Read an Excerpt

Beautiful Minds

Balboa Press

Chapter One

Being a teenager is tricky; your entire self is changing as you try to develop into an adult version of you. I bet you feel frustrated, rebellious at times, inquisitive, angry, insecure and a whole host of other nasties.

No one said being a teenager was easy!

The great news is that we all go through it. This little gem of a book is a fun, educational journey that simply explains everything a girl needs to know. This book was written for you. It is a guide so that you can navigate your way through your teenage years.

How do I know being a teen can be tricky? Because I have been where you are right now. This is your survival tool. May it give you clarity when you are faced with a challenge and be a reference when you need a question answered.

The book covers grooming, etiquette and life skills. Each section contains chapters that will inspire and assist you with your own journey.

Grooming is all about you and what you present to the world.

Etiquette is all about how you treat people and how your manners are so vital in life.

So, the last part of the book is all about you, your thoughts and your emotions.

Being a teenager is a stage in your life and the great part about it is that you have the ability to choose how you get through your teenage years.

Have fun exploring who you are and enjoy the journey along the way.

begin each and every day attering the infinite possibilities that fill your life ware amazing let the world see how

magnificent and incredible you are never doubt yourself dive in and shine

"Beauty is not in the face, beauty is a light in the heart." Kahlil Gibran

Chapter Two

We all have great skin days and then days when we may not want to leave the house. When you are going through puberty, your hormones go berserk, so you may be prone to breakouts and even acne.

There are different types of skin.

For example, oily, dry, normal, combination, sensitive or problem skin.

Oily The skin always appears greasy-looking and shiny. You may feel as if make-up slides off your face and that you have the urge to wash your face three times a day.

Dry The skin feels tight and may look flakey. Often, as soon as moisturiser is applied, the need to apply more could be a result of that dry feeling.

Normal Skin is neither dry nor oily.

Combination The T area of the face (across the forehead, nose and chin area) is prone to oiliness whilst the cheek area is normal to dry.

Sensitive Skin that reacts easily to products and often burns or stings if products are too strong.

Problem Acne is a major problem in our teenage years. As an ex-acne sufferer, I would suggest you seek professional help to clear problem skin. It is the result of hormones and a dermatologist will be able to help you.

Do not allow acne to rule your life and emotions; there are great new treatments out there, which will also boost your confidence.

Do not squeeze your pimples as this may result in scarring.

The magic skin drink

I have this drink every morning. My mum made it for me from when I was about 12 years old.

The ingredients help cleanse all the toxins and boost your immune system as well as improve the overall appearance of your skin.

Drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

3 x slices of fresh ginger A generous squeeze of lemon juice Half a teaspoon of organic honey

Mix together in a mug before adding boiling water. Delicious!

"Beneath the make-up and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world." Marilyn Monroe

Chapter Three

By now you should be realizing that you are beautiful as you are. However, every girl needs some good beauty tips and the following are a couple of the best.

I have been a make-up artist for more than 14 years, working on TV commercials, fashion shows, magazine shoots, and theatre. Make-up is such an exciting tool we can all have a bit of fun with.

Treat your face like a beautiful blank canvas that you can use paints (make-up) to create a picture. It should be a fun process and if you do something that you don't like, you can simply wash it off.

12 things a girl should have in her make-up bag

1: A small vile of perfume

2: Moisturiser with an SPF of 30+

3: Lip gloss

4: Mascara

5: Nail file

6: Eyeliner

7: Eye drops

8: Hand crème

9: Crème blusher

10: Tweezers

11: Breath mints

12: Foundation

TIP

NEVER go to bed without removing your make-up. It will block your pores and could cause a nasty break-out.

Never squeeze your pimples. It could leave scars for life and cause further break-outs.

My professional steps to a flawless make-up application I always start applying make-up to the eye area first. It means all the bits of eye shadow that fall onto your cheeks can be removed and a perfect foundation application can be achieved at the very end.

This is the order in which I do a professional make-up application. It will be a huge help to you if you follow the order and practice makes perfect.

The recipe

Concealer

This is a magic product that conceals or hides dark circles, redness and pimples. It should be half to one shade lighter than your skin colour. If you have concealer and it is too thick, add a small dab of your foundation to it, mix together and that will allow a smoother application. Apply lightly to your eyelid and under your eye area to brighten up tired-looking skin.

Eyeliner

Black pencil is best worn by girls with dark hair and/or dark eyes and eyebrows. Brown eyeliner is best suited to girls with pale skin and lighter coloured hair.

For hygiene reasons, always sharpen your eye pencils to avoid any nasty eye infections.

Eye shadow

The best colours to use to bring out your eyes:

Blue eyes

All blues, navy, black, silver, gold and mushroom colours are great at enhancing blue eyes. The idea of blue eye shadow might make you shudder, but blue eye shadow really makes blue eyes stand out.

Green eyes

All greens, khaki, emerald, bronze, gold and silver.

Brown eyes

Browns, gold, copper, bronze, gold and silver.

Mascara

Many of us open a mascara wand and start pumping it to get as much product onto the brush as we possibly can. This pushes air into the container and makes the mascara dry out faster. Gently insert the mascara wand and turn it two or three times to get product onto the brush. No pumping.

Wear waterproof mascara only if you are going to a wedding or funeral (both places are high-risk crying areas). Normal mascara is better on a day-to-day basis as it does not have all the strong chemicals in it to make it waterproof.

Black mascara is normally best suited to girls with darker hair, whilst dark brown mascara is better for fair-haired girls.

Do not use mascara on the lower lashes. This creates a shadow effect and gives the illusion of darker circles under the eyes. It can also give one the appearance of a stunned spider. Throw out your mascara after six to eight weeks. The germs that breed in the mascara wand are scary.

Best TIP ever

Throw out your mascara after six to eight weeks. The germs that breed in the mascara wand are scary.

Foundation

It is daunting going into a store and trying to find a foundation colour that suits your skin. So many cosmetic counters still train their staff to test foundation colours on customer's hands. Have a look right now. Is the skin on your hand the same colour as the skin on your face?

No, it is not. The best place to test foundation is on your collarbone, neck or check area. Foundations are used to even out your skin colour, so the foundation should be the same colour as your skin. Foundations that are too dark or too pale for your skin tone are really not a good look.

My advice is to test the foundation and ask the beauty advisor to apply the colour to your face. Get the name of the foundation and product details and leave the shop. Wear the foundation for a few hours. If the colour looks great in natural light and it wears well on your skin, go back and purchase it.

I have done many make-up workshops for ladies who have bathroom drawers overflowing with old foundation bottles that are all the wrong colour match.

Blush

Apply crème blush (it is better for younger skin as powder blush can give skin a powdery, aged look) to the apples of your cheeks. Blush is most flattering in an apricot/pinky colour to give your skin a fresh, flushed look.

Blush that is too dark or brown will only make your skin look dirty and aged.

Lips

Lips are the sexiest part of the face so look after them. The thinner your lips, the lighter in colours your lipstick or gloss should be.

Exfoliate your lips to remove dead skin cells and get the blood circulating.

Here's how:

1: Run your toothbrush under warm water

2: Gently brush your lips in circular motions with the damp toothbrush.

3: Pat your lips dry and add a little moisturizer. Hmm, feel the difference. They are now kissable!

Remember, always balance out your make-up look. If you choose dark, smoky eye make-up, go with light glossy lips. If you choose dark lips, go with light eye make up application. If there is no balance, you will look like a drag queen and that's not a good look for a young lady.

Less is more when it comes to make-up. Blend, blend, blend your make-up to achieve a natural, flawless look.

"Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a stylist you like" Unknown

Chapter Four

Taking good care of your hair is just another element of good grooming. If you look after yourself and eat well, your hair will show by looking glossy and healthy. Like our skin, we also have different types of hair – oily, dry and normal. It does help to know what type your hair is so you can look after it accordingly.

Oily hair has a very shiny appearance and often looks greasy a day after shampooing.

Dry hair looks brittle and often has split ends.

Normal hair is neither dry nor oily.

A couple of suggestions:

Finding a good hairdresser is like finding a good boyfriend. He/she must listen to you and understand your needs and you should both have a mutual trust for one another. Only then can beautiful things start to happen.

If you want a new look, a different cut or colour, take pictures of what you like to your hairdresser so together you can work to achieve your overall desired effect. You want to be sure your new style suits your hair type. A good hairdresser will be able to assist you with this. There are five face shapes - oval, round, square, heart and long. Ask your hairdresser what your face shape is and make sure he/she gives you a hairstyle that flatters your face shape.

When dying your hair, two to three shades darker or two to three shades lighter is normally the best way to go to allow a natural, flattering colour. Remember that skin and eye colour play a massive part in what colours suit you.

Always shampoo your hair twice. This removes any product build-up or oils.

Trim hair on a regular basis; every six to eight weeks is advisable to keep hair looking healthy. This applies even if you are trying to grow it, as we need strong ends in order for hair to grow long.

Trust me, I have tried home dyes and unless you have someone to help you or you really know what you are doing, they are messy and often end up costing you a lot. I have always needed to see a hairdresser after I have attempted a home colour. If you are just dying your hair and not after anything too involved like highlights or lightening the hair, home kits can be great. Anything that is too complicated should be left to a professional.

Ask your hairdresser to suggest products that suit your hair type. For example, dry hair will require products that condition the hair and give it extra moisture.

Try to keep hair straighteners and blow dryers to a minimum, as they do tend to dry the hair out.

Some of us are gifted with wavy hair, dead straight hair, thick hair, thin hair, curly hair or just plain crazy hair. Whatever you have, you probably wish you had someone else's hair type, but try to learn to work with what you have. It is on your head for life so you may as well make friends with each other early rather than later.

Have fun with your appearance. A hair change is a fantastic way to revamp yourself. The great part is that at the end of the day it is just hair and it will grow back if you don't like it. So do not be afraid to experiment with different looks whilst you are young and still working out your style.

"A girl should be two things - classy and fabulous. Coco Chanel

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Beautiful Minds by Marina Passalaris Copyright © 2012 by Marina Passalaris. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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