Natural Makeup For my Girls

July 18, 2011

Brienne is our girlie girl. 

I never was much of a girlie girl. My mom even wrote about that in one of our family memoirs. 

(PS. I love this family memoir my mom wrote and I'm so glad she took the time to write parts of my childhood story.)

But back to the girlie girl stuff - which is really part of my own daughter's childhood story. Brienne is all about pink, purple, and lots of bling. I feel deficient in this area of wardrobe bling so I look forward to when I can borrow her clothes and accessories to update my own.

Celine has a unique style as well, which leans more towards clean lines and classy color combinations (I can't wait to borrow her clothes either!).

I'm somewhere in between my daughters' in terms of fashion because I'm a bit flambouyant in my colors (similar to Brienne, but with red, green, blue, orange, purple, aqua, etc...) but like a good fit and casual comfort.

I'm not much for make up either. Except for a stint in my teens and young adult years I haven't worn it often because it always seemed like such a big hassle. I seriously have a no-maintenance daily beauty routine. I wash my face, moisturize with my own lotion, and brush my teeth. That's gotta count for something.

It's not that I don't like pampering myself and looking nice. I do (I just want it to be super easy and no fuss) and I especially loved spa day with the girls this past winter.

A few years ago, when I became interested in nourishing my skin with homemade soap and lotions and swore off putting chemicals on my body's largest organ, I thought I was pretty much done with make up. For a while now I haven't owned any except lip balm and a few tins of Burt's Bees "for emergencies" like family weddings. 

I think it goes without saying that if I watch what goes on my skin I'm extra vigilant about what my daughters' use on their skin and hair. 

And so back to the girl who likes bling. Not only does she love to accessorize, she also wants to wear make up. 

Now, just because I don't like to wear make up doesn't mean my girls don't get to wear it. As long as it's age appropriate (not Goth or rouge lips and cheeks) I'm fine if they want to experiment with make up. I know the day will come when I have no control over what goes on their skin but while they are still children mama has a say about what color of make up they can and can't wear. 

The problem was - where does a skin"care" conscious mama find make up for her girls?

Thank goodness for aunties. In this case, my aunt, who is only five years older than me, came to the rescue. I knew she had been experimenting with making her own soap, skin care products, and make up for the past couple years. So I sent her an e-mail asking if she would make something safe and pretty for the girls.

And this is what she came up with, with extras thrown in for the moms - Nana and myself.

Isn't it gorgeous? She bought all the supplies at Voyageur Soap and Candle here in Canada. Actually, the store is in my aunt's neighborhood so to speak (if you're in the Vancouver area it is "local" to you also).

My personal favorite is the brown lip balm. Same for Celine. Brienne of course loves the pink and purple, made to order. Thanks Bec!

I wish I could recommend a place to buy some for yourself (I don't think my aunt is selling it). But, like I said, I'm not a make up woman myself l so I haven't looked around much.

Have you had any luck finding natural make up? Where do you buy it? Or do you make your own?

 

Filed Under

« Pass the Bacon
Feeling Vibrant and "In Between" »
  • Jennifer @ kidoing!

    Jennifer @ kidoing! on July 18, 2011, 1:31 p.m.

    My daughter peered over my shoulder when I was reading this and said "is she wearing makeup?!" Isn't it funny how some girls are just drawn to it? We are very careful about what we put on our skin, too, including hair. I don't wear much makeup myself, just Burt's Bees lip tint on my cheeks, mineral powder and Dr. Bronner's lip balm. Do you have any facepaint you'd recommend? I keep getting asked if we can buy some for dressup and I'm stalling because I can't find any that I think are acceptable.

    reply
  • Noor

    Noor on July 18, 2011, 3:09 p.m.

    Thanks for discussing this Renee. I normally check www.cosmeticdatabase.com for the safety of hygiene and beauty products we get. I end up getting the products either from Whole Foods or order them online..

    reply
  • Candelion

    Candelion on July 18, 2011, 8:49 p.m.

    I haven't been to your actual website in awhile and have to tell you that the picture of the strawberries is gorgeous!! I'm probably biased, because I love strawberries-- a lot. Anyway, I've been ordering lip balm, eye shadow and mascara from Coastal Classic Creations for two or three years now and completely agree with Keely's sentiment: LOVE THEIR STUFF!

    I also use castor oil on my face if anyone is interested in that.. It has seriously done wonders for my skin. Every so often, I still get a pimple here or there, but overall, my skin is smooth, clear and hydrated better than any lotion ever made it. All I do is wet my face, apply the castor oil, wet a washcloth with really hot water and apply it to my face immediately. I let it sit there until the cloth is just warm and then use it to massage the oil into my face. I repeat those steps two and three times and there's my mini facial for the night! This whole process is called the oil cleansing method (theoilcleansingmethod.com). It's based on the idea that our pores naturally have and need oil to be healthy. Sometimes we get oil with bacteria that causes a small infection or pimple. To draw that oil out, we use castor oil (or a mix of castor and some other oil based on your skin type), because substances with similar properties will dissolve one another (ie. vinegar or astringent won't dissolve oil, they'll just separate).

    reply
  • Mom Tougas

    Mom Tougas on July 19, 2011, 2:07 a.m.

    I use aloe vera twice a day, plus vitamin A cream (morining), and vitamin E cream night). I am looking for a skin cream that has GREEN TEA. It is hard to find because it is a rather new concept for skin care. See: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/04/030425071800.htm In the mean time, until I find a good A and E cream that also contains green tea, the aloe vera will have to do as it also regenerates new skin quickly, but not as efficient as the one with green tea. Also, remember that the condition of your skin on the outside, where you can see it, is a reflection of the condition of your skin on the 'inside'. So it is important that you eat foods that support healthy skin. Some supplements are good for the skin as well, for example, evening primrose. I also take gelatin daily for skin, nails, and hair health. Drinking coconut milk and coconut juice is also good for healthy skin.

    reply
  • foxbrooken

    foxbrooken on July 19, 2011, 2:54 a.m.

    Thank you so much for bringing up this topic. I too have a girl who has been interested in clothes, ornamentation, and make-up/nail polish since before she could talk. I put a tiny, little bit of "Lansinoh" on my lips when they are very dry in the winter. That's it. However, I know that I'll need to seek out the least harmful cosmetic products soon.

    When I looked for a safer face paint a while ago, I couldn't find one.

    We are gluten-free with our food but had forgotten that gluten-free would be just as important for our skin care. No play-doh for us. So, thank you Cheryl for posting the gluten-free link.

    reply
  • Cheryl

    Cheryl on July 19, 2011, 3:13 a.m.

    Foxbrooken,

    Afterglow Cosmetics are all gluten-free. Gluten-free Beauty products are also completely vegan. We found a water-based nail polish at our local health food store. The bottle has gone missing, but it stayed on surprisingly well. If you're interested, google "water based nail polish," and you'll find a number of options.

    reply
  • Casey

    Casey on July 19, 2011, 5:04 a.m.

    I am definitely a girlie girl, but my son has numerous allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities, so I am super careful about everything in our house and in and on our bodies. I found Rejuva Minerals through the skin deep data base, where it rates a 0 (which is best). The colors are beautiful and the foundation is so natural, and gentle on the skin. I won't use anything else. They also offer the whole deal - foundation, eye shadow, liner, mascara, blush and lip gloss!

    reply
  • Heather

    Heather on July 19, 2011, 5:57 p.m.

    Such a beautiful post (on many levels). I loved natural makeup, and still value the lessons that my mom taught me about it. Feeling beautiful, and special is part of the joys of being a girl, and I think that the way that you handled this speaks volume about you.

    reply
  • Nola

    Nola on July 19, 2011, 11:55 p.m.

    Its interesting how you handled this. I don't know how I would handle it if it came up. Or how my husband and I would together. I personally do not use make up and honestly I cannot see the point. But I realize that others have different opinions! However I don't think my kids (oldest 5) are even aware that there is such a thing! I secretly would like to keep it that way. LOL We'll see...I'm not sure what my girls will be like as they grow. I experimented with makeup for one day at 16 and that was it. I hated it and never used it since. I've heard about brands that are safe on other sites for natural living, I think I read about it on Keeper of the Home once. I just searched there and if you type in "natural mineral makeup" you get a lot of posts and info.

    reply
    • renee

      renee on July 21, 2011, 3:35 p.m.

      We view make up, piercing, tattooing, fashion, etc... as a form of self expression. I'm assuming some people use make up to cover up their true selves and try to make themselves look more beautiful to "fit in" or measure up to some societal standard.   And then others, many cultures indeed, use these forms of art to indicate socio economic status etc. For our family, it's a valid form of artistic self expression. Because I feel beautiful in my own skin (truly I do feel beautiful and radiant) I don't think I am conveying to my girls the need for make up to be beautiful. But if they want to experiment and feel more beautiful wearing it I have no problems with that.  I'm hoping we can hold off on the more radical tattoos and piercings until they are really sure about making those decisions for themselves (and how sometimes the way we present ourselves can influence other people's impressions about us - rightly or wrongly).  I do struggle with that last point especially. I believe strongly in self expression and freedom but don't want people misjudging my children because of how they look. Ie: the boy that looks like a little bratty punk but is really a sweet, intelligent, sensitive teenager. I want to give my children (and myself) freedom to be who they are and to experiment with how they want to express that - pink hair, make up, clothing, tattos, etc... but I also want to protect their bodies from  chemicals and toxic ingredients. And I want to protect them from the judgements (sigh) society will make of them because of the way they look. But isn't that also why we wear make up, dye our hair etc... to have people look on us a certain way? Wow, this is getting philosophical, isn't it. But I love having these kind of "conversations". In the end for me though, it comes down to balancing the freedom of expression with the kind of image you want to project (we all project one whether we are conscious of it or not), and of course what harm you are willing to do your body in that process. I will guide my children with firm boundaries for making those decisions when they are young (yes, make up, not dark, and safe for your skin) and then when they come of age (no clear age in mind, maybe 30?? hee, hee) they will make those decisions for themselves.  

      reply
  • Dawna

    Dawna on July 21, 2011, 1:50 p.m.

    I use suncoat for my nailpolish (not that I've worn it in years), and their sugar-based eyeliner and mascara. http://www.suncoatproducts.com

    I use my own lip balm and make it a bit more soft so it gives a really nice sheen and brings out the natural color of my lips.

    I have the same little "princess-y, girlie-girl who is into pinks and purples, and all the bling that goes with it. Sigh. Haha... and I thought I would have to wait until my kids were teenagers too to borrow their 'bling'. But, we're already sharing in that department. I also thought I 'could' wait until they were teenagers before they started borrowing MY clothes. Turns out, N's little flare for fashion turns most of my shirts into dresses with a belt around the hips for some great ideas she's teaching even me.

    Love it.

    Your girls look amazing without any make-up it's true... but it's a form of art that I love to experiment with, even for myself. It's when the ego/lack of healthy self esteem gets put in the forefront of this "artful expression" that I try to teach my "fairy princess" about... a lesson I've just started to learn not long ago myself. ;)

    reply

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