Beauty Pays: The Economics of Personal Grooming and Women's Income Levels
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Introduction
What if we told you that your level of attractiveness actually has an impact on how much you earn. This is not anecdotal; it is underpinned by data and you can find the research study, “Gender and the Returns to Attractiveness” published on ScienceDirect.com.
The good news is that, for women, our level of perceived attractiveness is heavily influenced by our personal grooming. This essentially means that we don’t have to be a ten out of ten in the looks department; simply by taking the time to dress well, putting on some makeup and doing your nails can actually influence how much we earn.
We totally appreciate that some women are in periods of their lives where personal grooming is not something they have much time for, particularly when we have young children. We also acknowledge that the type of personal grooming we are referring to can be seen as reinforcing gender stereotypes and pandering to the patriarchal view of how women should behave and present in society.
However, the current reality is that by paying attention to your personal grooming you can earn more money. You might be more likely to secure a new job, get promoted or negotiate a pay rise.
If you think that your personal grooming could be improved, this article is for you. We’re going to give you some practical, easy tips that you can incorporate into your life.
# 1 Good Quality Clothes That Flatter Your Unique Figure
Top tip: buy better quality items infrequently rather than buying cheaper clothes on a regular basis.
You might ask how you can do this if you are on a tight budget and luckily there are not one but two solutions – sales and charity shops. Our team love Hobbs because their clothes are good quality, stylish and elegant. And they always have items at significant discount so its possible to pick up a dress for €50 that was originally €180. This type of shopping requires persistence – you might check their website every week to see what is on offer. Their clothes are very suitable for a professional work environment.
Women's Work Dress Vintage Style
£32.99
- STYLE: Retro Vintage style, work dress, slim fit, highlight your body curves.
- DISIGN: V-neck, 3/4 sleeves, knee length, two side pockets.
- ELASTICITY: Elastic material, not see-through at all.
- OCCASIONS: Suit for formal business occasions or as everyday dresses.
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12/23/2024 07:28 am GMT
We love charity shops, particularly ones based in or near upmarket areas where affluent people live because their cast offs are often very good finds. Again, this requires effort – you need to pop in and out of the store on a regular basis. But the great thing about charity shops is that you can’t go to far wrong because nothing costs very much – worst case scenario, you buy something and it doesn’t work but you’ve given money to support that charity and provide jobs for the staff in the shop.
Top tip: know what style of clothes work for you
Everybody’s body is different and it is really important that you know what suits you in terms of shape and colour. If you have large breasts and an hourglass figure, the shape of dress that looks great on you is going to be very different to what suits a woman with smaller breasts and a slender figure.
# 2 Make Sure You Have Shiny, Healthy Teeth
People notice your teeth and it is so important to keep them looking their best.
Top tip: pay regular visits to the dental hygienist & consider whitening
Your teeth always look their best after a trip to the hygienist and it avoids build up of any staining on your teeth. From time to time, it maybe advisable to whiten your teeth; seek advice from your dentist. We also suggest using an electric tooth bush and giving your visible, front teeth a good polish every day.
The most drastic and expensive options you can consider for your teeth are:
Veneers – we recommend these with caution. Many people these days are having their own healthy teeth filed away and capped with a porcelain veneer but there are lots of downsides to veneers and you need to do your research. However, for people with dental problems or damaged teeth, they can be life changing. If you are getting them done, choose a colour that is not too white and go to a reputable dentist.
Braces – if your teeth are crooked, braces can be an option as it can now be done using clear plastic teeth covers. It is uncomfortable and expensive but can be well worth doing.
#3 Embrace Face Tattoos
Wait, what? Are we really encouraging you to get face tattoos? Yes – but, of course, we are talking about semi-permanent makeup, usually for brows, lips and sometimes eye liner.
Top tip: choose a tattoo artist with a lot of experience and an excellent reputation.
Makeup tattoos can make a big, positive difference to your face. They can make your eyebrows look fuller and more symmetrical, and can save you having to constantly apply lip stick.
We’re not experts on face tattoos but here is what we do know –
- Semi-permanent – make sure you choose this rather than permanent
- Brows – do not go with a heavy colour. A good artist will either do ‘powder’, a light shadow, or draw individual hairs.
- Lips – be very careful to choose a colour that suits you and is close to your natural lip colour. The outer lining should not be in a different colour as you don’t want to look permanently lip lined.
Avoid using Tretinoin on or near face tattoos as it can cause them to fade. For more information on Tretinoin, read our article Can Using Tretinoin Give You Younger Looking Skin?
# 4 Get Your Best Nails On!
Top tip: visit your local Vietnamese nail salon for manicures
Shellac, gel or acrylic nail manicures last for two to three weeks. Yes, they are expensive but, if you go regularly, your nails will always look well presented.
Poly Nail Gel Kit with Nail Lamp
- Poly Nail Gel Kits Full Set for Beginners - Poly extension gel for nails includes 6 colours builder nail gel, 36W U V/LED nail dryer Lamp,10ml base and top coat, 30ml slip solution for poly nails gel , manicure tools and nail art deco.
- Poly Nail Gel - Phoenixy poly nail extension gel is more flexible, easier. Builder nail gel kit is stronger, more flexible, and easy to control than other nail extension gel. This nail set gives your nails a natural appearance, good length and perfect cleanliness.
- 36W USB Nail Lamp - U V lamp for gel nails with 3 timer settings (60s, 90s, 120s) and Auto sensor; 36W USB nail lamp, easy to portable and use, suitable for drying all kinds of gel such as acrylic gel. We suggest use phone adapter to contact with USB nail dryer.
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#5 Use a Perfume Daily…But Sparingly
Top tip: pick a daytime-appropriate scent and apply it lightly every morning
Your scent should be subtle but detectable, and it should be consistent. Pick a good quality one and change it rarely – it should be a scent that people associate with you so don’t change it too often.
What we like to do with our perfume is spray it into the air and wave our arms through it – so we never directly apply it to our body.
An interesting tip that we saw recently on Tik Tok was mixing your perfume with Vaseline and applying the Vaseline to your body. The idea is that the scent will stay all day long because it is mixed with the Vaseline. We haven’t actually tried it but it sounds like it could work!
# 6 Style Your Hair
Top tip: apply a small amount of good quality conditioner to your hair after blow drying but before you straighten
We recommend the Alfaparf Keratin Therapy – it is a very effective conditioner when apply to the ends of your hair before straightening. It creates a very sleek look.
ALFAPARF Nutritive Mask
£22.60
- Very thick and conditioning.
- Deeply hydrates your hair, leaving it super soft and shiny.
- Smells incredible.
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Top tip: use really good hair styling products
We’re listing some of our favourites below!
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3.5
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3.5
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£199.00
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£264.95
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£42.90
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Conclusion
We think that putting your time and attention into personal grooming is well worth it because it can help you to feel more confident, and it is shown to have a positive benefit on your salary.
It is time-consuming but it can be fun. For example, clothes shopping and bargain hunting can be enjoyable and very satisfying when you find something you really like. And it can be lovely to wear an outfit for the first time that looks amazing!
What do you think about the idea of personal grooming being linked to salary? Do you believe it is true? Do you see it as part of the patriarchy that should be challenged?