How often do you do maintenance?

[DIKateFleming]

I'm trying to look more polished and have more of a beauty routine, I've started getting my nails done regularly, hair cut and coloured more often etc. But I'm trying to work out what is worth spending money on and how often?

I had a facial last week and my skin looked so much brighter, how often is it worth going for a facial?

My hairdresser suggested using a silver shampoo to brighten up my colour, how often would you use that?

What else should I have done on a regular basis? I'm 43, short and fat, so I'm going to start working on body and fitness too. I don't have many lines as I use cake as a filler, but I do just looked dull and knackered a lot of the time.

I have my hair done (half head of foils and toner with treatment) every 4 weeks. I was using a mixture of fanola and pureology but have switched to bleach london shampoo and conditioner which I use 3 times a week. I'm using the smoky one.

I believe people use the silver shampoo about once a month. But you can get that fairly cheap. Tbh I've never noticed a big difference with it. Hence a half bottle in my shower for the last year.....

I use glycolic acid once a week. Usually Sunday night. I use Alpha H Liquid Gold, but there's the Pixi Glow Tonic and I'm pretty sure The Ordinary and The Inkey List have similar - if not glycolic then Lactic acid. Try that first. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than facials.

Pixi do a nice glycolic sheet mask.

I think it's work getting your eyebrows shaped and tinted is worth it (every three weeks or so)
Acrylic nails once a month
Hair cut every 8 weeks

I used to have my hair cut every 5 weeks and dye it myself every 3 weeks (permanent dye , used a light blonde shade then highlighlights every 6 weeks . Had to dye every time the roots showed)

It was fun for a while and my hair was in good condition because it was short and minimal dye overlap. But then I got had it cropped out and used henna for a while.

I now have my hair cut every 3-4 months and do a semi-permanent dye at home (no roots gradual fade)

Never had a facial but I use exfoliants and peels rather than face masks.

Wax / epilate my armpits and legs myself ( had to get back to this , now there's a chance my limbs might see daylight )

I don't do my nails (cannot wear any product at work)
My eyebrows are rubbish, I think about micro blading but thinking is as far as it goes .

I have some James Read spray so I feel a faux tan is in order .

What's worth spending money on?

My DD has LVL , costs about £35 and leaves her amazingly long eyelashes curled and tinted for 8 weeks. No mascara , no effort .
She has her brows threaded (about £6) but doesn't dye them.
She does her own nails but she used to spend £ on a salon .

Best thing to spend on?
Good moisturiser and loads of water ,

I have my hair cut about 6 times a year but I colour it every 3 to 4 weeks root touch up. Waxing every month although I would love to get it lasered. I exfoliate my skin daily, it suits my skin. I always double cleanse. I don’t use many products on my skin as I think too many products and serums gives you spots. Mani/pedi every 3 weeks and hair Botox monthly. I be fair I should do more. I don’t do my eyrbrows except for plucking them.

Thank you for all the advice, have to day I've never had my eyebrows done, will have to investigate that.

I need to investigate glycolic acid further, I have some that came in the M&S beauty box, and I've just bought some from Superdrug that was recommended in The Guardian.

My hairdresser has also given me some sample hair masks to try in a few weeks if my hair starts getting dry and dull again.

I think I need to stop just popping to Boots and Superdrug, I went on the Top 5 Beauty products thread and didn't recogise any of them. Where do you learn about these things, and which ones you need?

I have toms of products, often bought for me over the years, and not sure which are any good, which are right for and which I should just give up on and give to the PTA raffle if they are unopened.

SNS nails every two weeks, T bar highlights every 6 weeks, Feet scraped for the summer and will keep an eye on them until feet go back into boots.

Eyebrow wax and tint once a month, cleanse tone and moisturise twice a day, plus eye cream. Thicker consistency neck cream every day.

Hand cream several times daily, never leave home without it and it's the last thing I do before turning off the lamp at night.

Dove summer sun fake tan twice a week this time of year.

Teeth bleached every year.

Top tip would be never spend a day without wearing perfume. It just means you are treating yourself even if you don't leave the house.

In terms of maintenance, I try to keep it minimal (am lazy) but high impact:

Appointments

1. Eyebrow threading. Every month. My number 1 tip to anyone and everyone!

2. Dermatologist appointments. That was how I started knowing which products to use. And I now get complimented on my skin/glow/complexion by both friends and strangers. I go every 8 months or so for prescriptions or treatments.

3. Haircut: 2× a year (but I am atypical - I have big curly red hair which doesn't need much in the way of a cut)

Self-care

1. Foot file/chiropodist sponge once a week
2. Nail buff (toes and fingers) once a month. I don't wear varnish because my nails are shiny, well-kept and moisturised.
3. foot cream and hand cream twice a day
4. Korea Italy cloth going-over once a week
5. Body brush: every day
6. Body moisturiser: every day
7. Shave legs/armpits: as and when required

I keep up the above throughout the year. I would consider myself pretty groomed without looking artificial (though power to your elbow if you fancy a bit or a fuck-load of artifice! Can look fabulous, but not for me :) )

Sigh which seem do you see? This is intriguing...

To balance the above.

Wash body and face with soap once a day then use cheap moisturiser on face and body. Flexitol heel balm on feet to prevent cracking. Haircut every 6 weeks, don't dye hair, don't use product and don't use hairdryer. Shave legs once a fortnight May to Sept, not at all Sept to May and no other hair removal. Don't do my nails.

My real concerns: swim every morning before work, yoga for few hours at the weekend. Eat a well balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg and maintain a healthy weight maybe not weigh myself for a few days after Easter chocolate consumption. A healthy diet and exercise will do far more good than all the potions and lotions in the world.

I get my eyebrows waxed every couple of weeks and eyelash extensions every 2/3 weeks. The eyelashes make a massive difference to my face I love them. Used to get nails done ever 3 weeks but can't have them in work now, pedicure every 6 weeks ish. I moved cities so am still looking for a hairdresser but useally get bayalage every 2 months or so. In dire need! Love silver shampoo!

I also get birch box delivered every month and it's brilliant. Get loads of high end brands to try out. That's moved me out of my comfort zone a lot!

ProjectGainsborough I have PM-ed you!

And yes to what CountFosco says about healthy diet and exercise. I eat a lot of veg, wholegrains, fish. I go hiking most weekends, plus pilates 3/4 times a week. Think makes a huge difference.

I have a pixie cut which I have cut every 4-5 weeks and foil highlights every 2-3 months. I use the Bleach London silver shampoo twice a week to keep my high lites fresh looking.

I have a bikini and half leg wax and pedicure every 5-6 weeks. I look after my own hands and nails, use lots of handcream and using cuticle oil every night and Nailtiques protein clear varnish.

I use exfoliating gloves when I shower every morning and apply body lotion while skin is still wet. I have a simple skin care regime which takes 10 minutes in the morning and at bedtime.

I have my teeth whitened once a year.

Having said all that, I'm still a stone overweight

I only have my brows waxed every 6-8 weeks. Same with haircut, every 2 months on average.

I get my nails done regularly, about once every two weeks or so. Getting my hair done depends when I feel like I need a retouch on the colour! I get my legs waxed and bikini wax every 5-6 weeks too but prefer to do my own eyebrows.
As for the gym, I go when I have time lol! It's not too much of an enjoyable experience exactly...
I think how much someone spends on maintenance depends because everyone's body is different :)

Those who get their teeth whitened annually - do you have it done at the dentist and how much does it cost?

Whoever mentioned that they'd toyed with the idea of microblading - I had mine done last month and honestly they are amazing and totally changed my face! Would highly recommend.

I have my hair cut and coloured every five weeks, I have brown hair with quite a bit of grey so I have highlights with brown dye applied between the foils to disguise it. I alternate my appointments so I have my foils done, then five weeks later I just have a root touch up iyswim. When I have foils, I have an olaplex treatment too. My hair salon has a beauty room too so once my stylist has put my colour on I go in there and have a full leg and Hollywood wax while the colour develops.

I have gelish on my fingers every three weeks and in summer I also have it on my toes. I can make my toes last six weeks though.

Eyebrows are microbladed annually and I pluck any stray hairs myself.

For daily skincare, I wash my face in the morning with clinique liquid facial soap, then use their dramatically different moisturising gel. I have combination skin and I find this is the only day moisturiser I can use that stops my forehead being super shiny by lunchtime. I use a foundation or a cc cream with spf 30 over the top. At night, I use Clinique take the day off balm to remove make up, then wash again with the liquid facial soap. I follow with Aldi's knockoff of Pixi tonic and their caviar night cream, although I'm trying to use the night cream up as I don't like it much.

Bleach London shampoo is amazing. Miles better than any of the other silver shampoos. I can always see a difference in my highlights when I've used it. I've tried lots of others which don't seem to be as good. I exfoliate at least twice a week and once a week use the Aldi peel mask. I also use the Ordinary gyloric serum. I am often complimented on not looking my 50 years!
I also eat lots of veg, oily fish and drink lots of water.

Interesting thread. After a bout of significant illness over winter, I am a full half a stone overweight.
One of the things I didn't have the energy to do was ongoing personal maintenance...so this is a helpful kick up the behind to get back on track for the summer.

Did fake tan this evening, hair was topped up at the hairdresser last week.
Weekly maintenance on nails has fallen off the list; ditto feet.
Must dye eyelashes and brows- though have googled local salons that offer LVL and microblading. Worth the investment?

I use purity by philosophy cleanser morning and night. I alternate each evening with a glycolic acid (alpha h liquid rose gold) and retroderm retinol serum before my moisturiser - which is Clinique dramatically differently. TBH it's the only moisturiser that actually leaves my skin feeling moisturised. On the evenings that I use the glycolic acid, and if I can be bothered I follow that with a hyaluronic acid serum and a matrixyl serum, again both from The Ordinary. If I want to pop on a face mask while I'm doing the housework at the weekends I'll slather on a thick layer of Nivea - their original blue tub. One of those little hair fluff removers (flawless something or other) over the face every 3 weeks or so has literally transformed my skin. The products seem to do a better job. I might have a facial once a year! Far prefer to gather my things, sit down with a glass of wine have a little DIY facial.

Hair - roots, dotted foils and a toner every 6 weeks or so along with a cut. I'm using Aveda blue malva shampoo and conditioner at the moment (twice a week) jury's still out on these. My hair looks a little 'olive' with them, which is exactly what they're not supposed to do!

I do my own nails and tend to use either Mavala or Zoya polishes. Constantly rubbing oil into the cuticles - and will file and polish my nails (hands and feet) once a week. Dry, cracked heels literally make me feel sick.

I don't tan as in a big fuss fake tan as I find it way way way too drying, but do use a gradual tan moisturiser - on alternate days, morning and evening throughout the summer. Perfectly happy to be pale in winter. Have found decleor to be the best here. Smells nice and is very moisturising.

I don't wax but do shave - with a safety razor.

Teeth whitening - at home regime with a guard and gel every 6 months.

Healthy diet, work out regularly and walk my dogs daily.

I also drink a lot of water - plain tap water with sliced lemon - constantly drink it all day - every day. Best beauty regime tip ever!