How Much Money Does A Woman Spend On Makeup In A Year

makeup When it comes to beauty, the toll of makeup, and general "appearance maintenance," it can sometimes feel like there's no limit to how much a adult female can spend. There is always some miracle product that promises to give you articulate skin, shiny hair, or full lashes. And fifty-fifty just a walk through a drugstore is fraught with temptation to choice upward a new lipstick or smash polish because, why non, information technology'south not even ten dollars?

And aside from the (plain) gendered and emotional aspects of all of this — in the fact that we feel nosotros are ever a "work in progress," something that can be improved upon constantly through spending money on the right products — there's too a huge financial price that comes with the cost of beauty. Some women spend hundreds of dollars a month on products and treatments to become them closer to the vision of themselves in their head, and consider it a part of their normal routine.

Withal other women spend almost nothing on dazzler products, aside from the very basics to maintain things like make clean hair and moisturized skin. And this leads usa to have all the more distorted vision of what is an "average" corporeality for a woman to spend on beauty. So I decided to speak to eleven women in my life near what they spend on beauty and budget, and where that money really goes. Where do they save? Where do they splurge? Do they feel any regrets most the amount they're spending?

I gathered honest (and sometimes surprising) answers about coin spent on cosmetics below.

"I barely spend annihilation on makeup (I wearable the aforementioned five-ish drug shop products and never actually modify my routine), but I spend a good corporeality on all things hair. I get frequent cuts/colors, waxes, threading, etc. All told, I spend probably at least $100 every calendar month only messing with my hair. Patriarchy!" -Noelle, 25

"The ane surface area where I really spend a ton of money is skincare. I wearable a very basic amount of makeup (I buy the same stuff approx. once every few months, and it costs me most $100 for all of it), but I have a lot of monthly skincare costs. I take acne and rosacea as well every bit actually sensitive, pale peel, so between my sunscreen, my expensive moisturizer, my peel creams, my cleansing products, and my dermo visits, skin stuff alone averages out to most $100 a calendar month. It'south very frustrating, also, because I don't reallydesireto be spending this money, and it doesn't make me look or experience 'prettier,' per se, only 'more normal.' I sometimes feel resentful that I have to spend all of this money just to get to a level that overnice-skinned women have every day." -Anna, 26

"I don't really spend also much on beauty, tbh — I don't go my pilus done, I exercise my nails at habitation, I don't really buy new makeup, and my creams last me a long fourth dimension. The but thing I actually do for myself is get waxes, which I go in one case a month at $50/each. I go my hair cut twice per year (I like to keep it really long), which is well-nigh $75 each time." -Cristina, 27

"I definitely admit that I'g a dazzler addict, especially when it comes to all things colorful. For instance, I have one foundation and 1 confront moisturizer that lasts me an unabridged flavor, and I don't mess around with primers or highlight or whatever. But lipsticks, nail polish, eyeshadow, eyeliner, everything where I can take a range of colors, I'g addicted. I dear collecting all different shades of things (fifty-fifty when I know they're going to be unflattering), and I at present have a makeup shelf at abode with literally probably 200 shades of things. Betwixt that and my regular beauty stuff (bath stuff, hair stuff, peel intendance stuff), I end upwards spending about $150/calendar month. Which feels like a lot." -Natalie, 23

"I actually spend more on beauty stuff quarterly than monthly, considering I order things online and use the aforementioned things repeatedly, which usually get replaced every three months. I become a example of my shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel for almost $60. I get a large thing of my moisturizer (one trunk, one face) for $70. I purchase mascara, eyeliner, foundation, bronzer, lip stain, and a neutral eyeshadow (I article of clothing literally the same face of makeup basically every 24-hour interval), and that is almost $130 every ii-3 months. Then I get a haircut 3-4 times a year for $100 each. I pluck my own eyebrows and bikini waxing. Ownership everything in bulk forces me to be thriftier, because I feel the hit. When I used to merely choice upward things as I went, and make a run to Sephora here and there, I spent fashion more (fifty-fifty though it felt like I was spending less)." -Maddie, 27

"I'd say my monthly spend on makeup is pretty depression compared to well-nigh (or what I imagine about women have to spend).

I've never been the type to have a full-blown dazzler regimen. I've always (thankfully) had pretty articulate skin and freckles and then I never had to delve into the world of foundation/concealer/powders/fancy face brushes. I more often than not purchase my eyeshadows from e.fifty.f. (which is ah-mazing, super inexpensive, and works corking) and my eye liner from the drug shop. I do splurge on Dior Blackshow mascara at Sephora, simply I effigy if it'due south something I'm going to wearable literally every mean solar day, it's worth the $25.

Where I really spend my money is on all the other non-makeup categories.

Because I have super curly/wavy/thick hair, I always go to the same woman at the same salon in Soho. I won't trust anyone else. Unfortunately her pricing has gone up over the years, so I take to shell out nigh $120 ($100 + revenue enhancement & tip) every fourth dimension I become (one time every 3-iv months). I also buy my shampoo and conditioner there, which racks up some other $40 bucks. But it'south full-bodied, works groovy, and lasts a long time, so I feel ok nearly it.

I besides now have a beau who prefers (though to his credit, does not need) me to continue things ahem Brazilian below the chugalug. Never having bothered get waxed until now, I was shocked that it price so much. Nonetheless, once a month I pay a overnice Ukrainian adult female $50 ($40 + tax & tip) to rip out all of my hair.

Then at that place is the beauty 'stuff.' I'thousand talking the perfect face up scrub I buy at Lush ($14), and the bath bombs I always option up while I'g there ($half dozen each), and the Kiehl's body smooth ($xi), the expensive Venus razors ($18), and the Essie boom polish ($eight). I get the makeup removing wipes from Olay ($5), and Goodie hair clips ($half-dozen), and the Chloe perfume rollerballs ($25). For me, these are the things that I just grab and don't really think likewise much about. And some of these things (like buying my own polish and doing my nails myself) end up saving me a lot — just then once more, I'm certain I could observe cheaper alternatives if I tried difficult enough (or considered whether I actually needed to exfoliate my legs every mean solar day)." -Liz, 25

"I spend as close to zippo on beauty equally possible, honestly. I purchase basic shower stuff and lotion, I cut my own hair, and my makeup bag consists of a few items from CVS that I put on when I'm feeling especially energetic. It's not a feminist statement or any, I actually like the feeling of getting super made-up occasionally, I'm just super lazy. And I detect that when I article of clothing a ton of makeup on a regular basis, my skin gets worse, which creates a cruel cycle (because I have to cover it with more makeup). Including shower stuff, I probably put $25/month towards my appearance. But I go far up with all the money I spend at bars and restaurants, haha." -Amy, thirty

"My summer and winter beauty spending are very unlike. In the winter, I purchase a lot more makeup and skin products (always from Sephora or NARS), and it ends up beingness about $100 per month. In summer, I really simply wear a few things: tinted vaseline on my lips and eyelids, skilful moisturizer, a bit of waterproof mascara if I'm going out, and perhaps a affect of bronzer and eyeliner for a 'done upwardly' look. In the summer, I probably spend a total of $20 a calendar month, besides basic cleaning stuff. (I also get my hair chopped off at the beginning of summer and let it grow out as the summertime goes along), so I actually spend next to null during this time." -Joanna, 29

"And so I spend $ten on Ipsy. I've been super happy with information technology. I don't employ a lot of makeup, so when I was filling out their survey I really narrowed down what I was interested in getting. Mostly skincare products, lots of lip stuff, an eyeshadow here and in that location. The only makeup I wear everyday is mascara, concealer, pulverisation, and a lip thing, so the other products final for a while. I go a manicure/pedicure once every two months (might as well not do information technology at all, only) and so let's say that's 20 bucks per calendar month. I spend something like $140 on my haircut/colour, only I only go it done once every three or four months, then that'south $40 on average. I shave at abode and take the same pack of razors from a year ago, when I moved into this flat. Don't retrieve they're worth the math. Aforementioned re: my moisturizer, I utilize a big ass jug of Swimming'south that lasts at least 4 months." -Stephanie, 28

"I spend an embarrassing amount of coin on dazzler. I become facials, balayage, manicures, and basically every other 'bougie' beauty treatment, on top of the stuff I buy for myself. I probably spend about $300 a month on my appearance, but to me it e'er feels worth it. I but similar looking and feeling pretty, lol. I honestly think it makes me improve at my chore and at life, considering I feel so confident." -Alison, thirty

"So I used to spend way, mode less money on dazzler than I do now. Just since I got a job in a very high-force per unit area professional person setting, I find myself spending a lot of money on beauty treatments to a) look a certain mode and b) save myself a lot of valuable time. For instance, I get twice-monthly gel manicures ($50 full) and weekly blowouts ($120 total) that I maintain for most of the piece of work week, mostly and then I can wait "put together" without trying.

I don't necessarily regret this coin, especially considering my actual makeup routine is a few things from NARS that I buy in one case every few months ($175 every 3-4 months), but I do resent that the men in my office never have to consider this stuff. We all have to look a certain manner in front of the client, but only women are forced to get through a ton of unnecessary spending to get to that point. I think all the fourth dimension of things I'd rather do with that money, only ultimately information technology's more important to me to accept that time to focus on things other than waking up super early to become my nails and hair perfect." -Katie, 33