Seeking expert consult for light, healthy make up for middle schooler

I can't recommend a particular makeup artist, but check out the brand Glossier for skin care products and minimalist makeup that enhances your features but allows your actual skin and natural beauty to show through.  I think their natural/minimalist aesthetic is perfect for young teenage girls who are interested in makeup. 

If it were me, I would stay out of it. Junior High aged girls who are interested in makeup are experimenting; they generally aren't looking to use makeup for the same ends as an adult might be. They learn from one another, and separating your daughter's experience of makeup from those of her peers could put strain on those relationships. When my daughter (now almost 20) started playing with makeup she was interested in using it for exaggeration - drawing eyelashes on like Twiggy, wearing super-bright lipstick. She was always amazed when I wore makeup (which I do infrequently) at how little it changed my appearance.

If you really want someone to teach her about "proper" application of makeup, consider hosting a makeover party for her and her friends. You'll likely have to pay someone for their time, but if it is a group activity then she and her friends might be excited about incorporating what they learned. Alternately, take her and a friend or two to Sephora - makeovers are free, and the artists are knowledgable about the products. 

If you are concerned about the content of the products your daughter is using, do some research and come up with a list of brands that you are OK with her using. My daughter also wanted "natural" makeup and found it very difficult to locate products that met her criteria. Cruelty-free was everywhere, but natural, not so much. Also, keep in mind that most girls that age are using cheap drugstore makeup because it is what they can afford. You are proposing she use much more expensive products than she likely uses now. I would consider supplementing her makeup budget if she is going to have to spend 3X-5X what she pays now to purchase products.

Health-wise, I think teaching her about healthy skin (and health precautions to use with makeup) is very important. You can do this yourself, perhaps by explaining that it is part of the more adult responsibility that comes with wearing makeup. Make sure she has cleansing, sun screening, and moisturizing products and is using them, and have consequences for not taking care of her skin - perhaps a temporary loss of makeup privileges, or something else appropriate. Also drive home the importance of getting rid of eye makeup frequently not sharing things like mascara to avoid eye infections. Teach her how to recognize symptoms of allergic reaction to makeup, and if she wears contacts have her eye doctor talk to her about precautions.

Mostly, let her have fun. Think of garish makeup as the junior high equivalent of preschool's garish outfits. They outgrow wearing bright clashing plaids and stripes together, and eventually they learn to use makeup as enhancement.

+1, have fun! 

I took my daughter to Bare Minerals in the Stanford Shopping Center.  I'm sure there's one close to wherever you live.  Their product lines are very clean in terms of ingredients used.  The young woman who helped my daughter did an excellent job of likely accentuating her features in a very natural way.  You might want to go first and find a sales consultant you like.

My daughter became interested in make up at the end of 8th grade, knowing most girls in her class would wear it for graduation activities.  The trip to Bare Minerals was a special treat.  I purchased the initial products for her.  She now uses her allowance to fill in either at Bare Minerals, or CVS.  However, when she shops at CVS, she is very careful to seek out cleaner brands.  Once she got comfortable with the Bare Minerals, I showed her the EWG.org website to research products herself.

Every now and then she over does it.  I keep silent.  She generally seems a bit uncomfortable and goes back to a light hand.