Make-up and perfume for preteens, suggestions please.

Hetty, childhood time is actually short enough for all the active learning that needs to go on.

Girls have the right to learn better stuff than how to make up . It's wrong to let girls believe make up is of any great importance for her future life as productive and healthy woman.

I used eye makeup at 11 (1961) Not much but a bit of mascara & a light eye shadow. My mum let me use hers . All girls like to mess about with makeup.
I still never leave the house without my 'face on'. Nothing wrong with making the best of yourself- surely this is making our young girls appreciate their loveliness & all young girls ARE lovely.

I disagree NemosMum and Alexa! What is so wrong with girls dressing up and playing with makeup? Some want to and some don't. It has absolutely nothing to do with sex (except perhaps in your own minds?).

Child play is really important for the child's learning about his or her future as an independent grown up person.

A girl has as much right as a boy to play at adventurous and strenuous activities such as out of doors in the fresh air getting in some exercise. If you want your granddaughter to grow up to be an empty headed mopsy with poor physique go on and encourage her to think the adult woman's life revolves around make up, clothes , and looking pretty.

Please don't encourage the sexualisation of an eleven year old girl. Would you be buying a grandson after-shave and a shaving kit? No - ridiculous isn't it! She may like the idea of it, but you shouldn't indulge it.

My 7 year old GD moved house recently and has found some new friends all about her age. When she goes "missing" for a while back she comes with make up on. DiL and DS have cleaned her face, removed nail polish trying to explain she has plenty time when a teenager to do all this. Had a bit of a chuckle last time I visited, GD came in from a friend's, stood in kitchen hands on hips and stated "I know I know, take the muck off my face" and marched to the bathroom. Even at 7 it seems to be the done thing now. I think my DIL etc have the right approach, just because some allow their children to do it, doesn't make it right.

I actually think 11 child is too young to wear makeup

I’ve never worn make-up....I like who I am ...my daughter doesn’t wear make-up ...as she seems to like who she is...my granddaughter laughs at women with ‘slap’ in their faces and asks why they don’t like themselves the way they are. Job done I think!

There is something wrong with child education when little girls have nothing better to do than play at being sex objects.

I loved putting on make up at that age and there was nothing sexual about it! Just wanted to look like Twiggy! All part of growing up and I still love make up now at 64. Think we are all different.

I would look at Benefit, it is young and trendy but also good quality.

Superdrug is very good for younger people make up . Stick to the nude colours then your grand daughter will look natural and also on trend .

Claire's accessories have make up and peel off nail polish aimed at younger people. My 9 year old granddaughter loves make up but isn't allowed out of the house with any on.

An eleven year old wearing mascara?
How ridiculous
I agree with Gaunt 47
I certainly wouldn’t encourage a granddaughter of mine to wear make up at that age.
Let her use Pears soap and she can prepare to be a beautiful lady the natural way as we did.
Of course we did have fabulous pink Camay .

Lush ,healthy and young

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

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

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 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!

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...

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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!