Inspired by the nails thread; how high maintenance are you?

[robinb]

I'm a "natural". I get my hair cut 2-3 times a year, I don't color it, I don't get manicures or pedicures, I don't wear make up. I'm sitting here in a Minnie Mouse t-shirt and Columbia shorts and Nike socks and shoes with my hair in a pony tail. And I'll go out in public like that .

 

[Saphire]

I guess I lean toward high maintenance. It takes me about 1 1/2 hours to get ready for work or to go out for an evening. I wear makeup and do my hair. The hair takes a while, since it's past my shoulders and straight, but I don't like it straight, so that takes some time. On days I am home I will wear minimal makeup and just blow dry my hair.
I get manicures/pedicures about 5 times a year, otherwise will do it myself. I color my own hair but get highlights a few times a year.

 

[Darcy03231]

I guess I'm high maintenance. I work a professional job so I dress up and wear makeup and jewelry every day.

Hair is cut and colored every 8 weeks (I have a very simple cut)
Acrylic nails done every two weeks.
Eyebrow wax once a month.
Pedicure once a month in the warm weather months (I live in NE), but I have the polish changed to match my nails when I have my nails done. In the winter I don't bother because my feet are covered unless we're going away on a warm weather trip.
Massage is a couple of times a year (DH usually gets me gift certificates for birthday and Christmas).

 

[luvmy3]

I'm definitely somewhere in the middle. I used to be very high maintenance, but as I get older the less and less I cared about such things.

 

[SC Minnie]

I thought I was somewhere in the middle but you folks make me seem high maintenance!

I get my hair cut/colored with either all over and/or highlights every 8-10 weeks- the cut was sooner when I had shorter hair. The all over is only to cover some grays and I just started it. I get a pedicure every couple of months and in between will do them myself. I used to have acrylics until about 3 months ago. I wear makeup and jewelry everyday. My hair doesn't look great when it dries my itself so I blow it dry and straighten every day. Takes me just over an hour from get up to walk out the door in the morning.

 

[jen0610]

DH would say I am very low, compared to one of my best friends.

I color, highlight and get my hair cut, but it is usually every 4-5 months between.
She gets color and highlight touch up with a cut every 6 weeks.

I get my nails done every two weeks, sometimes stretching it out 3 weeks. I usually get 3-4 pedicures over the summer.
She gets her nails done every two weeks, with some sort of design on them as well as a pedicure every two weeks all year round.

I clothing shop at JCP, Fashion Bug, Torrid, Target, Gordmans.
She clothing shops at Von Mars, The Buckel, Macy's, Anne Taylors. She does look at and buy off the clearance area, but give us each $500.00 bucks and I can get a lot more for my money than she does. She will tell you, she is a store snob. She knows what I am getting is just as good as hers, but she just can't get over not having the "name".

I don't wear make up and perfume on a daily basis.
She is on a first name basis with the girls at the Mac counter, from replenishing her stock. She has 5-6 different perfumes she alternates wearing daily. She has this one, that she loves...I think it reaks. $125.00 for .5 oz. I just about fell over, when she picked up a new bottle.

She and I are as Mutt and Jeff as you could get...but we love each other to death. Her DH keeps asking my DH to swap wifes at Birthday, Anniversary, Christmas time, would save him some serious $$. DH just tells him, it's not gonna happen.

 

[claudia]

I think I am pretty low-maintenance....my hair grows super fast so I have to color it every 2 weeks out of a box (to cover my gray)....I do my own pedi, use a little mascara and chap stick and trim my hair myself (very thick and wavy)....will usually go to my friend for a trim (she's a hairdresser) about every other year.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I think I'm somewhere in the middle. I care about what I look like (and I do think when women wear some makeup [not a ton] and do their hair they do look better) but it takes me maybe 10-15 minutes to get ready in the morning (and now I only wear organic, paraben free makeup). I do my own spray tanning with a paraben free sunless tanner called Shady Glow (which takes about 10 minutes once a week) and I dye my hair once a month (which takes 10 minutes once a month to put on then I can do laundry or whatever until I need to rinse it out). I pluck my own eyebrows (maybe once a month?). I also probably haven't bought new clothes in a couple of years. I buy expensive (well, I find some way to find them at a discount) classic clothing items but they last forever and I don't have a closet full of junky clothes I wear once or twice. I do my own pedi's very infrequently (maybe once every 3 months?).

My bf likes to say all people are like the pages in coloring books. Some of us take the time to color the pages and some do not. We're all pretty pictures to begin with, I just like to look at a colored in page .

 

[Sorsha]

I am very low maintenance.

I never have manicure/pedicures, massages, or facials. I wear my hair long and straight, and when it needs trimmed DH does it. Honestly he does just as good a job or better then any "professional" I have ever been to, and he is free. He trims our younger two DDs' hair too.
I am going unfortunately grey on the top of my head and near my ears , so I color to cover it up, but I do it myself, with a box of color from Wal-mart.

I wear no makeup, because I have very sensitive eyes, and if any makeup gets in them, they will be red and puffy and miserable for days. I sometimes paint my nails, but not usually.

I wear almost no jewelry, only stud earrings (dangly ones get in my way and if I don't wear SOMETHING my piercing holes start to close up), my wedding band, and my Mickey Mouse watch for daily use. If we are dressing up to go out, I will add a necklace and/or bracelet. I favor very natural looking jewelry; something that looks like it was made from natural stones or shells usually. I do, however, have a weakness for pearls, especially colored ones. That's my one jewelry lust. I don't even like diamonds, or most traditional sparklies.

I usually wear pretty low-maintenace clothes, too. I am mostly a SAHM, so Wal-Mart or Fashion Bug works just fine for chasing around with the kids. When I am working part-time at JoAnn's, I have to observe dress code, so if I have khaki pants and a white polo I am good to go. My shoes are even pretty low-maintance - I live in my Crocs.

 

[Freyja]

I get a haircut approx. twice a year. I´ve stopped colouring and highlighting so it´s just a plain cut now.
I used to have my nails done every month but I´ve stopped that too, due to finances. Now I just do my own manicure every week and usually maintain a "french" manicure look.
I put on makeup every day

 

[wvjules]

Hair blown straight every Friday at the salon.
Massage once a week.
Mani/pedi every two weeks, my own nails neatened up.
Eyelash dye every 4 months, so no mascara needed.
Eyebrow wax every two months.
RoC home facial once a week.
Noxema wash every night followed by Milk Comfort Moisturizer.
Tinted lip balm with SPF, and RoC Sunscreen on my face daily, even in winter.
No other makeup.
I wear jewelry every day, but it takes only two minutes to select and put on.
I love fashion/clothes/shoes/handbags and by keeping them well organized, it only takes me ten minutes to be ready.

I'm mid maintenance.

You are high maintenance. lol

Where do you get your eyelashes dyed? I would love to have that done.

 

[waltskids]

I would consider myself somewhere in the middle. Haircut and highlight every 6-8 weeks but I don't get mani's (my nails are very long and strong since having two kids, go figure!). Pedi's only for special occasions (Disney trips mostly, lol) and never had a facial. When I am working I blow dry and style my hear and wear makeup each day. Total time from waking up to leaving the house is one hour which includes getting the kids up and ready too. Now that I'm home on maternity leave for the school year, I only wear makeup and do my hair when going somewhere. I always wear jewerly though.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I have periods of highs and lows.

My latest "high" is with the discovery of cosmetic surgery. I had a couple of spider veins on my leg lasered, as well as laser surgery on my face to remove a few VERY old chicken pox marks and wrinkles. I also have have had laser hair removal. I also had microdermabrasion. Now I am also using top of the line "Obagi" skin care products along with Retin-a.

With this "high" comes quite the price. I need to back off. This stuff is expensive...and it can be quite addictive.

 

[BuffettFan]

I think Im pretty low maintenance....

Yes, do my hair and makeup everyday, but I dont do the mani-pedi thing; I have never colored my hair, or had a facial.....

Now my teens.........thats a WHOLE other story !
DDs regularly get their nails and toes done. My one DD's hair color changes almost monthly (Not anything outrageous like pink or purple....she just likes to be different shades of blonde in the summer, and a warmer brunette most of the winter) THey get their eyebrows done regularly, and need a minimum of an hour to be ready to leave the house. Shoes and purses need to be coordinated (I am regularly critisized for mmy choice of purse! haha), hair and clothes need to be perfect.....you get the idea !
Neither wear jeans, it almost always skirts, so in the cooler months they go through a total of 14 pairs of stockings or tights a month!

 

[DVC Sadie]

I would consider myself mid maintanence. I do get my hair trimmed and highlighted every six weeks. As for manicures and pedicures I do my own now. I get a facial and body massage once a month.

I am thinking about getting my eyebrows, eyeliner and lips tatooed so I don't have to think about it anymore. No muss no fuss.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

I'm pretty low maintenance. I used to get my hair cut/colored at a salon, but my long time stylist's price kept going up and I couldn't afford her anymore, so I restarted coloring at home and trimming my hair myself as well.
I don't do manicures/pedicures. Just not a priority to me nor even something I'd do if I had money
I don't wear makeup on a daily basis. the only thing I use is lipgloss.(I will do makeup for certain occasions).
I don't even blowdry my hair. 10 minute showers and then let my hair air dry all the time. Takes me less time to get ready in the morning than DH.

 

[JLKennedy]

Claudia: love the squirrels. I have a momma that I've been hand feeding for a few months, DH says I'll have to feed her the rest of her life b/c she no longer buries her nuts, she knocks on my glass door.

Back to topic:

I am probably high maintenance...or upper middle maintenance.

I say that because my hair costs me a small fortune. But I love my colorist (not my stylist, she retired to go back to school!).

My colorist just darkened my blonde and the charge was $170 and my cut from a new stylist was $60, so before tips, I shelled out $230 last Saturday for my hair....that being said, my hair is very strong and healthy and will hold color about 5 months, so I ration it as $50 per month. I use only clinique products and all the rest that goes with the "profile".

 

[Inigo]

I just asked DH, and he says I'm low maintenance. I think I'm more middle of the road.

I put on makeup everyday, starting with moisturizer, makeup primer, then mineral powder foundation. Then a dark (mineral) blush on the cheek hollows to contour, regular mineral blush on the apples, then at least three different colors of mineral eye shadow most days. Then mineral eyebrow powder, dip the brush in water, and apply the powder as eyeliner on the top lash line. Mascara finishes it off.

I do my nails myself, and like to have them look nice with polish. They're completely natural, but I do them while watching TV. I file and polish my toenails, but it boggles my brain that people actually spend money on false toenails. I just find that extremely silly.

I get my hair cut anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks now. I have gone longer between cuts, and went so far as to donate a foot of hair three years ago. Style time is about 10 minutes, and that includes blow drying my hair, and then using the flat iron or curling iron to add some sort of style. I dye my hair myself, and usually surf the web or read while waiting for the color to process. I usually color about every 4-7 weeks, depending on how much fade I've had and how much gray shows. My last dye job was 8/9, so I should probably grab a box next time I'm at Target.

I do have a lot clothes, and that's what takes the most time in the AM, picking out what I want to wear that will be appropriate for my day. I have to decide if I need court clothes, will we be doing afternoon classes for the clients, will we be going on home visits that night, etc, as well as just what do I want to wear.

From the time I get up, get showered, do my hair and face, and then grab a bite to eat, it takes me about 45-50 minutes. Within 10-15 minutes after that, I'm 8 miles away and logging in on my computer in my office.

 

[Aisling]

You are high maintenance. lol

Where do you get your eyelashes dyed? I would love to have that done.

This is where I go: http://www.piloarts.com/
It's only $30-35 for an eyelash dye. I get the brown with a tiny drop of blue mixed in the dye, since my eyes are blue. My eyelashes are very light, so this is much easier, and looks a lot more natural, than using mascara. If you're ever in NYC borough of Brooklyn, let me know and we'll go see Mariola! She's the best, and she uses the best relaxing background sounds and scents. It's WELL worth it!

 

[Darsa]

Now my teens.........thats a WHOLE other story !
DDs regularly get their nails and toes done. My one DD's hair color changes almost monthly (Not anything outrageous like pink or purple....she just likes to be different shades of blonde in the summer, and a warmer brunette most of the winter) THey get their eyebrows done regularly, and need a minimum of an hour to be ready to leave the house. Shoes and purses need to be coordinated (I am regularly critisized for mmy choice of purse! haha), hair and clothes need to be perfect.....you get the idea !
Neither wear jeans, it almost always skirts, so in the cooler months they go through a total of 14 pairs of stockings or tights a month!

Wow... my kid would need a really good job if she wanted to maintain that kind of thing! No way would mom and dad's wallet open THAT wide!