Those of you that know me and my little family; know that I have a son heading to the MLB (oh I’m claiming it honey) and a daughter that may be the girl flipping all around but she loves hair and make-up. I’ve even shared the story of how that doesn’t start with me. It’s in her blood yall.

Real quick for those who haven’t heard. My husband’s grandmother (mother of 9) was a hair stylist who owned her own salon. Recently I learned she was a great seamstress too. I just thought that was something (sewing) my mother-in-law (MIL) was great at. I never got a chance to meet London’s great grandmother as she had already earned her crown. But from watching my MIL over the years, she was/is always flawless with immaculate hair and make-up. Anytime you saw her, her face was beat! Ok…Sooo where else do you think this gene got expressed? Yep, you got it. It found its way to my lil Pud Pop, as I affectionately call her. Oh yes, I’m claiming this too boo!

Well the Christmas before the pandemic, Santa designed London her very own salon for her room.

London would mostly do hair but then I noticed how she desired to do makeup as well. She started asking for my small eyeshadow compacts. And she would use that eyeshadow in ways I wouldn’t have dared. That blue eyeshadow became matching lipstick.

Needless to say, my sister and I began to give her our old larger eyeshadow palettes that we were no longer using. I literally had to give to her one palette at a time or she would’ve used them all up too quickly. But throughout the pandemic, y’all this little girl would be changing clothes 2-3 times a day and walking around the house with a full face of makeup (a full beat)! No lie. Heeeyyy it wasn’t like we were going anywhere! 🤷🏽‍♀️

DON’T JUDGE ME! JUDGE YOUR MAMA!

Fast forward to now. Anytime London doesn’t have gymnastics practice, she’s up in her room creating different faces. She would send me a picture and no matter what, I’d supply her with positive comments. Note: this is my baby and mama gone support! Periodt Pooh! I would ask her to come downstairs and show me but she would already have cleaned her face. But I was able to catch her a couple of times and give her the biggest mom smile. And ‘that’s my girl’ high five.

This past Christmas several lines on her Christmas list had something to do with body smell goods and makeup 💄. I went to Ulta, grabbed a basket and went to town grabbing different color eye liners, blush, more eyeshadows, foundation, powder, mascara, etc. The most reasonable brand (NYX) that is for her age, in my opinion.

Now I do have a rule. I expressed it well when she was probably 4 years old. We were going to take the kids to the movies. I told her to go get dressed. Lo and behold, lil miss London comes out with a full face of green and blue makeup. Bruh!!!

I explained to her as best I could…so I lied. “Pud, if you go out here with that makeup on, the police are going to get me and mommy is going to jail.” And with a straight face asked, “Do you want mommy to go to jail?” Her (oh so sad), “no.”

Well y’all, what I’m getting at here is that I think it’s time for me to remind London of the rule. We went to church on Sunday and now that she is almost 10 years old, I normally don’t see her dressed until we are heading out the door. We get to church. Jump out the truck. And to my horror, I turn around and notice London has a ‘soft’ beat. But no doubt, I can tell she has on a thin layer of foundation that was set with powder, eye liner, and mascara. Y’all I had nothing. I couldn’t say anything. Just hoped that since the lights were dim that no one would notice. Sigh

DON’T JUDGE ME. No…wait. Go ahead judge me!

Judge away because London isn’t supposed to be wearing makeup at this age. It makes them appear too grown too soon. I get it. Just another one of our unwritten rules to protect our girls. And if you know me, I’ll clear the city about mines. But at the same time…here I have a lil one trying to find herself and cultivate something she loves. So how can I deny her of that? It’s literally…In…Her…Genes.

I won’t. I just need to find a better lie to tell her. Well seeing that she is so darn smart (all As in school by the way), I might as well tell her the truth. Truth is…I want her to practice. I want her to show her skills off to me, her dad, brother, and other family members. I want her to be herself. She’s been testing me by wearing eye liner and mascara to practice. Ok it’s not too bad. She still looks like a lil girl. I’ll allow it. Just forget it.

Go ahead. Judge me.

But while you are at it, remember you are your own competition.

Competition of 1