In my opinion, children are learning through the media that in order to be pretty, one must “doll themselves up” by wearing coats of makeup. When I grew up, makeup was an interest of mine and I always wanted to try it. Probably starting in 5th or 6th grade, I would wear a colorful eyeshadow to match my outfits- not the best idea- but it was cool back then. Eventually I grew out of that stage and moved onto more lipsticks, foundation, blush, and eyeliner. Even though I hardly wore any makeup compared to the other girls in my class, I still had the idea in my head that in order for boys to like me, I had to wear makeup. Continuing throughout high school, I found a natural makeup look and stuck with that, that is until I professionally got my makeup done for my senior prom. Since then, I have worn more expensive makeup regularly due to the fact that I work in an industry where it is required. When I started dating my boyfriend, I always put lots of makeup on to impress him, and to make him believe I was beautiful. Little did I know, but he did not appreciate the fact that I was trying to cover myself and change my look. To this day, he calls me beautiful when I am not wearing makeup, and I am completely myself. I have learned, through him, that makeup does not define me. It might define my brows, but it is not who I am as a person. Some women rely heavily on makeup and will not go anywhere without it, which makes me sad, but then it might be a passion to them. Look at all the Professional YouTubers who make a living doing makeup tutorials, they have a dedication and passion to it- which is great for them. However, there comes a point when the makeup will be removed and people will see you for who you really are. I have learned to appreciate those moments, as in today’s society that does not come regularly. I hope that if I have a daughter one day, I will teach her to appreciate how she looks no matter what. I will not ban her for makeup because it can be a fun way to do an artsy thing, however it will not be an every day occurrence.

Let me know what you think- what age should children be allowed to wear makeup? Or is age not the issue?