This is going to be a bit of a controversial post, especially as I myself as a former beauty blogger, may even be contributing to the very topic I am about to complain about. When I was in super drug the other day I was casually browsing the makeup isle when I heard a small voice behind me exclaim 'this is by far my favourite foundation brush - you have to try it'. I turned around to see a group of girls, no older than 11 or 12 sharing their views on the latest £14 a pop Real Techniques brushes.
These days post 3pm, Superdrug somehow seems to turn into a daycare centre. When I was working on a makeup counter I once (hesitantly) sold a £24 brow kit to a twelve year old. Her mum tried to dissuade her from spending most of her allowance on it, and my selling techniques were not as pushy as I'd been trained to make them as honestly, I would have much rather her spend them on a toy.
When I was twelve I had a see-through lipgloss and a see-through mascara, both from Mizz magazine (Is that still around? I hope so!) It was very, very common to ask your friends whether their mum let them wear makeup yet in my early teen years, now it just seems like second nature.
Don't get me wrong, I love beauty. I've worked on a beauty counter and I run a beauty blog. But you have to wonder, with all this new technology virally spreading the late must-have products - is our culture's obsession with makeup corruption our youth?
My friend Emma (All that Shimmers), a fellow beauty blogger said something that really summed it up recently. Whilst we were sitting stuffing our faces in Subway, we started discussing how kids use the internet; 'I always used to think we were the internet generation' she exclaimed. I have never felt older, but it is completely true. My 11 year old cousin has an Instagram. Seriously.
You could blame it on the mass media, but in my opinion it's far more intricate than that. I think the introduction of beauty gurus on youtube has a lot to do with this cult of baby beautistas. When I was younger we had youtube, but it was all 'Chocolate Rain' and 'Keyboard Cat', nothing like it is today. You type the address into your browser and before you even log in there's 'Kylie Jenner make-up tutorials' and 'Get ready with me' videos as far as the eye can see. Anyone can become a makeup whiz now because there are thousands of sources showing us exactly how!
Kids also have 24/7 internet access now. I got my first phone at the age of 12. It was a silver flip phone and it would cost you a fortune to access the insanely slow and incredibly basic internet. I think I managed to get google (or probably Ask Jeeves) up like, once. Nowadays every tween going has an iPhone, with instant around the clock access to beauty videos and celebrity instagrams
But here's the catch, is this beauty-mad tween nation, really that bad? I'm in two minds. On one hand, makeup is an art form. It is a brilliant way of expressing your own personal style and individuality in a fun and creative way. On the other, I can't help but think 'can't kids just be kids?' what's the rush to grow up. In short, I'm very glad my makeup collection consisted of that one lipgloss and mascara when I was younger. I'm glad the word 'contouring' wasn't in my vocabulary. I'm glad I didn't blow three weeks allowance on a brow kit.
I'd love to know your opinions on this so please comment/debate below!
Abigail x
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