Meet Your Tween in the Middle

If you're a parent of a daughter around 12-ish, first of all condolences, second, you know how excited they are to transition into full teen-hood! As a mom of a two men, a toddler boy, and a 15 year old girl, I know how the tween years can be.  One of the problems comes with the age old question of when should your daughter start wearing makeup?  Contrary to popular belief there is no makeup-police guidebook or law that tells you when it's "appropriate." I personally don't even like the word "appropriate" in this subject because there are so many personal factors to consider that it makes the word "appropriate" completely subjective. Only a parent knows if/when it is right for their child. It's a very personal, parental decision that no one else should weigh in on. 

That being said, I recently had a back-to-school makeup session with my niece, Ava. Her mom and dad are not nearly as eager as she is to wear makeup. In fact her father would stop her growing all together if he could! So, I created a look for her that is father-approved, and tween approved, which wasn't as hard as you think. I'll let you in on how to tackle this situation:

1. Cleanse. The foundation of great makeup is great skin. There's really no reason that a 10 year old (girl, or boy) can't have their own cleansing routine. Bacteria and toxins from the environment are prominent on our skin, keeping it clean is a necessity. The upside, however, is that a cleansing routine will help them to feel more "grown-up," give them sense of responsibility. And half the appeal of wearing makeup is the feeling of being grown-up, right?

2. Moisturize. You don't want to go straight to tinted moisturizer or foundation? Invest in a quality moisturizer. You will keep her skin hydrated and glowing. We try to achieve younger looking, even skin, with foundation. They're a tween, more than likely they have a beautiful even complexion already. Keeping it moisturized will protect it. And even if it isn't perfect, starting with moisturizer only will help them love their skin regardless of imperfections. Add a sun screen for extra protection (very important.) If you can handle it, you can kick it up a notch like I did with Ava. I applied a bit of a cream illuminating product to the moisturizer. This elevates the look from healthy skin to healthy skin 2.0! She'll be excited and see a bit of "oomph," and you'll be excited it still is not full on color of foundation. 

* If there is a skin issue with acne or breakouts, please see a dermatologist, and follow their directions. Keeping the skin free from bacteria is very important with breakouts. If you decide you want her to use a bit of foundation you can add it to the moisturizer to thin it out.

4 Shades of LimeLife’s Rich brow gel, including clear.

3. Go Clear. Did you know eyebrow gel and mascara come in clear gel formulas? Yup, they do! Score! She gets to use real products she can keep in her purse, (gotta have some makeup in the purse, or they'll just die!) and you are feeling like she didn't age 5 years in 5 minutes! Many brands, from drug store to luxury, make clear formulas.

4. Use the Right Tools and Colors. I used a regular black mascara on Ava, however I used one with thin plastic bristle brush. This type of brush divides lashes and only puts a minimal amount of product on the lashes. Just enough, not too detectable, and no spider lashes. When it came to eye shadow, I didn't use an eye primer or anything to make the eye shadow stand out more. Just a light wash of color with a fluffy eye brush. For lips, I used a liquid lip color but applied with a lip brush. I taught her how to apply it with this separate brush so she can control the amount on her lips. The light pink of they eye shadow and lip was just enough  for this tween beauty!