‘People think that looking better means you will have a better life’: why gen Z spends so much on beauty
The idea that splashing out on nail, hair, eyebrow and lash treatments increases your chances of a better social life, relationships and jobs has taken a firm hold on social media – but what’s driving it?
For Hazel Wood, getting a beauty treatment is not just an occasional treat. The 28-year-old influencer spends about £500 a month on grooming appointments, including £80 on pedicures and manicures, £70 on eyebrow lamination (where a chemical solution is used to straighten and reshape brow hair) and £60 on her lashes. On top of this, she pays about £250–£300 on Botox every three to six months.
These treatments, she says, play a vital role in her life. “It makes me feel as if I’m showing up as my best self. When I don’t feel I’ve made myself look very nice, I struggle to feel confident and productive, and I also have a hard time interacting with people.”
“That’s not to say you need all these things done to be beautiful,” she adds. But for her, getting all these things done “makes me feel more capable in both my personal and professional life”.
Wood’s professional life involves spending a lot of time on camera – making content for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube about where she shops and what she eats – a lot of which is sponsored by high-street and fast-fashion brands. She forks out her own money and time on frequent beauty maintenance treatments. “I don’t particularly enjoy getting any of the treatments if I’m completely honest,” she says. “I’m the sort of person that loves to keep busy. When I have these treatments booked in, I just think that’s a couple of hours out of my day that I’m never going to get back.”
So why does she do it? “It helps me save time in the morning,” she says. “I’m already put together, so my day can start off more efficiently because I don’t have to spend time getting ready.”
In recent years, the concept of “beauty maintenance days” has grown online, especially on platforms such as TikTok. The hashtag #beautymaintenance has amassed more than 112.7m views on the platform, with the idea being that by booking in semi-permanent treatments such as a lash lift (so you don’t feel the need to curl your eyelashes each morning), or an eyebrow treatment (so you won’t need to spend time pencilling them every day) you will save time overall during the month.
Perversely, part of this trend is also about not looking too done or made up. As one Vogue article described it recently: “The irony about wearing makeup is that oftentimes, we prefer it to look like we’re not wearing any at all.” The hashtag #highmaintenancetobelowmaintenance has more than 70m views on TikTok. These enormously popular videos feature users meticulously documenting their trips to the nail salon, brow and lash bars and going for laser hair removal. What they show is that a so-called “low maintenance” or “natural” appearance is anything but. Looking natural is now a beauty standard so rigorous that it requires at least a full day’s commitment each month.