Make-up and perfume for preteens, suggestions please.

Your homemade pretty toiletries bag sounds lovely. Part of the fun for girls is searching in their make up bag for the product they want ..... that feeling of the bottles and tubes clunking about together. The Lush range is popular with young girls and cruelty free.
I'm not sure why so many people jump to the conclusion that wearing make up is sexualising pre teens. I agree some GNs are quick to look for problems where there are none. And granma47 is right, on stage even the tiniest have to wear full make up under the stage lighting or they would look completely washed out.

Wow, I hadn't expected to get so many interesting and varied responses! Thank you all for your comments and suggestions of brands, some of which I had never heard of.

My DIL tells me that GD really only wears a smudge of lipgloss and mascara and nail polish when she is chilling out with friends or going to a party. She likes a natural look -"Don't want to look like a painted clown" - her words. So despite her youth I think she is being very sensible about it. She recently started wearing glasses and I suspect it has made her think a little more about her appearance.

I have made her a pretty Toiletries Bag which I'll fill with a good quality cleanser and shampoo (from Bodyshop); a lightly tinted lipgloss; clear gel mascara (no thick dark colour); a light concealer wand; and three Essie nailpolishes (two natural colours and one glittery topcoat); and a bodyspray all from Superdrug. I've been very careful to find products that will be kind to her skin and are also 'cruelty free' as that is important to her.

As I said earlier I very rarely buy or wear makeup myself so it was interesting to look around the beauty counters and online at some of the products mentioned by GNers. I have to say I was quite impressed with the Superdrug ranges and even bought a couple of things for myself.

So thanks once again for your help.

Joplin, 'I'm told I look years younger' - we all are! Nobody's going to tell us we look years older, are they?

Alexa, 'girls need to learn they can do most of the things boys can do including not spending huge amounts of their precious time think about looking pretty' By far the worst offender around here is my grandson, who spends hours getting his hair just right!

Who was looking for this thread ?

I think there is a brand of skincare products for pre teens called Spots and Stripes. It also does bath products.

If she is really hell bent on it, Tarte do a range for younger teens called Sugar Rush which is good quality but a little less expensive. Sugar Rush is mostly moisturisers, cleansers, and lip oils/balms with a few lighter make up products and a brush range. At her age a ‘full face’ isn’t great for her skin but the habit of cleansing and moisturising won’t do her skin any harm.

They have some good Christmas offers on right now.

tartecosmetics.com/EU/en_GB/home

A good set of brushes is always appreciated and is a pretty long lasting gift.

My young teen Grandaughters love the natural fruity smells of Boots body sprays, which they use as deodorants for after sports classes at school, as there are no showers available. The Eldest one is 13, and keeping up with the trends in her peer group, she does wear light make up, but not foundation. Her prefared brand is the Boots 17 range, or sometimes Rimmel although she loves the make up colour pallet and gift box l bought her last Christmas from Revlon in Debenhams.

*I'm not sure why make up is regarded as sexualising a woman/girl.

When an older woman puts on a bit of make up, is it sex she has in mind?

Surely there is some deeper issue to that kind of thinking?*

Yes the deeper thing is little girls need to learn they can do most of the things boys can do including not spending huge amounts of their precious time think about looking pretty.

My two granddaughters of 7 and 10 perform on stage for their dance school and have to wear make-up and hair tightly packed in a bun for the stage and exams.

My ginger daughter had very fair eyelashes so a touch of brown mascara was fine. Lip gloss/balm helped her dry skin and she felt better. This was as she went to high school at 12.
If you dig your heels in and make it a huge issue about sexualisation and immorality you're asking for problems.
I'm appalled at grannypauline's OTT comment.
Look hard enough for a problem and you're likely to find one!

...sad,that young, very young girls think that they need makeup/perfumes etc..something is very wrong here..
..

11 far too young! The women in my family tend to wear minimal makeup, my mother myself and my 42 yo DD.

I'm 79 & have never worn make-up. I'm told I look years younger & I'm sure my skin has greatly benefited from just moisturiser & nothing else. I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone so young to use it & I would tell her she doesn't need it - that she looks great without it.

Happysexagenarian You could both have a day out together and both have a lesson.

Happysexagenarian I agree with others who have suggested a good skin-care routine instead of make-up. A good cleanser is really important if your GGD has started to take an interest in make-up. Or, if you live near any town that has a department store with a beauty department, why not give her a voucher for a make-up session with a qualified beauty therapist? God knows, I could've done with some help when I was a teen. (No mum - dad hadn't a clue ). Must've looked a fright!

I hadn't thought of eBay.
Thanks, I'll check it out.

MissAdventure, I think you are right Boots dont do it anymore ? But I think you can get it on Ebay so you might find your favourite colour there ?

My boys only like blokey stuff.

I will not buy anything for my grandchildren (1 x boy/ 1 x girl) that is gender specific. We have the same skin/hair etc. so I buy Sam Farmer, they do a great travel pack (Amazon). Husband of Carolyn Quentin, who developed it for teenagers etc and developed it because it is not in pink packaging (girls) or black packaging) boys. Try it.

Suggestions? Don’t go there.

Why not get her gym membership for the local gym? Or some nice cleanser, toner and moisturisers? Encourage the healthy, natural lifestyle of her age. Some leggings for the gym or a swimming costume.

It’s getting harder though to encourage girls to experiment later with things like makeup, especially when all of their peers are doing the same. Encourage her by saying how beautiful she is naturally and that enhancements aren’t needed.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Oh and My daughter has had her hair dyed in holidays but always at hair dressers and been booked in week before back to school for natural colour to be returned

She’s happy I’m happy hair dresser is happy and so is school ?

OP was asking for advice on what to buy her granddaughter, not asking for our opinions about an 11 year old wearing make-up, so it doesn't seem particularly nice to criticise this by implication or outright here.

OP why don't you ask the child's mother what she would recommend? She probably knows more about what is in among her daughter's age group than we do.

I have a 14 yr old daughter we buy her make up from mid range at large Superdrug range called revolution they do lots pretty colours with pretty names etc . I would suggest getting her some decent make up brushes and some washable make up remover cloths and natural make up remover . My daughter has been experimenting since she was about 12 just at home and now she’s does some amazing effects etc . She’s never been allowed to wear anything outside till this year and it’s just natural look brown mascara lip gloss

I think 11 is to early for makeup.My Granddaughters started wearing make up when they were 12 even in School it was allowed,which surprised me.Now the fifteen year old has so many layers to apply it take her ages to get ready before School,I just keep quiet!