Too Young? Take a Double Take

I saw this mini post from Fashionista and I couldn’t stay away. There’s apparently a lot of controversy over it and I really wish there was more to the article than there was, but on the other hand, it does leave a lot open for discussion. Oh internet, gotta love it.

Mario Dedivanovic is a celebrity makeup artist, notably for Kim Kardashian but she’s not important. The key words are Celebrity MakeUp Artist. As in he gets paid high dollar for artistic work in the form of makeup. So he does have an idea of what good makeup is. He knows what he's talking about when looking at the picture, which of course, blew up on le Instagram.

Honestly, I can kind of see how this can be taken the wrong way. I attribute that, partially, to living in a conservative part of the country but I’m also from a close traditional Hispanic family. Children are supposed to be innocent and little and I’m all for stalling the adulthood process. However, I don’t have kids and I see this in a different way and from looking at some of the comments, so do a lot of other people.

I started dancing at 5. I did ballet, tap, jazz, my personal favorite being ballet folklorico so any time we had a performance, there my mom was putting on my makeup. Now as a five year old looking at myself in full coverage cakey paint with red marks on my cheeks and my most hated enemy…. the black stuff on my eye lashes that never completely came out until I washed my face a dozen times. And it was expected for it to be weird and eventually annoying because yes, I was a child. But it was so worth it and it came with the gig. As I grew older I got used to it and learned how to do it myself, however comma, that was the only time I was allowed to wear it.

My family is definitely on the old fashioned side. I was lucky when I could shave my legs at the age of twelve and that is because I was so intimidated by everyone in my class who wore shorts and dresses and I honestly only ever wore pants because I wasn't allowed to shave my legs. I pushed some of the boundaries in junior high with some light eye shadow and the only mascara I was allowed to use was a clear one from some tween brand that doesn’t even exist anymore. But 15 was the magic number. Then I could wear makeup on a daily basis, do my eyebrows, date, the possibilities were endless. Did it suck getting there? Of course it did, puberty sucks for everyone.

Bringing it back to this controversial photo, I think that people forget that there are differences between my dance makeup story at five as a regular person who had no idea what the internet was at that time and this child model getting makeup applied by a makeup artist for a professional photo shoot. Now Mario did not do this look on the little model. He posted a picture of artistic work from his industry. This young girl obviously had a real life job to do and she did it fantastically and is looking cute and glamorous and confident, which is probably where the 'future daughter' part comes from.

The argument could be made that it is spreading the idea of over sexualizing girls and they are just getting younger and younger but forced to grow up. There’s the fighting over pageant girls who look like tiny adults but even look that the comparison sample via google images. 

Are their similarities? Yes and why is that? Because they are performing! Whether it be pageants, dance recitals, modeling, or making movies require makeup and when it comes to photos they also require editing. That's just how it is. When someone is getting paid and especially paid well, then they are going to bring out their best work. Whether or not, someone goes overboard on the photoshop is a different can of worms. All that being said, it should be obvious that these kids do not go out every day like this. 

The fact remains that there was a job to be done and that’s how child stars are born. Mario Dedivanovic isn’t saying that all little girls should rock a winged eyeliner with a super cute lip. And honestly, if you think that is what is happening, then reconsider having kids or if you do have kids, then it’s up to you to show them otherwise. There's more than 'face value' so to speak so before you get offended, just think about it a minute before writing up a petition.