Beauty....how much is it worth?

[shengmei]

If you can put a value on beauty, how much would it worth?

Lately I have been bombarded by those "beauty gifts" and it is the time when all the exercise machines come out.

Health food ads, clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, skincare, bath and body products, etc....etc...... I am so unbelievably tempted.

AAAUGH!!! SAVE ME!!!!!

[PRICEPLUS]

Well being a guy makes me less apt to worry about looking beautiful or inheriting my mothers thighs.

I have noticed that the metrosexual crowd get manicures and facials and other such nonsense. Me, I just shave and make sure there are no hairs coming out of my nose. The wife hates when I wear Bay Rum aftershave so I have to wear Polo as she likes the scent. Me? I could care less. I am just a typical barbarian of a fellow!

[BCHGRL]

Honestly, I spent much more dinero on beauty when I was pleasantly plump. When I got lean and mean, I don't spend much because I feel great about myself having a great body. I don't know why the media says most women hate their bodies - I think mine rocks!

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by BCHGRL

Honestly, I spent much more dinero on beauty when I was pleasantly plump. When I got lean and mean, I don't spend much because I feel great about myself having a great body. I don't know why the media says most women hate their bodies - I think mine rocks!

rock on self-esteem sister!

i must concur: i feel a lot better about the way i look from the next up when i'm happier with how i look from the neck down. part of it's psychological, but i think being and feeling healthy reflects head to toe.

i don't think this is just a gal thing, either. DH goes through self-esteem rocky spots, and i notice he's more prone to want to spend when he's in one.

[dossin1]

I am a skin care and make-up diva, and I've got the jars to prove it!

I am addicted to skin creams! Can't start a day without them or else I feel like crap. I spend almost close to 150$ a year on them. Oh yeah, my hair too... I have to have smooth silky hair everyday!

[kealina]

i gotta think about this one... can't wait to see some of the responses... i know to me it's a nice perk if i can manage it cheap and low-maintenance but nothing i'd spend serious money on...

[Fizgig]

Just checked my records - Over the past three years, I have spent $1000/year on hair care, skin care, and makeup.

That's much more than I would have guessed.

Originally Posted by Fizgig

Just checked my records - Over the past three years, I have spent $1000/year on hair care, skin care, and makeup.

That's much more than I would have guessed.

woah!! I thought 150$ a year was a lot already...

[PrincessPerky]

I am afflicted with an annoying desease leaving me incapable of seeing what I actually look like, no cream, die, concoction can turn my self image into beauty, so I skip it.

seriously, it is cheaper to not worry about it than to go get a shrink to make me see reality

(and I am positive reality is better than my self immage, how can jeans fall off if I am that fat still? unless my husband is secretly stretching them while I sleep...wait, he is sleeping, I am online getting a much needed SA fix!)

[Ima saver]

I have hardly ever spent any money on beauty. Never had my nails or hair done. The only cream I have ever used is pond's cold cream and I have use it every day since I was 15 years old. My mother looked young for her age and that was all she ever used. Lots of people think I look young for my age.
The lady at the social security office made me show her my ID, cause she did not believe my age.

[MonkeyMama]

Beauty is overrated. I am proud not to spend any money on that crap. The only thing more ridiculous than makeup and all that is plastic surgery. Why can't we just enjoy what we have and who we are???

I figure it was a total waste I had boys, I Really wanted a girl to set a good example for and be confident in her body as is. Dh says I will still teach the boys a good example that beauty is not measured by a size 0 and looking like a fake model. We'll see. LOL.

Oh I don't mind people that enjoy their make-up - to each their own. I save tons of money not doin the hair, nail, makeup thing. & I think I look just fine.

[Daylily]

I pay $20 every 8 weeks for a haircut.
I spend about $15 a year on makeup and that is only because I have to replace what has gone bad.

I rarely wear makeup and I never wear nail polish. I do not use any magical skin creams. I don't wear jewelry.
That said, however, an answer to the OP's original subject line: Beauty is worth a LOT.

Tall, attractive, well dressed people are the ones who get hired, get promoted, get the raise. I don't want to start a huge argument about whether this is fair or not. It's just an observation.

[Fizgig]

I have made some changes in the past six months that should bring my future costs down. I traded my $120 with tip hairdresser to a $40 with tip one, and she's just as great if not better. Also, a lot of my skincare money was spent on waxing, and I've become a DIYer. I actually don't spend much on makeup, and the stuff I have lasts a long time. I'll get a mani/pedi two or three times a year in the summer, and I'll keep doing that.

I think Daylily is right - appearance counts for a lot in the professional world. I really belive that a lot of the advancement that I've made in the past two years are partly because I started putting more effort into how I look.

[justbee]

I have been spending a lot lately on fitness/workout videos and equipment. It has added up but the payoff is definitely worth it. When you feel better physically it seems to project, and eventually you even start to look a little better.

I also can't seem to resist skin creams, hair conditioner and any kind of sunscreen.

[PauletteGoddard]

Beauty: cost of Cetaphil, a quality moisturizer and night cream (these can be pricy, but I usually buy mine for under $10 and $15 respectively), and (filtered) water, along with a healthful diet. I scrimp on hair supplies. Makeup: I fess up to buying MAC eye shadows, but I like Revlon lipsticks and rely on Maybelline Great Lash mascara.

[kealina]

i thought about it but i still don't know what i would spend on beauty as i don't have a set routine or set products... still, i'm gonna estimate i spend maybe $50 a year for soaps, lotions, and makeup right now... this is not counting stuff like clothes and accessories (another maybe $40?) and not counting the gym which i count as a health expense... i've only been tracking our spending for since august so i don't think i have an accurate picture yet as i already had plenty of beauty products...

as for resisting the temptation shengmei maybe you should go look thru what you own already... then consider whether what you want to buy is classic or just a trend... is it simply pretty or does it look good on you... i've seen some beautiful shades of eye shadow that just look pretty bad on my skn tone... also stuff like, how often do you use what you have and another question for higher cost items is "Are any of the products things you have been considering seriously for at least a month?"... those things usually help me think over things... hope this does help with the temptation...

[Fizgig]

Maybe I'm being cynical, but I think if someone is guessing at their costs, it's probably much much more than you think. I would have guessed $400-500/year, DEFINITELY not $1000, but there it is. The truth was in my MS Money file...

[shengmei]

Well I have another question: Do you believe that money spent on maintaining your health should be counted in the "beauty" category when you categorize your fiances?

Lately I have seen a lot of those "beauty supplements". Some of the programs claim miracles but cost $130 a month. I know I won't buy them even through I am extremely tempted. However, If someone ends up biting the bullet and splurging on one of those systems......I wonder if that counts as a "health" expense or a "beauty" expense. Same goes for all the weight-loss healthy foods, etc.

[rob62521]

Let me first say I think the idea of beauty if overrated. Personally, I think being clean and neat is the most important thing besides being a nice person overall. That said, I think society stresses the importance of being beautiful or handsome and so many buy into it. I'm not talking about those of you who told about being this cream or this jelly or whatever. I'm talking about those folks who go through plastic surgery to improve themselves and will only buy a certain brand of clothes and make up and so on. Yet, society judges us on our looks. If you are overweight, many think you are dumb and lazy. If you are blonde, you are a ditz. If you have blemishes on your skin, you are ugly. We love to categorize people and looks is an easy one. Just like some think all old people are stupid.

Thinking back on it, some of my very favorite people would not have been considered "beautiful" by most of society. But their beauty shone from within.