Beautifying women
Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. Esther 2:12
Meredith raised some great questions about grooming and now I’m wondering too; What does your beauty routine look like? What services do you think are worth paying for? What do you consider to be a splurge, but occasionally worth it? What would you never consider paying for, and why?
I shower, shampoo and shave daily. My hair is long and straight so I usually pull it back or up and let it dry naturally, long and slow. This is a good way to keep cool in a South Texas summer!
I get my hair cut once every year or two; it grows quickly but my long straight style (or lack of style?) doesn’t seem to need much maintennance; am I fooling myself? I rarely have split ends, and prefer to whack off a foot at once for Locks of Love rather than leaving a small pile of scraps every 6 weeks.
I usually use a light facial moisturizer, and I wear a bit of mascara and eyeliner most days but not every day. Lipstick only goes on once in a while - I like to wear when I dress up, but I rarely dress up for occasions w/o hubby and he can’t kiss me if I wear lipstick; it’s a tough trade so I don’t usually opt for it.
I pluck my brows about once/week.
I keep my finger nails trimmed and on the long side since they are naturally strong and grow quickly. I never polish my fingers because it simply doesn’t hold up: I invariably have chips on the first day; I’ve heard that some people have oily nails that just don’t hold the polish and I suspect that I am one.
I get occasional pedicures from my daughters. For a paltry sum they will take off the old polish, do a hot soak, a lotion massage, exfoliate, and polish. I actually polished my own toes yesterday. This used to be easy at 32 weeks, but these days it’s quite a feet feat.
I’m tempted to pay for a real pedicure some day; would it be worthwhile to a frugal, unpretentious mom? And what’s the deal about having your brows waxed? Does it really look different than plucking them at home?
One more question: What are your favorite beauty products to splurge on? I love Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Gentle Scrub for cleansing and their Oil-Free Moisture combination skin for daily moisturizing.
So tell me: what do you pay for? What are you tempted to pay for, but never have? What did you pay for and regret?
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I pluck (maintain) my eye brows everyday that I am a bit nuerotic about. Other than that I do use moisterizer which I splurge on Mary Kay. I don’t wear much other make up (foundation) but since I am pushing 40 I do feel the need to use it more often. I have had a pedicure once and didn’t think it was all that. I love to splurge for a massage a few times a year and am thinking of doing something like a facial or a deep cleansing to get rid of some acne scaring that again has only occured with age.
My one splurge is getting my hair straightened it is kinky curly and very thick so I get it chemically straightened. That is it other than that I do my own eyebrows, nails, facial stuff. But can’t stand for the curly hair so have to splurge on it about every 6-8 months.
I get my eyebrows waxed every 6 months or so, maintaining the shape as best I can in between torture sessions.
Other than that, there isn’t another regularly scheduled beauty session. I have splurged on 2 pedicures -both before getaways with my husband. They feel marvelous and I fantasize about having the budget to sneak them in more regularly.
I keep my fingernails short and unpolished. Who wants a midwife with disease-harboring daggers at the end of her fingers?
Hair? I clip coupons and get $6.99 haircuts at Great Clips every once in a while- maybe every 6 months? Facial routine includes drugstore cleansers and moisturizers. Nothing special but it works.
I’m kinda lazy. I wash my hair every day, I shower every day, and shave every 3 days or so. My (body) hair is light and fine, so I can get away with shaving every few days. Although..my husband is deployed and I am sorely tempted to not shave at all while he’s gone (15months) just to see how furry my legs get LOL
Pedicures in the US are a waste of money IMHO. I used to live in Okinawa and there was a wonderful pedicure place there. 20 minutes massage on each leg…all the way up the the knee. Hand painted nail art on your toes….all for 3900 yen (40 US dollars)
I get my hair cut much like you Kim, once it gets long enough for L.O.L.
I used to spend much more on my hair (coloring, fancy conditioners ect) but I cover my head now, so I try to keep it simple.
Sandy
Why can’t your hubby kiss you with lipstick on? Is he allergic? I LOVE getting my eyebrows waxed and getting a pedicure but I’m too cheap for both. I will get my eyebrows done two or three times a year and pluck them myself in between. I have short hair so that gets cut every four weeks religiously. I color it myself but would love to have highlights and professional color. And I splurge on good hairspray. I wear little makeup and buy the cheap/free CVS stuff when I do wear it! I think your toes look beautiful!
I agree about getting eybrows waxed every 6 months to a year. It really helps me keep the right shape. I just pluck everyday or so besides that. I get my hair trimmed every six to eight weeks. I have really fine hair and I get terrible split ends if I don’t. But I live in a small town and the local hair place does not charge much. I think my real splurge is skin care and make up. I don’t wear much make up, just a little foundation and mascara. But I have super oily skin. I am in my 30’s and still get a lot of acne. Good skin care products and make up really help. I like the mineral kind of make up and it is a splurge to buy. Thankfully it last a long time so I do not have to buy it often.
My beauty regimen (said with tongue firmly in cheek) has scaled way down. I attribute this to the birth of subsequent children. Quite frankly, I simply don’t have time to be prissy. That doesn’t mean that I look haggard either (unless you count right now, but that’s because morning sickness…er..all day sickness has taken over my body).
I’m very careful about what I put on my skin for two reasons:
1. I have sensitive skin and have had a small run in with a benign skin cancer and
2. I went to http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com and was appalled by what was in make-up and skin care products.
So, I pay a little more for Burt’s Bees cleanser and moisturizer, but well worth it. I use a mineral based powder foundation and blush, a little mascara and a little lipstick. I pluck my own eyebrows because I like self-inflicted torture. I splurge on pedicures a few times a year, but have learned that using a pumice stone on my heels every time I shower has helped my “crusty” heel problem tremendously.
I have thick, curly hair and usually cut it about 4 times per year. I probably should cut it more, but I don’t trust too many people with it because I can quickly look like a poodle.
My new motto is “less is more”. And as I get older and more children….it works for me.
The only thing I splurge on is getting my eyebrows and lip waxed(I look like my mom but got my dad’s hairyness
I cut my hair once every year or two where my huspand gets his hair cut for only $10. I wash my face with free nutritioniste stuff I got at CVS and neutrogena lotion w/ SPF. I live in So Cal so SPF is a must year round. I don’t like people touching my feet so I don’t get pedicures and manicures never last so I don’t get them.
Let’s see. Like Ana said, pedicures & manicures never last so I just don’t bother.
I used to paint my toes but now I’m just too lazy. I don’t like worrying about my nails - they are very, very strong but I’d rather not concern myself if I lose one. Which I do, esspecially when I’m digging in the garden with my hands!
My husband does not like makeup. Period. I used to use the works, now I don’t. I make our soap and it has really helped my skin BUT I’m not sure it will ever be blemish free. I’m 26yo and still waiting, LOL. Since I stopped wearing makeup it’s been a great improvement for me spiritually. In the long run my goal is to please dh, not put on a pretty face to the rest of the world . . . although it’s really tempting, LOL.
We had a young woman stay with us last month and she was explaining to me that anything strong enough to clean the scalp is usually too harsh on the length of your hair. So I switched to using my “shampoo” (I use Jason’s Satin Shower Body Wash, weird, I know) for my roots and some of my super moisterizing homemade soap for the rest of my hair. I noticed the difference immediatly! My hair is so managable, I can run my hands though it, it’s soft now. I’m so thrilled. It has been quite a few years since dh could run his fingers through my hair and he’s happy, too.
So it makes it a bit more of a process to wash my hair (and I am a huge fan of simplicity) but I really enjoy the results. 
I put some kind of “Nair” like product on my upper lip every few weeks, thanks to a little boy I taught in AWANA one year in my late teens who pointed out my hairyness!
But . . . I was once reading a “beauty” magazine where they asked you to guess how old this lady was. Then they pointed out the clues. One was how thin her eyebrows were! Since then I’ve wondered to myself why I would pluck them all my life then have them become thin and have to pencil them in because I want them to look fuller . . . so for the most part, by and large, I leave them alone, though I might pick a stray hair or two.
I think if nothing else it must make me look younger! Hehehehe!
Before hubby and I got married I wouldn’t leave the house without being 100% dolled up and emaculant, it is hard to keep that up these days and I admit that it gets worse in the same way a car can go rolling down hill at 80mph without breaks. Hubs loves to see me dolled up even though he has known me since 5th grade before makeup, there is still something about it to him. I try to make an effort on the weekends and when we are going out in public with him, but I admit I laks, but I am making an effort.
I have stringy thin hair so I get my haircut once in a blue moon, as in maybe every 18 months. It grows slow so why rush to cut it. I am a snob when it comes to this, I have tried to go to the places where hubby goes but because my hair is so thin they usually butcher it and I have to go somewhere else and pay money AGAIN to have them fix it and then wait two years for it to grow out.
I do get spa days, something my husband does for me. I never ask, he just comes home and says “I booked you an appointment” or “this ___ day go the spa for a few hours.” We don’t do big gifts for holidays and he knows that I really enjoy these days so it is a great trade off.
Since my hair is so stringy I have naturally lovely eyebrows (although I have never been told differently so maybe I don’t)….so no waxing or pain killing here!
Pedicures….love them I usually get them in my spa day but other than that I do it myself, I had a less than lovely pedi in college from one of those hole in the wall places and I learned my lesson.
I don’t have a lot of beauty things I do. I don’t wear makeup on a regular basis, and when I do it is usually mascara and lipstick. Just a few months ago I did get my hair cut and permed, I had been growing it out but my husband said he prefered it to be shorter and curly (said I looked great). I have a bunch of fancy skin care products - Arbone? that my sister gave to me as a present when she was selling it, I do love the way my skin feels when I use it, I just don’t have a habit of using it — as yet. I really like having long nails makes me feel more “womenly”, but I can’t get them naturally. And right now I am trying to be more frugal and acrylic nails just don’t fit into the budget.
I had a pedicure once (paid by the bride, I was a bridesmaid), and found it to be really relaxing. But I wasn’t really impressed by the job they did painting my toe nails OR fingernails, so I’ve never really been tempted to have another. You can get the same result by asking your husband for a foot massage then painting your nails yourself.
I have a one month old, so I’m keeping it simple right now. I usually put my hair up in a bun, but maintain my eyebrows, and I powder my nose, brush my teeth, put on some lip gloss, etc, in the evening before my husband gets home.
My splurge is lotion. Usually purchased with gift cards from Bath & Body works! I love having a few that smell great to slather on whenever I have dry skin…or just need some aromatherapy!
I keep it pretty simple too. Oil of Olay moisturizer and then a Maybelline mineral powder foundation (some days), eyeliner, mascara, little bit of brown eyeshadow and then my favorite beauty product is Maybelline superstay lip gloss. Its a very lightweight liquid lipstick that you put on and let dry then put a clear coat of shiny gloss over it. Stays on all day and you can kiss all you want!
I have kind of short hair, almost to my shoulders that I get cut every 3-6 months. I use a straightening iron to quickly flip it out and thats it.
I keep my toenails polished. It lasts a long time and I keep my nails short and unpolished.
Other than that I shower everyday using Dove bar soap, shave every other day and only wash my face when I shower using Neutrogena bar soap.
I am a pretty easy keeper!
I have my nails done every 3 to 4 weeks, I have a pedicure once every 3 months or so. I have highlights every 5 months and an occassional cut in between. I never did any of this until about a year ago when I started taking more pride in myself after losing 120 pounds. I am still losing and am more nurturing to myself.
I love love love a good massage and do that about every other month just because I am worth it!!
I also am a single mom with grown kids now and I can.
I just have to jump in here on this one. I like cheap products for general hygiene- toothpaste, body lotion, etc. I do love Bath and Body Works, but anything coming from there is usually a gift from someone. Wal-Mart’s facial lotion SPF 15 is what works for me, but I really do like Neturogena’s blackhead deep clean face wash and their ultra-sunblock products. Gotta protect myself from skincancer. I do wear makeup on a daily basis, mostly cover girl eyeliner, foundation and blush. I do “splurge” on foundation from a cosmetic counter in a department store rather than from a drug store. Why? because the lovely ladies help you perfectly match the foundation to your skin tone. Before, I was paying, er, wasting money on drug store foundations that seemed to make me look too orange or too pale because the fluorescent ligths are misleading. I have never gotten a manicure, but the occasional pedicure is sooo worth it. I feel better if I pluck everyday and I wash my hair every other day. My hair can handle it and it saves on the shampoo and conditioner. My hair is stick straight and dries just fine without any help, however, during the cold winter mornings blow drying my hair is almost always a must.
I splurge about every 4-6 months and have my hair colored and highlighted (it’s a dirty blonde, I like it blonder). Though I’m thinking of giving it up for a few years until I start to get gray hair. I gave up my yearly perm for the biyearly coloring. I don’t do much, just pulling it back to a ponytail, unless we go out somewhere (then if it is windy I still wear it in a ponytail). I pluck my eyebrows when I think about it. If I’m going to town I’ll put some make-up on (foundation, liner, shadow, mascara). But I usually ditch the lipstick, maybe some gloss if I think about it. The cows don’t care how I look. LOL!
I’ve had a manicure twice, but I do too much outside work to worry about my nails. Trying to keep my left hand’s nails a bit shorter since I’m trying to learn guitar. Had a pedicure once because it was a gift. Was nice, but I wouldn’t splurge on it for myself (I’m usually wearing boots anyhow, whose going to see it?). I’ll try to at least throw some paint on them about 10 minutes before I put sandels on, if there is time. LOL!
If I’m lucky I remember to wash my face before falling into bed.
I love makeup but rarely wear it unless for pictures or something special. I wear lipstick a little more often, I should take better care of my face and on occassion will by face cleaner and moisterizer but usally just wash my face with body wash. I rarely have my hair cut either. Maybe once or twice a year if that. I have had my brows waxed once and I liked it, but haven’t spent the money since. I would pluck my brows if I had any idea how to do that to make a nice shape. I do dye my hair when I am not pregnant but have always done it myself although that will probably change as the hair color hasn’t been taking lately. Want to get it done at a salon. I will get a manicure with artificial nails put on. I enjoy this it is a little thing and once on I try and maintain them so they are cheaper in the long run but if money is tight then I let them go although I really enjoy this indulgence. I have only had one pedicure and really enjoyed it as I have very rough feet but it I have to make a choice I would rather have my nails done. When I was younger I wanted to go to cosmotology school just so I would know how to do this stuff myself. hehe
i did not grow up with very much girly/beautification instruction. although i did curl my hair as often as i could in highschool. i’m still bad about washing my face at night though.
i have long hair that gets nice and wavey when i add a little Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter and let it air dry either half way up or twisted up in a clip. i’ve learned to love my waves.
i’m usually very neglectful about my eyebrows, but have recently gotten new glasses that rest directly on my nose and i can tell when the tinest hair is there so i pluck quite often now!
i wear makeup (foundation, highlighter beads, powder, eye liner, eye shadow, and lip gloss) usually on sundays since i sing on the worship team and need some color so i don’t look like a dead zombie under the lights.
i got a pedicure once and didn’t care for it…waste of money for me and i had a manicure once and the chemicals seemed to make my nails brittle, so i stick with plain jane nails now:)
now i just need to figure out how to teach my three girls what i never learned to do growing up… like putting lotion on everyday. :/
I always said I would never color my hair, but then I turned 37 and had a skunk stripe of grays right where the part is. So now I do home-coloring every other month, but with Walgreens and Sunday coupons it’s practically free.
A few times a year I splurge on a pedicure, but it seems you’ve got a great deal going on with your daughters.
Did you know that Origins gives free facials at any of their stores? Of course they want you to buy their products, but it’s not at all necessary.
My biggest splurge was going to Smooth Solutions to have my underarm hair lasered. It cost a total of $300 (on sale) and I haven’t shaved in years.
Do you have a Beauty College in your area?
For anyone brave enough, you can get a manicure or pedicure for very reasonable (ten or fifteen bucks?) since those gals need the practice.
Not a bad option if you want a little pampering without spending a fortune.
I think they often do facials and stuff of the like.
Paid for, would do again: pedicures, especially when one can’t reach one’s own feet! Hate scratchy dry heels in bed playing footsies with hubby.
Paid for, but would NOT do again: waxing eyebrows. I broke out for about a week after I did it, plus it hurt, my brows are not that bad except in the middle which I shave off. KIDDING! I pluck.
Splurge product: I love my MaryKay Satin Hands, I always have it stocked up in my bathroom cupboard. Washing my hands all the time with little ones around, they get pretty dry, I slather on the Pink Night Cream and put on white cotton gloves at night, ahhh!
This gives me an idea for my next post. Can I steal it??
So if you want to know about my beauty regimen, you better read my post!
Oh, and even if you don’t leave a comment, thanks for reading my blog!
I can’t wait till January!!
Leanne in Longview
I am trying really hard to get better at this. Shower every morning and a squirt of perfume is a big step forward for me! I do keep a large pump bottle of moisturiser (generic brand) on the window sill above the kitchen sink, because that is where I wash hands and dishes regularly through the day.
As for make-up, I bought some lovely expensive make-up for our wedding last year, and have worn it about 3 times since then. Sigh. The under-2’s just don’t appreciate that sort of effort!!
Nails are au naturel. I dream of having long enough in a bath tub to shave off the Amazon rainforest currently growing on my legs!
I usually have my eyebrows plucked at a salon every 6 - 8 weeks, but seem to have lapsed that too, in the last couple of months.
Locks of Love may not be everything you think it is. Please research before you donate your hair to them. There may be other (better) alternatives.
http://www.squidoo.com/locksoflove
I am willing to pay to have my eyebrows done, and every couple years I get a pedicure…though the last time I ended up with an infected toe, ick!
Beauty……hummmm…I don’t care for makeup, but my hubby likes light makeup. I have oily skin, makeup has always been a headache for me. I went online and did my research and caught a sale and bought some mineral makeup. The oil slick was no more. It is light enough that you have a hard time telling I am wearing it. A little mascara is really going all out for me, perhaps some shiny lip gloss. I shampoo condition and blow my hair most days, shave every couple of days. In the summer I like to use the sun in spray to give my hair some nice highlights for almost free. (I have had the same bottle for what, 8 years now?) Where I really splurge on beauty is the gym. Most people don’t think about i as a beauty investmentt, but after a couple of children…… need I say more? LOL! I find it relaxing too…I battle with my eyebrows and the tweezers every week… I used to get them waxed, the difference is $7 a week.. They really did not grow any slower. I can get them plucked into the shape I like fairly easily…
I a licensed hairstylist, and even though I’m now a WSAHM, I still have my salon connections, and I use them! I’m lucky that I get to have all the hair stuff done for little or no cost. I have had lots of clients over the years donate to locks of love and it is such an amazing organization. I get so teary eyed when the kids are the ones to make a donation! ( I will look into Mae’s link though. )
I have had pedicures and manicures, but I prefer to do them myself. I’m a perfectionist and if I’m going to pay for something I expect it to be just as good or better than I could have done for myself, I have found that is not often the case. Plus, I have worked in the salon long enough to know those pedicure tubs are a cesspool of germs. People come into the salon with Planters warts and toenail fungus. Yuck!
I have never had a professional massage though and have often considered splurging on one, but my husband is great at those. I have a gift certificate to a salon that my sister gave me and I think I might use it for a massage and see if they are all they are cracked up to be. I don’t know if I want to pay someone to smoosh my fat around for an hour, Lol.
My nails grow fast, but I keep them closely trimmed because of the kids. I also play the piano and hate when they click on the keys. I also have oily nails (which is definitely why nail polish doesn’t last) and polish isn’t worth the effort for 2 days enjoyment.
I use mineral foundation and always wear mascara, but that’s about it. Lip gloss if it’s handy.
I enjoy a pedicure a couple of times a year - I’m perennially in bare feet, and it feels so wonderful. I’ve had one or two bad experiences (pedicurist who clipped too close to my skin, for one), but for the most part, it’s VERY enjoyable…and almost always with a gift certificate from hubby or friends/family.
I also have my hair professionally cut/foiled 2x a year, and let it grow out the rest of the time. I enjoy the highlights - with my plain brown hair, the highlights simply make me feel a bit cheerier.
I just had my first eyebrow wax, and didn’t find it to be as painful as my hairdresser warned me it would be - at the same time she was trying to talk me into it! I loved my thick brows looking a bit shaplier. DH wasn’t too sure about the whole thing…so I may not do it again.
As for makeup, I have taken the past year and slowly, as finances have allowed, switched to mineral makeup. I’m now fully using it. I’m the type who only wears makeup when I go out, so I generally keep it in the car and put it on then (I know, I know…I’m one of THOSE people!). Funny thing is, while my DH is unconcerned about me getting all painted up, it’s my DAD (who lives with us), who comments how much “nicer” I look when I have makeup on! Go figure.
Oh, and I’m with you, Kim on fingernails - doesn’t last a day around here, and so not worth it.
(Shaplier? Is that a word??)
I used to get the works from time to time (hair color, highlights, lowlights, a layered cut with ironing, sometime mani-pedis, facials, waxing and massage). I think that being the only daughter in a brood of 8 got me a certain amount of spoiling from my mom & grandma…
The only things that I’d still pay for are leg & underarm waxing. I only had to do it every 6 weeks or so and it’s lovely having it grow in new & soft instead of the constant blunt pokiness. I remember hating sitting on my mom’s lap as a kid because if she wore shorts, her legs were like sandpaper. I’m a waxing convert now, but I can’t afford it much anymore- maybe I’ll invest in my own wax pot and work up the courage to do it myself.
Oddly enough I stopped wearing makeup at sixteen, after only a year of using it. It just wasn’t compatible with athletics (or any activity, really) and now if I wear it I always feel a little clownish. Moisturizer (I hear you on the Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture) and the occasional toenail polish are it.
Just wanted to emphasize that the most important part of any woman’s (or man’s) beauty regimen should be to wear sunscreen every day. I like the Neutrogena sunscreen/moisturizer combo.
I think my routine is mostly non-existant.
Mornings I put my hair up (bun, ponytail, braid, etc), and evenings I brush my hair out, wash my face, and if I am having some issues with acne then put little dots of neosporin on the pimples and they’re gone within a day or two.
I trim my own hair about every three or four months, I don’t “keep” my eyebrows– they look fine to me. I am allergic to makeup, so don’t wear it. Most skin cleansers are also allergy triggers for me, so basically everything is off limits. When I wash my hair (which is more than every three or four months!!!) I use L’Oreal for Kids products normally, and occasionally use Fructis “Long and Strong” products.
Okay, I haven’t read all the comments, but I bet I’ll win the prize for lowest-maintenance–even lower than Melissa above. I wash my hair every day, or every other day depending on how greasy it feels, then put it up in a bun and forget about it. (I had my last haircut a year and a half ago.) I shave only when I feel particulary hairy or my husband has been complaining. I use a basic moisturizer once a day. That’s it: I’ve never learned how to use makeup or pluck my brows, I’ve never had a pedicure, manicure, or massage, and I don’t even wash my face any more since my acne mysteriously ceased after my first pregnancy.
Like you, I have long straight hair (only blonde), but only wash it twice a week and thoroughly condition the back of my hair, not scalp. I find more frequent washing increases oiliness, as it washes away natural oils and then has to work overtime to produce more oils.
During my last pregnancy my skin was very dry and I washed my hair once a week, that was sufficient. Daily brushing keeps it nice and clean.
Shaving happens when needed, nails are kept clipped short( they’re weak and wimpy), but I really should fuss more with the cuticles. Toes get painted on occasion, and kept clipped.
Recently I bought “heel of approval” from one of those body care places at the mall…it seems to help, but I should exfoliate.
My Mom sold Mary Kay when I was younger, so Mary-Kay is what I started with and still use. I like the quality, and think the price is well worth it (especially when the colors or packaging changes and I can get items for 40% off). Recently they have come out with a mineral powder foundation. I like it, but the creamy foundation does give a smoother coverage. I wear make-up out but not always at home, although my hard working hubby notices when I have it on at home and gets all smoochey!
Well…now that I’ve shared all that personal stuff, think I sound a bit frumpy! I didn’t think I was…hmmm…maybe my beauty routine needs some adjustment.
Wow Kim, your toes look so cute! Well ladies, I have to say, I am very impressed with those who wash their hair every day! I workout alot, but I only rinse off, and I wash and condition my hair like 2-3 times a week. I have shorter average hair, but my friend who is a hair stylist told me that it is better to train your hair not to get washed everyday, and mine never looks greasy. I have to say that I very rarely get manicures or pedicures, and I occassionally wax my eyebrows, and then I pluck them on my own. I love estee lauder face lotion, but it is so expensive that I only get it once in awhile, so I usually use oil of olay. But at night I use a little bit of vaseline on my face, it does wonders ladies, I love it! I think I am pretty lax when it comes to beauty routines. I wear a little bit of foundation, bronzer ( I live in rainy Seattle area, so we need some sun look out here) and mascara most every day. For church I go all out and might apply a small amount of eyeshadow. lol.
I am the queen of wearing my hair in a ponytail, so I really admire ladies that can wear their hair down at all. Bless you all.
I would love to get by with washing my hair less, but it has been very oily since I was young. Even 24 hours is almost too long - it’s always oily by morning.
On the bright side, my hair stays shiny and healthy thanks to all the natural oils.
Man, this one spawned alot of e-mail. Come on, every girl secretly wants to feel pretty and it’s a nice thing to do for your husband who works hard and happens to be “visual.” I’d rather have Brooke Shields eyebrows so I rarely pluck. Skinny eyebrows are a little scary. If you want to at least have smooth skin wash that face 2x a day- it helps with exfoilation, and apply a good sunscreen daily and antioxidant packed moisturizer at night. I don’t believe that anything at Wal-mart or department stores has anything that actually Anti-ages you. Lines are lines. And wrinkles are wrinkles. And when they come there is NO getting rid of them. My advice would be, don’t bite your lips or chew on the inside of your cheeks etc. because this is a sure way to speed up the onset of facial lines. I am 35 years old and I would have virtually no aging on my face except for the fact that I have been biting and chewing since 5th grade (an obsessive habit.)
The last thing I do to primp, before stepping out the door into the great, big world is put on something sparkly. Jewelry that is. I’m taken with the artsy, collage-type jewelry that is all the rage in Jefferson City (capitol of Missouri). Little crystals, bobbles, charms, and silvery soddered initials on chunky-link chains or ball chains. I change out the charms on my necklace almost everyday… that’s how much fun it is, no guilt- just a creative and artistic outlet I say. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. I do enjoy the beauty that is all around us, inside and out.
I can do my entire routine in 20 min.!
Shower, dress, mousse hair (which is very long on the bottom–I cut my own on the top, just to give some fluffiness), blow dry, curl w/curling iron, run brush through and spray.
Then, I start on my makeup–I use Clinique (it’s expensive, but the only thing I’m not allergic to!) Also, I don’t use alot. I do foundation, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and now that I’m in my 40’s I have to use eyebrow pencil as the ends of mine have disappeared! LOL
Then brush my teeth, and apply lipstick, and viola!
19-20 min. tops!
As far as nails, I rarely paint my fingernails. But give myself a pedicure monthly. Always keep my toenails done. :0)
First of all, I love your website. As far as this topic is concerned, though, I question the comparison with King Ahasuerus’s palace. I actually feel for those poor young ladies who were taken from their homes and whose young lives were probably ruined after their one night stand with the king. Even Queen Esther was scared to approach the king because he hadn’t summoned her for the last 30 days. What sort of life is that anyway? Have a post on beauty routines. But leave out the comparison!
Debbie
I’m pretty funny about what I put on my face too. (after checking the Skin Deep Database) so I do use more expensive natural products as a splurge, but have noticed the longer I use them, the less I actually use. I haven’t had any breakouts at all lately!
I used to get my hair colored all the time, but since gas is 4$ a gallon, it kind of takes away from the hair fund. Plus I figure if I’m trying to keep chemicals off my face, I may as well keep them off the hair too! I do get it cut every 8-10 weeks though, as it’s curly and starts to get a bit funky after a couple months. I do only shampoo it every couple of days though otherwise it gets to dry.
I don’t use much make up as of late, but really - I don’t have much use for it. I keep it around when I need an extra boost of prettiness, but my 18 month old wouldn’t care if I wore it or not, and since my husband doesn’t even notice - it’s not worth the time it takes!
I agree about the eyebrow waxing. I pluck myself- that way I can get it perfect. I do, however, treat myself to a couple pedicures when I’m pregnant, besides, I only have boys so far, and they’re too young anyway.
I did just want to mention that living in southern Texas, you should really consider a daily sun block. That’s the one product (Neutrogena 30 for sensitive skin) I never leave the house without.