When the girls were young, I used to dread the day they would discover make-up.  I worried it would be something we’d fight about when they became teenagers – I was sure they’d want to wear too much, too black, too gaudy, too something.

And actually, it’s been just the opposite. My girls enjoy wearing light make-up; they’re very careful not to overdo it and I’ve caught MYSELF suggesting more lip color and blush from time to time!

So, when my 16-year-old daughter wanted to update her make-up collection for fall, I suggested we visit Sephora for a mini-makeover. I used many cosmetic products while working in TV, but it’s very different stuff…much thicker and more dramatic looking, and I knew this was definitely NOT what my daughter was going for.

The Sephora mini-makeover is a complementary 15-20 minute session (though I think we got 30 minutes) with a make-up artist to discuss a specific area. My daughter wanted to focus on foundation and concealer – we weren’t going to worry about eye make-up since she rarely wears eye shadow and liner. We just dropped in at Sephora; there was no appointment necessary and we didn’t have to agree to buy anything if we didn’t want to. Win, win, right?

We chose Sephora because it carries so many different brands of make-up AND if you sign up to be a Beauty Insider, you can accumulate points and receive gifts with your points – we love freebies! Plus, they always seem to have many staff members on hand ready to help.

Our make-up artist, Tigist, talked to my daughter about what kind of coverage she was looking for with her foundation. She was able to color match my daughter’s skin by taking photos with a special hand-held device – very cool! She came back minutes later with a product I’ve never heard of before called Make Up Forever primer and its matching foundation. First, she applied the primer and explained that it helps the make-up “stick” to the skin and last longer. Then, she put the foundation directly onto a brush (that was also new to me!) and applied it to her skin, gently blending it with the brush…not a sponge. It went on so smoothly and matched her skin perfectly…the first time! When I shop for foundation, it usually takes at least 3 different foundations to find the right one…but she nailed it!

After  foundation, she dabbed a bit of  Cover FX concealer under her eyes. Even though she’s young and certainly doesn’t have bags under her eyes, we all tend to have blue undertones under our eyes because the skin  there is so thin.

Tigist then used a combined blush and highlighter called Champagne Pop by Becca. She added just a hint of blush, and topped it off with the highlighting powder which gave her a dewy kind of complexion.  Tigist also recommended Bobbi Brown eye opening mascara and some light pink lip color. All of it looked very youthful and natural. And her skin…flawless, right?

The hyacinth bralette is from Free People

In the end, she had to make some choices because make-up isn’t cheap and she was paying for it herself. She settled on the foundation, concealer and blush and we decided that the primer and the highlighting powder are “nice to have” items that may go on her Christmas list…or she can buy it herself when she gets that part-time job.

So, there you go moms – introducing your daughter to make up doesn’t have to be daunting. If you feel unsure about your make-up know how, or a little outdated with current trends ( I know I did!), getting some help can make the experience fun and stress-free. Now that the kids are heading back to school, it may be time for my own mini-make over!!

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