What age is appropriate?

[MarlaRW]

Hello ladies! New here, so my 12 year old daughter is in 7th grade and is asking me if she can go to Sephora to shop for makeup with a group of 2-3 friends. I’m not sure if I should accept this or if the store clerks will accept tweens in the store. Please give me any advise you have! 😊

[xandralee]

Ultimately it is up to you to decide what you're most comfortable with for your daughter. Sephora is high end brand so it will not exactly be cost effective. But if you are okay with prices,and products,and how ever she wants to do her make up it will be fun.

Now personally as a mom and avid make up addict I would take my daughter to Ulta,they have a drugstore section along with high end brand and they also have product testers that you and the girls can safely inspect. Its more cost effective so she would be able to get more products without sacrificing quality and they tend to be larger stores so they can check out hair products,perfume,bath and body and more.

But again its ultimately up to you as a mom.

[CheerMomma]

I don’t see any issue in letting her go with her friends and if Sephora is in her budget and you are ok with her wearing makeup then let her buy some stuff, maybe guide her on what will suit her age and budget before she goes. Also let her know there aren’t testers and makeovers these days they won’t be able to swatch which a lot of teens like to do. Sephora will only be concerned if the girls are messing about in store, spritzing perfumes everywhere and making a noise or spectacle of themselves, or come across as shady. Do you trust her friends not to pocket something? You don’t want her getting caught up that or being dared and pressured to do the same.

With my daughter, when at a similar age, I had a talk with her that she was not permitted colour cosmetics until she had a well set skincare routine that she did consistently. Gotta make the canvas good before you paint it. She had clear mascara and gloss until then, if she wanted to use makeup l let her mine because as a makeup lover I have ample supply.

As she got a little older we also compromised on tinted moisturizer with spf  as it met her need for a face product and my desire that she moisturize and use spf daily.

My daughter also has trichotillomania and pulls out her eyebrows and sometimes lashes so I did let her use a brow product and  faux natural lashes when it became obvious she’d been pulling.

if you are a makeup lover I hope that her interest can also be an extra connection between you, we need all the bonds we can as they enter their teen years.

[Jenjess]

Setting clear limits on what she can buy - maybe lip gloss and mascara, but no wild colors, or whatever you’re okay with - and a firm budget might make you more comfortable and her trip more successful. Clear boundaries and expectations seem to help me and my daughters whenever we navigate new territory.  

[RAWRitsRED]

Hi @MarlaRW!

I was around your daughter's age when I first started wearing makeup.  Sephora was pretty tolerant with my friends and I even though we were young and always doing our nails for free there 😂  Some employees are a bit rude if you look too young, don't have makeup on, or if you seem like you're not going to spend money.  That's something I still go through in my 20's even as a Rouge 🙄 Because of the pandemic, they won't be able to test or ask for any custom samples in stores, but some stores have pre-made samples of certain products.  You can call ahead of time and ask if they have any available.

I used only eyeliner in middle school but started using other products like foundation, mascara, contour and brow pencil in high school.  My parents weren't into the idea of me using makeup in the beginning so it's definitely normal for you to feel conflicted.  It's really your call, but I get that kids these days feel they need makeup to look pretty like the girls on social media.  For me, makeup is a tool that gives me confidence and is a creative outlet.

It's definitely better for your daughter's skin if she doesn't use too much makeup at a young age since it can age you faster.  The Sephora employees told me that as well!  I would personally recommend skipping the complexion products (primer, foundation, concealer) until high school or as long as she can and stick to eye products and maybe blush/bronzer, lip products.

Sunscreen is a must!  A popular one is Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ 1.7 oz/ 50 mL  and it wears well under makeup.  It not only protects against UV rays but also harmful blue light that comes from computer and phone screens!

[SportyGirly125]

@MarlaRW @I think you have to make the judgement call of what age is appropriate for your daughter. Every parent is different. My Mom let me wear makeup to school when I was in junior high but it was very minimal. It wasn’t till I was a junior/ senior where I started to wear more of it but then my Mom was the one buying it for me so I couldn’t go overboard.

As a Mother of a daughter myself I know there will be pressure from friends if their parents let their child wear makeup already and a it’s not fair tantrum but I think as her Mother you will know what’s best for her.

The store will of course accept tweens in the store as long as they can pay for what they are purchasing.