I let my girl, 10, wear makeup daily – she spends £100 a month on lippie & blusher, I’m judged but it’s NOT neglect
A mum of one who lets her 10-year-old daughter wear makeup everyday has hit back at trolls who say she’s too young.
IT company owner Danielle Holmes, 35, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, is mum to Zoe who wears lipstick, mascara, blusher and eyeshadow daily.
She has a makeup collection worth £800, spending around £100 – gifts and pocket money – monthly on her favourite Maybelline, Max Factor and Barry M products.
Zoe has around five makeup bags, even wearing makeup at school events like discos or after school clubs, although she wears more at home at the end of the school day on weekends.
The year six pupil is an expert at applying primer, foundation and powder as well as lipstick, highlighter and concealer.
Her mum, married to Kyle Holmes, 30, an IT business owner, said: “Zoe’s been using makeup since she was eight years old. It’s not kids playing with makeup, it’s items she’s bought or had gifted to her for Christmas and birthdays from big brand names like Barry M, Maybelline, Max Factor and Lancôme.
“I’m proud of her skill and at the end of the day it can all be wiped off.
“It’s not neglect, it’s responsible parenting.
“I am ensuring she learns the basis of great skin care and if Zoe has her way, a career in the beauty industry as a makeup artist, nail technician and cosmetics queen.”
Danielle, who cannot properly apply her own makeup and has just one tube of foundation, some mascara and a pot of lip gloss, is thrilled her daughter is an expert at makeup application at such a young age.
“It’s a great life lesson and when she does my makeup, I always get compliments from people telling me I am lucky my daughter is so skilled while on occasion some people are shocked I have a child with such skills,” she said.
As a toddler Zoe enjoyed playing with kids’ makeup kits.
“Like most young children she mashed them together and got more on the floor than her face,” she said. “Then at the age of seven she started watching YouTube makeup tutorials and by eight was asking for adult makeup kits.
“I decided to embrace her interest in makeup and encourage it. I know many parents would ban their kids from using or wearing makeup until their teen years. I decided to let Zoe have a go and develop her own look and personal style.
“I wanted her to learn to cleanse and moisturise her face daily and decided to use her interest in makeup to encourage it.”
Danielle bought her then eight-year-old daughter some Lancôme makeup remover as her first gift followed by an eyeshadow palette from the No 7 Boots range and a blusher palette from Maybelline for Christmas 2020.
“I don’t know much about makeup and still don’t but these items got Zoe’s nod of approval,” she said.
“It took her a couple of weeks to learn to expertly blend and apply the blushers and eye shadows and I was even shocked at her skill,” she said. “She’d watch tutorials on social media and then practise until she got it right.
“Now Zoe has five makeup kits including one for ‘everyday makeup’ as well as a drawer and storage boxes overflowing with cosmetics that would make many grown ups jealous,” said Danielle.
Included in the 10-year old’s cosmetic collection are 50 makeup brushes including blusher brushes and various eye shadow applicators.
Her blusher collection includes 25 different shaded colours.
Zoe has six different makeup foundation creams from NYC and four different makeup primers including her favourite from Marshmallow Brand.
She has 160 individual eyeshadow colours including 16 pallets from MUA Makeup Academy, Lamora and Boots,
She also has five concealers from Maybelline, four different highlighters which Zoe can expertly use and nine different lipsticks with Zoe favouring Maybelline’s Beige Pink Dreamer shadow for daily use.
According to Danielle her daughter is constantly adding to her collection.
“She uses her pocket money and I buy her extra items and we spend around £100 a month.
The mum-of-one says her daughter is also passionate about her skin care routine.
“Zoe has tried a number of different skin cleansers and moisturisers in the last two yeast but loves The Ordinary range and has the complete selection.
And she does her mum’s makeup too.
“She does my makeup for work or special events, and I always get compliments,” she said. “When I tell them my 10-year-old did my makeup people think I am joking.”
Zoe is also allowed nail salon visits and has gel nails done for holidays and special events with her mum, who is often told by people they wish they had a mum who had allowed them to get their nails done at ten years of age.
“I do know some people will look down on this but it’s my responsible parenting choice.”
“People can be negative about her makeup asking me questions like ‘Is she actually going out like that? When I have sought their opinion
“People are just too quick to moan and judge,” she said. “I suggest they don’t.
“In the end it can all be wiped off and it is teaching her to feel confident, look and feel good and to practise good skin care.
“I always tell her makeup isn’t a mask, it’s to enhance what you have.”
I know some parents will call me neglectful or be shocked that a child wears makeup daily. I won’t be criticised or trolled. I don’t care what they think.
“My daughter is safe and happy, and she loves her hobby. It’s not like getting a tattoo and I know where she is and what she is doing. It’s an investment in her happiness, a skill and possibly a future career. I think people should relax and lay off.
“I’m a great parent and if Zoe was doing this on a canvas, she’d be hailed as an amazing artist… well her face is her canvas.”
Zoe added: “I love makeup and I love makeup challenges. Mum’s great in helping encourage my cosmetics interest.
