Preteen Friendly Makeup + Skincare

I was recently asked for some suggestion on makeup products for a preteen and I thought what a great blog post topic that would make. A lot of girls start to take interest in makeup and beauty around their junior high years. I know I personally was not allowed to wear anything until I was in seventh grade. If this is something your pre-teen or teenager has expressed interest in, I hope this post is helpful! There are several factors to keep in mind when picking out a young woman's first makeup. To me I take into consideration: budget friendly, age appropriate, easy for beginners, and trendy. No 12-year-old really needs makeup that is $50 or bright red lipstick to wear daily. But keep in mind that she also has an idea in her head of what is "cool" and in right now and what she is picturing may be very different than what mom has in her makeup bag. I'm going to cover all areas, but before I get into the makeup part I wanted to stress the importance of skincare and teaching your daughter/sister/niece/granddaughter the importance of it.

Skincare Routine

 

I remember my junior high years well, and I suffered from breakouts, like every other teen. Proactive was my best friend until it stopped working. If your teen suffers from acne this is completely normal, but the harsh reality is that makeup can worsen it. If your teen is going to start wearing makeup it is really important to make sure she is taking proper care of her skin. Along with makeup clogging pores, most girls participate in athletics, cheer, or some type of sport. Sweat + makeup = a bad time! Here are my tips as well as my recommended products. For a more in-depth skincare post read my post Emergency Skincare. And a little disclaimer, not everything will work for everyone. We all have different skin. If your teen already has a skincare routine then that is fantastic. Use whatever works for you personally.

1. Makeup wipes are your best friend. I prefer Target's Up brand. These are the first wipes I have  found that completely remove all my makeup in one cloth. e.l.f. is another great option. Neutrogena is great, but a little pricey for how fast I go through a pack. Another great idea is to buy in bulk at Sam's or Costco. There are other makeup removing options like oils, but wipes seem to be the most effective and convenient method. Use these before cleansing at night and throw a pack in her gym bag so she can remove her makeup before practice.

2. A gentle, daily face wash. My go-to drugstore face wash is and will forever be CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser. It was recommended by my dermatologist and I have used it for years. Make sure she is using this every morning and evening, but also right after practice or a game when she sweats.

3. Keep pillowcase, phone, and makeup brushes clean. Keep hands off face/avoid picking. Make sure that her pillow case is getting washed at least once a week. Sanitize cellphones with a clorox wipe and clean those makeup brushes every two weeks. There is a simple trick to cleaning brushing on my Drugstore Dupes 2 post.

4. Spot treatment. Everyone's skin is different, and what works for some may not for others, but this is one of my favorite drugstore products for spot treating acne. Neutrogena On The Spot Acne Treatment .

5. Moisturize. As we age and with the use of more skincare products, our face tends to dry out. Harsh products can strip our face of oils, both good and bad, so its important to hydrate skin so that it doesn't overproduce oil, causing even more breakouts. My favorite is Garnier Gel Moisturizer. 

Starting Her Basic Makeup Kit

 

1. BB Cream or Mineral Powder

A BB cream is a great option for someone who is just starting to wear makeup. It's not as heavy as foundation but will still give good coverage without looking cakey. This page has the best drugstore BB creams and details what each one is best for. 7 Best Drugstore BB Creams

The other direction I would suggest is using a light mineral powder. Some people are not fans of liquid makeups and foundations and powder is their preference.  I would suggest NYX, L'Oreal (this is what I use), or Neutrogena.But there are several good drugstore powders. If your teen has oily skin, she may want to use a sheer powder over a BB cream.

2. Concealer

Concealer is basically magic, just teach your teen that it is for concealing blemishes and tiny imperfections, not covering the entire face. All it takes is a dab and a little goes a LONG way. At this link there are several great drugstore options. Best Drugstore Concealers. I don't recommend the stick concealers (the kind that looks like it's in a lipstick tube) To me they go on thicker and chalkier. 

3. Mascara or Clear Mascara

This one is debatable based on personal preferences, but I suggest skipping out on eyeliner and instead teaching how to use mascara. Maybe I'm biased because eyelashes are my favorite beauty feature to enhance. I have an entire post on mascaras including drugstore options! Let's Talk Lashes Post. If you don't think your are ready to give mascara yet, clear mascara is what I started out with. (I thought I was hot s*** too!) It's a great way to learn how to apply it before diving in completely. Covergirl and Maybelline both make this and it runs about $4.

4. Lip balm or lip gloss

 By now, most girls have had their share of  Lip Smackers and Baby Lips, and maybe even a few hand-me-downs from mom. It's time to give your girl something a little more grown up and special. NYX and Maybelline both make great lip glosses that have several shades. Stick to nudes, soft pinks, and rosey colors.

5. Highlight/Contour (Fun Stuff)

Go to any Instagram makeup page or beauty blogger's YouTube channel and I guarantee the words "highlight" and "contour" are going to pop up. This is a fun beauty trend used to really shape your face and exemplify your features how you want. Contour is all about shaping your face. Making your cheek bones more prominent, or your nose to appear more narrow. Highlighting is adding shine where the sun/light would naturally hit your face. Another fun trend is color correcting. This is when you use colored makeup to balance certain flaws. Green helps to correct redness, while orange helps to cover dark circles. None of this is really needed in young pretty skin, but I can promise your teen will be interested in these makeup techniques. Here are some budget friendly products for them to play around and learn with.

NYX Color Correcting Palette

NYX Highlight & Contour Palette 

NYX Wonder Concealer Stick
Maybelline Face Studio Master Contour Stick
e.l.f. Contour Palette
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Contour
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (beauty blender)

Things To Avoid

1. Harsh, dark, or bright lipsticks. With the exception of dance and cheer competitions, I would stay away from brick red lipsticks or anything too bright or dark.

2. Heavy eyeliner or eyeshadow. If I had the opporunity to go back and talk to 13-year-old Lindsey I would tell her two things. Stop slicking your hair back, you look like a boy and heavy eyeliner on top and bottom is NOT cute. Skip the liner and use mascara instead for an open-eyed fresh face. If she really wants liner, only apply on the top lid in a nice thin line. When I was in high school, dark smokey eyeshadow was the big thing. Now when I look back at photos we look like a bunch of racoons. Stick to neutrals or skip eyeshadow for now.

3. Bright pink blush. Remember this is a young lady, not a little girl. Bright flushed cheeks are good for ballet and pageants, not for school or every day.

4. Over-plucking brows. One more thing I would like to discuss with my teenage self is ruining my eyebrows. My oldest sister has the most beautiful natural brows! Avoid over waxing or plucking, she will be so grateful when she's older. Of course, still do basic brow grooming, just don't go crazy. If your teen has thinner or blonde eyebrow she may want to fill them in. I suggest an eyebrow powder or brow gel rather than a pencil as it is easy to get heavy handed. Filling in brows will be a more challenging technique to learn.

Tips

What age should pre-teens be allowed to start wearing makeup? This is totally up to you as a parent. If you are reading this for your sibling, niece, or granddaughter, etc. be sure that you have mom and dad's ok first. Everyone is different and some girls don't express any interest in makeup, which is totally ok!

Share your wisdom. Teach some basic techniques as well as going over hygiene. Remind them not to share with friends to avoid nasty breakouts or styes and to clean makeup brushes and replace old stuff.

Gift a cute makeup bag. If you are starting them out, include everything in a cute little makeup bag to make it more personal and organized.

Make it fun!  This is a really exciting milestone for some girls. You may be thinking, its just makeup its not that serious, or that teens are too young to start wearing it. Everyone opinions will differ and that is perfectly ok. I would not push for anyone to wear makeup who was not interested. These are basics for a teen who is ready and excited to get her first makeup. And always remember, makeup is not for covering up, being fake, or hiding things. It is used to enhance the natural features that God blessed you with and it is supposed to be fun! I hope you found this useful, please feel free to ask any questions or share your thoughts! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a post and can get new posts sent directly to your inbox! OH and the best part....in honor of this post, I bring you, Makeup Disasters of My Youth. And this is just what I found on Facebook. Thank goodness MySpace is gone! Haha!!

XXXX
Lindsey

Thomas Rose Boutique T-Shirt

Today I wanted to share my favorite new t-shirt from Thomas Rose boutique! I wore this to an Aaron Watson concert this weekend (which was amazing! He puts on a really great show and has awesome chemistry with the crowd) and I got tons of compliments and questions about it. The shirt reads "I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little". It is so soft and comfy! I got this shirt in a medium and it fits true to size. Thomas Rose is a newer boutique, and is currently online only. You can order from their Facebook and Instagram pages! Just comment your size, email, and state on the photo of the item you want to order. I know you ladies are probably doing a ton of Cyber Monday damage today, but don't forget the importance of shopping and supporting local, small businesses! Check out Thomas Rose's pages below to see all the cute apparel! And of course I had to have my model, Buddy our Maltese, in my photos! ;) Thank you ladies of Thomas Rose!

I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who reads my blog posts! I was so surprised over the weekend to hear from people of all walks of life who said they read my blog. I had friends of my Nana, my old teachers, and even GUYS I went to high school with tell me they read it! I started this with the expectation of my friends and maybe mom reading it, but I have gotten really awesome  support, so thank you all!

Thomas Rose Facebook

Thomas Rose Instagram

 

 

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

XXXX

Lindsey 

Bath and Body Works Cream Body Wash

Growing up I was almost always staying at my friend Brittney's house on Fridays after cheering at football games and I remember her shower being stocked with a new B&BW shower gel every time. At my house we usually had something simple like Suave so I would be so excited to try the new fragrances she had. I think I have however, gotten B&BW works gift sets every Christmas for as long as I can remember (what girl hasn't honestly) and the sets would include a lotion, body mist, and shower gel. If I had my say, I would bring back the Art's Stuff collection from the 90s. Glitter shower gel, the body mist with the little squishy circles in it, foaming body wash, ROLL ON BODY glitter. And let's not forget Cucumber Melon! Who remembers these?? I even had my membership card, which I guarantee is somewhere at my mom's house still (I have hoarding issues) Give me all the roll on glitter back! Now days I still love and use B&BW products, but their candles are by far my absolute favorite! However, I am so excited for two new releases. Whipped Shimmer Body Mousse and Creamy Body Wash.

The Whipped Body Mousse brings that nostalgic feeling from the old foam body wash. I tried a sample in the store and it feels amazing, but have not purchased it yet. I did purchase the Creamy Body wash in the fragrance Fresh Sparkling Snow. I used it last night and I love it so far! It's a creamy wash with a great lather and left my skin feeling soft and clean. And I LOVE the Fresh Sparkling Snow scent so I may have to try it in other products. Other holiday scents I found I love are Champagne Toast, Sparkling Wood (which for some reason is not online), Mahogany Teakwood, Flannel, and Marshmallow Fireside. For winter I prefer woodsy and strong scents over the super sweet vanillas. I would definitely recommend these new products if you are looking for stocking stuffers or a gift for a coworker. :) I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thank you for taking the time to read.

XXXX

Lindsey

Not a paid sponsor. All opinions are my own!

Holiday Gift Guide For Her

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you caught my Holiday Gift Guide For Him post yesterday! Shopping for my fellow females comes much more naturally to me, so this guide will be a little more detailed! I rounded up all of my favorite products, ones I have been dying to try, and gift sets that cannot be passed up. Hopefully you find some inspiration from these gift ideas! Happy shopping!

XXXX

Lindsey

 

 

For The Makeup Guru: 

Tart Makeup Brush Set
Tarte In Bloom Eyeshadow Palette
Tarte Pro-Glow Highlight & Contour Palette
Artis Makeup Brush Set
Huda Beauty Eyeshadow Palette
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit
Jaclynn Hill x Becca- Champagne Pop
And a gift card to Sephora or Ulta is always a great idea!

For The Skincare Lover: 

Glamglow Super Mud Set
TULA Holiday Hydration Kit
TULA Discovery Kit
First Aid Beauty-FAB Beautique
First Aid Beauty-Winter Skin Savers
Clinque Great Skin Everywhere Set
Clarisonic Mia
Tarte Frxxxtion Stick & Tarte Pack Your Bags Undereye Patches
Another great idea is a gift card for a mani/pedi or massage!
 

 

For The Hair Goddess:

DryBar Big Blowout Bundle
T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron  
CHI City Chic Travel Size Hair Tools
Drybar Texas Tease Big Hair To Go Set
Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Stocking Stuffer

For The Fashionista:

It's hard to give a specific pick on fashion. Everyone has such different style. My reccomendations would be to ask what stores they love and get them one or two gift cards! Nordstrom, Victoria's Secret, Dillards, or maybe their favorite boutique! Other creative ideas would be to sign them up for a Stich Fix or Rocksbox subscription. Here are some other ideas!
Fleece Pullover  (I love the burgandy!)
Sam Edelman Boots - I have these in Whiskey and now I want the black! Go up a full size in these.
Steve Madden Edit Booties - The blush velvet is everything.
Rebecca Minkoff Tech Wristlet
Faux Fur White Vest - you can find these tons of places for a reasonable price and in multiple colors

For The Entertainer:

Marble Cheeseboard
Marble and Copper Cheese Knives
Copper Rim Barware Collection
Wine Decanter and Glasses Set
Wine Aerator

For The Travel Bug:

Barrington Gift's Captains Bag (personalized)
Barrington Gift's Diaper Bag
Barrington Gifts Zippered Tote
Jon Hart Makeup Case Organizer
Jon Hart Roll Up Organizer
Jon Hart Makeup Case
Jon Hart Overnighter

Just Because:

Fujifilm Instax Wide Polaroid 
Fujifilm Instax Mini Polaroid
Faux Fur Blanket
Fleece Blankets
Candles
Cute Slippers 
A Fluffy Bathrobe - I received a robe from Aegean Apparel one year for Christmas and I actually shared it in an older blog post because I love it so much! I wear it every morning when I get ready or when I just want to throw on something cozy. I wash it every week because my makeup gets on it and it has not worn out at all! This is such a useful gift.