You may want your little girl to stay a little girl for as long as possible, but the truth is, they'll eventually become teens who want to experiment with everything, including makeup. Instead of fighting the makeup movement, a better strategy would be to give your teen the tips and products she needs to look her best. It's never too early to start wearing sunscreen on her face year-round; it'll save her a lot of money on anti-aging concoctions as she ages! Choose an oil-free moisturizer with SPF to wear under makeup and a more emollient formula without sunscreen to wear at night. Even acne-prone skin can get flaky, so it's best to moisturize with non-comedogenic - those that don't clog pores and cause acne - products. Teens should exfoliate with a gentle scrub at least once a week as well. Drier teen skin may need foundation, but most doesn't. For many teens, patting concealer on pimples and other problem areas, followed by a few swipes of a good-quality powder, such as Bare Minerals, is sufficient coverage. For red, irritated pimples, coverage is more successful when the swelling goes down, so beginning with a small ice pack or cold spoon on the affected area for a few minutes can help tone down raised, red areas.
Follow face powder with a swipe of natural-colored blush along cheekbones. Groom eyebrows by plucking or waxing, then add a dot of gel on an old toothbrush or mascara wand, and brush brows. Fill in any spots with a complementary shade of eye shadow. Teens don't really need a lot of eye makeup, so stick with a shimmery neutral on the lid, followed by a coat or two of mascara. If it's a special occasion, eyeliner might be a nice addition applied only to the upper lid, just above the lashes. Lips shouldn't be overdone, either. A sheer gloss or creamy, light color is perfect. Encourage teens to take the time to wash their faces thoroughly before going to bed. Petroleum jelly makes a good eye makeup remover, and her favorite face wash is fine for the rest of the face. Taking it off is just as important as putting it on!