Should teens use makeup?

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

When it comes to experimenting with flirty mascara and gooey foundation, teens and “tweens” typically don’t turn to their parents for advice, says celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip, author of Glamour Gurlz, a girl’s guide to makeup, published last year.

So we turned to Schlip to learn when parents should consider letting their teens make the move to makeup and how, ultimately, to avoid a pancake-face scenario. The bottom line, she says, is that teens need very little makeup, and it should be kept natural and neutral.

Q. When can teens start wearing makeup?

A. When your daughter is going through puberty, allowing her to wear makeup is a great reward. Make this occasion positive — puberty can be devastating.

Q. Should teens wear foundation?

A. Teens should moisturize, and are probably better off using a tinted SPF moisturizer than a foundation.

Q. What about blush?

A. Blush makes skin look healthy.

Q. What’s best for lips?

A: Lip gloss, tinted or clear, is totally appropriate.

Q. How do you keep eyes neutral?

A. Waterproof mascara and a cream eye shadow ... I’m a big fan of cream shadow.

Q. What’s a good tip for teen skin-care maintenance?

A. Wash their face twice a day ... (and) shampoo their hair really well at the scalp.