Beauty at what cost? How about 3 days & $3,200/year!

The time and money you spend on looking good may not pay off

Ah, we women can be suckers for products. Eyeliner like the Duchess of Cambridge. Plumping lip gloss for a pout like Angelina Jolie. J’Lo’s perfume to give you...the scent of great legs? Creams to whiten your skin, tan your skin, skim inches off your thighs and add them to your bust. You know you spend too much on cosmetics, but have you ever stopped and added up how much you’re really spending on your everyday ‘natural’ good looks?

The money you spend

Lay your mascara-fringed eyes on these statistics, gathered in a study of 2,200 British women sponsored by Bionsen, a natural deodorant company (all figures converted from British pounds to Canadian dollars).

• The average woman spends about $160,000 on cosmetics between the ages of 16 and 65 – that works out to $3,200 a year or $260 a month (don’t forget manicures, waxes and hair treatments!).

• The average woman’s cosmetics collection includes 54 items and is worth about $825.

• Most women divide their cosmetics into two categories: an average of 16 cosmetic items travel in her handbag; plus another 38 “must-haves” are in her kit at home.

• 37 percent of women said they are incapable of shopping without buying at least one new item of make-up.

• 57 percent of women said they’d rather not go out with their boyfriend than go out without their make-up on.

The time you spend

Suppose you spend just 20 minutes getting ready for work each morning, doing your hair and make-up. That adds up to 80 hours a year – more than three full days a year – and that’s just to go to work, never mind the countless hours getting ready to go out with friends or your honey.

Damned if we do, or don’t

Many studies have drawn a correlation between physical attractiveness and higher earning capacity. Recently, an employee at Harrods department store in London was fired for not wearing make-up, while an employee at a Texas real-estate firm was fired for refusing to wear “younger, fancier suits”, more jewellery and to die her grey hair.

There’s no question that a professional, stylish and well-groomed appearance is valued by employers. Yet a recent study cited in the Harvard Business Review revealed that when a woman doubles her daily grooming time from 45 minutes to 90 minutes (enough time for a great blow-dry!), her earnings actually drop by an average of 3.4 percent.

The researchers, from Elon University in North Carolina, suggest that employers and managers may have a bias against women who appear “overly groomed” in the workplace.

In other words, women who look like they are trying too hard are not taken as seriously. While women who look like they didn’t put in enough effort are also penalized. Clearly, it’s a case of finding that fine balance of looking good and professional, without looking like we’ve spent a lot of time and money in doing so. (Yep, just another miracle to pull off in the day in the life of a woman.)

Tips to save your money, time and maybe job

Regardless of whether your boss has any idea of how much time you spend in the mirror, you may be thinking that 80 hours and $3,200 a year is just too much. Here are a few tips to help you cut down on your prep-time, your budget, or both.

• Two-in-one: Tinted moisturizer means no need for foundation; brush-on bronzer eliminates the need for powder and blush; and with the right brushes, a pot of brown eyeshadow can work as a contour shadow, eyeliner and brow filler. Choose one go-to lip gloss per season and forget the rest. Avoiding the big dig through your kit to find the right colour will save you precious morning minutes.

• Skip extra steps: Cleaning, exfoliating and moisturizing are essential to keep your skin healthy. However, you can safely skip the toners, boosters and face primers. While some women might swear by these products, the effect on your skin to the untrained eye is likely negligible at best.

• House brands: Big companies in the cosmetics distribution world such as Sephora, Boots and Pharmasave spend big bucks to replicate the favourite brands of their shoppers. There is often very little difference between that bottle of name-brand body moisturizer and the ‘house brand’ that has remarkably similar packaging (hint, hint!) and sells for $5 cheaper. For items such as body wash and nail polish remover, there is little point in paying name brand premiums.

• Recycle and receive: The “Back to MAC” program gives you a free lipstick when you return six empty cosmetic containers either to a MAC store or through their website. Kiehl’s regularly offers gifts or bonuses for returning empties of their containers, while Origins will happily accept your empties of any product or brand, giving you a freebie product sample in return.

• The GWP: The ubiquitous ‘Gift With Purchase’ program that many major brands offer means you always get a little more for your money, especially in handy purse-size versions. Sign up for the email list of your favourite brands so you can be alerted to their GWP promotions, as well as sample giveaways of new products.

• Duty-free: Instead of wasting hours shopping for cosmetics during your limited free-time, wait until you’re onboard an airplane and stock-up on a discounted assortment of premium brand face creams, make-up and perfume.

• Be manly: Ask your hubby to pick up an extra set of razors and shave cream when he goes out to stock up. Men’s products are often better quality and lower-priced than the pink and scented versions the same companies market to women. Rumour has it that big-name cosmetics companies often use the same skin care products in their women’s and men’s lines – but the price can be less than half for the men’s version.

The Greeks and Romans agree

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, wrote that “Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of introduction” and Roman philosopher Plautus wrote that “A woman without paint is like food without salt.” So if there is a lesson in all of this, perhaps it’s that a little powder and a little gloss can be a good thing, but if you use too much – it could cost you…in more ways than one!

 

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