Our child was an 8-year-old makeup artist

Being mom to a daughter is truly the most amazing blessing I’ve ever received. I remember my own Mommers telling me long ago that she hoped I would have a daughter one day.

When E and I found out we were pregnant with a baby girl, we were absolutely elated.

And what a girl she is! Our Zoe is highly sensitive, a natural born artist and gifted with abundant empathy, girl power and compassion. She is a bright light full of magic and continually teaches us so much. One of the best material things she has taught me in the last couple of years is how to put on makeup!

I’ve never been good with makeup, and I’ve never had a big sister or glam mentor. My mom never wore much makeup. I’ve collected and experimented with makeup here and there over the years, going through first drug store brands, then the Clinique and other beauty counters, and eventually moving on to present-day gems Sephora and Ulta.

I have always loved having my makeup done professionally. The first time was at a mall Glamour Shots studio back in the early 90s – do you remember those incredible places? They did pro hair and makeup on you and then staged a glamourous photoshoot – kind of like the boudoir shoots of today only fully dressed in various outfits and props. It was a blast!

Since then, I’ve enjoyed a professional makeover here and there throughout my life for special occasions – but I’ve never learned enough to truly improve my daily makeup habits. That is, until our darling daughter became interested enough in makeup to develop pro-level skills at a very young age.

Yes, Z was a makeup influencer and YouTuber from the age of about 8 on. Starting around kindergarten, we let her play with makeup. She has always been drawn to art in all its forms, and we saw makeup as one more medium or outlet for her artistic spirit.

Sure, we had some rules around makeup at first – like only on weekends or after school, and no makeup on her face when we left the house. People can be very funny about little kids in makeup.

For us though, it never seemed weird: Zoe sketched, painted, created, colored, sculpted and did makeup. It was just part of her overall artistry. Soon enough, she became so good at putting on natural-looking makeup that we let her wear it anywhere but school. She was a huge hit with all her friends, sending them home from every playdate in full glam. We never got any complaints from parents because it looked so good!

By the time she was 8, Z could do winged eyeliner and false lashes better than most grown women. If you don’t believe me, she has many makeup tutorials on YouTube. For a gorgeous eyeshadow look, lashes how-to or winged liner demo, she’s your girl.

Z’s makeup artistry reached its peak while her beloved Thai sister was living with us because Napa loved makeup too, so it was something they did together. When we hosted Verena from Germany, Z began to lose interest in makeup – possibly because V didn’t wear much and preferred a natural, sporty look.

Sure enough, Z’s personal look has evolved, and now at age 10, she barely rocks any makeup at all. I love the bare-faced look on Z; she is a natural beauty and it’s certainly age-appropriate. That said, it is also somewhat funny to think that her makeup artist career peaked at age 9.

Will she go back to her glamorous side sometime in her teens? I have to imagine that she will. And in the meantime, even though she doesn’t wear makeup herself anymore, Z still serves as my personal glam squad anytime I need to get dressed up and go out.

But who am I kidding – this is 2020. Who goes out? Who even wears makeup anymore? Maybe we’ll all get back to glam – Zoe included – once we kick Coronavirus to the curb once and for all.

Do you have a little one who adores makeup too, and have you allowed them to experiment at home? I’d love to hear from other aspiring grade school makeup artists and their parents!