There has been a lot of talk lately about celebrities who allow their little girls to try on and play with makeup, and there has been a lot of blow-back for that online. But let’s face it: your kids/nieces/friend’s kids see you putting on makeup, having fun with it, and they want to have fun too! Makeup is colorful and feels nice and smells good; it is basically a kid-magnet!

That is why we love the Pretend Play Makeup Set by Cutegirl Cosmetics. Developed by a doting dad for his two little girls, it looks and feels like your real makeup, so your little makeup protege can experience the tactile fun of makeup without actually wearing makeup. While the makeup is fake, the feel and appearance are very real. No actual product is dispensed, but the feel is the same. None of the products are just a hard colorful plastic; they feel realistic. The construction of the product packaging is like actual cosmetic packaging. For example, the nail polishes open like real polish with actual polish brushes inside. The lipstick has a cushiony sort of give and “drag” when it is “applied” to the lip, just like an actual lipstick. The powder compact is very realistic looking, the powder puff is nicer than some puffs that come with actual compacts, and the powder has a cushioned feel and the surface feels just like a powder. The glitter pan blush/shadow pots are strikingly realistic to a well-known cosmetic brand, and the feel of the surface of the pot feels like a glittery multi-tasker makeup. The eyeshadow has the same kind of dual foam applicator as would come in a shadow quad. As a beauty blogger obviously I work with a lot of makeup, but it feels so much like real makeup in the container than I checked my fingers to see if there was indeed product on them!

My favorite kit, The Essentials Kit, contains:

Pink and Purple Nail Polish
Blue Ocean Glitter Pot
Silver Moon Glitter Pot
Powder Compact
Pink/Purple Eye Shadow
Set of Real Brushes
Pink Blush
BubbleGum Pink Lipstick (Made out of Silicone)
Polka Dot Makeup Bag

A real standout among this incredible set are the brushes. These are the softest, most luxurious feeling brushes I have ever seen. A kid will love the feel, and the tactile experience will satisfy many kids’ desire to play with your actual makeup. It will make you want to search for better brushes for yourself, though!

Now, some reading may feel that this encourages kids to wear makeup at too young of an age. Here is my feeling: Makeup is a powerful tool of expression. Children should learn to use that tool responsibly. If they are interested in makeup at a young age, then let them find a way to satisfy that curiosity in an age-appropriate manner. My mother gave me a powder puff and an empty container of loose powder when I was five or so. I got to experience the soft feel of the puff, and the lingering rose scent from the jar without actually wearing powder. But in the hyper-filtered world of social media, kids are going to want more than that. This is why I think the Cutegirl Cosmetics line is so great. As both of you play with the “makeup,” you can establish a discussion about when and how it is appropriate to wear makeup. Asking your daughter how old she thinks a girl should be when she wears glittery eyeshadow, or would she wear it to school or just to a fancy event gets both of you thinking through when it is appropriate to wear makeup and different kinds of makeup. This is a discussion that can continue over the years even when she outgrows the kit. But, just telling her that makeup “is for grown-ups” and shutting down the discussion will result in a kid who is wearing goth makeup by the time she’s twelve. Kids are hard enough to raise, don’t turn makeup into a contentious issue before it has to be.

But CuteGirl Cosmetics, would you mind making a real set for grown-ups too? The colors really are fantastic. 🙂

Find this great set at Amazon.

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I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.