What 'grooming' would you describe as high maintenance? What's just basics?

[PosyNarker]

That's it really. I've been doing a lot of business travel and always feel like a bit of a state compared to my peers in our London office who seem to all have immaculate gel nails, expensive salon dye jobs and never inadvertently expose a slightly hairy armpit.

By contrast my friends outside of work would probably say I had a high maintenance routine. . (I still feel like a ratbag though as I am just not one of those people who looks effortlessly put together.)

So waxing, manicures, salon visits, facials, gyms whatever - just part of the routine or high maintenance / luxury?

[freerangeeggs]

My daily routine is largely dictated by my crappy skin, unfortunately!

In the morning:
Clean
Wash face with tea tree oil cleanser
Salicylic acid face scrub
TCP on spots (works a treat)
Serum
oil balancing moisturiser
Makeup (foundation, blusher, mascara, eyeliner, corrector, concealer)
Style hair

In the evening:
Wash hair (gets greasy quickly)
wash face with tea tree/salicylic acid scrub
TCP
Apply retin-A cream
Take antibiotics/vitamins

About twice a week I shave
I pluck eyebrows/stray facial hairs whenever they pop up, usually a couple of times a week
In the summer I apply some gradual tanner

Occasionally I do something with my nails. My nails are generally rubbish.

I get my hair cut every few months

[FairPhyllis]

Daily: clean face, moisturise face, lip balm, brush teeth, shower, tidy eyebrows and chin hair

Approx every 3 days: shampoo hair, blowdry hair (I have to as it is too thick to dry naturally). If I need to look smart I will use straighteners too.

As and when needed: cut nails (I keep them short) deal with lip hair

Less than weekly: shave armpits, legs. This is dependent on the weather and what clothes I want to wear. I don't do legs in the winter.

Roughly every 8 weeks: cut and colour hair.

Once in a blue moon: face mask, tidy bikini line, tackle hard skin on feet (sometimes with the help of a chiropodist).

[FairPhyllis]

It also depends on whether my skin is bad. Sometimes I may be using antibiotics or differin on it. Having a break atm.

I also about once a year on average have some laser treatment to help with the acne.

[DontmindifIdo]

to redress the balance somewhat, I know a bloke who was marched by his boss to buy £200 shoes as he was now in a senior role at the FSA and "couldn't walk into a bank to tell them what to do wearing school boy shoes".

Different work places have different standards. Where I work sounds like the OPs, but I have neither the time nor the money for the level of maintenance most woman I work with do. Mine are:

Basics:
Legs and armpits shaved
cleanse, tone, moisturise 2x a day
shower and body lotion daily
toenails clipped and either plain or polished neatly (no chipped toe nail varnish on show)
Hair cut and professionally coloured every 6 weeks
Hair washed and straightened every other day (no letting my natural frizz be seen at work)
Eyebrows plucked
upper lip either plucked or waxed if it's getting bad
nails neat with clear polish (easier than making sure I don't have chipped nails)
Makeup - full make-up for work days (don't bother with foundation on non-work days)
Also have brazillian wax every 6-8 weeks (but that's not work related maintenance)

I used to have facials and massages and professionally done nails, but then I had DS...

Anyway, i have just started maternity leave, I can already feel my standards slipping, I'm going to have a year of frizzy hair and hairy eyebrows.

[sillyoldfool]

Ah good posie, you aren't so scary then!
I wear nice clothes, I work in theatre costume so appearance is important, I'm just not expected to look 'polished' Eccentric is expected!
I would love a fortnightly massage though, have never had a proper one, I think that would be lovely.
I don't think people would recognise me if I started getting my hair done and wearing fake tan though!

[OrWellyAnn]

Daily shower or bath, every second day hair wash, hair brush, previous nights make up removed (slob emoticon), new mascara applied, teeth brushed, clean clothes every day, except jeans which I will wear for two or at a push three days. eyebrows once a weekish.

Shaving, when I can be bothered or if I'm wearing something that shows hair, ditto bikini maintenance. Hair cut once every 3-6 months. Growing grey gracefully. Cut my nails if biting them off goes wonky.

I'm not hugely groomed, but then i have a life to live. I dont look scruffy or skanky...But boy do people sit up and notice if I make a huge effort

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Don'tmindifIdo - glad the brazilian isn't work related maintenance

[Corygal]

Apart from hygiene, I do:

eyebrows and lash dye
face mask
deep conditioner
epilate pits, chin, legs and toes
exfoliate and holiday skin

once a week, an hour all in inc naice bath. Also super cheap as most everything washes off, a fine reason to purchase unguents from Poundland. I do not beautify my pubes.

Eyebrows threaded in 3 min up the road once a month. Cut and full head of highlights twice a year.

[KentuckyFriedChildren]

I never do anything outside of home.

I cut/colour my own hair when I feel like it.

I sometimes polish my nails but generally just have them cut short and square.

I wash/condition my hair every 3 days and brush it every day.

I occasionally shave my underarms/legs/bikini but mostly can't be bothered.

I have never had anything done to my eyebrows ever.

The only thing I spend money on is my moisturiser/make up kit which is all Clinique. It costs me a fair amount (moisturiser, foundation, powder, blusher, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, lippie) but works out cheaper than lower end brands as it lasts much longer.

I use moisturiser every day and make up at least twice a week but more if I am doing more than the school run.

We are moving to Malta next year though and then I will probably start getting waxed (so I can wear dresses without tights) and wearing make up every day as I will be running the family business and will need to look smart.

[KentuckyFriedChildren]

Oh and I do spend money on perfume too. And obvis wash/deodorise daily I, at the very least, smell nice!

[Somethingtothinkabout]

Nearly Everyday:
Run, shower, hairwashed and dried and put in bun (it's very long), cleanse face, moisturise face, basic makeup (tinted moisturiser, blusher, eyeliner) tweezer out any armpit hair.

Every few weeks:
Epilate legs, manicure and pedicure, bikini wax, slight eyebrow wax, eyelash dye (all done myself at home). sometimes I wax my fingers

Wish I had the time (and money) for a more frequent haircut. And microdermabrasion. And if there was a way to permanently remove blonde body hair from pale skin I'd literally empty my savings account for it.

[JackieTheFart]

I enjoy wearing make up and doing my nails, but I HATE having people do stuff for me. I have very curly hair and wouldn't feel confident cutting it myself, so I have it cut every 2-3 months. I have colour on it right now, but I don't have greys - just felt like a change.

I shower daily and wash hair every 4-5 days, keep brows and tache tidy. I epilate my armpits and shave everywhere else.

I'd be really fucking annoyed if someone told me to buy straighteners. I have curly hair, I like curly hair.

I don't consider myself high maintenance, although on occasion I will use false lashes and fake tan. Not often, and I will always do it myself.

[Lavenderhoney]

I don't think my boss was in the make yourself pretty camp. He was a very forthright SA. I'm glad he said something though- first impressions count, and people do judge, and it would have affected my promotional prospects. I had to inspire confidence and efficiency / organisation in my role, and frankly, after some help to change, I can see why I wouldn't have looking the way I did. I must have scrubbed up a bit too well at my interview:)

[monkeysmama]

I have gel nails refilled every two weeks and my toe nails painted, eyebrows threaded every two weeks and my hair cut every 2-3 months. I shower and shave my underarms every day, legs once a week and Immac my bikini line every few days in summer and very rarely in winter. I had eyelash extensions until a few weeks ago and loved them but they were a maintenance too far for me. I dislike it when what's supposed to be something nice for me becomes a necessity. It's so much cheaper to have it all done locally in London. £2 for eyebrows, £10 for nails and toes. I go while my baby sleeps in the pram.

I worked in a very male dominated industry and was one refused entry to an awards do for wearing a tuxedo suit instead of an evening dress. I was very cross and the campaign became something of a (albeit very small!) turning point for the industry.

[CareerGirl01]

I work from home but twice or three times a month head into town (Either city or west end of London) for networking and meeting contacts. So I can get away with having a double maintenance life. Have 4YO DD and am 39 weeks pregnant!! Used to spend a fortune on maintenance! But time is my real enemy!!!
Gym x5 a week - includes yoga and spin sessions.
DIY facial with Dermalogica mild fruit acid exfoliant and then power rescue, monthly I have an Ormedics organic peel by a dermatologist.
Wax legs every 4 weeks with Veet kit
Bikini maintained with Bikini trimmer- when I can.
Eyebrows and lashes occasionally dyed at home but I tend only to get them done in town on the way to above mentioned 'dos.
I do see a chiropodist once every three months.
Am lucky in that I can let most things lapse - gym is my must have - without fitness/health I don't think I look that great.

[ExRatty]

The female MD in my first job paid for me to have a cut and highlights, at the super dooper salon she used, as a prize. I looked like a different person afterward.

I was also advised that straight hair was more professional and my next prize was GHDs when they had just arrived on the market to much ooing and ahhing

Christmas prize for best newcomer was a Joseph suit...my suit was from Dotty Ps...I was straight out of University and thought it was the nicest thing I'd ever seen.

I was really thankful for the help and thought she put in. It wasn't always perfect for me but she tried to make 'the best' of all of us. She actively wanted us to valued for our contribution but sometimes that is harder to give when you are dressed in a shiny polyester suit.
Flame away

[flipchart]

Day to day basics
am shower, sort out hair, moisturise face and body, clean and floss teeth and tounge, make up, check for stray hairs

pm remove make up, bath, check finger and toe nails, body brush, moisurise body and face
every couple of days exfoliate face and body, get rid of stray hairs
weekly face and hair mask

twice a month, threading
monthly hairdressers for what ever needs doing, eyelash tint, manicure, pedicure, callous removal, spray tan, waxing and anything else that needs doing
once every three months Bobby Brown or Mac counter for new look make up.

[Startail]

Anything other than shaving legs and arm pits when out of winter clothes and slapping on sunscreen sounds high maintenance to me

[Startail]

Oh and that pisses me off.

[TattyDevine]

Things I do regularly/consistently:

Acrylic nails at the Vietnamese salon (not expensive, and very good, and stop the corners of my thumbs splitting causing mega pain!) - every 3 weeks (never had acrylics that lasted that long till I went there)

I do my own roots using professional dye.
If I need highlights I go to a hairdresser. I trim my fringe and ends sometimes myself, and have a good cut here and there. I actually recently went a year without visiting a salon for anything.

Scrape feet once or twice a week using the Soap and Glory foot file thing and use BHA and AHA lotions from Paulas Choice to keep them smooth in between.

Paint toenails every few weeks in summer, if I'm feeling decadent I might get a pedi but more often than not end up doing it myself

I have an IPL machine which I do my legs and underarms here and there when I remember. This works really well and means I don't have a lot of hair to bother about.

I do my bikini line with veet from time to time

I hot cloth cleanse and moisturise each night.

I get my eyebrows threaded from time to time and maintain them in between with tweezers.

I have botox 3 times a year.

That's about it. I like the LVL lash treatment and I have had lash extensions in the past but at the moment nothing, might save it for special occasions

In my opinion high maintenance is: Hair extensions, regular fake tan (the sort where you have to slather it on and buff it off, what a faff!), 4 week salon visits (though needs must sometimes I guess, I've found a way of not having to), eyelash extensions all year round, tooth whitening, regular gel nails on fingers and toes, regular leg, bikini and underarm waxing in a salon, regular facials, microdermabrasion, IPL, botox, fillers etc.