A mark, a yen, a buck or a pound? Via Roby72(c) @ Flickr.
I’m thinking about a mini-series (a written one, not a filmed version featuring me in empire-waisted dresses) on “The Cost of Beauty.” This would be Part One, and this is where I need your help the most.
I’ve already surveyed my fellow Harpies, but I’d also like to hear from you, our beloved readers.
Can you estimate what you spend on beauty treatments/products in a given year? Think:
- Hair cuts, color, treatments
- Manicures/pedicures
- Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal
- Cosmetics and Hair products (include hair toys)
- Spa treatments (facials, etc.)
- Appliances that you regularly buy (eyelash curler pads to Ped Eggs to fancy irons and dryers and such)
- Any other special potions/preparations/pills you take/use/buy with the express idea that they will “enhance your natural beauty.”
- Whatever else I’m forgetting
You can leave your estimates (the more you can break it down by section, the more cupcakes I’ll send you grateful I will be) in comments, or, if you wanna be stealthy, you can email me directly at phdork@harpyness.com
I’m posting this now, but will be gathering info and such at least through the end of this week (say Saturday the 28th), after which point I will tabulate and average and assess and report, as Part 2 of the series.
N.B.: This is not a product- or tip-swapping post.
Hair cuts, color, treatments – about 7 per year at about $100 = $700.
Manicures/pedicures – $0
Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal – $10/year for razors and shaving cream.
Cosmetics and Hair products (include hair toys) – maybe $40/year?
Spa treatments (facials, etc.) – $0
Appliances that you regularly buy (eyelash curler pads to Ped Eggs to fancy irons and dryers and such) – $0
Any other special potions/preparations/pills you take/use/buy with the express idea that they will “enhance your natural beauty.”
I do buy salon shampoo and conditioner, so about $50 year for that.
So, about $800 per year, just to be beautiful.
-Haircuts – cut my own, and I already owned hair scissors: $0
-Mani/pedi – I buy 2-3 bottles of cheap nail polish a year, so $9
-Hair removal – let it grow: $0
-Cosmetics/Hair products – Probably $10/yr on makeup (mostly eyeshadow), $10/yr on hair toys or scrunchy-type things, $40/yr on shampoo & conditioner (the shamp/cond # is based on 2008 – typically I spend less, but was having trouble finding products that worked well with my hair)
-Spa treatments – Epsom salts (which, as my bathtub is broken, I don’t use at all anymore): $4
-Appliances – Q-tips, nail polish remover, cotton balls: $4
-Special potions – can’t think of any: $0
-Forgotten items – perfumed bar soap (relatives like giving stuff like lotion, so that keeps the price down): $6
Total: approximately 83 USD
I couldn’t quite figure out whether you were only interested in American women. I’m Danish, if you want to keep me off your list
Therefore, everything is translated into USD w. Google!
Hair cuts, color, treatments: Probably around $100
Manicures/pedicures: $0
Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal: I bought a lady shaver last year for $70. I don’t expect to buy a new one before this one dies.
Cosmetics and Hair products: Approx. $40-$60
Spa treatments: $0
Appliances that you regularly buy: $0
That’s all I can think of.
I’m gonna joing Aeooo and write it down here, even though I’m Brazilian. I did the math in US dollars using a currency converter.
Here it goes:
- Haircuts: $90 per year (3 times, $30 each);
- Manicures/Pedicures: Manicure twice a month, $146 per year; pedicure every two months, $39 per year
- Waxing/Hair removal: $130 per year; Eyebrow wax every 3 weeks: $156 per year
- Cosmetics/Hair products: $64 per year (a good salon conditioner and a serum)
- Spa treatments: Face wash and a night cream with acids to reduce freckles and some damage caused by sun exposure – $98 per year
- Make-up: $152 per year
Overall: $875
Believe me, an average middle class woman here in Rio spends more in waxing than me. And I think Brazil is kinda famous for this wax thing. Also, I just realized that manicure is a cultural habit. Maybe I should learn how to do it myself and save some money.
•Hair cuts, color, treatments- Since I cut my own hair, I only spend money buying dye (which, ironically, I am currently marinating my hair in). I guess the cost would be between $60 and $100 a year, depending on how dedicated I am to maintaining my color.
•Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal- Just razors… $60 or so…
•Cosmetics- Luckily, as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, I get all my cosmetics at whole sale price. Not including skin care products, I probably spent… over $100 on cosmetics last year (that’s retail value).
•Whatever else I’m forgetting- Purfume… last year’s total was around $70 retail value, but I got it all from Mary Kay so it was wholesale; Spanx nylons (I’m going back to the drug store brands, those things aren’t any better than what you can get for $6 at Rite Aid) $50; body lotions $36 (but, again, MK, so that’s retail value); skin care $200 retail (at least, it might be more, but my skin is FANTASTIC!); products that extend my hair color $50…
That’s all I can think of.
BTW, if anyone needs a Mary Kay Consultant, let me know!
This is not really a serious, statistically rigorous social-science experiment (or I’d have to get IRB clearance, which: gaaaaah), so I welcome Danes and Brazilians (the women, not the waxes) and everyone else. Thanks for doing the conversion, you two.
When I post the numbers, I’ll try to make note of the variations and such. Feel free to send the link to other women you know, so my N can be bigger.
I do everything I can to cut costs, especially in this department…
Makeup: Never use it. Convinced it’ll poison me.
Shampoo/Conditioner: I keep my hair very short, so it lasts me a while. Though I tend to try to buy paraben-free stuff, so that gets a little costly… Would say around $8 every two months, so $42-50 yearly.
I try to trim my hair myself as often as possible, and get it cut at the Hair Cuttery probably three times a year. $51 including tip.
Shaving needs: Shaving cream probably costs me about $10 a year. I have a safety razor, inherited from my mom, and the blades for it are about $6 for 10. 10 last me six months, so $22 a year.
Face care/lotion: I tend to break out easily, so I spend a little money here. $4 every month for face scrubbies, $10 bi-annually for lotion. $44.
And that’s it…
Comes to $191, and I’m pretty light on the cosmetics. I could probably drop the razors and not have it affect my ability to get/maintain a job, but sadly I fear ridicule when wearing shorts or going to the pool too much.
hair colour- about $16 a month (I do it at home)
mani/pedi – $0 at a salon. Occasionally I paint my nails myself. so…about $20 a year on polish/cotton balls/polish remover
cosmetics- $8/3 months mascara $6/3 months eyeliner $6/2 months concealer $20/3 months eyeshadow $10/3 months lipstick $4/whenever lipgloss
sponges/applicators/whatnot- less than $4/month
body wash $4 month conditioner $6 month shampoo $0 (i rarely use it as I have curly dry hair and I just use a dab of the boyfriend’s shampoo every few days)
annual beauty cost – about $608 dollars a year
oh…crud i forgot razors…one razor lasts about 3 weeks…4 come in a pack…so…$12 every $12 weeks or so…
$52 a year…my new total is $670
30 haircuts a year, about 40 dollars each: $120
Home waxing kits: $50
Razor Blades: $40
Shampoo/Conditioner: $30
Random Make-Up: $150
No spa treatments…
Overall: $390
That was supposed to say 3 haircuts a year, by the way…
Oh, and I am converting from pounds, so some of the guesses might be inexact. Sorry.
Shampoo: $8 x 3 bottles a year: $24
Facial Scrub: $6 x 4 tubs a year: $24
Haircuts: $20 (w/ tip) x 5 times a year: $100
Razor blades: $25 for a pack that lasts a year, at least
Soap: $5 x 12 bars (I buy expensive local made soap to wash with): $60
That totals $233 a year. I don’t wear makeup, and I’ve given up all face treatments besides my scrub since they do nothing, and I also gave up dying my hair quite a while ago. So I’m down to bathing, a good face scrub, haircuts and shaving. I don’t condition my hair or wear perfume. This is all part of a project to reduce my body maintenance to things I deem necessary or that I would be uncomfortable without, and adding it up, I’m pretty pleased. Woo hoo!
Hair cuts, color, treatments – $150 x 4/year = $600
Manicures/pedicures –
Hands- $20 x 2/monthx 12 = $480
Feet(May-Sept)- $40 x 1/month x 5 = $200
Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal -
Brows (Wax) – $15 x 1/month x 12 = $180
Body (Razors) – $5 x 1/month x 12 = $60
Cosmetics and Hair products (include hair toys)- 2008 – Figures from Quicken data
Makeup – Total $889.79
Hair Product @ Salon – Total $539.28
Hair Crap Misc – Approx $15/month = $180
Spa treatments (facials, etc.) -
Body Scrub/Massage – 1 x $155 = $155
Appliances that you regularly buy (eyelash curler pads to Ped Eggs to fancy irons and dryers and such) – No purchases in 2008
Any other special potions/preparations/pills -
Sunscreen – $ 45 total
Facial Care (cleansers, etc) – $59/bimonthy x 6 = $354
Grand Total – $3683.07
Approximate number of Mortage payments this totals – 2.4
***All figures above include sales tax and tip, if necessary.
***** I am apparently incredibly high maintence and super beauty invested. Even though I can barely manage to shower most days. Crap.
******* I have such detailed numbers because my husband is a budgeting nerd. i.e. – We spend what we want on what we want, but he just feels the need to account for every penny.
Count me in as one of the high maintenance ones! I’ve only just recently found a job where I can afford to go to a higher-end salon (and had a friend that worked there so I got deals – no more, unfortunately), so I’ve treated myself a few times because now I can afford it (don’t worry, I just purchased the smart cookies finance book and will be reading it asap). I’ll also include my (at least) 15% tip in the total price of anything I write down. Also, these are in Canadian dollars
Hair cuts/colour/treatments: $80/haircut x 6 = $480 (oh my, off to a rough start!) $75/ partial highlights x 3 (I rock the roots)= $225
and $50/year for the salon membership equals $755 just on hair alone. Yikes.
Manicures/Pedicures: I bite my nails and will be getting a pedi for my trip to Trinidad in May. I don’t normally get them though, so let’s say 2x/year $50 a piece = $100
Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal: I do eyebrow waxing but I let it go for a really long time, so $30 x 4 = $120/year
Cosmetics and Hair products (include hair toys): I practically live at my s.o.’s place, so that means I have two of everything. Recently bought new hairdryer and chi iron, and those were $170 together (friend with an in at a supplier! score!)Plus my huge round brush – $8
Spa treatments (facials, etc.): Don’t really do these, so $0
Appliances that you regularly buy (eyelash curler pads to Ped Eggs to fancy irons and dryers and such): included those in hair toys since I don’t regularly buy irons/dryers (my mom got me an iron for my highschool grad and it’s still going strong after 5 years and tons of use), so for the rest of that category I’d have to estimate $100?
Any other special potions/preparations/pills you take/use/buy with the express idea that they will “enhance your natural beauty.”: probably $50
Makeup: Over the course of a whole year, with replacing eye stuff and going through foundation (MAC studio tech) and mascara like it’s going out of style plus the occasional shopping spree: $350
For a grand total of (I’m going to die when I add it all up) $1733 Canadian Dollars (or $1408.98 USD according to xe.com converter).
Everyone who was thought they were high maintenance for spending $600 can feel better now! I hang my head in shame, because this is most likely an underestimate since I forget a lot of stuff!
Hair cuts: 2-3 times per year at a school, so its only $20 including tip.
Manicures/pedicures: maybe 1 pedicure/week at $25?
Waxing/threading/lasers/hair removal: $10/month in razors and sensitive skin shave gel. $20 every 3 months for this do-it-yourself bikini wax kit. $10 every 6 months for special cream that reduces ingrown hairs.
Cosmetics and Hair products: $6 every 3 months for this gel I use to get rid of frizz, $20 every 6 months for hair spray. $10 every 3 months for mascara. Maybe $100/year on make up. And lets face it, even though shampoo/conditioner are hygiene products, I use the fancy stuff that makes it shiner. So I could be saving an additional $10 every 2 months if I just got the regular stuff.
Appliances that you regularly buy: $20 tweezers every year or so. I have a $200 hair straightener but I bought it 5 years ago.
Oh sorry. So in one year: 400-500 ish. (Canadian dollars)
(it was supposed to say one pedicure per year)