10-Year-Olds Taking Over Sephora

San Francisco — If you consume any beauty content on TikTok, then I’m sure you’ve seen the countless horror stories of 10-year-olds in Sephora.

Some tweens, usually around 9 to 12 years old, have recently become interested in higher-end cosmetic brands and products sold at Sephora. And they’re causing chaos. They’re walking around without parental supervision. They’re leaving the stores a mess. And in some cases, the kids are downright rude.

@_giannalove #GRWM while I talk about the epidemic of sephora kids #fyp #sephora #grwmroutine #foryou ♬ original sound - gianna

So why are children suddenly interested in shopping at Sephora? Well, there are a few reasons. First of all, cosmetic brands like Drunk Elephant, Tower 28 and Rare Beauty will have products that go viral on TikTok. And some of these kids see this and want to try the products out themselves.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “What’s the issue?”

These brands, and Sephora as a whole, are usually catered toward young adults and adults — not children. Most of the products are not formulated for children’s skin. On top of that, they can be pretty pricey. 

But to be honest, I was kind of an early makeup wearer myself. I grew up with the onset of YouTube makeup tutorials in the 2010s, and I started wearing makeup around 12 or 13 years old. Was it quite to the extent of a 10-year-old looking for expensive Drunk Elephant products? Definitely not. For the most part, I was walking the aisles of drug stores like CVS or Walgreens. Maybe, I'd go to a local beauty store trying to find more affordable products to experiment with. 

But my experience does help me empathize with why these kids are so excited to try out beauty products for themselves. I mean think about it. This concept isn’t exactly new. So many of us grew up watching our moms, older siblings and cousins get ready and put on makeup. And we were intrigued. I know I was. 

Something else that isn’t exactly new either — influencer culture. Sure, we didn’t use the term “influencer” that often back then. And it definitely wasn’t as intense as it is now with platforms like Instagram and TikTok having designed their apps to incorporate shopping more easily. But like I said, I grew up with the onset of YouTube makeup tutorials. And they were a big reason why I started wearing makeup at a young age. 

Nowadays, kids see skin care products marketed towards them on social media. They see all their other friends getting Drunk Elephant, so they want it too!

Another point many people on social media are bringing up – where are all the preteen stores we had growing up?! As a kid, I would be so excited to go to stores like Justice and Claire’s and get to pick out a cute new colorful outfit or accessories. 

@katieemoone Whose winning? #sephoragirl #sephoragirls #skincare #throwback #2000s #2000snostalgia #fyp ♬ оригинальный звук - scar1exa

But it seems like kids and preteens nowadays don’t have those kinds of stores anymore where they can experiment with fashion and beauty while still being age appropriate. And the loss of these stores have led to kids jumping immediately into adult shopping places like Sephora.

Ironically, while these young girls are wanting to experience womanhood, many young women are actually trying to embrace girlhood. Many of us yearn for the fun and carefree times we had as young girls filled with friends, sleepovers, dolls. and play makeup. (Hint, hint: Why do you think the Barbie movie was so popular amongst young women?)

While I kind of understand why these tweens are gravitating towards stores like Sephora, I definitely also agree with why young adults are frustrated with kids filling up their space. Adults want to be able to have our own fun and shop for products without feeling like we’re at a kids playground.

@user372928483919

condolences to all sephora employees that have been bullied by them🙏🏼🙏🏼

♬ sonido original - christmasxmelanie 🩰

When it comes down to it, we all want to have fun and play with makeup, but we need our own spaces to do so — age appropriately. 

Nina Roehl (she/her), is a San Francisco-based journalist. Her work covers topics such as social media, health and growing up Gen Z.

Edited by Amber Ly