Fake-Up

Lately, Reese and Quincy are very excited about makeup....which is ironic, considering I don't wear as much makeup as I probably should and really only put some on about twice a week (for church on Sunday, and maybe a date with Aaron). Anyway, Reese has been getting lip gloss from her friends at preschool and putting it on, and the other day I thought she had a black eye...only to discover an old mascara tube of mine in her backpack. I don't really care that she wears lip gloss and such, I just don't want her to be sneaky about it. We talked about the ick-factor of sharing makeup (hello! Cold Sore anyone? Or perhaps you might like a Sty with that?) and knowing my genetic background, y'all can appreciate my concern for her particular vulnerability for both of these ailments. Gross.

Plus, there's a little lice outbreak circulating though friends my kids' ages also...and...and... need I go on? I'd rather not have that problem, so it's just best to teach them about not sharing that sort of stuff now, before they have to learn the hard way. You can all habitually start scratching your heads in paranoia now. Sorry.

Do you know how impossible it is to find pretend make-up anymore? I totally had play makeup as a kid, but now everything has the real deal in it! REAL eye shadow, REAL blush, REAL lipstick! I'm ok with some for playtime, but my babies do not need that stuff on their faces 24/7.
Plus...let's be realistic: when you put your kid in that super cute outfit (that you purchased from Gymboree in a moment of weakness, but planned to call it "school clothes" or have a family portrait taken it to justify), and they come out of your room with something glittery and bubble gum scented smeared all over it....you laugh first, take a photo (to blog, of course) second, then cry silently inside that the greasy, smudgy stain is never going to come out of that $20 splurge outfit. Am I the only one that feels this way sometimes? And also, don't they kind of look like they've been beaten with the blue shadow on their cheek and black smudge up to the eyebrow? I'm just sayin'.
No. I am not a lover of real makeup on my wee ones.
It's a shame I can't find the fake kind anywhere.

I guess I'll make my own:
I found the idea for "Fake-Up" on a blog back in December (sorry, person-with-cute-ideas-in-the-blogoshpere, I forget who you were and that's all the credit I can offer you) and the girls and I had a fun little Mom & Me night making them.

STEP 1) save old makeup containers.This is basically impossible for me, since (aside from mascara and lip gloss that I throw out when I get an illness) I hang onto make up long past it's expiration date.
So.... I collected some from friends, and then bought some for 50 cents at a garage sale. Score!

Ok, now before you go judging me for breaking the "socially unacceptable garage sale purchase code" (you know, swimwear, chonies, lingerie, toothbrushes, medicine...) RELAX. just move on and read step 2

STEP 2) DUMP OUT remaining makeup, wash, and sanitize the containers.

(See? No, I am not wearing garage sale make up. I am cheap, but I have SOME boundaries).
STEP 3) Pour an assortment of pretty colored nail polishes into makeup compartments. STEP 4) Allow 2-3 days to dry (a "full" makeup container will look emptied, only the color stays on the plastic, and the liquid evaporates or something)

STEP 5) Discard OLD makeup brushes (again, if you keep them, that's kind of gross) and replace with new brushes. I just bought each of my girls a big pack of the disposable brushes for $1 and will toss them when I find them lying around or they look questionable. I also filled all the compartments with color and plan to just put a few brushes for each of them in their "make-up" bags.
For those of you who like to plan ahead, this would be an excellent homemade gift for all the little princesses in your life. Reese and Quincy can't WAIT to play with them and ask every day if they're dry yet. After these pics were taken and the polish was nearly dry in the little wells, I went back over the smudgy edges (I let the kids help pour the nail polish in the containers...it was a little messy) with a Q tip that had been dipped in polish remover. It cleaned them up beautifully and they look great.

I plan to make several more, and put them together in little gift bags for their little girl friends to take home after they come over to play....because that's the kind of make-up sharing I will allow.