Did you read yesterday’s post? Be Beautiful Every Girl’s Guide to Hair, Skin & Make-Up Review 

The authors of that book, Alice Hart-Davis and one of her daughters, Molly Hindhaugh, have very kindly responded to some questions that my daughter and I posed to them.

Molly was 14 when the book was published, so she’s now 16 or 17, correct?

Yes, my, Molly, will be 17 in February (eek! How grown-up is that? We started discussing this book when she was 12, which now seems a very long time ago.)   

photo when Molly was 13

Question for Molly: Did having a glamorous mother make it easier or more difficult growing up?

I wouldn’t say it affected me– being glamorous hasn’t changed my view of her as a mother and I looked up to her in much the same way as I would have otherwise; but I guess always having a ready supply of makeup and skincare products at hand has made my life a little bit easier!

We’re sure there were very supportive people cheering you on when your book was published. However, were there some mean girls who didn’t wish you well, Molly?

Molly’s response:  Luckily if there were, they didn’t say anything to me.

Alice’s response:  Moxie, this is something I was really anxious about before the book was published but when it actually happened, to my delight/ relief, everyone was very kind and positive and encouraging (at least, as Molly says, if there were unkind comments, we didn’t hear them).

Looking back, were there ever times that you didn’t follow the advice you give in your book, Molly?

I think on the whole I’ve followed the book – after all, it’s the advice from my mum I’ve grown up with! I think I probably wear a little more eyeliner and a little less sunscreen than she’d like though.

Any funny/disastrous stories? Molly and Alice?

Hmm. Regarding that eyeliner and shadow… When Molly was around 13, we would have these insane conversations at 7am, with both of us being scrupulously polite (and very English, you may well think) with me saying, “That’s a lot of eye make-up for a school day!” and her saying, “Yes, Mum, it’s that smoky-eye look we were working on for the book…” At which point I could only think, “Oh dear, I asked for that!”

Alice, in Be Beautiful, you cite a statistic that, “…there are relatively few dermatologists in the UK (450 compared with 10,000 in the USA).”

That was in 2009, when the book was published. Is that still true?

More or less. The British Association of Dermatologists now has around 700 consultant dermatologists on their books, so the numbers are growing but it’s still not that many per head of population, so going to see a derm is still a very unusual thing over here.

The book states that Molly is “Fortunate that her teachers take a liberal view of her experiments with eyeliner.” Can you describe some of those experiments, Molly?

When I first discovered eyeliner I tended to ring my eyes quite heavily with the stuff in an attempt to achieve a “smoky eye”, which now I look back upon with despair – it’s not exactly an everyday look. I also had a few brightly colour shimmery eye shadows which I blended – I would have, say, bright blue in the corners of my eyes fading into pink. Though I still maintain that looked quite cool.

What are Molly and Alice experimenting with these days?

Molly – I recently dip-dyed my hair pink which was really great! It may have clashed with a few of my clothes but it was really fun and everyone loved it. I also love experimenting with liquid eyeliner now that I’ve finally mastered it – and false eyelashes, too, but those I save for special occasions. I’ve still got a pair coloured like the England flag which I’m dying for an excuse to use.

Alice – I’ve been trying out semi-permanent-mascara treatments but have lost a lot of eyelashes in the process (you’d think I would have learned by now that experimenting with novel products is not always successful). Semi-permanent-mascara-Smudge-proof-lashes-weeks-test 
I’ve had better luck with a do-your-own-gel-nails-at-home kit that I’ve been reviewing. It’s called Red Carpet Manicure and even though I’m not very patient or neat when painting my nails, I’ve managed it and it still looks great 10 days later.

(Alice forwarded the following clip of “Bobbie’s Buzz” so you may view the segment showing the Red Carpet Manicure). 

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/44372299#44372299

I know it’s cruelty-free, Alice! Would you please tell my readers more about your skincare line, Good Things Skincare?

My Good Things range is designed to make the most of young skin so it’s all about gentle cleansing and moisturizing. It’s free from ingredients that many consumers want to avoid – sulphates, parabens, mineral oils and animal ingredients. Every products contains super fruit beauty boosters with measurable beauty benefits – things like extracts of cranberry (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory), fig (very moisturizing) and raspberry (skin-calming). You can read more about it at:

www.goodthingsbeauty.com

In addition to your Good Things Skincare, what products do you use?

Alice: I try to use a different facial skincare range every month or six weeks and in the past year have trialled everything from Olay Pro-X to Creme de la Mer. I’m now on Karin Herzog’s oxygenating skincare products which are giving me good results. For bodycare, I’m really enjoying our new Good Things bodycare products especially the soothing body butter, to stop my skin getting rough and wintry. In terms of make-up, I try out lots of the new products I get sent and right now am loving… a brilliant radiance-boosting skin primer, called ‘Veil’ from Californian brand Hourglass;  Chanel’s new Perfection Lumiere foundation which is amazingly good, and Clinique’s Almost Lipsticks, particularly the Black Honey one.

Molly: I love the Neutrogena pink grapefruit face scrub, and anything from the Body Shop always feels and smells amazing.

My daughter is having a hard time learning how to curl her eyelashes. Any hints for her using a eyelash curler?

Alice’s response: Oh, I hardly dare say this but I have never got really good at this! Be gentle. Take it slowly. The most important thing is to get a good, even grip along your lashes before you start to pinch the curler shut. (It’s tricky, because the curler rarely has the same degree of curve as your eyelid). Then squeeze the curler tight and hold for 30 seconds. Then apply mascara, to “set” the curl.

Molly: Can I push in here and say that if you heat the curlers with a hairdryer for just 10 seconds or so, it curls the eyelashes really well – just be careful not to burn yourself.

Does your family have any pets?

Alice responds: Yes, we have a young Jack Russell called Alfie. He is nearly two and he is an absolute delight. We used to look after an ageing beagle called Oscar, who used to nick cosmetics out of my in-box when he was hungry or bored. He was particularly keen on organic blushers. I guess they tasted better than the others!

We hear there’s a follow up book. When will this be available to purchase? Any hints on the title?

Yes, there is a follow up, which I’ve written with Molly’s younger sister, Beth, who is now 15 (how time flies!). It will be published September 2012, again by Walker Books and it will be called something like, 100 Ways to look fab and feel fantastic (we’re still working on the title). There will be lots more on face-care and make-up (with even more pages on eyeliner and eyeshadow looks) and it also covers exercise, eating properly, self-esteem and how to choose the clothes and accessories that suit you best.

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Disclosure: I purchased Be Beautiful Every Girl’s Guide to Hair, Skin & Make-Up. All links are for your convenience only.

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