Make-up and perfume for preteens, suggestions please.

Benefit?

At 11 - decent mascara and lip gloss. Nothing else!

Our pre teen looks at but can’t afford Benefit and Bobbi Brown. If you’ve a John Lewis anywhere near I’ve found their assistants understanding and patient. Agree, mascara and lip gloss are good, ours loves eye shadow too so I sometimes tone the colours down for her. .

What a shame nobody has encouraged her NOT to use it at her age

I must be an old fuddy duddy but 11 is a bit young imo for any makeup or perfume. Young girls should be careful not to send the wrong messages. Sad, but true.

I’ve got two granddaughters of nine and ten, and it seems way too young for makeup, maybe a little lip gloss or nail varnish, Benefit is quite expensive, my older granddaughter likes MAC, but that too is expensive.

I agree about Boots, not much choice for pre-teens.

Have children and times changed so much?

My daughter was still blissfully unaware of body image and face makeup. She still had childhood to end and development of her own personality to continue.

I am very uncomfortable with the sexualisation of children. Makeup is a step in that direction. 11 is too young.

There is a new make up and skincare brand in Boots, called something like Florence by Mills, which apparently is all the rage amongst my 12 yr old DGD and her friends.

everything seemed to be targetting the over twenties

I'm glad about that!

My DGD(10) buys those teen mags that have 'free' junk make-up that she plays around with but I've never seen her wear anything but chipped nail polish in the school holidays.

I know we can't turn the clock back but it's not something I'd be encouraging - plenty of time for young girls to be obsessed with their looks in the teen years.

Well I’m going through the same thing with my dgg she’s 11 and wants makeup for Christmas only light stuff like nail polish lip gloss etc. I was quite shocked but it’s more the experimental make up stage. I work in childcare and my three/four year olds wear it for dance class and dance competitions !,

I managed to keep mine make up free for quite a while.

My youngest is now 23 and just wears lip gloss and mascara. Sometimes.

But I know that girls are all different
My youngest has friends who were plastered in the stuff at 12/13

I'd be a grotty granny and not get her make up but if you decide to go ahead get a decent brand.

Plenty to choose from

Try and deter her from using foundation

My 9 year old GD watches YouTube makeup videos and plays with my makeup bag when she comes to stay, She doesn't ans isn't allowed to wear any going out , but she likes to try it out on me .She says Nanny you should be wearing these colours , I never knew at 70 years old I had been doing it all wrong!!!
Happy, there is also a brand in Boots called Naturals Collection , but am inclined to agree with other G on here that it's a bit young for anything other than a little bit of lipgloss, or a pale pink nail varnish in the school hols ,

Why are girls wearing make up so young? They have beautiful complexions and all the attractiveness of youth.

DS won't let our DGD wear make up. She has asked for special occasions and been told 'no' so has accepted that. She knows he doesn't like nail varnish either.

I don't usually agree with you Whitewavemark2, but I do this time, wholeheartedly!

Pathetic! Poor child to be caught up in sexualisation of her appearance.

Harris, makeup which is aimed st making the child wearer prettier is sexualised makeup whether it's for stage or street.

My DGD although older now was always glad to go to Lush with her mum she bought lovely natural body creams and perfumes they also do make-up which is also all natural products,at the moment they have some beautiful prewrapped gifts for early teens.

To be honest I agree with you, 11 is too young or makeup in my opinion. I was a bit shocked when my DIL suggested it, but it seems all her friends experiment with beauty products at weekends and parties etc. DIL is 'cool' about it but my son doesn't like it. I'll take a look at the Lush products but I'm trying to think of something else more appropriate for her age. When she visited us at the end of August she and her older sister had also dyed their hair (DIL did it for the school Prom), when they started school a week later they were in trouble for having dyed hair!! Not a good start in a new school!

As she has already been in trouble for attending school with dyed hair, I would not be encouraging this. It's obviously the parents responsibility and I think that by suggesting that you supply some make up for xmas this really normalises it. I would buy some toiletries or maybe a ted baker or other make eau de cologne. Let her mum supply the make up for this year.

How about a good cleanser and moisturiser... get the basics right.. a nice cotton pad holder and fancy tissues for her dressing table..
Its up to parents to set levels/limits of course but 11 is quite young...

I think I would concentrate on getting her a good skincare regime before she starts on make up. Started my daughter off on Clinique at 13 - mostly because of the spots!

I'm sorry, but this makes me feel slightly nauseous - same as when you see pre-teens tottering around in high heels. Parents will argue peer pressure of course, but sexualisation of young girls in this way is just very very wrong.

I bought my GD the Amazon beauty advent box (for her birthday) - then swapped the unsuitable items (eye and wrinkle cream etc.) for peel-off face masks and nail varnishes. She has no allergies and I don't see that it encourages her as she 'borrows' her mum's make up anyway. I disagree that it's 'sexualisation' as she just wants to look pretty:

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sexualization

Avon do an excellent range called Colortrend aimed at the younger market and great on price as well.

Lush ,healthy and young