On December 9, Beyonce attended the premiere of the film “Mufasa” with her daughter Blue Ivy Carter as a special guest. The two play mother and daughter in the film, so it came as no surprise that they wore coordinated looks for the premiere. Beyonce opted for a strapless Balmain dress with a deep neckline and bustier cup, while Blue Ivy wore a form-fitting gold gown custom designed by Christian Siriano. Some social media users praised the teenager's look, noting that she looked like a “princess” and “just like her mother.”

Nevertheless, some on X, formerly known as Twitter, debated whether Blue Ivy's makeup was appropriate for her age. 'Blue Ivy is 12 and wearing that dress and makeup. Does her stylist or her mother's stylist know about this? Another said, “God forgive me, but Blue Ivy is way too young for this makeup and outfit.” The makeup look in question,” a soft smokey eye, a hint of blush, half lashes, and a glossy shade of lip color, was done by makeup artist Rocael Lizama.

Never mind the fact that Carter is herself a child star (with parents like Beyonce and Jay-Z, this journey was written in the stars) and is therefore expected to look her best for work events. She has also shown an interest in makeup for quite some time. At one point, she even did her grandmother's makeup. The fact that there are people who can look at this girl and objectively claim that the makeup she was wearing was “not age appropriate” completely baffles me. It is not uncommon for black girls to be told that they are “growing up too fast” or “rushing into adulthood” when they are just as eager to experiment with their appearance as any other teenager.

It is a well-known phenomenon that black children tend to be seen as if they are much older than they really are, even though they look and act just like their peers. In a report from the Georgetown University Poverty and Inequality Law Center titled “Interrupting Girlhood: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhoods,” subjects acknowledge that Black girls are seen as less in need of protection, nurturing, and support, even claim to be more knowledgeable about sex and adult topics.

Blue Ivy Carter receives a certain level of protection as the child of two of the world's biggest stars, but this pervasive stereotype affects younger black children who are not so lucky. Children who want to test their own aesthetic of beauty deserve to be given a place to do so without being criticized or told by every single adult how horrible it is to do so. It is time for all of us to stop judging this little girl for the way she looks and become a safe place where she can find her identity in peace.