I placed my toddler on the bathroom sink where she patiently watched me apply my makeup. We were on our way to an appointment that day and I never left the house without putting my face on. My daughter begged for a little bit of lip-gloss. As I aimed for her tiny lips I wondered whether or not I was doing the right thing. Was I introducing her to makeup way too young?

When I was growing up my mother did not allow my sisters and I to experiment with makeup. My mother believed in a natural kind of beauty but let’s face it, not everyone is born with the perfect cheekbones or the long lashes we see adorned on celebrities and models. In my case, I was pale and longed for rosy cheeks. The only way for me to achieve this look was by applying blush or pinching my cheeks really hard and that hurt.

When I was old enough to work, I spent my first paycheck on makeup. I had no idea what to buy or what I was going to do with the products I chose. All I knew was that applying makeup made me happy. I loved how the mascara brush felt when it feathered out my lashes. I had never experienced anything like that before. It tickled when I applied eyeliner to the inside of my lower lash line. It took me a while to master the skill of applying eyeliner because my eyes would water every time. I loved wearing lip-gloss. It made my lips shiny and I enjoyed smacking my lips together.

My mother laughed one day as I walked out of the bathroom before heading to school. She mentioned the name Imelda Marcos. While Imelda Marcos over did it with shoes I over did it with makeup. Apparently I had applied too much blush to my cheeks and I looked like a clown. I can look back now and laugh too. I really had no idea what I was doing.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to enhance your features. I believe in the motto: dress for success. If people want to take time to improve their appearance I think it’s their prerogative. No one should be told it’s wrong to explore ways for self-improvement. I know I feel more confident when I look in the mirror and feel polished.

Some of us parents fear when our children partake in what we believe to be grown-up activities, it makes them grow up too fast. How can this be so? Their mentality is still the same even after pretending to play house in a cardboard box. After playtime our children do not drive off and balance their own checkbooks. I highly doubt that a child pretending to be a doctor in child-sized lab coat will feel confidently inclined to perform open-heart surgery because they know how to use a pretend stethoscope. If a little girl takes interest in makeup perhaps this could be an opportunity for parents to provide the products in a way that makes these parents feel comfortable. Toy stores provide makeup pallets that consist of lip-gloss and light pastel colored eye shadow, nothing too dramatic in my opinion. A rosy glow on the cheeks never hurt anybody.

I attempted to apply the lip-gloss to my daughter’s tiny lips without getting it all over her face. My daughter giggled uncontrollably. It made her happy to wear makeup and it made me even happier that I got a chance to share a once-in-a-life-time moment with my precious child. I realized that my daughter was not going to magically turn into an adult because I allowed her to put on lip-gloss.