Louise McSharry’s Christmas gift ideas for beauty-mad pre-teens

In a perfect, world, I’m sure we’d all love to shelter our children from societal beauty standards for as long as we possibly can, but the reality is that beauty is a hobby these days as much as it is for appearance’s sake — I say that as someone for whom it has been a hobby for decades.

I think it’s absolutely fine for girls to enjoy playing and experimenting with makeup, as long as they are also encouraged to enjoy other things, and reminded consistently that they are valued for so much more than their appearance. Personally, I think rebelling too hard against an interest in anything only fuels it, so with that in mind, here are a few suggestions for gifts you could get your beauty-mad kid for Christmas.

Millie Bobby Brown, of Stranger Things fame, launched her beauty brand Florence by Mills in 2019 when she was just 14 years old. The brand’s emphasis is on ‘clean’, natural ingredients, and while I don’t subscribe to the idea that the use of chemicals in beauty products is entirely bad, I do think it’s a good idea for young people to avoid them where possible.

The products are fresh and fun, including True to Hue (€21.50 via beautybay.com), a pH-adjusting lip and cheek balm (this basically means it looks transparent until applied to the skin when it turns a rosy shade), and Bouncy Cloud Highlighter (€21.50 via beautybay.com) a highlighting gel available in three shades.

When it comes to experimenting with makeup, access to colour is essential. Therefore, a large eyeshadow palette is always a winner. By Beauty Bay’s range of palettes (€30 via beautybay.com) deliver 42 shadows in each offering, meaning the user can let their creativity shine and experiment with blending and colour.

These come in eight colour options — the Nude or Neutral sets are ideal for beginners, while the Bright Matte option is loads of fun if the user is into colour.

Morphe also has an incredible range of 35-shade eyeshadow palettes with a colour option for everyone, whether they’re into brights or neutrals. The brand’s collaboration with beauty influencer Meredith Duxbury (€38 via arnotts.ie) is an excellent option, as it includes a mix of brights and neutrals, meaning the owner can experiment with lots of different looks.

Guess Body Sprays (€15 via arnotts.ie) make an ideal alternative to expensive fragrance, and their sweet scents are perfect for young people. Packed with shimmer, these are ideal for school discos.

If a real perfume is all that will do, Ariana Grande’s Cloud Eau de Parfum (€40 via meagherspharmacy.ie) is a genuinely lovely blend of lavender blossom, juicy pear, crème de coconut, praline and vanilla orchid. It also wears well, unlike some other fragrances at this price point.

Whatever you choose, don’t forget that there are lots of positive aspects to an interest in makeup and beauty. When I was a young teenager, makeup was an incredible creative outlet for me and in many ways kept me company when I was going through difficult things at home or with friends. I hope it can do the same for the young people in your lives.

Buying Irish

Guys, I’m obsessed with my toothbrush. I honestly never thought I could be this girl, but Spotlight’s Sonic Pro toothbrush (€149.95 via spotlightoralcare.com) has changed me. The Irish brand’s new iteration of their Sonic toothbrush includes a tongue cleaner and polish setting, while the visual quadrant timer and smart pressure censor mean you always brush for long enough and never forget which section of your mouth is in. Plus, the battery lasts for ages (up to 70 days). Do I sound like a fan girl? Honestly, I feel like one.

Something old...

I love value for money as much as the next person, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I also love occasionally spending far too much on a single item just because it’s beautiful or makes me feel like a fancy lady. This absolutely extends to beauty products, and when purchasing a product because I like it as an object, I always choose an item I’ll use frequently. Rather than saving my fancy bits ‘for good’, I like to make the everyday moment as luxe as possible, thus, my lip balm is often a little OTT. Byredo are mainly known for fragrance, but they also have a range of makeup which includes a beautifully packaged Flavoured Lip Balms (€45 via byredo.com). The tube is heavy, sleek and curved, and comes in a range of colours depending on the flavour or scent you choose. It is a thing of beauty, and I get a thrill every time I use it.

​... Something new

Prada Beauty just launched in Brown Thomas, and I for one was delighted to see it. I am an absolute sucker for a beautifully luxe beauty product — not something you need but something you want. As you might expect, this range is exquisitely packaged, and includes eyeshadow trios in the kind of compact you’d love to pull out of your bag for a mid-event makeup check, an assortment of brushes with sleek silver handles and refillable lipsticks in metallic tubes. Lip Balm Universal (€45.50 via brownthomas.com) is a beautiful product which glides on and delivers a matte, hydrated finish. The tube is classic silver with the kind of clean design synonymous with Prada, and I love it.