Like a Million Dollars

HAVE YOU ALL EVER GUESSED HOW MUCH MONEY WE WOMAN PUT INTO OUR CREATING OUR LOOK? HOW MUCH DO WE SPEND TO LOOK REASONABLY PRESENTABLE?  CAN YOU GUESS?  IT’S DEFINITELY NOT FREE!  A WOMAN CAN LOOK AMAZING ON A DIME, BUT SHE CAN ALSO LOOK STUPENDOUS WITH A MILLION.  I WANT TO DO A LITTLE ASSESSMENT, IT’S MY OWN CURIOSITY, ON AN AVERAGE PRICE WE PUT ON OUR APPEARANCE, OUR PERSONA, OUR SHOW!  I’M GOING TO DO FROM THE LOW END TO THE HIGH END JUST TO SHOW THE EXTREMES IT COULD GO AND THIS IS NOT THE UBER WEALTHY VERSION, FYI!  HOWEVER, I HAVE TO SAY THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE, I’VE BEEN AT BOTH ENDS- YES, FROM BAREFOOT AND PREGNANT (LITERALLY) TO BEING THE QUEEN BEE.  IF I HAVE TO BE FRUGAL, I’M A MASTER AT IT, AND IF I HAVE THE LUXURY OF SPLURGING, I WILL DO SO (IN A REASONABLE WAY!).

REGARDING THIS IDEA OF PUTTING TIME AND MONEY INTO OUR PRESENTATION, WE SOMETIMES TALK AS IF THOUGH IT IS A NARCISSISTIC, SELF-INVOLVED FOCUS.  BUT WE DO IT!  SO WE MAY AS WELL EMBRACE IT!  IT USED TO BE THAT IN MY “CULTURE” AND MY “GENERATION,” WOMEN USED ( I BELIEVE THEY STILL DO )   DRESS TO PLEASE MEN.  NOW THIS MAY BE COMPLETELY POLITICALLY INCORRECT BUT, THAT’S STILL WHAT I DO!  SOME OF MY GIRLFRIENDS SAY THAT, REALLY, WOMEN DRESS FOR OTHER WOMEN.  TRUE, WE WOMEN USUALLY NOTICE THAT NEW DRESS YOU’RE DONNING, THAT ROSY LIPSTICK COLOR BRIGHTENING YOUR LIPS, AND DEFINITELY WE WILL NOTICE THE SHOOTIES YOU JUST BOUGHT AT GOLER!  THEN THERE ARE MY DEAR FRIENDS WHO SAY THAT WE MUST SIMPLY DRESS TO PLEASE OURSELVES AND OURSELVES ONLY!  OH, AND THAT COMFORT COMES IN HAND IN HAND WITH DRESSING FOR OURSELVES.  WHILE I COMPLETELY RESPECT THAT (AND OFFER CUTE SHOES EVEN FOR THE COMFORT FOCUSED, SELF-LOVED WOMAN!), I WILL PERSONALLY CONFESS THAT I DO DRESS FOR MEN, OR FOR MY MAN, OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO SAY IT!  MAYBE IT’S NOT PC, BUT HEY, I’M 60, APPARENTLY I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT NOW!!

 FROM HEAD TO TOE:

A VISIT TO THE HAIR SALON:                                                                                                                     FROM $35 TO $400

FACIAL:                                                                                                                                                  FROM $60 TO $200

PROFESSIONALLY DONE EYEBROWS:                                                                                                       FROM $20 TO $70

SPECIAL TREATMENTS FOR EYELASHES:

FROM $70 TO $200

MANICURE & PEDICURE:                                                                                                                    FROM $40-$100

VARIOUS MAKEUP PRODUCTS:

FROM $50 TO $600

LOTION AND CREAM:

FROM $30 TO $400

PERFUME:                                                                                                                                               FROM $20 TO $200

CLOTHES:

FROM $30 TO $2000

UNDERCLOTHES:                                                                                                                                       FROM $20 TO $400

SUNGLASSES:                                                                                                                                           FROM $10 TO $500

SHOES! (FROM GOLER!):                                                                                                                        FROM $60 TO $600

JEWLERY:

FROM $15- $30,000

AND THAT’S NOT COUNTING GYM MEMBERSHIP (OR PERSONAL TRAINING), OR ANY OTHER LONG TERM FINANCIAL COMMITMENT THAT CAN BE MADE FOR OUR BEAUTY OR IMPROVEMENT!

AT THE LOW END THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT $430, AND AT THE HIGH END IT’S ABOUT $35,670.  THAT’S A WIDE SPECTRUM, BUT STILL IT COSTS, EVEN ON A TIGHT BUDGET!!!  CRAZY!

NOW, I’M SURE SOME OF MY MALE READERS MIGHT BE A LITTLE FLABBERGASTED BY THIS (MINIMAL) INVENTORY LIST, BUT IT’S TRUE!  I WOULD LOVE TO READ A MEN’S VERSION! IT COSTS TO LOOK THE WAY WE LOOK!  MAYBE AFTER SOME PEOPLE READ THIS WE MIGHT GET A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY, GRATITUDE AND COOCHI COOCHI FOR TAKING TIME (AND $$$$!) TO LOOK GOOD!

I DO HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING THOUGH, WHILE THERE ARE SO MANY BITS AND PIECES THAT ARE NEEDED TO PUT OURSELVES TOGETHER, THE TRUTH IS IF YOU HAVE BEEN WELL-NURTURED, YOU HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND YOU CARE LITTLE OF WHAT OTHERS THINK, YOU WILL LOOK GREAT WEARING A BURLAP BAG WITH A BELT CINCHED AROUND THE WAIST AND SOME FLIP FLOPS!

AS USUAL…. SEND ME YOUR THOUGHTS!  I LOVE TO HEAR FROM MY READERS!  EMAIL ME AT GUADALUPEGOLER@HOTMAIL.COM!

AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF MY BIRTHDAY WELL WISHES!  SO FAR SIXTY HAS BEEN AWESOME!