Too Young For Makeup?

Lexi F., Tiffy W., Emma D., and Courtney C.

For some girls, makeup is for dress up. For others, it’s a part of their daily routine.

Should that be a concern for parents and students on campus?  

Staff and students at Day Creek Intermediate were recently interviewed to get their input on makeup.

“[Makeup] causes girls to feel like they’re not pretty and that they don’t go with their own natural beauty, and I don’t think we emphasize enough that girls look pretty just naturally,” said Ms. Rose, a PE teacher at DCIS when asked why girls wear makeup so early in their lives.

The challenge is transitioning from not wearing makeup to wearing makeup.  When should that happen?  And why the rush?

“It seems weird to me how many people wear makeup at my age. I think the girls who wear makeup are trying to put themselves out there,” said Jaiden C.

Sometimes, when a girl has an older sister, the younger of the two may have a desire to use makeup like her older sibling.  

“When my sister wears makeup, I want to wear makeup because she is a big influence on me and I want to be like her,” said Jaiden C., a sixth grader at DCIS.

Some girls on campus may sometimes sneak makeup, putting it on when they get to school and taking it off before they leave.

“When I was in junior high, I put on makeup at school and washed it off before I went home.  I was one of those [girls],” said Ms. Rose.

Some grade levels struggle with this more than others.  While 6th graders are transitioning from elementary school, 7th graders are beginning to look forward to high school and seem to be at the center of the topic.  

“Usually it’s 7th grade girls who wear the most makeup because they are kind of like [how I was when I was a student]. They will sneak makeup on and wear it, and sometimes they wear too much because nobody has taught them how to wear it appropriately,” said Ms. Rose.

What about the adults on campus, how do they feel when they wear makeup?

“I don’t feel like I look my best without a little help. I really don’t like to go out without makeup at my age,” said Mrs. Kalina.

So, at what age would it be appropriate for girls to start wearing makeup?

“First of all, that should be up to the girl and her parents. That should be a family conversation. I think it would be different from one family to another.” said Mr. Evans, a seventh grade teacher at DCIS.

“An appropriate age would be a freshman in highschool,” said Mr. Hernandez.

People had different opinions when it came to what type of makeup girls should start wearing first.

“The product I would start off with is mascara,” said Jaiden C.

“As a freshman in high school and from here on out, only eye makeup,” said Mr. Hernandez.

“The product girls should start wearing is blush,” said Katie C. a seventh grader at DCIS.

What did the staff think about girls who do wear makeup?

“To be honest, I don’t even like when girls wear makeup,” said Mr. Hernandez

“I love the fact that when girls choose not to wear makeup, they allow their inner beauty to shine,” said Ms. Rose.