High Maintenance 101
Prissy Girl Beauty Regimens ๐
my prissy girl guide to beauty services and building a beauty lifestyle that fits you ๐
Skincare:
Essential Skincare Routine โค๏ธ๏ธ
twice daily, in the morning and at night
daytime: gentle cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, SPF
prep and protect skin
nighttime: double cleansing with oil and cleanser, exfoliation, treatments, moisturizer
wash away the day and help skin accept treatments and actives during your beauty sleep
products will change depending on skin type and goals, but sequence will more or less stay the same
Face Masks + Treatments โค๏ธ๏ธ
Face Masks -
typically done at home 1-3x/week
clay, gel, mud, cream, liquid
my fav masks at home:
aha + bha liquid mask by the ordinary: a literal overhaul of my pores. itโs refining and helps reduce texture and hyperpigmentation. 1-2 x/week
korean modeling mask: i use this after doing everything in my routine. itโs super cooling and smooths my skin out. the low temp of the mask reduces flushing of my skin and helps the steps in my routine absorb better. 2-3 x/week
Treatments -
done either 1-3x/week and/or exclusively at night
consumer grade Retinols, AHAs, BHAs at high strength
little extra things i like to use to enhance my routine:
gua sha, ice pack, rose quartz roller, however often i choose
Facials โค๏ธ๏ธ
done every 1-2 months by licensed estheticians
often includes exfoliation and extraction
Classic Facial: cleanse, extract, massage, moisturize
HydraFacials: extracts pores while infusing serums to boost skinโs vitamin and nutrient content
dry, dehydrated skin
Microdermabrasion: microabrasive tool removes outermost, textured, damaged layer of skin using suction to reveal a smooth and refined new layer of skin
sun damaged, aged, textured skin or skin with hyperpigmentation
Chemical Peel: application of medical grade AHA, BHA, Lactic Acid, Fruit Enzymes, or Retinol to peel away top layers of skin over the course of 1-2 weeks
pore refining, brightening, and anti-aging
after care is crucial. skin will be peeling and sensitivity to sun is increased. SPF MUST be used. itโs heavily advised that clients stay home for the first few days.
HydroJelly Facial: facial made of electrolytes, algae, organic white grain oat flour, rice flour, and white willow bark powder. leaving your skin hydrated, plump, and nourished. forms a vacuum-like seal that compresses facial contours.
there are 25 different hydrojelly pro masks for most skin concerns you may have, check here
More Facials โค๏ธ๏ธ
(not at all necessary and more luxurious):
- Contouring Facial: sculpting, tightening, and lifting of facial muscles
- LED Facial: uses LED light to soothe inflammation, aiding in acne healing and prevention
- Vampire Facial: plumps skin and improves wrinkles by extracting blood, removing its platelets, then either re-injecting it into the skin or applying it topically
- Diamond File Facial: finely ground diamonds resurface skin by filing to improve dark spots
- Glass Skin Botox: multiple tiny botox injections just below the surface of the skin. alleviate fine lines, redness, texture, and more achieving glass skin
- AquaGold Facial: microinjections that combine vampire facial methods, hyaluronic acid, botox, stem cells, antioxidants, vitamins, peptides, etc. improves fine lines, wrinkles, pores, pigmentation, acne scarring, dryness, tone, texture, skin elasticity, and more
cite
Hair:
Hair Care โค๏ธ๏ธ
Wash Routines:
curly textured: wash and condition every 2-3 weeks, deep condition every 1-2 weeks
straight: wash and condition every 2-3 days, deep condition every 2-3 weeks
Styling ๏ธโค๏ธ๏ธ
Hair should have a style everyday! At home hairstyling is limitless and really depends on your taste and lifestyle. The everyday woman does her own her once every 1-4 weeks using natural hair products, heat, or other tools.
Professional Stylists:
hair is styled every 1-3 months: uses heat to straighten or curl, extensions to lengthen and add volume, shears to maintain/attain a shape and length
trim ends: every 6-8 weeks
hair color is touched up roughly every 6-8 weeks (depending on how fast your hair is growing and how fast your color will fade)
Silk Press:
after a clarifying wash and deep conditioning, natural hair is straightened using flat iron and/or pressing comb, then usually curled in feathers or pin curls to preserve the style
lasts 3-4 weeks depending on maintenance
preserved by wrapping hair at night, keep hands out of hair, and using a wide toothed comb only
can be further styled with different kind of rollers, or with pin curls,
Braids:
afrocentric hairstyles typically done to protect hair while maintaining beauty
lasts 3-8 weeks
styles include knotless braids, faux locs, stitch braids, french braids, etc
Extensions:
hair added to natural to enhance length or volume
can be done at home with patience and proper materials
sew-in extensions: (my personal fav) 1-2 months
your natural hair gets braided down flush to your scalp and the bundles are sewn on by the wefts in a flat pattern typically with a section of hair left out to cover the wefts $100-600
microlinks: up to 4 months
i-tip extension is added to hair using micropliers, clippers and loop tool. takes far longer than most extension methods but looks the absolute most natural $500-1000
tape-in extensions: up to a year, touch ups every 4-6 weeks
medical grade tape is used to attach extensions to small sections of hair $200-400
clip-in extensions: 3-6 months
extensions are clipped on by the wefts. the hair itself can last up to six months, but itโs not recommended to sleep, shower, or swim with the extensions in $50-100
Natural Styles:
all last roughly 1-2 weeks at most. allowing hair to completely DRY is crucial for these styles. your natural hair can be further changed in styles like buns, puffs, etc once dry
natural hair essentials: scalp oil, leave in conditioner, detangling brush, wide tooth comb, curling cream, styling gel, edge control and edge brush
wash nโ go
wash and detangle, then use leave in conditioner to keep hair moist. oil on the scalp and ends is recommended for growth and healthy ends
bantu knots
a traditionally african style where the hair is cleanly sectioned (usually parted in a cute pattern) and twisted into knots. style can be worn just like this or taken down for curls
braid/twist out
a specific pattern of curls is achieved after hair is twisted or braided with curl preserving products. end result depends on how big your twists or braids are
roller set
hair is sprayed with water and curl cream applied before roller of your choice is added. hair is left to dry usually overnight for springy well formed curls
Brows and Lashes:
Brow Shaping โค๏ธ๏ธ
in salon or at home
Waxing - every 3 weeks
Threading- every 2-3 weeks
Razor Shaping - weekly
Brow Enhancement โค๏ธ๏ธ
Tinting - monthly
can be done at home or by pro in the salon
Microblading - every 1-3 years + annual touch ups, exclusively professional work
cosmetic tattooing using a manual tool with nearly invisible hair-like needles to inject pigment in brows to create your desired brow look
Lash Enhancements โค๏ธ๏ธ
*done exclusively by professionals
Lifts - every 6 weeks
basically a perm for your lashes to curl them semi-permanently for lashes to appear longer
Lash Extensions - new set every 6-8 weeks, fill ins every 2-3 weeks depending on quality and style
false individual strands of lashes glued to natural lashes to create semi-permanent length and/or volume
lash baths: wet lashes and apply a small amount of gentle cleanser or a โlash bathโ to lashes. cleanse lashes and eyelids for about 10 seconds. hold a towel under your eye and use a nozzle bottle to flush soap and bacteria from lashes then dry with a disposable lint free towel. finish by brushing your lashes with a spoolie. daily.
Lash Styles:
- Classic: one lash on each fan, thin lashes
- Volume: fluffier lashes with more lashes on each fan
- Hybrid: uses classic and volume lashes to make an alternated look
- Russian: volume lashes made with very thin individuals, 5-6 extensions per natural lash, fanned out look
DIY Lash Extensions - lasts about a week (sometimes longer)
lash fragments or individual wisps are glued either under the lashes or on the lash line. KISS Falscara is a product that makes this concept simple and easy
Nails:
all these services can be done at home with the proper materials and KNOWLEDGE
Classic Manicure โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 1-2 weeks
nail service that consists of soaking hands in warm soapy water then drying them. nails are trimmed, filed, and buffed. cuticles are pushed back before applying nail polish (base coat, color, top coat), then finally cuticle oil is applied.
nails can be enhanced with rhinestones, glitter, or charms and attached with uv gel or nail glue
my fav styles are pink, cream, white, black and any french tip using those colors
Pedicure โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 2-4 weeks
sister to the classic manicure, but can be upgraded depending on materials
steps are similar to manicure, except feet are scrubbed and exfoliated before feet are washed and dried to apply nail color
regular polish, acrylic, or gel can be used on toenails
Gel or Shellac Mani โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 2-3 weeks
same process as the classic manicure, but traditional nail polish is replaced with uv base coat, gel or CND Shellac polish, then uv top coat thatโs cured in a UV or LED lamp
longer lasting and more strong/3d than classic mani and is typically removed by soaking in acetone
Apres Gel-X Nails โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 2-3 weeks
my personal fav at home nails using the artme yoko matsuda nails. after doing a classic mani sans polish, you apply a dehydrator and primer to prep nail for gel. then you apply builder gel to your natural nail and cure. then you apply that same builder to the nail extension after etching it using an electric drill or acetone. marry the gel to your nail and cure then just shape to your liking and top with uv top coat. tutorial here
Acrylic Nails โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 2-3 weeks, nails are fully grown out after 6 weeks
manicure done with liquid monomer and acrylic powder to build and extend natural nail, then polished with color or just a top coat if desired
Russian Mani โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 4-5 weeks
essentially a gel manicure, but more invasive. the eponychium is snipped away so polish can be applied more closely and flush to the cuticle. this aids in visuals and longevity
service is seen as risky because the skin is more susceptible to fungal or bacterial infection. this is actually how i do my nails at home.
Body:
Bathing โค๏ธ๏ธ
2x daily
self explanatory, we all know how to bathe. i have other posts that talk about my shower and bath routines.
use a gentle cleanser then a scented body wash to complement perfume and smell fresh all day
if needed, you can use body soaps with actives like aha, bha or retinol to exfoliate or treat skin at night
exfoliation - 2-3x/week. using scrubs, loofahs, bath brushes, etc.
Hair Removal โค๏ธ๏ธ
shaving - 2-3x/week
waxing - every 3-5 weeks
sugaring - monthly
kenzzi ipl device - a device that uses light therapy to slowly destroy hair follicles and unwanted pigment in skin. i use mine after every 5-6 shaves but i could really use it more often.
Vajacial โค๏ธ๏ธ
1-2x/month
a โfacialโ for your lady area
the esthetician will first wax, then cleanse and apply an enzyme exfoliant. then they extract any blackheads or ingrown hairs from the area before applying a soothing mask usually in the jelly form.
Moisture and Hydration โค๏ธ๏ธ
body cream or lotion - daily right after bathing to hydrate skin
body oil - daily to seal in moisture and protect skin from debris and dryness
masks - weekly to address particular skin concerns
ex. when i was having eczema flare ups on my back, i used a dead sea mud mask every 1-2 weeks to help treat it
done at home or at spa
glycolic, clay, mud, salicylic, etc.
Enhancement Procedures:
the goal is to look younger and balance facial features
all these services are exclusively done by professionals usually in a medspa and are widely considered luxury
Botox โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 6-8 months; between brows, smile lines, outer corners of eyes, etc
discourages muscle movement to reduce wrinkles
Lifts โค๏ธ๏ธ
lasts about 10 years; face, neck, brow, eyelids
skin is lifted to desired look, then excess skin is removed
Fillers ๏ธโค๏ธ๏ธ
every 6-12 months; under-eye, lips, jawline, wrinkle sites, cheekbones
injects acids (usually naturally occurring) like Hyaluronic Acid and Calcium Hydroxylapatite to add volume to your face
Body Contouring โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 2-4 months until desired results are achieved
non invasive liposuction to achieve desired physique
CoolSculpting - cryolipolysis freezes fat cells for the body to the metabolize and and remove them
SculpSure - essentially the same as CoolSculpting, but uses heat and laser technology to destroy fat cells
Laser Hair Removal โค๏ธ๏ธ
every 5-6 weeks; bikini, underarms, legs, arms
touch ups done every 1-2 years
hair growth is inhibited by exposing follicles to light at frequencies that kill them
Building the Regimen ๐๏ธ๐:
when making appointments with your โglam squadโ you can stagger your services by week depending on whatโs being done. for example you can get your mani and pedi done one week. then your facials, brows and lashes another week.
Things to Keep in Mind ๐ญ๐:
these frequencies wonโt be the same for everyone depending on personal wants, budgets, etc. but will most likely land somewhere in the ranges i gave. if you need touch ups or redos any sooner than i mapped out, then the service most likely was of poor quality.
anything done at home may or may not be up to the level of detail and longevity as salon or spa work. if you see yourself doing the majority of your beauty maintenance at home, this can save money but may end up taking more time than professional services. so itโs a give and take.
More Resources:
manage your routines, services and products using a beauty binder
a look at my skincare routine
at home beauty treatments for the summer
my hair care routine at home
pretty on purpose by @shefromhouston
monthly beauty routine by @angeljpg
dream girl routines by me
