Makeup For Young Teens...When to Start Wearing It and How Much is Appropriate?



I recently did makeup for a junior bridesmaid who just turned 12...she was adorable!!  She wanted a full face of makeup, and of course her mom wanted it to be light and age appropriate.  Here's the final result...a perfect blend of pretty polish that is subtle enough to make mom happy....

I wanted to shape her brows, but she'd never had it done before and was nervous, so I skipped it. Tweezing really hurts, especially if you're a newbie!!  I didn't want her to have redness and watery eyes on her aunt's wedding day...she can learn to "suffer for beauty" another time.

Notice that even with subtle makeup, you can still really see how definition with a bit of shadow makes her eyes look bigger, and how blush on her cheekbones slims her face?  The magic is that it doesn't look like a lot of makeup...love that. To me, this look is perfect for a 12 year old, especially considering that for weddings, even flower girls are usually allowed to have a bit of gloss, blush and mascara!

All of this got me to thinking...
At what age do you think girls should start wearing makeup? How MUCH makeup is appropriate?

How old were you when you started wearing makeup?  I'm not talking about play makeup or just for a wedding, but daily wear.....

According to Yahoo and over 500 women polled, the average age to start wearing makeup regularly is about 13. Does that surprise you, or sound about right?  Personally, I started playing with makeup around the house when I was 7 or 8, but didn't start wearing it daily until 8th grade... mostly just mascara, gloss, powder and blush.  I added liner and eyeshadow the next year when I started high school....and probably wore a bit too much, but hey...it was the 80s!  I think EVERYONE was wearing too much.  I remember arguing with my mom over it, but she knew about my passion for makeup....she eventually gave up!  I never felt like I NEEDED it so much as I just wanted to wear it, it was the current style then and it was a form of self expression.  The love of makeup was already in full force for sure.....

 Last year, I was hired to do makeup for FOURTEEN 14 year olds......you heard that right!  That is a whole gaggle of teen girls, people. Check it out....


This was at the end of their 8th grade year, and most told me that they wear at least a little mascara and gloss to school daily.  For their dance, they chose to get (and were allowed to get!) a bit more glammed up with foundation, blush, shadow, etc....but still soft and age appropriate.  No harsh liner, no contouring....just light makeup to enhance their natural good looks and make their features shine. I focused on covering any skin issues, warming up cheeks with a healthy glow, a light shimmery wash of color on eyes (golds, taupes), mascara and gloss in pink and peach tones.  That is all they need...aren't they gorgeous!?!  PS...I had to move lightning fast to get them all ready in just a few hours...not easy!! (#engergizerbunny #superfast!)  I have never been so glad to skip brow grooming and false lashes...I literally had about 10 minutes per person.  Each girl was polite, sat still and gave me her full attention so that everyone could get makeup before the dance. What a lovely group of young ladies...their moms should be proud!

What about you....were you allowed to wear makeup for special occasions growing up?  What about wearing makeup regularly as a teen....and a what age? Did you and your mom argue about how much makeup you could wear?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories in the comments below!

A lovely 8 year old getting just a touch of makeup for a special occasion...her mom's wedding!

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