by Elizabeth Marie

Created on: November 01, 2009

I didn't even feel the need to wear makeup until I was eleven years old.For me, makeup wasn't something that made me older or made me more popular; it made me feel more comfortable with my face. It's not like I had major acne problems but I did have the occasional blemish and bags under my eyes.I only wore lip gloss,foundation, a light eyeshadow and mascara for years. Just the middle of last year did I begin to wear eyeliner, and I am now fourteen.

A child shouldn't wear makeup if they're not a preteen or in their teen years.Why would you establish in her mind that to look pretty you have to wear makeup?If she's not even in the "double digits" of her life yet,she probably doesn't understand the concept of makeup.Growing up in a Christian school, I would always here the phrase, " You can always put a fresh coat of paint on an old barn."This simply means that makeup doesn't make you beautiful, it brings out the natural beauty God gave you that is hidden behind the years in your face.A child can't grasp this, and if they can't understand what it's meant for, they shouldn't be using it.

Upon doing a little research on the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, I found that only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful.Do you want your daughter to be a statistic? What women are supposedly supposed to look like are showed in magazines, on television and in the general media everyday. This lowers a girl's self confidence, making them more pressured to wear makeup.This may be why some mother's ask, "How young is too young?" Well, I've already shared my thought's on this subject, but what does the public have to say about it? In studying an open forum, I found that 97% of people believe a preteen is a good age for a young girl to start wearing makeup.There were many comments saying, "Don't pile it on!" This may bring a whole new set of questions for mothers.

How much is too much? As I said before, makeup enhances your natural beauty.If the center of the attention on the face is not brought to the beauty but to the makeup, then you have too much on.Most mothers know this, so I recommend showing your daughters how to put on makeup without looking "trashy" but simple and beautiful. This will give you a chance to bond and become closer.

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