Hilaria Baldwin Is Encouraging Her 10-Year-Old's Interest in Makeup & the Internet Has Very Big Feelings on the Matter

Certain topics really get the internet going, and in the parenting realm, one of those is makeup — when to let kids start wearing it, which products should and shouldn’t be allowed for use, how much makeup is appropriate, and so on. So when Hilaria Baldwin shared that she let her 10-year-old daughter dabble in cosmetics, the digital world did what it does in these situations: it had a total and complete meltdown in the comments section of Baldwin’s Instagram post.

On Sunday, the mom of seven shared a sweet photo of herself and her eldest daughter, Carmen, on Instagram. The two Baldwin ladies posed with soft smiles in front of a mirror, and they both looked understated but beautiful. Hilaria wore a denim jumpsuit with her brown hair blown out and her makeup subtle but contoured. Carmen donned an olive-colored jumpsuit of her own, wore her tresses straight down her back, and seemed to be sporting a natural but apparent makeup look herself.

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“Date night with my first baby…she did both our makeup,” Hilaria began in her caption. “How quickly they get big and how amazing it is to get to be inspired by them. Carmen, you are such a special soul…just like your siblings…all unique and equally incredible,” the proud mom gushed.

The Hot Takes

While the 10-year-old was wearing a light amount of makeup for a special occasion with her mom, the internet twisted the fun mother-daughter bonding moment into an opportunity to mom-shame Hilaria and sexualize Carmen. Many people dropped their hot takes in the comments, with one “fan” writing, “Beautiful. But as the mother of two daughters…too young for the makeup/grown up look.” Another Instagram user more aggressively commented, “She is a child. Please!”

However, amid the slew of critical messages, many supported Hilaria’s decision to encourage Carmen’s interest in makeup. One person replied to a critic, asking them, “Do you have a daughter?” They continued, “If you don’t, you should know they start with make up very early because they see their mommy… its not like they go to school with make up on… just on special occasion.. and don’t judge!!”

Another IG user shared a similar sentiment, writing, “All these comments about wearing makeup. She is having a fun time with her mummy and what a great way to do it.” They shared, “My daughter and I used to do each others make up [and] it’s a great way to bond, especially with the eldest in a big family. Please be kind.”

While many critics opined that cosmetics are inappropriate before a certain age, one of Hilaria’s fans asserted that nurturing a kid’s interest in makeup is more about creative expression than wanting to look sexy and grown up. “Make up or no- make up, the reason why this beautiful girl stands tall and proud next to her mum is the fact that she has amazing parents, who allow her to explore and be herself,” the fan wrote. They added, “Stop all those discriminating comments and this prejudgment!”

The Bigger Issue

The backlash comes from a place of wanting to protect kids’ innocence, but the immediate jump to hyper-sexualizing Carmen is problematic in itself. Instead of seeing a young girl wearing a subtle amount of makeup — we’re talking neutral-toned lip gloss, blush, and a bit of mascara — and feeling confident in her blossoming beauty, the internet reacted as if the 10-year-old was sporting full glam with the specific intention of oozing sex appeal.

It’s in the same vein as banning girls from wearing tank tops and other “promiscuous” clothing in school — society is putting the onus on girls to maintain their purity when all they’re trying to do is feel comfortable and self-confident. Ironically, it’s others who are perceiving and projecting these big feelings and inappropriate takes in the name of what’s “proper.” Based on how Hilaria ignored critical comments but responded to kind ones, we’d wager that she’s reading the situation the exact same way.

These celebrity parents are raising strong, resilient daughters.

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