Women on TikTok are sharing the 'high maintenance routines' that make them appear 'low maintenance'
- TikTok users are revealing the "high maintenance" beauty routines that give them an effortless look.
- The trend highlights the benefits of having a monthly self-care day with results that can last weeks.
Women are sharing their "high maintenance" beauty routines on TikTok to showcase how much money, time, and effort it takes to achieve a "low maintenance" look.
The trend, which has over 6.6 million views under the #MaintenanceRoutine as of Wednesday, shows the things women do — from gel manicures and laser hair removal to spray tans and facials — to embody an effortless, "I woke up like this" sort of beauty.
The goal, women say, is to reveal the behind-the-scenes self-care that goes into a low-maintenance daily routine.
In March, TikTok user Rahma Sheikh shared the beauty routine that makes her "feel like I'm put together whilst putting minimum effort on a day-to-day basis." The routine, which she does once a month, involved a deep extraction facial, eyebrow lamination, a manicure, and a blowout.
In December 2022, TikToker @juju.crossing received more than 992,000 views on her "high maintenance to be low maintenance" routine. The creator's routine involved eyelash extensions, gel manicures, laser hair removal, and laser facials.
As lifestyle influencer Jaz Turner explained in her routine in December 2022, "This is for the girls who are high maintenance, so we can be low maintenance all month long."
The TikTok has more than 1.5 million views as of Wednesday. The one-day routine usually involves beauty procedures that have long-lasting benefits, like Brazilian waxes, which can last about four weeks, according to Healthline.
Though the wellness and beauty regimens last weeks, TikTok users in the comments have pointed out the high price tags on each procedure.
"I need to be rich," one user commented on @juju.crossing's TikTok. Others commented on Turner's post, wondering about how to budget for these monthly routines.
In a follow-up video, Turner explained that the routine "probably isn't as expensive as you think it is."
Turner detailed the cost of each treatment, with the most expensive being her sew-in hair extensions at $250 and the least expensive being the Brazilian wax at $45. Turner broke down that her monthly routine can cost upwards of $750 on the months that she gets her hair done.
One TikTok user pointed out a potential benefit of having a "high maintenance routine" in the video's comments section, writing "it feels daunting at first but this must be so good for people with ADHD so they can feel their best without the added difficulty of remembering."