I find being a woman is high maintenance; hair removal, hair tint, just basic things and then the rest of it; pedicures can last 6 weeks and I hate doing it so I don't mind spending the money.

The older I get, the more I have done; it does pay off, specially the skin care.
I don't go tanning though.
So bi monthly I get a manicure, and facials 4 times a year at least, hair monthly, and so on and so forth. I'm lucky I can spend the money at this point in my life and it's worth every penny in the way I feel.
You forgot to add massages to your list, btw.

You can do a lot on your own, I agree, and save money.
For me, the spas and salons are something that relaxes me.

I was recently at a client's house when their babysitter was there.She is very young,but told us she splurges once a week and spends the entire day having a manicure,pedicure and a massage.I have to believe she is still living at home.I have never had a manicure or pedicure (doesn't make sense to waste the money.My hands are exposed to chemicals all day,and I keep my nails short so I can play recreational music).It seems like a huge financial commitment for a young girl to take on.I wonder if it is all all about packaging oneself for a rich man.

I agree with mitch - being a woman is "high-maintenance" in its own right! Just the basics kinda makes me feel exhausted occasionally, and I really don't even do that much! I'm not a spa kinda gal; in fact, someone gave me a $100 spa certificate for Christmas last year, and I still haven't used it. I'll admit it - I feel somewhat intimidated by the very idea of going to a spa.

I have long hair that I have trimmed twice yearly, and while I used to see a hairdresser two or three times a year for highlights, I've been touching it up myself lately and find that the results are just as satisfactory - plus it's a whole lot cheaper! I keep my fingernails very short, and I do give myself pedicures on a regular basis.

I don't tan (don't like self-tanners, either - viva la paleskin! ;-)) but do apply sunscreen daily, and wear Bare Minerals foundation, blusher, a bit of eyeliner, curl the lashes and apply mascara. Oh yeah, can't forget the lipstick. The morning routine includes a shower, hair wash (I usually let it air dry), lotion, and then the makeup. I go through spurts of really enjoying the whole beauty routine, to not caring that much about it at all. When I was younger, I didn't even want to be seen without my makeup; now I really don't care that much.

I quit coloring my hair over a year ago but 'touch up' a too obivious gray streak that developed when I was 18. I have a nice hair color, I don't know why I started coloring it in the first place (Someone probably dared me to do it)
(Spell pedicure correctly 3 times: pedicure, Pedicure, PEDICURE!)
I enjoy the maintenance when I have the time, maybe I'll have more time to pamper myself when all the boys are away at college next fall.
I am upping my sunscreen protection and slowing replacing my makeup with products that include it.
I can't think of anything I do every month on schedule anymore. When I colored my hair, I would call it "Mom,s Spa Night'
While my hair was morphing, I would give myself a facial mask, use the epilady places where I needed to, and soak my nails for a manicure (no polish)
Sometime I think just staying clean and trying not to sweat is a major beauty accomplishment for me.
When I went through my "big hair' stage back in the 80's, keeping up a perm with bangs was tough.
If anything, I'll apply just mascara and moisturiser for a day around the house.
Cupajoe, I wonder if I had that kind of money in highschool, if I wouldn't have done the same thing. I was a narcissus little thing back then...had to keep the package looking good...

momcat, I love the way you write. but please note: narcissistic, Narcissistic, NARCISSISTIC. (just kidding around, I knew very well what you meant by narcissus)

As I write, my manicure and pedicure are due for redoing; I'm going to remove the polish and let the nails air out for a week then book an appointment.

Certain weeks, the high maintenance thing gets on my nerves; I get lazy and don't want to sit at that table and have the technician do her thing. I feel I have to chat, we're sitting right across from each other, lol....

At least for a facial, you lie down and close your eyes and can't talk. Bonus.

Waaaaaaa! I even looked the word up in the dictionary (which I have to take wherever I go), since I am a gardener, I must of spelled the flower instead of the personality.
Most of the nail techs around here are from Vietnam. There is maybe one person in the salon who can speak decent english, so holding a conversation won't happen.
Conversation: 'You pick color'
'You pay now'
All those ladies are so cute and petite with such nice skin.
On the subject of facials, I just got a deep demibraison and the doc said to help with the stinging, use 1 pint water with 1 teaspoon of vinager on a wash cloth about 4 times a day. I feel like I have a sunburn.

I am moderate maintenance. I HAVE to have a pedicure, and I don't have the patience to do a good job of it myself. I have my color professionally done, she can see what she's doing, I can't! I don't bother with my fingernails, no point - it won't last but an hour. I have an occasional massage, maybe a few times a year. No peels, botox, restilin, tanning, waxing, or the like. I do my own brows, but I have plucked so long they don't really grow in any longer, just a stray here and there. I blow dry and use a few velcro rollers for volume. I wear makeup daily so that I do not frighten the neighbors. I am a daily Retin A user, not for wrinkle prevention, though I imagine it helps. I still have ance at age 50. Acne and age spots. Geesh. There is no dignity in aging, is there?

Well, my husband thinks I am. I used to be moderate maintenance, I think. Few years ago when I was working full time, I had to have a highlight every 4 months, haircut every 2-3 months, facial every 2 months, and one time had a series of microdermabrasion. I do my own nails, though, no nail polish. Had massage once in a while. That was then. Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I stopped cold turkey. But I had to go back for my facials every month for the past 2 months because of acne. It's helping, but what I think and almost sure that helped is when I discontinue the moisturizer that I've been using for over 2 years...my acne just cleared up.

Auntjen, I'm with you. I was kinda intimidated of the word "spa." My husband gave me a certificate to a spa, no expiration date. It took me a year and a half to go. But that's because I won a $100 spa certificate from Taster's Choice, and it was free so I gotta use it:) After that, I used the cert. my husband gave me. I wish I could go whenever I want to...sigh...

"I must of spelled the flower..."

I must have spelled the flower...

Many people make this error when writing. I believe it is a result of the way the contraction must've is pronounced. But, the contraction is from the words must and have. This common error isn't only seen following the word "must" -- it happens whenever the contraction contains 've:

would've
could've
should've

I must've spelled the flower...
I must have spelled the flower...

Funny story that I'm sure I have told before.
While I was at Purdue, the prof said 'You guys don't have to worry about spelling, your all going to have secretaries anyway'... and I was dumb enough to believe him (that's my story anyway LOL)

...You're all going to have secretaries..., not...your all going to have secretaries. Back to Perdue!

As our teachers used to say, THINK, people, THINK!