First things first: Thank you everyone who has participated and commented on my Teenage Firsts post! I have absolutely loved reading your comments,and love all of the tips and tricks you have shared on how to talk with your teenager. I still can’t even believe I have a teenager, let alone one to teach important things about womanhood!
When I explained to my daughter that I would be writing that post, it actually lead to a really lovely and special discussion between the two of us about womanhood and doing things for the first time. She had a lot of really great questions, some of which I totally wasn’t expecting! I thought I would share a bit of our conversation after we talked (a.k.a. giggled) about shaving. I hope the following will help guide some of you in the right direction when talking to your teenagers and will remind you, above all, to just be honest with your daughter or daughters.
Me: Sometimes. Not really. Well, okay, yes. Yes it does. But only when you cut yourself.
Taylor: I’m going to cut myself?
Me: Well, sometimes, yeah. But only when you are going too fast or when you have a dull razor.
Taylor: Do your legs bleed a lot?
Me: No. But on our white towels it does look bad.
Taylor: Huh. So do you like shaving?
Me: Nope.
Taylor: What? Then why on earth do you do it?
Me: Because I like how my legs feel more than I dislike shaving.
Taylor: My legs do feel really soft.
Me: Well, that’s because I gave you a nice pink Venus Embrace 5-blade razor and Satin Care Passionista Fruit Shave Gel. Just wait until I make you use dry soap and a knife.
Taylor: What?
Me: Kidding! I promise I will keep the nice razors coming. Just don’t be surprised if I use them now and then.
Taylor: I don’t mind sharing.
Me: Your father does.
Taylor: What?
Me: Nothing.
Taylor: So how often should I shave?
Me: Often in the summer. In the winter my legs go on a three-month-long hiatus.
Taylor: That’s gross.
Me: Yes, it is.
Taylor: Will my legs stay this soft?
Me: In the summer your skin spends a lot of time in the sun. Keep using shaving gel and sunscreen and they will stay soft.
Taylor: Can I feel your legs?
Me: Yes, but only the right one.
Taylor: Why only the right?
Me: I forgot to shave them both this morning. After the right leg, I forgot about the left and got out of the shower.
Taylor: Mom!
Taylor: What kind of sunscreen can I use after shaving? Can I put on lotion afterward?
Me: You can put anything on your legs that your normally use after shaving. Unless you’re sunbathing and your girlfriend tries to educate you in the wonderful world of baby oil. Trust me, it ain’t so wonderful.
Taylor: Um, okay …
Me: And don’t use knock-off tanning cream. You will end up all splotchy. And don’t wear socks in the summer. Your friends will call you farmer tan for the rest of your life. And don’t ever ever get a tattoo. I will kick you out of the house. And …
Taylor: Mom! I get it!
Mom: Oh, okay. Good. Any more questions?
Taylor: Yeah, do you know where my razor went?
Me: Um… maybe you should check my shower.
Taylor: Oh mom.
Man, I love this girl. I really look forward to having more talks with her in the future! If you’re looking for more great talking tips for your teen or you just want a teen-savvy place to direct her inquisitive nature when it comes to growing up, check out the Venus- sponsored Kendall and Kylie Jenner page on Facebook here.
These girls have made some super-cute summer-fun videos for teens. You can also check out some fabulous tips from the razor pros themselves at the Venus Embrace page HERE.
I can assure you Taylor learned far more from this page than from me. Especially that razor sharing is a no no and that she should quickly hide her Venus razor from me. Dang it!
All right my friends, ready for another fabulous GIVEAWAY sponsored by Venus?
To enter just answer the following question below in the comments: What’s the best beauty tip you have shared with your daughter to prepare her for the summer? OR share your funniest beauty mishap for the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card!
Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 7/26 – 8/23.
Be sure to visit the Venus brand feature page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Good luck!
Have you checked out the Life Well Lived section of BlogHer.com? There are some great tips and expert posts on everything from Looking Your Best to Getting Happy and Getting Organized!
at 1:51 pm
I was a tomboy when I was growing up…wait I still am. This happened right before I went into the 7TH grade. My Nonnie, I guess not thinking that I was highly allergic to it since she isn’t walked me right into a field, yes a field of poison ivy. I got it all over my legs and I scratched leg near the kneecap so bad that it was a big bloody mess. It scabbed up but still looked horrible. So during Gym the first day of school a girl asked me if I cut myself shaving and I just went with it.
Shannon recently posted..Baby’s got a brand new bed
at 1:52 pm
https://twitter.com/pumpkinsfan1976/status/228578531699990528 Tweeted.
Shannon recently posted..Baby’s got a brand new bed
at 2:21 pm
Great post — and that final photo of your daughter — awesome!
at 4:19 pm
Lovely post, and the tender discussion with a daughter, is priceless.
at 4:21 pm
https://twitter.com/rosorior/status/228615856454766592
at 4:47 pm
My mother always told me to use plenty of sunscreen. She has great skin so I know this is so important!
at 4:49 pm
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/228623143441412096
at 5:48 pm
I cannot think of a single time I’ve had a beauty mishap! But I also really really do not get embarrassed. So I’m sure I’ve done something ridiculous and just not known or cared! And I don’t have kids but a beauty tip I have to remind myself of is to wash your face and moisturize! Gotta keep your skin happy and balanced.
at 5:55 pm
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/AngelabethCan/status/228639595145875456
at 6:16 pm
My mother told me to use moisturizer and always wear sunscreen when you’re outside.
at 9:12 pm
I think I am a beauty mishap, ha ha. But the real issue is one year when I started painting my nails. I did my left hand and it was funky with stripes and polka dots. But I didn’t have time then for my second. And then I went on vacation and I knew when I got back that school was starting. 7th grade! (that’s the first year of junior high) I didn’t want just one hand painted, so while I vacation I started scraping off as much polish as I could. Of course I couldn’t get it all off. There was no nail polish remover at home. So my first big day of school, I went with just one hand painted, but peeling/scraped off in some funky randomness. Great first impression.
at 8:21 am
wash your face twice a day and exfoliate once a week!
at 8:22 am
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/status/228857532637118465
at 8:36 am
My mom always moisturized every night. I always thought it was funny when she would “grease” up before going to bed. Now I do the same thing
Jill Haviland recently posted..Machu Picchu, Peru
at 8:40 am
Tweeted:https://twitter.com/jillatbakes/status/228861585794420736
Jill Haviland recently posted..Machu Picchu, Peru
at 10:15 am
Beauty mishap…one word: Epilady. Enough said.
Amy @ A Little Nosh recently posted..Pattypan Squash Casserole
at 12:16 pm
the best tip i give is to be your self
and wear SPF!
at 12:16 pm
tweet: https://twitter.com/akronugurl/status/228916518568747008 ..
at 7:01 pm
ALWAYS apply sunscreen on your face everyday
at 7:03 pm
tweeted
https://twitter.com/1amypugmire/status/229019025945018369
at 9:16 pm
My tip is to use sunscreen every day
at 9:16 pm
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/229052549704065024
at 9:38 pm
Wear lots of sunscreen to protect your skin
family74014 at gmail dot com
at 10:40 am
The best summer beauty tip I’ve given is to wash your face every night before bed especially if you have makeup on.
pokergrl8 at gmail.com
at 10:41 am
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/229255078316503040
at 12:21 pm
funniest beauty mishap: my first perm at 8 years old when my friends thought i was wearing a wig and tried to pull my hair off!
thismomwins@gmail.com
at 12:22 pm
tweet https://twitter.com/thismomwins/status/229276422521356288
thismomwins@gmail.com
at 12:33 pm
my best beauty tip is to always wear sunscreen! the sun damage you get as a kid will affect you as an adult!
at 1:54 pm
use sunscreen everyday
at 1:55 pm
https://twitter.com/elliebunny24/status/229304026699792384
at 2:58 pm
my biggest mishap was blue eyeliner, yikes!
at 2:58 pm
https://twitter.com/DesMoinesDealin/status/229319816429838337
at 12:28 pm
My daughter kept asking if she could start shaving her legs; my advice to her was to let the thighs go and just shave from the knees down..since both of us are fair-skinned, you can’t even tell we don’t shave above the knees. We also moisturize after shaving as soon as we get out of the shower..no drying beforehand.
at 12:28 pm
https://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/229644390002466816
at 6:07 pm
My funniest beauty mishap happened years ago. I was getting ready for work….during a storm. Power went out. No lights in the bathroom as I was finishing getting ready for work and putting on my makeup. I thought…I have done this so many times…I could do it in my sleep! Haha..wrong. My blush and powder foundation where in a container that looked almost the same. I ended up putting my blush on all over instead of the powder! Haha…..I laughed so hard when I got in the car and looked in the rearview mirror!
at 6:09 pm
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/Ilovemybeagle2/status/229729982455349248
at 8:54 pm
The beauty tip I give my daughter is to wear her hair up in the summer months, either in ponytails or buns, to keep her cool and her skin free of sweat.
at 8:55 pm
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydinpa/status/229772112804597760
at 9:28 am
wear plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin!
family74014 at gmail dot com
at 12:15 am
I like your hair this way
at 7:54 am
use lots of sunscreen
at 11:06 am
I’ve always stressed the importance of using sunscreen.
at 11:07 am
https://twitter.com/jen_r_horn/status/230348347947507712
at 8:16 pm
i always told my daughter to take pride in her appearance
at 8:16 pm
i tweeted here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/230486882566426628
at 10:34 pm
My best beauty tip – always remember to wear sunscreen. It’s just a simply step daily but goes a long way to keep your skin healthy.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
at 10:34 pm
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/230884088360341505
at 8:47 pm
Lovely mother/daughter convo. Thanks for sharing! My beauty mishap involved a mayonaise mask on my hair and not washing it out enough (because it’s soooooo hard to get out)! Pretty gross.
at 11:25 am
Don’t shave the tops of your legs and not the bottoms as I did when I was 13. I was blessed with black hair, not just on my head but also arms and legs so when I did this, it DID NOT go unnoticed!!!
at 2:53 pm
IF YOU DON’T HAVE MAKEUP REMOVER, HAND SOAP WORKS JUST AS WELL.
at 2:53 pm
https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/232577555587276800
at 4:37 pm
wear sunscreen all the time
at 4:38 pm
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/232606630880100352
at 6:21 pm
always wear spf & moisturize
at 6:21 pm
tweeted – https://twitter.com/luvx143/status/232632374347841536
at 10:06 am
Always wear sunscreen!
at 7:43 pm
A good tip is to keep eyeliner and mascara to a minimum during the summer, since it’s likely to run.
at 4:53 pm
I used makeup that didn’t match my skin color to cover up acne, it didn’t look good and made my acne worse. Thanks for the tips and giveaway.
songyueyu at gmail
at 4:54 pm
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/234784803029925890
songyueyu at gmail
at 10:29 am
Love yourself!
at 10:29 am
I encourage my teenage daughter to always remove her makeup and wash her face at night.
Kari recently posted..Win a Nook Color from Robert Whitlow in The Choice Giveaway
at 10:29 am
I showed her how to use body polish before and after shaving for extra soft skin
at 10:30 am
I tweeted this post
https://twitter.com/alas3lads/status/235050661065142272
Kari recently posted..Win a Nook Color from Robert Whitlow in The Choice Giveaway
at 10:31 am
The best tip I give her is to always wear sunscreen.
at 10:32 am
It was during my senior year of high school that I decided to try the “new” self-tanning lotion. I have a very light complexion, and after putting the first coat on, I followed directions and washed my hands.
After the required 20 minute “processing” time, I still wasn’t any darker, so I put a second coat on my legs. And a third coat.
You guessed it. I forgot to wash my hands.
The next morning, I was delighted to see that my legs WERE a little darker, even if they had a slight orange tint. I then turned my hands over and found them to be orangey-black.
Did I mention this was my senior year? I spent about a month with orange hands. Everyone was surprisingly nice (to my face, anyway) about it, even the boys. I think a lot of girls learned from my mistake.
at 10:32 am
Funniest beauty mishap: I have naturally thick eyebrows and I HATED them growing up. Instead of asking my mom to help me get them waxed/tweezed, I took it upon myself to take a disposable razor to them… mind you, I was about 8 or so, I knew no better. Thankfully they grew back normally and I am now proud of my full brows, but for a few weeks I looked AWFUL!
LaTasha James recently posted..Best Thing Ever
at 10:33 am
It was just like have made her top of the world,the day she was having a date with is boyfriend.
at 10:33 am
The best beauty tip I have given to both of my daughters is use sunscreen. Not only does it prevent sunburn, it keeps your skin looking young and youthful and not old looking before your time. And to re-apply too often esp. if swimming or sweating alot.
at 10:35 am
Don’t use smooth away on your underarms – hurt for a week. All it really does is exfoliates the skin rather than take hair off, and you think I would’ve learned that after the first arm, but of course I went for the second.
at 10:36 am
To ALWAYS use shaving gel and moisturize after shaving.
at 10:36 am
When wearig a skirt or dress, always make sure you didn’t tuck it into your panties, before you leave the house.
at 10:38 am
Funniest (now at least) mishap is when my 11 year old daughter wanted bangs and with her having very curly hair, like shirley temple, and would not fit her hair type….Well she took a pair of scissors and cut the “bangs: down to her head and cut 8″ off of the back of her hair! SO needless to say she now has a short hair style.
at 10:39 am
Being a mom of a 6 year old daughter, I am teaching her how to take care of her hair the right way, and also remembering lots of tips for her when she is older. being in the Arizona heat our skin can dry out fast, use hair conditioner as shaving cream and your legs turn out silky smooth
at 10:40 am
Told my daughter about when u was at summer camp and I used an old razor and peeled a layer of skin off my shin. I used this to tell her that using a dull razor can be very bad. I bled for hours after that. Sh e now is obsessive about using new razors and the right shaving cream.
at 10:41 am
Sunscreen is your best friend. White is way more healthy than tan.
at 10:43 am
My funniest beauty mishap was when I tried to give my legs a Mohawk but it didn’t look that good
at 10:44 am
I tell my 12 year old daughter the regular stuff like wash your face, brush your teeth, all the boring things my Mom told me when I was young. She rolls her eyes at me but does them and looks beautiful without makeup.
My biggest mishap was when I was learning how to shave. Well, not really learning as I had taken a razor from my Mom without her knowing. I had NO idea how to use it and didn’t even know that you needed to use shaving cream or soap for a lubricant. I took that razor, you know the kind they had in the early 80′s-one blade and sharp as a tack, and ran it up my shin. It took off all the skin down my shinbone, from my knee to my ankle. I was a bloody mess! Needless to say, I had to go to my Mom and tell her what I had done and get some medical assistance.
at 10:48 am
Worst mishap when my friend almost took off my eyebrows when trying to shape them.
at 10:50 am
best beauty tip I ever got- Make up is about enhancing your natural beauty! Use a light hand when applying.
at 10:54 am
Wash your face morning and night with a good soap/facewash!
at 10:57 am
I told my daughter that she doesn’t need a lot of makeup to enhance her natural beauty.
at 10:58 am
Well it’s nice to see you opening up to yor daughter about some of the questions she may have. First time I talked to my mom about shaving I had already done it behind her back! She told me never to do it again! I felt so strange around the other girls in school who had smooth legs and eventually started shaving again. I was in middle school at the time and although my mother may not have realized I was growing into a young lady and she wasn’t there to guide me. Communication with your kids is key, talking about it is better than going into it blindly.
at 11:21 am
I told my daughter that if she uses less makeup that there is more naturall beauty to show
at 11:39 am
My beauty mishap was when I first started using makeup in 9th grade. Well I would put on so much eyeliner that I literally looked like a raccoon. I remember my brother asked me if I had a black eye! Well thank goodness I go for the more natural look now lol! And by the way I loved this article, it made me laugh.
at 11:57 am
My best beauty tip for my daughter is tell her her that she already beautiful just the way she is. She does not need anything else to help her. I taught her to shave when she was little even though I did not allow it until last year. When she was really little we would take baths together and after I shaved I would turn the razor over and let her “shave.”
at 12:10 pm
Especially because of family history of melanoma, I have always encouraged my daughter to use sunscreen. My Mother also told me that protecting your skin from the sun will help keep your skin from aging prematurely…. love her for that! Also, exfoliating & moisturizing keeps your skin from drying out and aging. Loved passing down these words of wisdom from my Mother to my daughter.
at 12:19 pm
I remember the first time I tried to shave. It was the night before the first day of school, and I didn’t realize you had to use shaving cream or at the very least soap and water! So I shaved my legs dry! The next day as I walked around in white shorts, I realized I had razor burn and little patches of missed hair. LOL! Whoops!
at 12:36 pm
My best tip for my daughter is to always wash off your makeup before sleeping.
at 12:37 pm
Always be yourself, dress modest, and smile, were plenty of sunscreen you will regret that you didn’t when you get my age.
at 1:55 pm
Don’t go overboard with make-up and accessorizing.
at 2:02 pm
https://twitter.com/go2angl/status/235103786924916736
at 4:06 pm
I was waxing my lip and took off the entire first layer so I had a nice booboo in the shape of a mustache for weeks!!! Hard to explain that one!
at 4:56 pm
Always wear sunscreen and a wide brim hat (you’ll thank me when your my age wind you aren’t fighting age spots)!!
at 1:21 pm
I don’t yet have a daughter to pass on my wisdom, but I believe that spf protection on our face is essential
at 1:28 pm
sometimes less make up is more
at 1:32 pm
When we were younger my sister stole my liptsick and smeared it all over her face, and she thought she looked pretty. It was too funny.
at 7:11 am
That was a great article. I have a 9 year old and these type of convos are starting. Great to get some insight on how to handle them good luck!!!
at 11:44 am
When I was a freshmen in high school, I used to wear a ton of music, and one day I was really tired when I woke up for school. I put on my make up (most of it) like usual in the morning, my mom yelled for me when I had my eyeliner and bright blue eyeshadow on one eye, i went out to see what she needed. Then after that, I had to go, I went to school with bright eyeshadow on one eye and not the other, everyone picked on me.
at 12:37 pm
Well my daughter is quite young. She decided that summer meant forgoing everything that she had to do for school, which included brushing her hair. After reminding her countless times, I let her go with it. After a few days she decided that tangles weren’t so great, but she still didn’t want to do much with it. She is now happy with brushing her hair and then throwing on a headband (keeps it out of her face and I’m not doing anything with it).
at 9:19 am
Thanks for sharing this article. I have talked to my girls this summer (9 & 7) this summer about good hygiene. Summer’s full of sand and mud puddles and well, let’s face it, lots of sweat! We’ve talked about conditioning our hair so it will stay soft and less tangle-y. We’ve talked about washing our bodies (and all the crevices) well so that germs and dirt don’t have a chance to make us icky. I’ve tried to keep it light, and we’ve had good conversations.
at 8:05 pm
My only tips to my daughters are to wear what makes them feel good.
at 9:09 pm
Always use moisturizer.
at 10:58 pm
Wear a hat as well as the sunscreen & sunglasses when you’re out & about drinking the water you always have by your side.
Thanks for the contest.
at 10:59 pm
blogged:
http://slehan.blogspot.com/2012/08/win-50-visa-from-venus-and-blogher-0823.html
at 9:48 am
We got a free soap sample and I used it in the shower. Bad idea. I broke out in a rash head to toe and couldn’t go swimming for a month in the middle of summer.
at 12:05 am
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/238154777211588608
at 3:14 pm
I was so excited to show my mom my new faux hawk that I had dyed bright flame red when I visited her at the beach! It was a hot summer day and so we decided to go to the pool. Not thinking about how my hair color was temporary, I jumped right in. By the end of the day, my bright red hair was watermelon pink! LOL
angie lilly recently posted..Tagetes patula by FotoMacro
at 3:15 pm
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/238378254464073729
angie lilly recently posted..Tagetes patula by FotoMacro
at 11:23 am
My worst beauty mishap was using the wrong haircolor shade and dyeing my hair blonde!
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
at 11:24 am
https://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/238687527584792577
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
at 4:48 pm
my fave beauty tip Shave legs at the end of the shower
at 4:48 pm
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/238765371606323201
at 6:08 pm
To always apply lotion or baby oil after morning shower
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
at 6:09 pm
tweet
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/238789804882538496
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
at 7:14 pm
my best beauty tip was apply moisturizer directly after a shower even before you dry off for silky smooth soft skin! Thanks for a super giveaway!
at 7:17 pm
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/238807225907429377
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
at 8:21 am
You are too kind! Many thanks!