A California-based startup is encouraging toddlers to wear makeup with its new products.
Petite 'N Pretty founder Samantha Cutler, the former chief of product development at Stila Cosmetics, said the makeup for youngsters should promote creativity and expression — and the words "petite" and "pretty" have nothing to do with it.
"Young creatives are changing the way the world sees pretty by redefining it on their terms with a next-gen point of view that celebrates sparkle in everyone," Petite 'N Pretty's website reads . "This is about good old-fashioned fun."
But some believe that the $445-billion-dollar beauty industry expanding into options for children could have harmful consequences by shaping what they believe is beautiful.
The brand's website and Instagram feature images of young girls wearing full faces of makeup, and some feel that the brand oversexualizes children.
Petite 'N Pretty's makeup rage features lip glosses, eye shadows, glitter and more, with products priced between $16 and $250.
The products are marketed to children aged four to 18, particularly Gen Z influencers on Instagram, YouTube and other social media outlets. Buyers on the company's website have to be at least 16.
People have been quick to criticize the new makeup line, with Allure's beauty editor, Sable Young , saying the way it's marketed could be problematic.
Read more: What the Victoria's Secret Angels look like without a lick of makeup
"I balk at the idea of marketing to kids the same kinds of language and imagery that funnels certain specific aesthetics and beauty standards into seemingly innocuous, sparkly packaging," she wrote.
Young added that the company's name itself could be harmful to children.
"With a brand called Petite 'N' Pretty, the message is upfront in the name. "Pretty" and "petite" are both words that are just modifiers, but in the context of beauty and body image, they take on a meaning we know all too well," she wrote.
Fast Company's Elizabeth Segran said the use of "petite" and "pretty" promotes a "focus on superficial looks, rather than intelligence or character."
She also noted that the name is a "uniquely gendered concept."
"Most brands encourage four-year-old boys to aspire to be brave, strong, and smart," she wrote.
Meanwhile, Petite 'N Pretty has said the word "petite" references age, not size.
"We believe that pretty is a feeling and petites should never be underestimated," the c ompany's website says . “Inspired by the way young creatives are changing how the world sees pretty by redefining it on their terms, we wanted our name to put them and their creative expression front and center."
- Read more about influencers:
- Instagram influencers are using hashtags about the devastating California wildfires to promote products
- Discount shoe retailer Payless opened a fake luxury store and convinced influencers to pay $600 for $20 footwear
- A Chinese vlogger was detained for 5 days for live-streaming her goofy performance of the national anthem
- 11-year-old Instagram star Lil Tay went silent for months, and now there's a secret battle brewing to control her future
NOW WATCH: Meet the 26-year-old jeweler making it big hawking custom bling to celebrities on Instagram