If you're groomed....

[notastealthboast]

How much do you do yourself and how much time do you dedicate to it and what or how much do you leave to a professional?

I always feel so much better once I've dyed my hair (do it myself) fake tanned, done nails and tinting but just can't be bothered a lot of the time even though I know it makes me feel better! I wondered how much time people dedicate to it and how important you see it?

I get balayage so I only need my hair done 3 times a year.

Ooh @thethoughtfox what's your The Oridnary regime please?

I have hair cut and colour every 8 weeks, get eyebrows threaded every 4 weeks, shave not very often as I'm very blonde, and that's about it. I try to take care of my body with healthy eating and gym classes - very lucky to have these at work so makes life easier as I do a lunchtime class most days.

I used to dye my hair at home. Nearly 2 years ago I wanted to go lighter in colour so started getting hair done by hairdresser. I go every 5 weeks and my hair is now in much better condition. It only has to be washed once a week. I run over it quickly with straighteners every day.
When I'm at the hairdressers I get my nails done while the hair colour is developing..
Eyebrows are done every 3 weeks.
I put on make up every day. It takes ten minutes max and I go for a natural look. This gives me a huge confidence lift. If I have a special event, makeup is done professionally

notastealthboast , in this case, add a small face cloth to your arsenal (Wilko sell them for 35p I think),apply foot cream, not loads so it can be absorbed, smear excess on knees or elbows, wipe excess with small towel, apply hand cream, remove excess from palms of hands with the towel. Use a lighter cream if it helps to absorb faster, as long as you use all the time it should help. I know it’s a faff, but once you get into a routine you miss not doing it. There’s nothing like waking up to nice soft feet . Mine tend to get dry on the end of the heel with certain sandals in the summer and if I didn’t do the regular moisturising I’d end up with weird feet. Once a week I apply lanolin and Flexitol, airplane socks before going to bed and take socks off when I go to sleep. Not a sexy process but it works.

Blow dry x2 (I have a package at my salon that include 8 blowdry-enough for a month)
Nails once at 2 weeks (shellac)
Pedi- once at 2 weeks (shellac)
Shaving- once a week, at home
Haircut- once every 2 months
Hair dye- once every 3-4 months (natural colour)
I think I have a simple yet effective skincare routine: AM- cleanser, toner, SPF 50 year round, PM- remove make-up, cleanser, toner, retinol/BHA (only in autumn/winter), moisturizer, eye cream
I wear make-up every day- foundation, blusher, mascara, eyebrow powder, lip gloss
I invested in decent coats & shoes & 2 decent bags
Facial- once every 3 months
Face masks at home- every week

And eyebrows-monthly

Everything myself apart from hair cut

Looking good takes some effort. I moisturise daily with a gradual self tanner which is helping me look less pasty. Regular eyebrow threading since I think nice brows make such a difference to your face. Teeth whitening every few months. Keep hair healthy with regular trims. Foot file and cream once a week.

My biggest outlay is my hair - cut every 6 weeks into a style that means the rest of the time I wash, mess up and go.

Skin care routine is moisturise, sunscreen, cleanse.
Usual make up routine is blusher, brow stuff, lip tint. I've given up foundation and haven't worn any eye make up all summer, although I have taken up lipstick.
Body lotion after shower / bath.
I shave legs and pits less and less as one of the less publicised benefits of getting older is that hair doesn't grow as fast (except for my chin).
Hand cream a few times a day.

I think that's everything. I'm mostly just here for the clothes. I'm always startled when I hear about some routines and they do seem to be getting longer. I totally get that some people enjoy the whole process, what I'm about is the idea that groomed is synonymous with looking good, or even with looking after yourself. I think it's a very specific look and it's not to everyone's taste.

Clean & floss teeth twice daily, whiten with trays from dentist & gel when necessary. What does the dentist give you exactly to whiten your teeth?

Wash and blow dry hair every other day- don't dye it and growing it longer so only cut every six months

Make up when I feel like it as I have semi permanent eyeliner, lip colour and eyebrows I don't always need to apply

Do my own gel nails at home every 2 weeks

Bath with exfoliation, face mask and hair mask once a week followed by fake tan

Epilate bikini line, legs and underarms weekly

Used to get hair extensions and spray tans each month but have knocked that on the head and gone more low maintainance

Oh also bleach my teeth with gel and trays from the dentist every week and try to have a six minute sunbed 2x a week too

I'd love to be groomed but actually I'm lazy.

Decent skincare routine, hair cut approx every 8 weeks, trim my fringe in between myself. Nails get a shellac 1 or 2 per year for a holiday or special occasion and I spend the rest of the year trying to get them fixed afterwards because it trashes them. Occasionally varnish them myself but the quality is crap so it's rare. Pedi once in a blue moon, last was several years ago and I can't see another one any time soon. I varnish toe nails in the summer, don't usually bother in the winter. Shave legs and pits daily in warm weather, every two days in cooler weather.

Some make up most days, takes about 5 minutes. Wash my hair every day, blow dry most days, doesn't take long and I'm not sure it achieved much after 5 minutes later!

Recently I went to an event where I put in an unusual amount of effort. I felt I looked good and I received genuine compliments (fabulous was mentioned ) so I might have to be less lazy more often. It helps that I've lost a stone over the last year.

I do work at staying groomed without spending lots of money. I use mid priced skincare pretty faithfully (especially retinol and SPF) and do my nails almost every week. I wear some makeup almost every day (but if I’m not planning on seeing anyone it will be a very quick 2 minute job - just prevents me being embarrassed if I see an acquaintance at Waitrose 😉). I colour my hair with a few spritzes of John Frieda Beach Blonde every couple of weeks. It may look haphazard but it’s all I can afford right now, in terms of money and time.

The only “jobs” I farm out are hair cutting - about every 8-9 weeks - and eyebrow waxing as my brows are rather fair and my vision is so poor I can’t really see them to tweeze them myself.

Would love to do a bit of teeth whitening - does anyone have effective suggestions for how to do it at home?

. It helps that I've lost a stone over the last year.
Well done llama, how did you lose your stone?

See, everything I do is to save time and money:

Hair: cut a few times a year professionally.dye myself every few weeks. Also do at home pure plex (Superdrug’s answer to olaplex) followed by Brazilian blow dry (home job from amazon) every six weeks or so. It’s curly and coarse so needs it. Wash weekly with dry shampoo in between, it’s shortish. Sometimes wear a hairbnd and leave natural.otherwise have to dry naturally then straighten.
Face: micelllar water, cleanser, toner, serum and moisturiser. Spf daily and I top this up with child’s spf mist if required. I use a satin pillowcase. Brows are microbladed. Wax/pluck various bits of my face in my lunch break at work. Makeup is all crayon form like chubby sticks so I can do it without looking. Magnetic lashes as can’t face removing mascara. Also dye lashes every few weeks at home, takes seconds.
Spray with baby oil after shower and use exfoliating gloves in there every few days. Rub feet on pumice bath mat too.
Shave when I can be bothered.do own gel toenails in summer. Carry emery, clear polish and nail whitening pen for nails as required. Use Philips lumier for unwanted hair every two weeks. Mist fake tan if I feel compelled to look browner occasionally. Go gym fairly regularly.
Not sure I look massively better for doing all of that but believe it or not, it’s quite easy even with two toddlers. Can’t believe I just wrote all that. Apologies if you’ve made it this far.

OP I get Phillips Nitewhite gel from the dentist which I put into my custom made trays.

I’m very groomed, often refered tomas glamorous - although I don’t think I am. Often complimented on my style. I dye my own hair, do my own nails and eyebrows etc. Apart from a hair cut every two months or so I do it all myself.

This is since I had my two children 11-yrs ago. Before that I had the time and money to get it done professionally - I miss those days!!!

nota slimfast! After a lot of failed experiments with diets or healthy living programmes that felt as though they should work and be more morally sound, I worked out that I can't be given space to negotiate. Slimfast is so straightforward and the rules are so clear that even I can't mess with them. I lost most of the weight in about 3 months, stalled for a bit and maintained and then lost a bit more, maintained again and so on. It's not for everyone, but is done the job for me.

Haha llama I love it!

Haircut every couple of months (I don't colour it). I normally maintain eyebrows daily - I keep tweezers next to magnifying mirror in bathroom - but if I get lazy I'll get them threaded. Get toenails shaped and polished every few weeks. DIY manicure at least once a week. Shave legs etc every few days on the bath. Body lotion every morning after bath/shower.

Here's my routine :

Hair cut once a year. Do not dye it, luckily it's still a decent colour. I've never dyed it. I wash my hair every other day, dry it straight. Hair is greasy so use no silicone shampoo.

Pedicure once a month.

I paint my nails a neutral colour, not all the time but if they get a decent length on them.

Skin is simple : clinique soap, nivea blue tub moisturiser, micellar water to remove makeup.

Makeup - foundation, powder, mascara liner. Lip balm.

I really take time with my clothes - for work I'm always dresses up and so that makes me look groomed. At weekends I'm a rugrat, running around with the kids in shorts etc.

I'm another one that looks faaaarrrr better for losing weight - I have a good diet and tbh this is worth more than lotions and potions.

I am focussing on getting my body fit and healthy rather than any cosmetic enhancements.

I feel so much better and more confident. I always feel like a square peg in a round hole trying to look "groomed"- I am not that type of person and it just makes me feel self conscious. I don't like the look- brows, lashes, tan, make up, waxed and plucked etc so it's not something I want to emulate anyway.

Dh bought a treadmill a few years ago so I have been doing an hour walking every day. Aim is to get my steps to at least 10000, if not 15000. I also try and fit in 2 circuit classes. Lost nearly a stone so far and feel so much better. :)

I have my nails done every 2-3 weeks, feet every 6-8 weeks. I have my hair done once every 6 weeks, I go to the gym and I run twice a week, I wear makeup every day which takes a few minutes to apply and I hot brush my hair every day to get that bouncy look.

@Sigh81 how do you choose a good dermatologist? Do you mind me asking what you looked for in choosing them and how much you pay twice a year?

I think I would like to go down this route but when googling dermatologists in my area I feel a bit overwhelmed and not sure how to Choose. Plus I have no idea what sort of price I should be looking at.