careful about cheap products that can cause breakouts. Your DD will need to be diligent about cleaning all makeup off every night.

My daughter is a few years older but….

I’d buy a tinted moisturiser. My daughter has the Nars one, quite pricey but it gives a really lovely finish and isn’t too heavy. It’s very popular with teens and lasts ages so it’s worth the initial outlay imo. My daughter also has the Nars powder, again quite pricey but it gives a lovely finish. We tried other tinted moisturisers/foundations and powders that were cheaper but they all seemed to look very heavy on teen skin which my daughter didn’t want.

The maybelline instant eraser concealer is very popular and good for any blemishes and dark circles.

For mascara, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, brow stuff, lips. I’d recommend Elf. Very popular with teens, all really reasonably priced and the pallets are good for experimenting.

Real techniques for a brush set.

Your daughter is too beautiful for make-up. It will ruin her skin. She’s 12. If she says everyone else is doing it talk to one of her friends mums and see what’s going on.

Hi OP! This is so sweet that you're supporting her exploration. Ingredient-wise, to keep things safe and age-appropriate you want gentle formulations without heavy fragrances or irritating ingredients, so look for hypoallergenic mascara (regular or clear), tinted lip balms with SPF rather than heavy lipsticks, cream blushes that are easier to blend than powders, and maybe a basic eyeshadow palette with neutral colors (that are buildable). Avoid anything with retinol, acids, or anti-aging actives since her skin doesn't need that, and stick with products that are easy to remove with gentle cleansing so she's not scrubbing her face harshly. Good luck!