Yesterday evening when I had nothing to do but channel surf, I came across an old episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in which the youngest Kardashian sister (whose name escapes me) got in trouble for wearing make-up to school. She was 11 years old. Father Bruce Jenner put his foot down and told the ‘tween she wasn’t allowed to wear make-up while Kris, Kim, and Khloe thought it was okay for an 11 year old to wear face paint.
When I was 11 years old, I was still playing with Barbie dolls, not even thinking about putting on make-up. I know that was many eons ago BUT as a mother of a now sex year old, I can’t see approving of her wearing make-up unless it was a special occasion (and are talking about light lip gloss and a little eye make-up and that is it).
I believe I began wearing make-up my freshman year (I was 14) and it was eyeliner and lipgloss only. I only began wearing eye make-up and foundation last year.
So I posed this question to my Twitter peeps: Ladies, at what age did you start wearing make-up?
Here are a few of my responses:
Now despite the various age ranges of some of the answers I received, I don’t see anyone who listed an age under 13. Which goes to show that even in these days and times, an 11 year old shouldn’t be wearing make-up on a regular basis, and certainly not wearing it to school.
In the youth’s quest to grow up fast, they lose their innocence. Make-up is about enhancing your beauty, not covering it up or trying to make you look older.
What are your thoughts? Is it okay to let an 11 year old wear make-up to school?
For me, as an MUA, I think they shouldnt wear it because they don’t know how to properly apply/remove it. This leaves them open to ruin their skin at a very early age. My mom always told me, “I nag you now because when you get older you’re going to want pretty skin and hair.” And I totally agree.
I started asking to wear makeup around 11/12 and every now and then I’d sneak some eyeliner on in the bathroom at school. I wasn’t allowed to wear it until high school though.
I started wearing make up when I was about 13, but it was really just concealer and a little bit of foundation to cover up acne. Personally, I don’t have a problem with girls wearing make up in middle school, as long as it’s not too much. I think the important thing with anyone is that you still want to look like yourself. When you’re young, you just want to grow up, and a lot of make up can make you look older than you are. I remember my Dad telling me less is more, and it’s better just to enhance your natural beauty. That type of guidance probably helped me from going out looking like a clown at that age.
I didn’t care much about make-up when I was 11 or 12. I started wearing it regularly (no foundation) when I was 16. We recently let our 12-year-old daughter start wearing makeup to school. We started with lip gloss (my mom’s suggestion), and a couple weeks ago I took her to a MUA to show her how to pick colors and apply shadow, liner and blush.
As far as the Kardashians are concerned, I’m with Bruce. Kim, Khloe and Kourtney thinking it’s ok for an 11-year-old to wear make up isn’t a strong argument, especially considering how they turned out.
I didn’t start wearing makeup until i was like 19/20. Before that I would wear tinted lip gloss every now and then.
I started “wearing makeup” at age 14 to participate in fashion shows and beauty pagaents…and only to do so. I don’t know when I started wearing makeup other than those circumstances but I know it was maybe in my 20s or so.
In closing my 11 year old daughter would be allowed to wear clear lip gloss.
I just started wearing make up this year and I’m over the age of 25. No my 11 year old daughter would not be allowed to wear makeup. At least I wouldn’t supply it for her. As a middle educator I’m baffled when I see 6th graders with smoky eyes and more gloss than I would ever dare to wear..hummmmm O_0