The Most Sought-After Bag for Tweens is Actually Free

I took my daughter on her first trip to Sephora a couple of weeks ago, and it was an eye-opening experience. Her bestie’s birthday party was later that day, and Millie knew that her friend wanted items from Sephora. Of course, I see the viral get ready with me videos on social media and have read articles about the age of entry for beauty beginning younger.

However, I didn’t think my daughter would tiptoe into this arena at 7.

But there I was, with a $340 bill that added up way too quickly (clearly, that is a me problem, not a Sephora problem) and a bunch of products for my daughter and her friend in tow.

I thought Millie would rush home and start trying everything out, but aside from a few spritzes of her body spray (which immediately took me back to my overuse of Gap Heaven in my youth), she placed everything neatly on her dresser for display.

The Holy Grail Sephora Bag

The standout item on display was her Sephora bag. She treasures the black-and-white striped, simple paper bag that is free with any purchase from the store. This has transcended the usual ways of bag display, like leaving the store and being seen by others, to showing off on social media (which my daughter obviously does not have!), and part of character packs for popular kids’ games like Roblox. In fact, she begged for Robux, the in-game currency for Roblox, to allow Millie’s character to carry a Sephora bag.

Many factors contribute to Sephora’s rise among younger girls, but one thing I am sure of is that Sephora is happy. It has brought an entirely new generation into its stores and reignited another generation’s desire to shop with their children.

I don’t go into Sephora often as much of my beauty purchases are made online, but this has also changed the trajectory of my beauty purchases. It brought back the excitement of being in the store, trying new items, and leaving with new things to try.

This is because of my daughter and her peers.

Best Beauty at Sephora for Tweens

I am unsure if this is happening in every part of the country and world, but I know it is a significant focus for the girls my daughter is friends with. As I continue this skincare journey with my daughter, I can share what she has purchased so far!

I asked several sales associates and researched (aka Googled) which items are safest for young girls. I stray from anything that has acids or would be too harsh for her skin. I am unsure if Millie plans to use much of this, but it sits atop her dresser as another reminder that my little girl is growing up. And I am happy to have this fun experience with her.

I also must note that my daughter has a severe coconut allergy, and today’s beauty market often uses coconut oil in its products. We have to read the labels to ensure each product is safe for her, but it does mean we have left other items out because of their ingredient lists!

I referenced the scents in the article above, but I haven’t sprayed and smelled as many samples as we did at the Sol de Janeiro station since I was a tween myself at Gap or Bath & Body Works, finding that perfect scent. We wafted, accidentally sprayed faces, and left with this variation. It all kind of smelled the same to me at the end, but I’m getting old and sensitive, it seems.

As per Millie’s beauty-obsessed friend, this color is the “most popular color for kids!”

Summer Fridays is quite cool amongst the kids, and the Jet Lag mask made it into our cart. A major plus is I am a big fan, so if Millie doesn’t use it, I plan to! It also received a Clean check from Sephora.

Another trendy brand, again for me and tweens alike, is Laneige. The Sleep Mask is a best-seller for the brand but uses coconut oil, so Millie opted for the Glowy Balm. There are lots of colors and scents, so it’s very kid-centric.

I was led to this cleanser by a sales associate. My 7-year-old doesn’t need a facial cleanser daily, or even often, but after she goes to a party and gets her face painted or dress-up makeup on, this is an excellent, clean, hydrating cleanser to try. I plan to use it primarily for me.

If Millie is to be putting moisturizer on her face, I wanted it to be as gentle as possible with no acids. This product was suggested based on ingredients.

At this point, I am well aware that the skincare routine I purchased for my daughter far exceeds mine, but here we are. Glow Recipe is hot with the kids, but this was the cleanest option for her face.

Lastly, the tweens love Drunk Elephant, but the majority of this brand has more intense acids and uses that a young child doesn’t need. I bought Millie these Rosi Drops which is about as far into the makeup world I am willing to go for a 7-year-old right now (along with a slight hue in lip balm). Again, I feel I will use this far more than she is!