STYLE : Spring Beauty : The Latest on Looks : Hey, Big Spender
The American woman, on average, spends about $400 a year, or $33 a month,on beauty products and services. Fashion professionals generally spend two to 10 times that amount. What do they buy? You might be surprised . . .
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed by beautiful hands,” says Annie Flanders,founder of Details magazine and now style editor of TV Guide. Manicures are her top priority, and she is fiercely loyal to Gigi, a manicurist at pricey Jessica’s Nail Clinic in West Hollywood. Flanders’$250 monthly beauty tab also includes pedicures and breathing classes, which she says help improve her posture. Her indispensables are Sebastian’s Trucco eye gel, Annick Goutal’s Gardenia Passion body cream, Dermablend Quick-Fix and Andrea Eye Q’s, the eye makeup remover pads she swears are the best.
“I think about going to get a facial, but I never do it,” muses fashion designer and new mother Jennifer Joanou. Her biggest indulgence is a high-maintenance, Liza Minnelli-type haircut, which has no part and is brushed forward to frame her face. “I spend an average of $100 a month,and that’s mostly getting my hair cut, which is $50. The rest is on basics: soap, shampoo and cosmetics.” Her eye shadow and lipstick are Molton Brown and Bobbi Brown; mascara and eye liner come from the local drugstore.
“I’m just like every other woman--I try it all,” says Deborah Everton,a costume designer whose resume includes “The Abyss.” “I’ve got the drawer full of makeup in funny colors.” She still regrets a $30 mascara, but she’s found a few favorites, like the Chanel lip pencil in nude (“I panic when I lose it.”), Clarins’ moisturizer and Bobbi Brown’s non-drying matte lipstick No. 4. Her monthly bill, which covers an occasional massage, facial and manicure, comes in at about $150.
Model Angela Ice is probably best known for her role as the angel who swooped down to hug Michael Jackson at the end of MTV’s 10th anniversary special. She figures an average month’s beauty expenditures at $335,primarily for professional necessities such as manicures, pedicures, facials, haircut and color, and a supply of Sebastian’s facial cleanser. Cosmetics are a minor expense. Because she labors daily under heavy makeup, when she’s not working, she wears just a swipe of mascara (Maybelline), lipstick (M.A.C. and Lancome) and eye shadow (also M.A.C.).
