How young is too young?

[girloflowers]

when I was 10/11 i was full on into that goth makeup, but i didn't live with my mum so you can imagine it was pretty awful.

But i did it cos it was fun i guess! dark green eyeshadows, lipgloss, lipstick.. I've been obsessed for a loong time, i rememebr my first lipstick was a purple shiny monstrosity. good godit was hideous!

i got my first makeup kit in year THREE, cos i begged and begged for it for christmas.

i guess maybe im an exception to the rule?

but my older sisters (older as in by about 15 years) would often give me cute girly clothes and makeup for birthdays/christmas/ random.. So yeah

Every kid is different, you know?

I've been wearing makeup for ages and There's nothing wrong with me as far as i can tell

 

[stacey4415]

I guess we are all entitled to our opinions, but at the end of the day it is down to the person who's wearing it

As some have said, the parents may not be completely to blame, growing up, i lived with my Father who was extremely busy constantly so had no time for us, not living with my Mother i wore horrendous make up, orange foundation etc etc and probably and possibly too much at school etcetera, but that wasn't my parent's fault as my Mother didn't know me, and my Father hardly ever saw me, so i guess in a general view one could say its their fault, but they certainly did NOT encourage me to wear it.

I think people should learn from their mistakes, and thinking make up and getting "dolled up" will attract predators, then the same logic should surely be applied to clothing? When we live in a world where clothes shops sell tops branding the words "sex kitten" for 7-13, we cannot simply blame paedophilia (sp) on make up, surely

 

[anti_starlet8]

My boyfriend's niece is nearly 10 and I would never give her any make up to play with. She already is quite content with nail varnish and hopefully will be until she hits secondary school. I didn't start wearing mascara until I was about 14 and even then it was clear mascara. Full blown makeup (foundation, blush etc...) didn't happen until I had left school and was in sixth-form college (17 yrs old...)

 

[NatalieMT]

I think at 10, things like coloured lipbalm are as far as it should go when out and about but I think it's okay to dress up and put on makeup at home as a girly activity when you're little. I mean every little girl loves things like that and to feel like a princess. Like Yvette's post I thought that was SO cute and very appropriate/helpful too.

I was probably like 12 when I started wearing concealor, powder and lipgloss and then 13/14 when I moved onto foundation, blush, mascara etc. I did have really bad skin though so I was very interested in covering it up more than anything. I never felt very pretty and still don't really. I probably didn't start with eyeshadow until 15 though, same for eyeliner although really even now I hardly wear it.

 

[dreamerbabiiee*]

my first make up experience was in 7th (13 yrs) grade and that was with eyeliner and that was the only thing i used until 9th grade (15 yrs) and now im 16 goin on 17 and im just starting to get into a lot of other products. but yea 10 is way tooooo young. and it is also not good for her skin. i think for her age lipgloss is the most make up she should have on. but not stuff on her face. like i said, its not good for her skin.

 

[mollythedolly]

In about 7th grade (12), I met this girl who I thought was really cool/cute. She got me into pressed powder ("foundation", with "coverage") and lipgloss, with some mascara. We were best friends that year, and I wanted to be JUST like her. The next year, she and I grew apart. She started to wear this lipliner (which evened out her lip tone) and EVERYONE I knew made fun of her.

 

[dany06]

Well I dont think 10 is too young ( anything below is hitting it) to start playing around with makeup, but I dont necessarily agree with a full beauty pageant face being worn outside of the house. I also dont oppose to tinted lip balm or nude/clear gloss and maybe some glitter or sparkle being put on. Those type of things look young anyway. At 10 they should be learning what it is and how to wear it.

Well it seems like the Mom of your boyfriend's niece knows a thing or two about make. Who buys Mac just for the hell of it? Oops I read it wrong. So you (heeltohaunch) gave her the makeup. Well either way she should take the opportunity to have mother/daughter bonding time and teach her child how to wear makeup and take care of the skin underneath it. My Mom wasnt in to makeup and all I saw were red lipsticks (eww).

As a child, tween, and teen I wasnt allowed to wear makeup. No one bought it for me plus I was not given an allowance so I couldnt buy it and was not allowed to have a job. When a kid doesnt get the exposure at some point they wind up like me -- 20 years old and have no clue how to wear makeup. Right now I feel like the old saying "you cant teach an old dog new tricks" is so true. Its like somewhere Im not catching on. I dont even feel comfortable wearing it outside of my room because I know that I make so many bloopers.

Well if the mom allowed you give her the pigments then it seems like the she is headed in the right direction but please tell her to not just hand over the pigment then walk out the door. She should give her daughter the guidance I never had. The little girl will appreciate it, especially in the long run.

 

[Jeisenne]

On my 10th birthday my Mom allowed me to finally get my ears pierced. That was in 1983.

When I was in 7th grade, in 1985, Madonna was the most popular thing on the radio and on MTV and every girl was dressing up like her, but my parents wouldn't allow me to wear anything sheer. I was allowed to wear the denim mini skirts, the neon day-glo Gitano shirts, and the ankle boots, and the only makeup she allowed me to wear was black eyeliner and a really sheer purple eyeshadow. She let me use Wet 'N' Wild, and now I understand why -- in the 80s the formulas weren't so heavily pigmented so I didn't go out looking like a total tart.

I went overseas from 1986-1989 and I did some billboard and commercial advertisements for shampoo, nail polish, toothpaste, etc. and I was only allowed to wear makeup on the job. Not at school, since I was in a private all-girl's convent school. Only when I came back to the USA a few days after I turned 16 did my parents allow me to wear full makeup out on a daily basis, but by then I'd already learned how to apply it from the makeup artists I worked with before.

I asked my Mom prior to me posting this reply if she would change it, looking back at how things turned out, and she still stands firm. No makeup until I was almost 13, and until I was 16 it was to be very minimal if any at all.

I didn't have acne problems or anything when I was younger, now that could be genetics but my parents also think it's because I didn't bombard my facial skin with unnecessary product.

 

[mrheine]

i always loved makeup and was getting into it. my picture is me at four when i got into my aunt's christmas presents. my mom had a strict 'no make-up until 13' rule so the day of my 13th birthday, some cousins, my parents and my aunt (my fairy-godmother, as she spoils me even to this day) went to seattle to the clinique counter at nordstrom. we had a lady do my makeup and my aunt bought EVERYTHING, eyeliner, lipgloss, lipliner, eyeshadows (those duos), mascara, foundation and maybe 1-2 more items. waking up in the mornings and applying makeup was too much for me. i kept the lipgloss and mascara and foundation and only used them really sporadically for special occasions or when i needed to cover a zit -- i think i threw them away beacuse i knew they were bad years later. the rest i gave to my mom.

when i was in high school i'd occasionally wear eyeliner or mascara and cheap gloss or burts.

i started wearing more eyeshadow in college and sophomore year of college i started wearing bare minerals, but with a good face i felt i needed eyeliner and shadow...and now i'm really into neutrals and a good, even face.

so, i guess college: age 18? i just wasn't into it until then, but some of my cousins were wearing slighttt eyeliner and highlight colors (such as shroom or phloof!) and tinted gloss, but nothing too dramatic.

 

[AmberLilith]

I think 10 is too young for 'real' make-up too. Especially if it's everyday and for school. And if there's pressure to wear loads of it.
When i was 9-10, I was allowed a shimmery blue eyeshadow for friends' brithday parties n christmas. I also had a pinkish lipstick with a picture of tinkerbelle on the side. And a Barbie doll that came with a small blue eyeshadow that you could use on yourself or the doll!
And just to clarify, it was the early 80s!!
I didn't start actually thinking about makeup 'til i was about 14 and that was mainly black kohl and cheap black eyeshadow. Ten years later, I'm only just considering the benefits of wearing foundation... and i'm obssessed with eyeshadows.

 

[seabird]

i started to wear make-up when i was 12, it was only mascara and a little eyeliner and some gloss though. i started getting into doing my whole face at about 14. now, i'm 15 (probably one of the youngest members of specktra and mua!). i remember when the spice girls were at their peak and i had a spice girls make-up palette at about 6! i used to make my gran apply it to me, haha.
to be honest, if others at her school are wearing make-up and she feels left out, she will wear make-up, possibly borrowed from other children without it being cleaned, whether you or her parents don't wish her to or not. i think it would be more beneficial by letting her experiment with neutral things such as neutral glosses, blushes and eyeshadows, as opposed to bright shades so she doesn't look dolled up but has a nice glow and finish. you could show her how to apply her make-up well for now and the future, and she will still feel included at school, as being taunted by other children is possibly one of the worst things that can happen to a child.

 

[jdepp_84]

I think 10 is a bit young. Maybe some lipgloss would be okay. I didnt wear a single drop of makeup until I turned 15, which kind of sucks cuz all my friends did and I wnated to "fit in." hehe. Anyways, even then my mom decided when and were I could were makeup until I turned 18, maybe this is why I am such a makeup addict now!

 

[jaclynashley]

I started wearing "make-up" when I was maybe 4 years old .
Just the regular tinted lip gloss though .
I had lots of hand me downs from my Mom and Aunt in those days and it made me feel like a "princess" .
But I never really put it on to go out unless I was bored and my Mom and Aunt were doing their make up .
I also had full faces of LIGHT make-up for special events when I was elementary school .
And I wore mascara, eyeshadow, blush, and lip gloss in 6th grade .
But I also wore a disgusting blue eyeshadow and I ended up tossing it .
In 7th grade I just started wearing eyeliner .
I am now going to 8th grade and just starting to wear a full face since I'm getting acne and Proactiv isn't helping it so far .
Now I wear neutrals and a few intense eyeshadows and pigments now and again but I know how to apply it without looking like a clown .
As for my best friend she just started wearing make up for her 13th birthday and in some ways she has an advantage .
She has clear skin; yet she still wear bareMinerals (like me !) for no reason as far as I can see .
But then I think of how she doesn't notice when her make-up is messed up because she is too excited wearing it .
And I also have alot more to experiment with .
In my opinion every little girl has a right to play with make-up .
Definately not foundation if they have perfect skin which I'm sure she has but a peach blush, clear mascara, sheer pink lipgloss, and maybe a nice light colored eyeshadow like Evening Aura .
There's no harm if she just wants to fit in because being teased at school can make a child feel so left out and possibly cause her to not go to school .
But please teach her to apply it right .
And good luck !

 

[mblueyes]

wow, ten is really young. i didn't start actually wearing make-up outside of a stage setting (ex plays and dance recitals) until around 13. Besides you know a pink lipgloss or two.

i'd say buy her some sheer lipgloss and maybe some 'fairy dust' body shimmer sort of stuff it's fun and still looks like a kid should be wearing it. maybe buy her a compact with some sheer powder- you don't see it, but it makes her feel grown up.

 

[noahlowryfan]

i have a cousin whose 9 and she's not allow to wear makeup. she wants to wear it but her mom won't allow her to. if you have perfect skin, why ruin it with makeup. also, i don't get kids wanting to look older.

 

[trammie]

Well culture itself has changed a lot so I'm not suprised 10 year olds want to get into make-up.

I think when I was in middle school, we only all wore that white liner (I know it was a fad) on our top lids very thick and glitter. Some girls that wore too much make-up at that age got labeled different things at my school, so the girls didn't want to wear "TOO much."

 

[sofabean]

i started playing with makeup probably when i was 10 or so... i'd wear lipstick cuz i thought it was cool like everyday and played with eyeshadow that my mom hated, but i grew out of that habit and didn't wear make up again until i was like 16 or 17 or so... and then stopped wearing makeup again until recently lol.

 

[n_c]

I dont know about this but I do know...my nine year old is certainly not going to be wearing makeup this October!

 

[Shaquille]

I started wearing powder when I was like 13-14. So I think 13-14 is okay to wear powder.

15 is okay for a little make up when they go to malls or parties. At 16 the make up should not be too much, natural looks are

Few months ago I went to film here, and I actually saw an - I think - 8 year old kid with eyeliner and blush on, and a small clutch that she carried under her arm. She acted like she was older than me but hell, I am almost 24.

So I'd say under 13 is always too young for make up. However though, you are never too young for skincare.

 

[babiid0llox]

10 years old! That's terrible! I admit when I was 10 I did use lipsmackers and those cheap little nailpolishes and makeup kits but never 'real' makeup.

I only started to wear 'real' makeup when I was 11 and a half, and pretty much everyone said that was much too young too be wearing makeup and that I shouldn't blah blah blah. Mind you, I was a very strange child back then

. I also used to hang out with people much older than me and I used to get picked up by older guys