Do you feel like you spend too much time and money on manicures, pedicures, eyebrow waxing, eyelash extensions and Botox?
Women have been discussing their frustration with the expensive beauty treatments they feel expected to get after US-based TikTok content creator Devonneleigh went viral for discussing the high cost of maintaining expensive routines.
Devonneleigh stitched a Dear Media podcast where the host talked about why women need a manicure and pedicure every two weeks and explained why she thinks it’s overkill.
Commenters quickly weighed in, agreeing that it’s bizarre that women are expected to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars each month on pricey beauty treatments.
US-based TikTok content creator Devonneleigh went viral discussing the high cost of maintaining expensive routines
Devonneleigh stitched a Dear Media podcast where the host talked about why women need a manicure and pedicure every two weeks and explained why she thinks it’s overkill
‘I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of beauty as maintenance and it reminds me of when I worked at a previous job,’ the TikTok creator said, explaining that her colleagues ‘pretty much all had their nails painted on a regular basis .’
The women at her office all got their brows done and most of them had eyelash extensions. She started to feel like she wasn’t ‘doing enough maintenance.’
She spoke to her partner and explained she wanted lash extensions because the women in her office had them, not because she wanted to ‘fix’ her lashes but because she felt like everyone around her was doing ‘a baseline level of appearance upkeep’ that she wasn’t taking part in.
‘It felt like it wasn’t enough’ that she had on a professional outfit and makeup when everyone around her was ‘doing so much more.’
One of her co-workers even told her that she didn’t like it when people had bare nails and that looking at her clean, unpainted nails ‘creeped her out.’
‘I’m all for people getting whatever beauty treatments they want to get done,’ she explained and said she wears makeup and occasionally gets manicures.
‘But it just feels like we’re moving the goalpost so rapidly on what is considered a baseline level of appearance maintenance, especially when I think about things that are used to be only for celebrities and rich people, like Botox.’
‘It makes me kind of sad and I can’t help thinking about how tied to capitalism that is, because there’s just so much money to be made and convince women they need to be doing these beauty treatments on a two- to six-week basis just to keep up themselves,’ the creator said and many TikTok users completely agreed.
Getting regular expensive manicures proved controversial, as commenters discussed how it can cost $100 for one appointment
The most popular comment read: ‘Let’s keep one thing straight: it’s WOMEN convincing (shaming) other WOMEN into doing this. Stop blaming capitalism and men (ugh) for everything,’ which proved controversial, as plenty of women said they didn’t blame men for the problem.
One critical commenter questioned, ‘How do people afford nails every 2-3 weeks?’ and someone replied, ‘Literally! Just a simple nail polish is 35 where I live, 50 of gel,’ and another answered, ‘Where I live it’s $70 simple gel plus tip.’
Some commenters said they had stopped tipping entirely as prices were on the rise.
Many people said they were ‘tired of spending so much money for nails when the experience isn’t treated as luxury in most nail shops,’ with one person explaining the manicurists ‘act like you’re an inconvenience.’
However, not everyone is keeping up with pricey manicures and pedicures.
One beauty lover commented, ‘I pay $100 once a month to get a full service pedicure with gel. Simply because I like it. It makes me feel good. And it lasts all month.’
Others were simply appalled that the TikTok creator’s co-workers had the gall to comment on her lack of a manicure, with one writing, ‘If your natural nails creep her out, she can pay you to get them done!’
Commenters complained that they were expected now to get Botox, regular gel manicures and lash extensions, which were previously services exclusively enjoyed by wealthy people (stock image)
Some women said they loved keeping up appearances, while others complained about the expenses adding up over time
Women agreed that it seems like more beauty products and procedures are required regularly, as someone called it ‘crazy how Botox has become part of the regular beauty maintenance,’ asking ‘What is happening?’
‘They’ve raised the bar so high I can comfortably just walk underneath it,’ a commenter joked.
‘Self care is knowing when to draw the line. No reason you should do something that doesn’t bring you joy,’ another person lectured.
Some ignored the beauty baseline entirely, with one person weighing in, ‘It’s exhausting and so freeing when you decide you’re not conforming.’
Most people were simply appalled by how expensive it is to keep up appearances, explaining, ‘When you do the math on how much the average woman spends on beauty upkeep over a 40 year career it’s SHOCKING.’
They’re not the only people shocked by high prices.
British actress Betsy-Blue English, 24, went viral on TikTok when she shocked her followers by explaining she flew from Los Angeles to London because beauty procedures are less expensive abroad.