What motivates you to make an effort with your appearance?

[ChangesAt30]

I've recently realised that over the last few years I've made less and less effort with my appearance.

Granted I work FT, and have a young DD, but DH does his fair share and I could make the time to spend on myself but I'm just so lazy with it.

I'm guessing there's various reasons why you'll make an effort - because you know you feel better for it? Maybe work requires you to look polished? Maybe you do it more for your OH?

Any quick tips for taking care of my overall appearance would be appreciated too I've just plucked my brows, took the old polish off my toenails and got rid of the dead skin off my feet, and I do feel better for it!

I feel more put together and prepared to face the world if that makes sense?

Granted effort for me consists of making sure I'm clean, smell good, hairs not too greasy, mascara, eyebrow pencil and power over my face, so I'm probably not a big effort maker in terms of getting ready. I spend about 20 minutes on myself in the morning, including a shower.

Not meant to pluck brows any more...the trend is to let them now growwwwwww.

Depends on your idea of “making an effort”.

I’m comfy, clean and presentable. I feel better without make up, nail varnish etc, my brows are fine with no intervention.

I am happier not doing the many things that seem to be required for females. Taking all those things out of the equation is remarkably freeing.

I'll be brutally honest. I never much cared. Neat and clean for my public facing role, sure. I knew I scrubbed up well but couldnt be arsed.
But then I developed a massive crush on a Hollywood star (!) And couldnt risk that today would be the day that he'd abandon Hollywood and come on holidays to my boring Midland town and we'd meet and I'd miss my chance. So I got into the habit of makeup, nice accessories and started to like the feeling of being put together just in case.
I was already in my 30's when this happened, and a happily married mum!

It just makes me feel better to look in the mirror and look good ( well as good as I can )

I'm not massive on make up but wear a little and there are some days my hair isn't freshly washed, but I do make the effort before I leave the house wether it's 6am or 6pm.

It makes me feel more confident to feel stylish. But it is my version of stylish; more groomed than some, less groomed than others.

I have very manual job so my work wear reflects that. And because I’m really a girly girl I and I want to make a bit of an effort I always wear a bit of makeup. Also the one time I feel I don’t make an effort the man of my dreams will walk into work. And I was always taught dress like you’re about to bump into the love of your life

Looking better makes me feel better within myself. Also i have a really unglamourous job so i feel like i need to balance it out!

At the moment it’s because I have a small baby and spend my days covered in poo and sick so maintenance and a bit of pampering make me feel more myself. DH doesn’t give a hoot whether I’m dressed to the nines or with a scraggly bun and pjs on but he knows it matters to me so he’ll take the baby as soon as he gets home from work and tells me to have a long shower or do my nails or whatever will make me feel nice. He got me a beauty box subscription as a treat when I was pregnant and he knew I wouldn’t want to spend money on myself on maternity leave so I’ve got nice things to use. I’ve stopped painting my finger nails but soft feet and pretty toes make me feel happy and put together. I’m in a weird range of clothes at the moment but I make sure they’re as clean as possible and I had my hair cut and blow dried today which I don’t do often but feels lovely.

I do it because I enjoy it. I gain enormous pleasure from the whole grooming process - it relaxes me. Mind you, I find that at 47 it has become much more time-consuming and does involve many less fun aspects, for me anyway.
To look polished and crisp takes me an age nowadays - I get up at 5 to shower , moisturise and do hair and v light make-up.
No bugger would do this unless they enjoyed it so don't beat yourself up.
I work 12 hour days but don't have children so my free time really is all mine too.

For me it's a combination of just wanting to feel good about myself (or at least as good as I can) and working in an industry (Financial Services) where appearance is important. And maybe being brought up as a child to make an effort so dress well for church, Sun lunch etc, always polish your shoes, brush your hair etc.

I have PCOS so don't have the best skin so have looked after it religiously since my teens. I always take my make-up off before bed (I can probably count on one hand the number of times in my life when I haven't). I have always moisturised, eye cream, etc etc. I moisturise my whole body every day. I put oil on my cuticles before bed plus hand cream and foot cream. I always shape my nails, trim my cuticles and put Nail Envy on them so they look presentable. When I wear nail polish, I always remove it the instant it is chipped (I think chipped nail polish looks trashy).

My hair is fine and wavy and has a mind of its own. I wash it every morning in the shower without fail. A quick blast of the hairdryer and it's dry in 2 mins. I pumice my feet in the shower every few days. I also shave underarm every day and do my legs every few days. Although I'm fair and not hairy so it takes less than a minute. I almost always wear light make-up which means CC cream, a dusting of powder, natural lip pencil, maybe a natural shade across my eyelids and brush my eyebrows. If I have a tan and I'm off work, I may drop the CC cream. Obviously for work I will put on 'proper make-up' so lipstick, blusher, eye make-up. From waking up to leaving, I'm usually ready in 45-50 mins although some of that is faffing (I'm not a morning person). It may be slightly longer if I have to faff around with tights, finding the right jewellery/shoes etc. I always add a splash of perfume before I leave home, even if I'm just going to the gym.

I make an effort with how I dress. I try to find clothes which are comfy but stylish, maybe a little edgy. You'll never find me in Joules or Boden put it that way.

I find spending just a few extra mins a day on maintenance saves time in the long run. And now I'm almost 50, people tell me I look younger so I think the effort pays off. A friend says that I always look very glam but she doesn't see me in the gym every day with my hair scraped off my face and sweat running down me.

I think what I've written sounds quite vain and I'm really not vain at all. I just don't think I have the best base to start with (due to years of paranoia about my skin) so I have to put a little effort in to look ok. My old personal trainer once said to me "you just don't care how you look at all" but that's because I'm all business in the gym (I'm there to work and sweat rather than take selfies and look pretty) and because he lives in TOWIE land.

I make quite a lot of effort, every day. Full makeup etc and I do my hair. I don't do it for anyone else but I feel more in control if I have my game face on. It absolutely is a mask in some ways, because if I look in control then I feel it, but I don't see that as a bad thing. The problem is that both me and everyone I know are used to seeing me a certain way, so if I ever look different then people think I've lost the plot!

Mine is very much for my MH and wellbeing. I have OCD and anxiety aswell as fibromyalgia and don't sleep well. I make sure I have a shower every morning, my hair is well looked after and shiny, I have my eyebrows done and my nails every 3-4 weeks ( shellac not false ones ) and I get a different colour each time.

I iron everything, wear perfume which makes me happy and minimal make up but always lipstick, even if I'm putting the bins out

I feel better and happier when I'm fresh and clean and I love doing pampering things of a night. So many of my friends don't make any effort and I always look over dressed in comparison when I'm actually not.

Having kids and looking after them is great but that doesn't mean we have to let ourselves go. One friend who is a SAHM to school age dc ( same as me ) said that she has "no time for any of that" which to me smacks of laziness as she has the same 6 hours a day that I have.

Small things can make a big difference. I know that my MH is suffering when I stop making an effort.

Looking better makes me feel better and more confident.
Usually it's clothes that's fits and compliment my figure well, little bit of makeup.
I'm not good in making my hair, probably just bit lazy, so I'm going simple with that, but that's it- not much and the difference is significant- at least for me.:)

Sometimes I just do, for no reason.

Sometimes it's because I have to go out to meet someone, or to an event.

Sometimes I make the effort for DP (but he never notices, because he is more or less blind to what I'm wearing, etc.)

After I turned 38 a few years ago, I started wearing makeup at work (except for casual Fridays), having never done so before. It's a smart dress office and I think it got to a stage where dressing smart and not wearing makeup just looked a bit severe and like I hadn't quite finished getting ready (I think when you are fresher-faced you can get away without it), so I wear makeup to look a bit more 'finished' and professional. It's not the end of the world if I forget to do my face, which happens sometimes, but it just looks a bit better, I think

A couple of things have jumped out at me here, thank you all for these lovely replies 

Firstly, that you're all doing it for yourself! I was expecting someone to chime in with how they do it for their DH (as I do feel like I should make more effort for him even though he doesn't care) but it's refreshing that it's a personal thing.

Also, @Zoflorabore comment about doing it for your MH. I've never actually thought about it like that but I definitely do suffer with low moods (more so now than I ever have before) and it's true that I feel better even when I do the bare minimum.

My aim from now will be at least:

Clean hair - it's quite long and takes effort to wash as we only have a bath, but I need to make sure it's done.

Nails - polished when I have the time, and any chipped polish removed straight away.

Moisturising - I do my face every day, but will start doing my body when I get out the bath.

Make up - Some light make up every day so I don't look like death warmed up all the time

I get to wear nicer clothes.

For me I pretty much only make an effort so I'm able to put on a show of being put together etc (and I can't be scruffy in my line of work). I used to always feel run down and in a flap (no kids yet, pray that I'll keep it up when I do but I doubt it) but I now just do the following and I helps A LOT.

• regular haircuts (every 8-10 weeks) (same for eye brows waxed/threaded and tinted and lashes tinted every 4-6 weeks)
• invested in a dyson airwrap (before this did a home blow dry twice a week)
• use Essie 'gel' nail polish (I pick off proper gels and easily chip normal polish)
• have a solid skincare regime
• learn how to do a v quick tidy up do for days when hair is annoying me/got rained on/is a bit too greasy.
• have specific outfits for specific things (this one is probably weird, but it helps me if I already know what I am going to wear for an event in my head without ACTUALLY having to think about it)

As for motivation, it is also a great way for my family and friends to quickly notice if my mental health is slipping (as all of the above stops pretty much straight away).

I also have quite recently developed an IBD condition which is somewhat limiting in some of the things I can do; however, I have still complete control over my grooming so I can still feel like I am me.
Whatever bolsters your self-esteem can only be a good thing - no matter what it is.
Sometimes we need a kick up the arse to do (whatever floats your boat) it.

Confidence, self esteem for pleasure of it

My cycle, I don't give a shit when I'm on my period, around ovulation I have an urge to make an effort and usually generally feel much better about myself.

I'm disabled and housebound much of the time. I've lost 3 stone over the last 8 months, too, and I guess I just want to feel good about myself when I can get out. I don't wear loads of make up, I think too much doesn't suit me, but I try to wear flattering clothes and some nice accessories. It cheers me up and helps me feel human again.

For the male gaze.
To increase my self confidence.
So people take me seriously.
To stop people taking the piss.
So I look more attractive.
To wear the clothes I want to.

I do it for me and my oh. Years ago I used to have a full face and hair curled and put into a 50s hair style. I would wear fitted dresses every day or a skirt and top for work, it made me feel good and I liked to impress my husband. Nowadays I’m not as dressed up, my style has changed a bit and my hair is now very long so I have it straight, but I make sure it is always clean sleek and shiny. Some days I don’t wear makeup except eyebrows and mascara. Other days I’ll have a full face (false lashes & everything lol) sometime I just feel in the mood to look extra pretty lol. If my oh is taking me out on a date night I’ll dress up too.
I had very low self esteem when I was a teenager and used to really put myself down, I used to burst into tears while getting dressed in the morning because I felt ugly and fat.
In my late teens I started experimenting and started to like how I looked. So it is mainly for myself.