How much effort do you make to look nice each day

[imnothavingagoodtime]

As the tittle says really. I currently exclusively wfh, but normally I’d be in the office 2 days a week. I never wear make up if I’m wfh unless I have a really important external meeting. I also mainly wear smartish lounge wear, rather than smarter work type stuff. I do straighten my hair daily as it takes on a life of its own!

I popped out to drop something to a friend yesterday, she was wfh and looked so lovely and glam - I felt like a troll in my gym leggings and oversized jumper!

And now I’m wondering if I should start making more of an effort, would I feel better about myself? I do hate looking at myself on team, I look old and tired when bare faced. But can I be bothered?

Keen to know what others do day to day? Tips for quick make up too please!

I wish I could put laughing faces on some of these! I’m glad I’m not alone!

Thanks for everyone who’s shared tips and their own routines.

I’m going to up my game in the new year- there is no point starting now. In the meantime I will get a few new make up bits, I’ve got some on my Christmas list. I’ll also sort out my wardrobe and add a few smarter wfh bits in the sales.

For the person who recommended Fenty -‘I used to use their foundation but then they changed their colour palates and I’m in between 2. I used Estée Lauder now but I don’t want full foundation everyday.

I wfh so I'm certainly not putting make up on or wearing nice clothes. Leggings and a tee and pony tail. I had a friend who used to put make up on just to be at home and I always thought it was mental.

Fitness is another 2026 goal for me. I’ve been unwell so haven’t done anything except walking for a year! I did start Mounjaro in August though after reducing steroids, (prescribed not anabolic)! It’s helped A LOT.

I brush my hair and put lipstick on.

I have recently started to put a slick of lip gloss on and a bit of mascara if I happen to have a little more time I might use some foundation but it's for me and me only I don't dress for teams etc if I am in the office I do make a bit of an effort but that's no more than a couple of minutes.

I have animals and work from home pt strange hours with occasional visits to office, thrown in. I also have to nip out a lot for supplies for my dh’s business.

I used to adapt my clothing and make up to whatever I was doing that day, and change outfits mid-stream, but it was a complete faff.

Nowadays, as I am up early to do animal-related chores and then shower, I tend to put on a tinted moisturiser, mascara, and basic lip tint after that, all of which takes under five mins, and wear proper clothes such as thin cords, loafers , shirt and jumper; all of which will cover whatever I am doing that day and I don’t have to think about it after 8.30 am, Wash and blow dry hair every second or third day,

I then do the animals again at night and change back in to yoga pants and t-shirts after a very quick shower again.

I have found the latter system with one set of clothes covering everything except animal
care to be far more time efficient.

Edited: forgot to say I feel better for it too as I was getting a bit depressed constantly living in two sets of scruffs.

Minimal effort on WFH days. Shower, brush my hair. I tend to wear gym stuff. If i do have a call (they're usually in advance) I'll put on a nice top and put some mascara on but day-to-day it's me and the dog so it feels silly putting my face.

Same for me whether I’m working at home or in office. Presentable clothes, light makeup, brushed hair. Have an on camera meeting first thing every morning.

I tend to wear nice things, comfortable though, and some tinted moisturiser and coloured lip balm. Low effort, but I don’t look so wrecked when I pass a mirror! I don’t like looking no effort / no colour, it depresses me.

I love myself as I am, my family love me as I am my hubby adores me as I am so why would I make an effort to impress that's not me

I act as if I’m in the office. Otherwise my work would be shoddy too.

I’m genuinely happy for you (and no this isn’t sarcasm). However I never said I was doing for other people, it would be for myself so I don’t feel drab and washed up. And if my OH also gets to appreciate me looking fresh and glowy well there is nothing wrong with that. He loves me regardless but probably fancies me more when I do t look like I’ve been dragged through a bush 😳

I think this is quite age dependent too! When I was young and slim I felt good in anything I wore. Now I am older and squishier, it helps my mood to be a bit more put together else I look and feel like I’ve gone to seed 😄

And interestingly, once you have five outfits, the minimal makeup, have a good system going, I find it takes less time than changing clothes all of the time.

Very little. I wfh 90% of the time and never turn on my camera (typically looking at a shared screen so it's not impt)
And it's not unusual for me not to get dressed until lunchtime if I didn't have to drop kids to school that morning

Do what works for you op.
I dont use any creams that say they can turn back time.
I use baby sope baby body wash e45 and protein jelly.
My skin as never been better and healthier I also look younger.

I live in pj's comfort over style , unless I go out leggings and baggy jumpers.
Deodorant roll on and perfume.
I dont wear make up as I dont need it.

But I have to admit the past 2 year of changing my skin care to just basics, as aged me less.
Yes I'm bragging 😜 I look fabulous.

Yes, I lost a lot of weight, so had to basically replace my wardrobe, and bought lovely clothes for home, going out, office etc, mainly on vinted, in the new, very good and the higher end brand category, and now instead of slobbing around in stretchy black gear I wear something lovely every single day. I also do my hair and I’d say 5 days out of seven put some make up on, use body lotion etc,

today I’m wearing Reiss dark indigo wide leg jeans and a me + em sleeveless woollen top in a sort of greyish oyster colour. Everything is always freshly laundered and ironed where appropriate. I am often found in wide leg trousers, slim fitting tops, midi skirts or midi dresses, and like slouchy cashmere jumpers if it’s really cold. I selmdom to never wear black now/

it takes just as long to put on nice clothes as it does not nice ones, and you can be just as comfy, my hair I use a heatless curling rod at night so it’s brush and go in the morning and make up takes me five mins at the very most.

so looking decent really doesn’t take me any longer than looking a bit crap and I’m often on video calls.

Same whether gping put of the house or not. Bath, hair wash and blow dry, make up and smart clothes. I dont mean suits but nice jeans, gucci loafers and a cashmere sweater type outfit. Always coordinated bag and shoes. Its just habit now, I have built up a good collection otlf accessories and use them daily.

Wfh I wear either no make up or a little. Think concealer, mascara and sometimes blush/eyebrow pencil. I also wear comfy clothes. If I’m going to the office I wear smart clothes and full face make up, do my hair etc.

Oh I need to find this soft focus filter 🤣 they shld make a glam one then we wld all feel better lol.

Groomed but no/minimal make up on WFH days.

More effort for the office, but still nowhere near the effort I made in my 20s (all my fucks left the building after 30).

I work shifts, but about a third from home (earlies and lates). For earlies, I did get into a bad habit of rolling straight out of bed to my desk and then showering etc on my lunch break. However, now I have a new manager with a penchant for unannounced teams calls and an insistence for cameras on, so I do make more effort - showering, doing my hair, tiny bit of makeup (tinted moisturiser, brows, blush, mascara) and a smart jumper. Bottom half is always joggers and a blanket though! For late shifts wfh, I'll be dressed for whatever I was doing in the morning.

We wear a uniform at work in the 'office' but I do wear a bit more makeup.

@Daisywhatsyouranswer Vinted is a great idea. I love Me&em but I don’t own anything from there as it’s too expensive! Your outfit today sounds really nice.

I’ve got out of the habit of allowing time at the weekends for ironing. I either need to build in time or get someone to do it!

I need to sort my life out 😂

Honestly some great me and em bits on vinted.

Well, after years and years of muted colours and Breton stripes, something happened when I turned 50 and I’m now obsessed with bright colours, animal prints and clashing patterns. I think I’m making an effort but my kids tell me I look like I’ve been dressed by a toddler 🤷‍♀️. I love love love skincare and have decent skin and always wear cc cream and mascara as a minimum during the day.

I make a bit of an effort each day. It has made such a difference to my wellbeing to feel slightly put together and less like a slob (I used to live in leggings and fleeces and feel permanently rubbish).

I can be out of bed and ready for the day in 10 minutes. 15 if I'm making a bit more of an effort. Washing my hair and showering in the evenings helps!

My basic routine is wash face, moisturise and SPF, clean teeth and apply deodorant.

Makeup is at a minimum Erborian CC cream (magical stuff), a tinted lip balm and some mascara. I get my eyebrows done so they always look good with no effort. Hair gets a brush, spray a bit of perfume and I'm done.

I got rid of all of my slobby clothes and anything that made me feel frumpy and crap so I'm forced to get dressed properly. I have far fewer clothes but everything is decent. Even if it's just jeans and a nice jumper it means I look presentable and feel better.

I also live in minimal jewellery. A bracelet, chain necklace and stud earrings that are all very simple and I have a few so I can change them every so often but they're reasonable quality so I sleep in them, shower in them etc. Someone at work commented that I always look put together because I always make an effort with jewellery...... that's easy to do if you never take it off!