Autumn asks: Moms, are you ready for Make-Up?

Really, I'm not.

Anyone that has a little girl knows that the, "When can I wear make-up?", question comes up early. That's if you are lucky...a lot of little girls just start wearing it without asking the question, as they pass it among their friends and swap all kinds of nasties like pink eye and other green and yellow oozing messes. Gross.

Songbird wanted to join her friends in the wearing of make-up in the 5th grade. And when she said "everyone is doing it!!" she wasn't far off. So we were the big, bad, mean parents that said no. Not even over my dead body. Why would you be trying to attract male attention in the 5th grade??

At that point I made the the comment to talk to me in Jr. High. So Jr. High arrived last year and I said that she could start wearing make-up in 8th grade, but not this year. Well, let me back that up, I did let her start wearing clear mascara.

And now, 8th grade is tomorrow.

And don't you know, after church, in the car, the whole subject came up on how tomorrow she could start wearing eyeliner. Too bad you'll have to wait until payday before we can go find that coveted stick of eyeliner.

But wait!! Friends to the rescue!!! One of her good friends bought her make-up for her birthday! And there is even an eyeliner! BLACK! Oh joy!!!

So, knowing my colorful child (and seeing her character on Rock Band), I had visions flashing through my head. Like this...



Okay, maybe this is a little extreme. But I'm a mom...that's how the pictures roll.

Dad is not enjoying the conversation at all. He keeps pointing out how mom doesn't wear make-up and that is how he likes it. That is what looks normal.

So now I know I have to step up and do something. It's not her fault her mother has skin that doesn't tolerate make-up or much of anything else very well. Fortunately, she did not inherit that from me. But at 13 I don't want her going overboard and looking all made-up either. So I tried to start explaining a few things to her. And in this conversation I realize I am failing because she has already been schooled by someone else...who is probably her age and just as clueless.

So I tell DH that there is a change in plans (we were all getting ready to go to the grocery store for a weeks worth of meal shopping on the way home from church). Drop the girls and I at the mall, and you do the shopping while I take care of the make-up. He actually did it.

So I took Songbird into Dillard's because I knew they carried Clinique. If you are going to do it, do it right. (This is actually one of the only brands that I can tolerate...which is why I don't wear make-up...who can afford it???)

There was a wonderful young lady that I told I needed eye liner and a very neutral shadow along with lessons for a newbie. This lady was so wonderful. She taught Songbird how to choose colors, how to apply and remove and gave her some other tips. Songbird was also very impressed with her twenty-something make-up and neat eyeliner trick to turn up the corners of her eyes. Not yet kid.

She looked good. Really good. Very natural yet enhancing. (I'm going to skip on a picture as she isn't thrilled about me blogging on this in the first place.) My daughter left the store looking a few years older with only eye shadow and liner. I've nixed the blush and base as she has skin to die for at this point in her life. Her haul today looked like this:


I can't believe it, but its done. Whoa.

(And yes, when we got in the car dad's only comment was, "You look better without it." Men.)