Makeup and Little Girls: How Early is TOO Early To Start Wearing?

Dec 16, 2010

Erin Z.

Hey Dolls!

It seems like culturally our children are being sexualized earlier and earlier. From popular TV dramas, to Reality TV, to the News Media, it's pretty clear that sexualization happens earlier and lots of finger pointing is happening to assign blame for this.

So, my question for you fierce, free-thinking divas is this: How early is TOO early for little girls to start wearing makeup? I don't mean the occasional playing in mommy's makeup...I mean daily application.

Is there an appropriate age for wearing makeup?

When did you start wearing makeup? Do you feel the media influences this decision for young girls?

I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this!

Dec 16, 2010

Darby B.

Well.....I'm a 40 year old mom of 2 girls, ages 14 & 11. I was not allowed under any circumstances to wear a stitch of make up until I was 16. So what did I do? I would put it on as soon as I sat down on the bus. With that being said & how society has changed, my girls were allowed to start wearing make up when they started middle school, grade 6. I'm the happiest mom around because they chose to only wear mascara and light glittery eyeshadow. I think if you give them some control (and I say that lightly), you'd be surprised.  

Dec 16, 2010

Erin Z.

Excellent insight! I feel it's important to note I'm not a mother, but simply a student of media culture. I recently watched an episode of Bones that dealt with the murder of a child beauty queen....7 I believe, and she looked 30. She had on so much makeup and I remember it really breaking my heart.

I think your stance as a mother is a responsible one. I wonder how many girls don't have that kind of family support?

When I was a child makeup was the FURTHEST thing from my mind! I actually didn't start wearing it like I do now until 2004, when I was in my undergrad! So, I suppose how media pressures affect women is different from person to person.

Dec 17, 2010

Yasmin K.

"How early is TOO early for little girls to start wearing makeup? I don't mean the occasional playing in mommy's makeup...I mean daily application." -- Anything "heavy" before 13 is too young. Clear/peach/light pink lipgloss and clear mascara between the ages of 11 and 13 is okay in my book. 13 - 16 mascara, colored lipgloss and maybe neutral eyeshadows. Over the age of 16 introduce eyeliner and other eyeshadow colors, blush and foundation. Personally I think it's VERY tacky to see girls under the age of 16 with heavy eyeliner and mascara. Lipstick should be for special occasions or for those who are older than 17.

"Is there an appropriate age for wearing makeup?" See my comment above.

"When did you start wearing makeup? Do you feel the media influences this decision for young girls?" I was 13 and wore heavy makeup in high school. By the time I was a senior I toned it down a lot. My profile pic is from almost 20 years ago when I had toned the makeup look down.

Dec 17, 2010

Ashley C.

heres my experience: between the age 12-15 i was only allowed to wear pink or peach sheertone lipgloss and white, pink or baby blue liner (which is what my mom gave me) clear mascara and once i started to groom my eyebrows (14) i was allowed to use a blonde brown pencil. i honestly only wore lipgloss (smackers brand) because i was so active in sports.
I first started wearing actual makeup the night of my 8th grade dance and from then on i wore makeup but until i was 18 i was not allowed to wear black eyeliner in my waterline (my moms house rule) lol

I personally think girls should wear makeup til highschool unless for dances they are way to young and it looks terrible half the time. i volenteered for the 6th grade science camp my jr & senior year of high school and half my girls were worried about there makeup smearing in the rain. OMG! my cabin went all natural after i explained to them they had many years to come to worry about smeared makeup, hiding acne or blemishes (which none of them had) and so on. I told them they should be more concerned about there periods coming than makeup.. yes i did.

Plus i remember how amazing my skin was before i was 16 and i NEVER wore foundation! i only wore foundation starting at 16 and it was bare minerals and thats it no liquid or concealer. i seriously miss those days!

i think sheer lipgloss is for any age! its fun and makes everyone happy!

Dec 17, 2010

Erin Z.

this is some excellent feedback guys and dolls!

I am really inclined to agree, I feel like age appropriate makeup and dress is important, but I acknowledge that it can be individual as well, and depends on many factors including the child in question, the parents, religious background, and cultural situation.

That being said, I often wonder what causes very young girls to want to wear makeup earlier than others? it seems to be a good mix here of people who waited until their late teens to start, and others who started earlier. Any thoughts or insights into makeup motivation for yourself or others?

I was such a tomboy (still am) to me it was the opposite of what I wanted. I didn't find makeup until I realized how creative I could be with it, how I could look over the top, aggressive, tough, and sexy with it, without falling into the "cheerleader" trap which I so loathed in my early days of feminism.

Now I see it for what power it can hold, but I'm older, well read and researched on the subject. at 15 I didn't know. And at 12 I certainly wasn't ready for the implications of heavy makeup. But this is my personal experience.

I suppose a part of me fears for the young girls I see at 5 and 7 in heavy blue eye shadows and pink lipstick, wearing provocative clothes and HEELS at the mall. I wonder what this means to be so sexualized so early, and who is really responsible for this trend. Media, parents, culture?

Or am I simply prudish to think this is a problem? 

Dec 17, 2010

Erin Z.

I see what you're saying Andrew, but I wonder about the rationality and reasoning capabilites of young girls. I think it's less important that they want to wear makeup, and MORE important to ask why?

If it's to fit in, why do they feel that pressure?

Is it to feel sexy? To be accepted by peers? To be accepted by boys? Because Barbie does? Because Paris Hilton does? Or is it to be creative?

Parents should take the time to find out what messages their children are receiving, and decide how much or how little the want to placate those desires.

Studies show girls as young as 3 are tying their self worth to their physical appearance. While I personally feel that this has more to do with body policing than makeup, it'd be silly to say that it doesn't play a role in it. I feel it's so important to maintain and open dialogue with young girls about their bodies, their appearance, and the pressures tied to them...and as parents and role models its even MORE important to maintain the distance between self worth and body image.

Makeup is a creative outlet, and not a crutch or a cure all for self hate. If girls learn at a young age to associate makeup with acceptance, it steals the joy and creativity of the medium from them....and that is truly sad.

Dec 17, 2010

Ashley C.

I will say i have the best mother ever she basically told me at 13 i would look like a hooker if i wore what the "high schoolers" where wearing because of my age.. that sounds harsh but when i look back she was right there were girls who wore heavy makeup and caked black liner and they were just asking for it. Then comes the unwanted attention with it which young girls are not mentially equipt to deal with, if you understand what i mean.

I agree it really all falls back on the parenting or the lack of it. i know magazines did influence me to try makeup products when i was young and i remember wasting so much money on crap! where was youtube product reviews 10 years ago!
i remember seeing ads for lip plumpers and thinking oh my lips need to be bigger and mascara ads saying longer more volumized lashes and i would say i need that mascara when i didnt know they were wearing false eyelashes on top.. i look back on it and i am shocked at how uneducated i was and i am proud to say i have surpassed all of that!!!

Dec 17, 2010

Ava S.

Well. Like the Darby stated, giving children control and letting them decide for themselves will suprise a lot of you. Rather than limiting them to something, so that they see the opportunity to rebel. This goes hand-in-hand with freedom. I have been given a lot of freedom throughout my childhood, and with that being said, I have done some stupid things. But I quickly learned my lessons. Today, I am a 17 year old young woman with A LOT of independence. I do go to parties occasionally, but not nearly as much as the child who's parents try to make them go home at 10pm, the latest. I do prefer spending my Friday nights at home with a cup of tea, now. So basically what I am trying to say is that (once again like Darby had stated), any little girl who is interested in makeup will go for it any chance they get, no matter what they are told. Letting them experiment is not a bad thing. Makeup is art, just on our faces.

I didn't start wearing makeup untill the 7th grade(which was when jr. high school started for me). The only reason for that was because elementry schools do not allow makeup. The MOMENT I exited elementry school, I started playing with makeup like there was no tomorrow. And ever since then, people have known me for my talent in that department! :)

Dec 21, 2010

Lacey H.

I had started to wear lip gloss (Lip Smackers) when I was about 10. When I was in late 7th to 8th grade, I had acne and was self conscious about that. I went to the dermatologist, and after that, my mom took me makeup shopping. I wore foundation, concealer, powder, a lipstick and lip gloss. I began wearing eyeshadow about that time as well. I did not begin to wear mascara until I was sixteen or so.
I think junior high is an acceptable time to start wearing makeup. Any younger than 12 wearing a full face of makeup is sad. I still don't wear liners (but I am learning how to apply them). 

Dec 21, 2010

Shelly T.

(How early is TOO early for little girls to start wearing makeup?)
I'd say anyone under fifteen or sixteen is too young to be wearing full makeup. For little girls, just get them toy makeup.

(When did you start wearing makeup?)
I think I wore it sporadically in my early teens, mainly to church and for school pictures. I don't think I did so regularly until I was 16 or 17. And even then it wasn't a whole lot, I don't think. (Took a break from makeup in my early twenties or so, didn't start up again until my mid-twenties.)

(Do you feel the media influences this decision for young girls?)
I say it's a mix of the media's influence and no parental guidance.

Dec 22, 2010

Andrea F.

I started wearing eyeliner at 11 and it progressed and I started full face-ish makeup around 14. I think it's okay for girls to start wearing makeup early as long as they know that makeup isn't beauty and that they are beautiful with or with out it. The media and society definitely makes females, especially pre-teen/teens feel like they need to look a certain way, and so some feel the need to use makeup to conform to these beauty ideals or whatever. I think that's wack. I also think that the attitude of not being able to ever leave the house without any makeup on is wack. But when I started applying my own makeup it just made me feel cool, yknow? When you're younger and you're building off your features and creating a look using makeup ..it makes you feel cool. I don't know what I'm getting at but yeah.. heres a little ramble of what I kinda think :p

Feb 19, 2011

Tess G.

Im fifteen and i have been wearing make up since around thirteen though the difference is that my mum is a make up artist so she has taught me how to apply make up lightly and properly. So i only wear "heavy" lots of eyemake up or bright lips on special occasions. Also when i was thriteen my mum only let me wear tinted moisturisor which was good
now i wear good brand mineral make-up so its very hard for my foundaton to look to heavy.
I think most girls my age really only wear heavy makeup to hide there bad skin which is a shame because heavy makeup looks much much worse than no makeup.

Feb 19, 2011

Wingi H.

i seen a lil girl with a YouTube channel an she was like 14 doing makeup it made me kinda sad like wth an she talks like shes 30 kinda disturbing an interesting at the same time...i think maybe 17 is a good start i started around 18  

Nov 27, 2011

Mary P.

My mom allowed me to wear makeup when I turned 17. But i have to admit that I started wearing makeup behind her back when I was in 7th grade (I was 13 at the time) I discovered foundation (my mom's). I was breaking out with acne and tried to cover it with my mom's foundation, when i saw the results (flawless skin). I started wearing it but would only put it on at school (sneaking around), then i started wearing eyeliner and lipstick. Now that I'm an adult, I understand why my mom didn't want me wearing all that makeup. I think 17 years old is a decent age for the basics like eyeliner/lipstick/lipgloss. But foundation and all the other stuff can wait until your in your 20's.

Nov 27, 2011

Kristen D.

As the years go by younger and younger girls are being to wear very innappropriate clothing and makeup at such a young age and it saddens me to see them in booty shorts, low cut tops, and heavy makeup. Girls these days are pressured into feeling they have to wear what everyone else wears and also feel they have to dress to impress. Now younger girls who may be reading these threads feel like oh older people dont know what theyre talking about, its (my body i can do whatever i want with it), or its just makeup whats the big deal. In reality they arnt fully mature enough to understand that when dressing like that they get the wrong attention from the wrong people. They may not realize it now but when they're older they will learn that it wasnt aproppriate. The biggest problem is self-esteem and exceptance of oneself. Girls may feel like they're not pretty enough or that they have to cover up every flaw they possible can and its the only way to make them feel better about themselves. I was in middle school 7th grade when i first tried a light pink sparkly eye shadow and thought it was so pretty and since all the (popular) girls were wearing makeup it yould make me just like them (boy i was wrong!).... I was allowed to start wearing just brown mascara and lipgloss freshman year in high school and i felt it made me look better therefore i felt i needed it and more but i wasn't allowed to wear eyeliner or eyeshadow or lipstick. I did get mad at my mom and when she would drop me off at school i would go straight to the bathroom, put on the eye;liner and eyeshadow and i felt i looked so much better and thought guys would actually pay attention to me. Well i got what i wanted... (but in the wrong way) guys were attracted to me but everyone knows most of them only have one thing on there mind... Fast forward to a couple years later and now i understand why my mom didnt let me wear makeup and i wish young girls would understand the reality of life and what theyre gettting themselves into. I wonder how many creepy old men watch these young girls who put themselves online..? hmmm

Nov 28, 2011

Hannah M.

In fifth grade, the only thing I used was concealer. In sixth grade is when I slowly began to wear eyeshadow. Light, complimentary colors. No black or anything "crazy". I've been wearing makeup ever since. My sister has also found a liking to makeup and always wants to wear it. (She's ten.) She's only allowed to use it for 'play' and she cannot wear it outside of the house. ;) So, I would say the minimal age to wear makeup wold be eleven. My lil sister looks ridiculous with makeup on when she wants to wear it "for real". :)  

Nov 28, 2011

Amanda J.

I think little girls can wear makeup when they're six. Not NICE makeup. Just cheapo dollarstore makeup. What little girl doesn't like to be a princess or popstar? It's fun to mess around at that age. I think when it's okay to let a little girl really wear makeup is around age twelve. But that's only if they are willing to wear makeup the way it is meant to be: to accentuate what you already have. I don't think girls should wear makeup at that age seriously. Just so they can get a feel for it. On my twelfth birthday party (and both of my sisters) I had a Mary Kay party. We got to try on makeup, and see what shades were good for us. We learned everything we needed to know about makeup, and got some goodies. I got a bunch of makeup for my birthday! I think at around the age of fourteen or sixteen they should be allowed to get into things that are a little bit harder. They should be allowed to try new techniques, and do things that require practice. They should be allowed to do their own thing. Some things I wasn't allowed to use until I was sixteen were: liquid eyeliner, eye primer, bronzer, darker lipsticks. I think if you started doing any of these any earlier and you would have a catastrophe on your hands. Kids need to gain experience. And they tend to follow others, so make sure that you are a good makeup example. Your little twelve year old should NEVER look like a hoochie mama! O.O

Oct 19, 2012

Yahlia B.

Hey i know this topic is from 2010,but i am 12 and so wanting to wear makeup but i just wear lipgloss.what should i do

Oct 19, 2012

Shelly T.

Focus on skincare.

Nov 11, 2012

Meg C.

I get where most of you are coming from. And most of you are saying between 16 and 17 makeup should be allowed. Personally I'm 14 and I wear makeup. But I don't wear foundation, concealer and all that jazz because I do think I am too young for it. Okay so maybe every now and then (special occasions) I'll wear a bit of concealer under my eyes. I use full n' soft mascara by Maybelline which looks like I'm not even wearing it but enhances my real lashes and I'm always using a clear gloss. Mind you I only use mascara on special occasions. As a substitute for foundation I use BB cream or a tinted moisturizer if I need a bit of coverage. But mostly I'm all natural since my school doesn't allow makeup. I know a lot of girls my age cake their faces with makeup and wear short skirts and revealing tops but just because some girls are like that doesn't mean the rest of us are. So I think around 13 we should be able to wear sheer lip glosses, tinted moisturizers and neutral eyeshadows. Then slowly introduce a mascara that natural looking (i.e. not clumpy!!) mascara preferably in black-brown then probably 16 or 17 foundation and all that jazz :)
I think most of the time if parents give their kids strict rules then the kids are more likely to do that. So saying that a 17 year old can only wear lipgloss is a bit harsh and so they will probably go behind their parents backs and wear the whole shebang. 

Nov 11, 2012

S M.

Age 11 and I think that's a reasonable age. There is no "right age". If the parents are okay with it and if the child doesn't look ridiculous than its fine. 

Nov 11, 2012

S M.

Eyeshadow, lipstick, lipgloss, bronzer, highlighter, blush and clear mascara is enough and I don't feel the need for eyeliner and concealer and foundation because I didn't really need it

Nov 12, 2012

Sofia C.

I think that 14 is a good age or whenever girls can understand that the concept of makeup is to highlight your features instead of using your face as a coloring book! Some really young girls around my age are very insecure so they feel the need to wear a lot. Im 13 and harldy wear makeup. When I do, its for parties and other special occasions I only use a very small amount of foundation and a swipe of mascara.

Nov 12, 2012

Meaghan S.

I personally didn't start wearing makeup until i was about 14 (grade 7/8) going into highschool, all thru highschool i didnt even wear foundation yet, only a bit of eyeshadow and mascara.. and that was it, in college was when I got into full coverage foundations, but even then, they weren't high end makeup brands, after college at about 22, I started wearing MAC,Laura mercier, urban decay.. etc.. Kids are growing up too fast these days