The beauty industry is valued at £9.3 billion, but how much time, effort and money does the average woman spend on her body admin? On a mission to destroy the illusion that us ladies spend our precious free time fussing over facials and following fads, we’re asking a cross-section of people how much time they really dedicate to their beauty routine. Do they follow a nine-step Korean programme or are they actually applying their make-up on the bus to work? Let the veil of mystery be lifted once and for all.
This week we're joined by Karen Powell who admits she has spent serious money on her skincare routine over the years. It started when she was young with anti-ageing products but when she hit 30 her financial circumstances changed and the regular facials and luxury products came to an immediate halt. 'It made me resourceful,' she says, 'I only buy what I need and I buy items whilst on offer. I am a frugal beauty buyer and I make my products go a long way. If A Product Is Over £10, I'm Not Interested' Her biggest expense is microblading (£145 a pop), but as you'll see from her body admin diaries the majority of her expenditures tap out at a tenner.
6.15 am: I don’t have curtains so I wake up fairly early and I put my dog walking gear on.
6.25 am: A quick drink of tap water…my morning ritual, grab my phone and we (me and dog) are out of the door.
7.45 am: Back home, I feed the dog and I have a cup of tea.
8 am: I put my hair up and clean my teeth with supermarket-brand toothpaste (£1) and waterjet my teeth. I dive into the shower and wash with vegetable soap (50p), I use a supermarket sponge (£1) and wash my face with the same mild soap. I wash the front of my fringe using Bedhead shampoo from TK MAXX (£6.99 for 1 litre).
8.10 am: I brush my hair, blast the fringe dry and sprinkle the crown with talc (£1). I don’t use deodorant, I won’t use it unless I have a physical work day planned. I massage Olay face cream (£5 for 50ml on offer) in and sip water. I have a client visit at 11 am so I pop on some MAC Face and Body (£23.40), a lick of L'Oreal Lash Architect mascara (£8.99) and apply Johnsons Body Oil (£1.71) to my arms and legs. I then focus my attention on my brows with Browcote (£5.99)
8.25 am: Quickly make the bed.
8.30 am: Check Instagram, upload a story and check notifications.
9.30 am: I get started on my pre-meeting prep
10 am: A swish of Revlon Colour Stay lippy in nude (£7.99) I’m off to meet new clients.
1.15 pm: I grab lunch and take the most important thing in my beauty routine - high strength Vit C, calcium and cod liver oil.
1.45 pm: I start photographing and uploading my eBay items to my drafts. I will list these later tonight. I re-cream my freshly Microbladed (£145) eyebrows, which I have to do every few hours at the moment as they are new. I carry on typing my meeting notes.
5 pm: The dog gets walk two of the day, just a 25-minute blast to clear our minds!
5.30 pm: Back home, I prep dinner. I purposefully cook with full-fat oil as it's good for my skin.
6.15 pm: My husband gets home and we relax on the sofa as we eat and chat
8 pm: Back to work as I have to update my Instagram and eBay shop.
9 pm: I clean off the day with a facial wipe (£1.59) and use a washcloth with warm water and a little facial soap to gently remove any excess. I then tone with apple cider vinegar (£10). I moisturise with my facial oil (Palmers, £7.87) relax and read.
10.30 pm: Brush my teeth, cream my brows and go to bed, I listen to my sleep recording which ensures I have a restful night’s sleep.
6.15 am: Snooooze.
6.30 am: I’m up early, groan, throw back the duvet and put on my dog walking gear. I drink water, grab my phone and we (me and dog) are out of the door.
6.40 am: I film a quick Instagram story, this involves the dog today, she cracks me up. My skin feels tight I remind myself to oil my skin tonight.
7.50 am: Dog fed. Its exercise day, I do the 30 Day Shred DVD, which only takes half-an-hour.
7.20 am: I make a tea, quickly check my Instagram and Facebook Pages.
8.30am: Clean my teeth with own-brand toothpaste and brush (25p). I floss using my Water Pik (£68.45). Jump in the shower, wash with vegetable soap and a supermarket sponge. I wash my hair using Bedhead shampoo and conditioner from TK MAXX (£6.99 for 1 litre).
8.50 am: I comb my hair and blow dry it. I’m at home today so I don’t use deodorant. I use my Olay face cream and decide to go make-up free today. I swipe on some Johnsons Body Oil on my arms and legs, I leave it to soak in while I cream my brows and get dressed.
9.15 am: I make the bed and have a quick tidy up, I have some short films to complete for National Organising Week in November. I am doing a small series on organising your wardrobe, so I begin to plan these and pull out the clothes I want to use.
10.00am: I check Instagram, I’m running late, quickly upload my stories. I look at other news and begin to plan some posts around this.
11.00 am: I start my meeting notes and send them to the client.
1.15 pm: Quick lunch and take my supplements.
1.45 pm: I have lots of admin to catch-up on and do it while I re-cream my eyebrows (twice).
5.30 pm: The dog gets walk 2, I start cooking.
6.15 pm: Husbands comes home, we eat, we chat till 9pm and I cream my brows AGAIN.
9.30 pm: I clean off the day by washing with a washcloth, warm water and facial soap, I tone with apple cider vinegar. I moisturise with face oil, relax and read.
10.30 pm: I clean my teeth cream my brows and head off to bed.
7.30 am: I drift out of a deep sleep and realise my husband has the day off and he’s gone to walk the dog! I sneak downstairs and make tea.
9.30 am: I decide to wax (£4.39) my legs before I shower. I’m not washing my hair today but decide to give my face a facial scrub, then I moisturise with Olay.
10.30 am: I’m ready, I've oiled my skin but leave my legs, cream my brows and daub on a little bit MAC Face and Body. I also swipe on some L’Oreal Lash Architect mascara in Black and Revlon Colour Stay nude lippy, I’m done. I don’t need so much makeup with my new brows! I’m off early and stop to do some shopping on the way.
4:30 pm: Back home, I look at my nails and make a mental note to do them soon.
6:00 pm: Dogs been for her second walk, I make a quick dinner and we all flop in front of the TV. I cream my brows again (I feel like a broken record)!
6.15 pm: I scroll through Instagram and mentally plan tomorrows work.
9:00 pm: I start my bedtime routine, I brush my teeth and decide to go at them with the Waterpik as I forgot to do it this morning so.
9.08 pm: I’m really tired but, I cream my brows and put raw lanolin cream (£8) on my face and hands, I listen to my sleep recording and I’m gone.
7:00 am: For once I wake up feeling properly rested and boing out of bed. I immediately open all the windows, it feels good, but it feels cold!
7.15 am: I put on my workout gear then go out and walk the dog and swig a bottle of water. My face is a bit sticky from last night's cream so I cleanse and tone before I do my exercise DVD.
8.45 am: I shower, wash and blow dry my hair. As I need to do some filming later for my organising tips video I pop on a bit of slap. My skin is looking plumped up from the Lanolin. I'm out later meeting a mate for a couple of drinks, so this makeup will have to last me all day and tonight too. I like to think of myself as an expert at making my look last. My trick? Updating the lippy and dabbing on highlighter in the corner of my eyes, but that will be it.
9.30 am: I apply Olay moisturiser, MAC Face and Body, and Clinque All About Eyes Concealer (£17.10), which is magic BTW. Then I add Bobbi Brown Crème Blush in Coral (£22), I swipe a Rimmel dark brown eyeshadow from a set I was given as a present on my outer eye and MAC Gold Rush (£22.50) on the corners and a splash under my brows. I finish with Revlon nude Colourstay Lip (£8.99) and Browcote on my brows.
10.15 am: I finally get started after faffing around deciding what to film. I have four outfits and take photos and make four short films. I will release these over the next week on my Instagram. One dress is an evening look, so I add more eye makeup from a Dior Palette that my sister got me for Christmas, I save it for when I’m going out.
1.00 pm: I stop to eat, and I cream those brows again. I spend the rest of the day doing admin and updating my social media.
6 pm: I top up my eyes and lipstick and I'm off.
10.30 pm: I was driving so I only had one drink. Feeling awake I take off my face and cream with my Olay tonight, I watch some TV.
11.15 pm: Bedtime, yes I know how to party.
6.25 am: Big day today as I have a full days booking. The husband is walking the hound so I rush through my routine. Hair tied back I hop in the shower. Oil my body cream my face, I put on some Mitchum deodorant (£2) as it will a lot of heavy work today. Minimal makeup, today just some MAC Face and Body and a lick of mascara. I re-cream my brows, of course.
7.15 am: I drink water and I check my phone and have a sneaky scroll through Facebook and Instagram.
8.15 am: I’m off to a client to start on day one of a decluttering and re-organising of a big living area, it is a lot to get through. This can be very emotional for clients and I am there to get results and to support them through this process.
9.20 am: I arrive and load my gear into the house, I quickly re-cream those brows!
6.00 pm: I'm back home, tired but also pumped as we got through a lot today. My hands and nails look shocking despite wearing gloves, I promise myself a manicure tomorrow.
6.30 pm: I shower and wash my hair. I go double-duty on the conditioner and leave it on for a few minutes longer. I wash with my vegetable soap and exfoliate my arms and legs paying extra attention to my knees and elbows. Once out while my skin is damp I put lanolin onto the freshly scrubbed areas and wear my old PJs. I dry my hair and run the straighteners through the back so it doesn't look frazzled tomorrow. I cleanse with a facial wipe and tone with apple cider vinegar before I cream my brows again, I’m so over this!
7.00 pm: I throw together a quick dinner, I cover my hands in lanolin and put on cotton gloves. I pour a glass of wine and relax while watching TV.
9.00 pm: Long day, I want to have an early night.
9.15 pm: I clean my teeth and cream my eyebrows, again! I flake out listening to my sleep recording.
7.00 am: It’s Saturday but I still wake up early, drink my water and walk the dog.
7.40 am: I’m deffo going to give myself that manicure. My hands and nails look loads better after the overnight Lanolin soak.
7.55 am: A quick shower and oil my skin with Palmers body oil, I let it soak in. I put Flexitol (£4.99) on my feet as I have some hard skin on the heels.
8.30 am: I start by filing and pushing back the already soft cuticle, I trim up the rough edges and pop on a base coat from a French Manicure set I got for my birthday by Rimmel. I add the top coat and it’s done. It’s nice to have nice hands again! My hair looks fine so I just run a brush through it.
9.10 am: I don't need to work until the afternoon so I get dressed and take myself out. I don’t bother with make-up. I clean my teeth, cream my brows and face. I love my new brow shape, it saves me so much time getting ready, they’re paying for themselves in time saved!
12.20 pm: I pop on some MAC Face and Body, Mascara and pop out the see a new client.
2.00 pm: I have an afternoon at home, so I catch up on admin and plan my new posts.
3.30 pm: I have a client support call booked in at 4 pmm so I take off my makeup before with a wipe and tone my skin with Apple Cider Vinegar.
5.30pm: I walk the dog and start planning the evening which is free, I intend an early night, but end up watching trash TV. I take my vit C with dinner.
11.30 pm: I cream my brows… will it ever end! Clean my teeth and I moisturise with Olay.
6.30 am: I decide to exercise this morning, I drink my water and I take my dog for a walk.
8.00 am: Exercise done, I wash my face and brush my teeth, my hair is a mess, I’ve just washed the fringe. I brush it and pop it into a ponytail. I moisturise and oil my skin and cream those bad boy brows. MAC Face and Body one and my regular L’Oreal Lash Architect, oh… and that brow cream again! I’m good to go.
9.00 am: I’m ready early so I spend some time working and tidying up at home.
1.30 pm: I have a short session booked in this afternoon with a regular client
5.00 pm: I am home and start to think about the evening. We decide to have a curry tonight as a treat. I can’t even be bothered to go out so I order a delivery. This means I can bath early and get my PJs on! Which is precisely what I do, after creaming my brows again.