Beauty Secrets for Girls

If the popular media is to be trusted, it's no longer enough to just look good, now we all have to run to the newsagent looking like supermodels! Thank goodness we realize that the media isn't exactly real life, and in our daily lives being happy and healthy is more important than forced beauty. That said, each of us has a unique look that is beautiful in its own right, so make the most of your natural beauty by caring for yourself well.

Personal Care

Good personal care is the very foundation of all other beauty secrets. Make sure that you follow a stringent personal care routine every day, including:

• Showering or bathing.
• Looking after you skin, hair, nails and oral hygiene.
• Applying deodorant/antiperspirant liberally each morning.
• Plucking any stray hairs from your well-shaped brows.
• Using sunscreen every day, even if it is cloudy or rainy outside.
• Treating chapped or cracked lips with a soothing lip balm.
• Using cosmetics only to accentuate your natural beauty, not to hide it or transform it.
• Splurging on a favourite scent for an extra boost.

Skincare

Spots and breakouts can be enough to ruin any big event, or average day! Don't let spotty skin make your teenage years a living hell. Instead invest in:

• Soap or body wash (with a puff) to suds up and get squeaky clean every day.
• Moisturizer to help rehydrate your skin.
• Facial exfoliator to scrub away dead skin cells every few days.
• Face wash to suit your skin type (dry/sensitive, normal, oily or combination).
• Toner to improve your skin tone and tighten pores.
• Rich facial moisturizer to leave your face feeling silky smooth.

Hair Care

Hairstyles can go in and out of fashion at the drop of a hat, but if you stick to a style to suit your face you'll never need to use that hat to cover up. To keep your coiffure looking killer, remember to:

• Select a style to suit your lifestyle, facial shape and hair type.
• Consider updating your colour, but only to something that complements your complexion.
• Cleansing with a shampoo suited to your hair type.
• Using conditioner as needed.
• Only allowing combs to detangle your wet hair.
• Pumping up your volume with mousse or spray.
• Holding your sky-scraping styles with gel or wax.

Nail Care

Nothing kills a look faster than topping it off with dirty fingernails. You don't have to splurge on a weekly manicure to keep your nails nailed, but investing in one so that you can copy it at home is a good idea. Be sure to observe:

• How to clean your nails and cuticles.
• How to file your nails to the desired length and shape.
• How to care for your cuticles.
• How to apply polish correctly and effectively.
• What kind of daily or weekly nail care regime your manicurist recommends.

Oral Hygiene

Finally, no beauty secrets could be complete without a word of warning about oral hygiene. When a smile is bright and fun it can literally be blinding, but when it is dull and dingy no one will want to come near it. Make sure that you are inviting, rather than repulsive, by practicing good oral hygiene, including:

• Using a toothbrush shaped to fit your mouth and with bristles of the required strength for your teeth.
• Toothpaste in a flavour you like, preferably with fluoride.
• Antiseptic and anti-plaque mouthwash.
• Dental floss to pass between your teeth and dislodge debris.
• Using all three of these products in combination after every meal.
• Visiting your dentist for regular check-ups and cleaning.

No matter what your favourite magazine or television programme tells you, beauty truly is only skin deep. If you are happy and having fun, then this will show through no matter what. Rather than attempting to change your looks with beauty secrets, use your daily beauty routines to make the most of what you've got. Enjoy yourself!