With or Without

Growing up, I never wore make-up.  I’m not sure if it was because I was a tomboy, and consequently, my focus was on sports, or because my mother never wore make-up.  I only have one sibling, a brother, so make-up was just not in our house.  Then I had children… and five of them were girls.

From the very beginning, the oldest held a fascination for make-up.  I never understood it, because she did not grow up seeing her mother use it.  I don’t even own any.  Never the less, she begged and begged to be able to wear make-up.  With four younger sisters, the family rules of make-up began.

There was positively no make-up use, with the exception of nail polish, in elementary school.  Let me just say, that sixth grade without make-up is apparently a travesty and my rule bordered on child abuse.  The rule was enforced despite my helping out at the school and seeing 12 year old girls with foundation and some with fake nails!  Some had even began to pluck their pre-pubescent thicker eyebrows.  Years from now I knew they would be wishing they hadn't.

Upon entering junior high you were presented with a clear mascara.  A wonderful invention.  It was like putting a little Vaseline on your lashes to make them shine.  It satisfied my girls need to feel like they were really applying something.

In the ninth grade you were allowed a real mascara, but nothing heavy.  Upon entering high school, the eyeshadow, in neutral shades was allowed and a faint touch of blush.  Fortunately, these three items, mascara, eye shadow, and blush was perfectly fine with them.  Sure there was the occasional “go get me a Kleenex” so I could “soften” their application, but all in all, the rules worked out nicely.

My message was always that they were beautiful with or without make-up and I stand by this still today.

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