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Overboard
How Much Makeup Is Too Much for Your Teen?
By Rachel Weingarten
Oops, she did it again. Your (barely) teenage daughter just stormed out of the house looking like a pop-tart wannabe, and you're left home fuming and frustrated. What happened to the sweet little girl that used to live in your daughter's body? You and she used to talk about everything, and she used to value your opinion on fashion and beauty. These days it seems like the only thing that she seems certain of is that she hates you, and that you just don't understand.
But you do understand. Dig back in your memory, and you'll realize that it was not so long ago that you were the one trying your mother's patience with your makeup and beauty experimentation. Thankfully, both of you lived through it. You seem to recall your mom saying, "Just wait until you have a teenage daughter, then you'll understand." OK, you've got a teenage daughter that you're trying desperately to understand – now what?
Realize that your teen is going through a discovery phase. She's experimenting with new looks and trying on new personas. What may look freakish to you might just be a phase that your daughter needs to work through on her own. (I'm way past my teens and have been known to attend business meetings wearing orange glitter dust and false eyelashes. My mother just sighs and prays that it's a stage that I'll grow out of.)
Always remember that your daughter is unique, and that there are no hard and fast rules that apply to every teen. Each teen aspires to a distinctive signature look, image and personality – even if they all look identical to you. What works with one will most definitely not work with another.