Seventeen Announces Five Pretty Amazing Finalists for October Cover Contest

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 31, 2011) - Seventeen magazine, the iconic fashion and beauty magazine for 13 million teen girls, today announced the five "Pretty Amazing" real girl finalists who are competing for a chance to appear on a cover of Seventeen's October issue and win a $10,000 scholarship from Neutrogena®.

Seventeen editors were flooded with more than 35,000 entries from girls across the country, all hoping for the chance to be a Seventeen cover girl following in the footsteps of mega-stars like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Miranda Cosgrove and Selena Gomez. The contest was a call to action asking girls: Are you passionate, creative or mega-talented? Do you see change that needs to be made in the world and know that you have the power to make that change? Have you done something awesome that you want everyone to know about?

"This contest is the ultimate celebration of our readers," said Seventeen's Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket. "There are so many amazing, beautiful girls who are making their mark at such a young age -- their stories are profoundly inspiring!"

After learning fashion, beauty and posing tips from experts and past Seventeen cover stars on seventeen.com, girls nationwide entered the contest by sharing their personal stories and submitting their photos online. Seventeen's editors have been sifting through the entries since February and have now chosen five amazing finalists. The finalists are:

Zoe Damacela (19) -- Chicago, Illinois
From Homeless to High Fashion!

Zoe Damacela's difficult life serves as the springboard for the successful launch of her own clothing business called Zoe Damacela Apparel. Even though she grew up in a low-income family with a single mother -- and even lived in homeless shelters at some points in her life -- Zoe has been running a successful clothing business since she was 14. Zoe is so passionate about fashion that she taught herself to sew and took business classes so that she could write a successful business plan. She is motivated by her desire to create a better life for her and her family. Zoe has sold more than 300 one-of-a-kind pieces to girls and has even appeared on Oprah's Web site, The Tyra Banks Show and visited the White House to meet President Obama.

Lauren Lindberg (17) -- Danville, California
Making Movies That Matter to Teens!

When Lauren developed ADD in high school she felt lost. Taking high school film classes gave her the focus that she needed and sparked a deep passion for making movies. Over the past few years, Lauren has been creating documentaries nonstop and she's most inspired by issues that affect teens. Her most prized work is a documentary she made about blind teens to show that blind teens have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. She has plans to make films about teen suicide and body image in the future and one day, would like to start a production company called "World Voices" that will help teens around the globe who have stories, but aren't able to share them.

Nina Montgomery (19) -- Ridgewood, New Jersey
Standing Up Against Online Abuse!

Nina has been speaking out against online abuse since middle school, but when her former high school friend, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide last year after a fellow Rutgers student secretly filmed his private life, Nina was more determined to combat cyberbullying. Since sixth grade, she has been a volunteer spokesperson for Wired Safety, the largest Internet education organization in the world. She has traveled to 20 schools giving presentations about cyberbullying, has proposed legislation to Congress, has addressed the topic on various TV shows and has helped the FBI track down predators. She even collaborated with her college, MTV, myYearbook, Dr. Phil, and Wired Safety to create a national anti-bullying campaign, "Don't Stand by, Stand Up." She's determined to keep speaking about this important issue until online abuse stops -- for good.

Shannon McIntosh (21) -- Miamisburg, Ohio
The Fearless Racecar Driver!

With over 100 race wins in a male-dominated sport, Shannon won't take her foot off the gas until she becomes the first female to win the Indy 500. She has been racing cars since the age of five with her family and now competes in the INDYCAR USF2000 Series while working her way up to compete in the Indy 500. She is the only female driver in her series and she is the only American female who is trying to climb this ladder.

Ann He (16) -- Dallas, Texas
The Photographer Turned Fashion Blogger Star!

The beauty that Ann captures with her camera is a reflection of how she sees the world. What started as a hobby has turned into a flourishing business -- and Ann's photos are getting her heaps of praise from fashion blogs, like TrendLand.net and Lulus.com. Even though she's only 16, her photos are so striking that she's already been hired by magazines, brides and Nike. Through her art, she hopes to inspire creativity in others.

More information about each of the finalists (including videos) can be viewed at Seventeen.com/PrettyAmazing. The finalists are also each launching their own social media campaign on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to get others to vote for them to be winners.

In June, the five "Pretty Amazing" finalists will travel to New York City to meet with contest judges Ann Shoket, Seventeen Editor-in-Chief, actress, recording artist and Neutrogena® Brand Ambassador Miranda Cosgrove and Just Jared's Jared Eng. They will receive makeovers at a top salon, participate in a cover photo shoot and attend a luncheon with Miranda Cosgrove.

"I am looking forward to being in New York with the finalists in June to spend some time getting to know them," adds Cosgrove. "It was exciting for me when I was on the cover of Seventeen and can only imagine how excited the girls are at this prospect themselves."

In addition to appearing on the October 2011 cover of Seventeen and an all-expense paid trip to New York City, Neutrogena® will also award the winner a $10,000 scholarship.

About Seventeen
Seventeen (www.seventeen.com) is the best-selling monthly teen magazine, reaching more than 13 million readers every month. In each issue, Seventeen reports on the latest in fashion, beauty, health and entertainment, as well as information and advice on the complex real-life issues that young women face every day. Readers can interact with the brand on the digital front, with the Seventeen Ultimate Fashion Flipbook iPhone app as well as with the monthly edition of the magazine on the iPad. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Seventeen publishes 13 editions around the world. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines is a leading publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. in terms of total circulation and reaches 88 million adults (Spring 2010 MRI).

About Neutrogena
A worldwide leader in premium, dermatologist-recommended skin, hair and cosmetics products, Neutrogena Corporation has been providing consumers with health and beauty improvements for over 40 years. The Company manufactures and markets a line of premium-priced skin and hair care products that are distributed in more than 70 countries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Neutrogena is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the world's most comprehensive and broadly based health care products company.

About Just Jared
Just Jared is a multi-media entertainment group that includes JustJared.com and teen spin-off JustJaredJr.com, providing premium pop culture trends, extensive celebrity photo galleries and breaking entertainment news. An established internet presence since 2005, Just Jared, Inc. has grown rapidly due to the fresh perspective it brings to the often harsh world of celebrity news. Over the years it has built a team of smart, savvy contributors dedicated to delivering the latest pop culture 24/7. Today, JustJared.com and JustJaredJr.com receive over 14 million unique visitors a month from a dedicated core of loyal readers.