Contrary to what most women's magazines will tell you, not all girls like the same things: fashion, shoes, boybands, film industry celebrities, makeup, and holidays in seaside resorts. Heck, some girls don't even like boys! This is the 21st century, in which there is no room for gender stereotypes.

This means, when it comes to gift ideas for teenage girls, you can't just buy a voucher for the local shopping centre or tickets to an upcoming gig without thinking about it first. You've got to put a lot more thought into gifts, and actually consider the person's personal interests as opposed to what media and trends dictate a girl of her age "should" like.

To help get you on the right track to finding that perfect gift, here is a selection of presents received and approved by an array of very different young ladies over the years.

Tina was 14 when she got the gift she remembers best from her teenage years. At the time she was really shy and only just discovering her interests, which were vary varied. Tina highly enjoyed when her mum took her to the ballet, at home she loved nothing more than listening to folk rock music, and over the weekends she spent time pottering around the garden with her gran. It was her father who excelled himself in the gift department. He realised her love for folk music and invested in a violin that Tina still plays to this day. The young lady joined the school orchestra and conquered her shyness by taking part in public performances.

When Jenny turned 16, she'd just gone through her first major break up. It felt like everything she'd previously liked doing (playing computer games, cycling, baking) reminded her of her ex-boyfriend so she was on the lookout for new adventures and hobbies. Her best friend came to the rescue with a voucher for a surfing lesson. Jenny loved her time in the great outdoors and gradually learned to love cycling again too, helping her get over her heartbreak.

Lesley was 19 when she attended her first beautician course, specialising in evening makeup. She had a part time job working as a waitress to fund her studies. When not at college, there was nothing she liked more than practising her newly acquired skills on friends and family. She was also keen on sports with her favourites being swimming and athletics. Lesley's friends chipped in for her gift: a nail technician's college kit complete with files, buffers, tweezers, a cuticle knife and nail polish. This meant she could enrol in another course at the college, which she couldn't otherwise have afforded, and also had the means with which to practice at home.

As you can tell from these examples, the best gifts seem to have a lot to do with timing. Fortunately, birthdays and Christmas don't come unannounced so in the run up to these occasions, be curious and find out what's going on in your dearest teenage girl's life. Get to know what she's been doing lately, listening to, seeing, visiting and otherwise passing her time with. It's attention to detail that will make it possible to buy or make that perfect gift she'll treasure.