Which cosmetics would you suggest for a young teen?

[HSMom2One]

I had a friend who did this for her teenage girls as kind of a rite of passage that was very special for them as mother and dd, so every since she shared it with me I've been waiting for my own dd's 13th birthday. Well, dd turns 13 next month and the plan is to take her somewhere for a facial with a cosmetician to demonstrate how to apply age appropriate makeup correctly and how to take care of her skin. This will be my birthday gift to her along with a starter set of some of the products. Since we're on a pretty tight budget right now I know we can't afford to go to Macy's or some other high end cosmetics counter to have this done. What or where do you suggest for us? Have any of you done this with your teenager?

 

Let's please not turn this into a conversation about whether young teen girls should be allowed to wear makeup or not. I'm asking those that agree that teaching young women to use moderate amounts is permissible and a normal part of growing up.

 

Thanks for your input and suggestions.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited April 16, 2012 by HSMom2One

[J-rap]

At that age, I think I got some "expert" (make-up counter at a department store :) ) advice on a good powder that matched their skin color perfectly, and that was only for my daughters that had acne problems. Also, a good cleaner recommendation. Without their interest in it, I didn't want to go further than that, but I felt it was a good place to start.

[HSMom2One]

I realize now that I should have clarified that I'm looking for specific stores and brand names, not each type of product that is appropriate. I'm open to suggestions and ideas though, and hope there are those that might help me make this fun and special. She knows about it and is really looking forward to it, as she is kind of a girly-girl that loves fashion, hairstyles and the whole works.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[LinRTX]

I did this for my daughters and just took them to the Clinque counter at some store. I could not afford to buy it all, but I think they had a special going on around then for spend so much and get this bag of samples. I know I only had a certain amount to spend and let my daughter choose which product she wanted.

 

It was a great day and we had loads of fun!

 

Linda

[OnTheBrink]

How about a Mary Kay lady?

[joannqn]

How about a Mary Kay lady?

 

I think that would be a lot of fun if you could find one willing to do a party for a group of teens.

[Avila]

We did Clinique. I do like their skin care, and their color cosmetics are soft enough that even a young, inexperienced teen would have a hard time overdoing it with them. And Clinique is fairly inexpensive, compared with the other department store brands.

 

Sometimes you can find a department store doing the free gift with purchase. You buy $20ish, then they give you a little bag with some freebies. That is usually plenty to get started with.

 

Dillards was doing with with Clinique a few weeks ago.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Asenik

[SailorMom]

I adore Everyday Minerals (google - it's online), but there is no store :(

You can order samples in shades you think would work, try those, and then order from there.... But doubtful it would be as fun for you two as actually going to a store.

[mommaduck]

Bare Minerals

Larenim

Mary Kay

[melissad2]

ULTA?

They have lots of different brands at different price ranges.

[T'smom]

The only one I know of is Merle Norman. I have no idea how relatively expensive it is.

[wonderchica]

I would say Bare Minerals, available at Ulta and some other places. They usually have several little kits of color products, very light and easy foundation for a young girl. For drugstore, L'Oreal True Match foundation is nice and light. A cream blush like Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush would be good.

[Chelli]

My dermatologist when I was a teen said that no makeup is best for your skin, but if you had to wear makeup then the only brand he would recommend was Clinique.

 

It is all I've ever worn, and I won't be changing any time soon. :001_smile:

[Briartell]

Do you have a sephora near you? They could do that for you. However, I would consider doing the following instead so that you can buy more makeup.

 

I took my daughter to the dermatologist. She gets lots of whitehead pimples on her cheeks. The doctor told her to use Cetaphile gentle cleanser ( rub on, wipe off, no water needed). In the morning she is to use Cerave moisturizer with sunscreen and at night she used Cetaphile moisturizer. This after you have cleaned.

 

As for make-up tutorials go to YouTube. There is some amazing stuff on there for young girls with both good skin and bad skin. Watch a few with her and make a list of the products you liked in the videos. If Target sells it, you can buy it there. If the color is wrong, you can return it easily.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Briartell

[mumto2]

Clinique really is the best. I used a bit of everything as a teenager. My skin was pretty bad. When I switched my skin became much better. To be honest I would stop at a counter and do some samples when they don't have bonus time but will soon. Bonus time can usually be found by googling. Say you want to see if dd has a reaction. I know a teen who does!

 

Go back during bonus time and buy your items. Generally it is $19.50 or $37 that you need to spend-- I think. The more expensive bonus is far nicer and at stores like Saks normally. The $19.50 one should be about 5 items -- usually lip gloss/ stick, mascara, eye shadow/ liner, lotions, and usually new line anything. Maybe a cute bag too.

 

I will say the bonus buying method(I only buy with a bonus) has provided most of my makeup needs for years. I only buy my base, an occasional blusher, and my favorite eye cream. Plenty of other freebies. My dd has all the lip gloss she can use!

 

I know this is far more info than you probably wanted. But makeup is expensive everywhere these days. Clinique is fairly reasonable when you consider the bonus.

[SJ.]

Our local Ulta will do a makeup lesson with a $30 purchase.

[Wabi Sabi]

I think that a starter kit of Bare Minerals would be perfect for a young teen. It's very light and looks natural plus the starter kits come with a how-to DVD.

[tntgoodwin]

My wife used to sell Mary Kay, and now mostly uses Bare Minerals, I think.

 

If you know someone who sells Mary Kay, I imagine she could be a good choice for a group of girls to get some makeup lessons from.

 

If it is just for your daughter alone, I don't know that a MK sales person would be the best choice.

 

I think having someone you know that uses what you consider an appropriate amount of makeup teach your daughter might be a good choice. Maybe even an older teenager could do it, if you know one that seems to know what she is doing.

 

13 is kind of a big birthday, and I definitely understand the tight budget thing, but it may be worth it to save a little from another part of your budget and splurge a little and go to Dillaird's or Macy's. Look for a person who has the type of makeup look you are looking for for your daughter.

 

Has she expressed interest in even wearing makeup? That may be important to consider as well. Maybe flip through some magazines together and talk about what looks good and age-appropriate with her, so that she understands what your expectations regarding that are.

 

//ramble

[HSMom2One]

You're all so wonderful!! Thanks VERY much for all of the great suggestions. I'm for sure going to check out Clinique, Ulta, Bare Minerals, and maybe even Mary Kay. We may even have a party with other girls. So much to think about!! But anyway, after having raised all boys to manhood and then finally getting my dd later in life, these things are really special.

 

tntgoodwin, your post was especially dear. Thank you! And yes, dd has been interested in makeup for a long time. I've just been holding her back, making her wait until she's a teenager. The goal has always been to have something to look forward to at the right age, learn how to wear it appropriately and in a way that promotes good hygiene.

 

Blessings to you all,

Lucinda

[AngieW in Texas]

I took my oldest to Ulta for her 13th birthday and had them show her how to use Bare Minerals. I figured it was probably the safest thing she could use. She tends to react to most things that go on the skin, but she had no problems with Bare Minerals.

 

I offered to do the same for my middle dd's 13th birthday, but she flat-out turned me down. She can't stand the feeling of it on her skin. I can't either and that's why I don't wear any.

 

My two older girls use the skin care products from acne.org.

 

My youngest turned me down for her 13th birthday too. She learned how to do it from youtube tutorials. What she uses is a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen in it (can't remember the brand) and mascara. She also tends to react to a lot of skin products but hasn't had any problems with what she is using.

 

The products at acne.org are too strong for my youngest dd. She uses the Neutrogena Sonic Wave and Biore' Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.

 

ETA:

I'll find out what brand of tinted moisturizer my 13yo uses in the morning. She keeps it in her room and she's already asleep now. I know we got it at Target and we had to buy several before we found the one that was the right shade.

Edited April 17, 2012 by AngieW in Texas

[HSMom2One]

Do you have a sephora near you? They could do that for you.

 

That's what we ended up doing last weekend and it was so much fun! I found out there was a Sephora at JCP near my son's home, so we planned to go there the afternoon of our monthly family birthday celebration. The technician there was just wonderful and it was all free. She gave her undivided attention to dd and we learned a lot. My dil, dd's great aunt and I went with dd and she loved all the attention she got. It was kinda like a rite of passage for her, welcoming her to grownup sisterhood. Anyway, here's a picture of my beautiful girl after her makeover.

 

 

Thanks for all the input, and thank you Briartell for suggesting Sephora. I had never heard of it before since our own JCP is a small town version. :)

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited May 24, 2012 by HSMom2One
image issues

[LaxMom]

It sounds like she had a WONDERFUL day! :D

[HSMom2One]

It sounds like she had a WONDERFUL day! :D

 

Yes, more than can be expressed.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[pfamilygal]

Gorgeous!

 

 

My 7 yr old is always wanting makeup. She wants to make crazy designs though, not "real" makeup.

[sheryl]

Hi Lucinda!

 

My dd turned 13 this past Sat!

 

You know, actually some of the department stores offer demonstrations with the products they sell from their own counter/line. You could just explain the situation and if they'd be interested - your dd may be a future customer one day.

 

I think it's a lovely idea.

 

OK, as usual I'm late with a reply. She's a lovely girl!!!

[bamagirl]

I like Kiss My Face tinted moisturizer which I think would be great for a young teen..it's not heavy at all and most of them have some SPF. You should be able to find it at Ulta.

[tadah]

What a sweet rite of passage! That's a beautiful photo, and what a memory for both mother and daughter.

 

I wanted to mention Paula Begoun's books about make-up and hair products, which might be available from your library. (I think I first learned about these books from this forum, from which I glean all sorts of practical information.) I figure my daughter will save many hundreds of dollars over her lifetime by reading up on the various products, in the process becoming better informed and thinking critically about what's worth spending extra money on and what's not.