<b>By Takiya Smith</b>

As the mother of a young teen daughter, I am now embarking on the challenge of teaching her balance in maturing. No longer a tween, pre-teen but now a blossoming young lady, she has the desire to look and dress more feminine. Her choices in clothing are frilly and fashionable and her shoes now consist of low heels, sparkle and bows.

I remember when she was 13 and she couldn’t quite understand all the fuss over makeup, lashes and high heels. Now, a mere two years later, I spend most of my mornings rounding up my missing mascara, eyeliner and brow powders from her bathroom vanity. Being a beauty consultant, I can’t help but smile to see this gorgeous young lady of mine emerge looking like a pretty princess, but at the back of my mind, I wonder when is enough and what is too much.

To all mothers out there with similar questions and concerns, my advice is to find out first and foremost why your daughter wants to wear makeup and what she seeks to accomplish or gain. As to age appropriateness, this will vary depending upon your personal morals, beliefs and household, however I think 13 and above are best. Instill, remind and reassure your daughters that makeup, whether it’s simply lip gloss or mascara alone, is not a cover up but an enhancement to accentuate and bring out their natural beauty.

For instance, my daughter has come to love how mascara brings attention to her already long and full lashes. I also allow her to wear a lightly tinted lip gloss that moisturizes and enhances her full lips; a feature that in times past was her least favorite attribute of herself.

When it comes to eyeshadow and blush, at age 15 these items do not top my list of everyday wear for my daughter since they can be very dramatic in appearance and aging. At times, special occasions such as church events and school dances are considered; the same goes for heavy lip color.

Most teen girls at this age have also began to experience some sort of acne or skin discoloration due to puberty. Before resorting to heavy foundation, my suggestion would be to have your daughter get regular scheduled facials, or the use of a light mineral foundation would suffice. A concealer stick works as well to spot blemishes, rather than coat the skin with heavy liquids and powders.

The key is to keep our girls young and lady-like while allowing them to experience growth and love for self acceptance.

For more information, questions or comments, visit my blog at www.blb-boutiques.com.