The Girls Are Making Maintenance Lists… and honestly, it kind of works.
I swear, as I get older, there’s more and more shit I need to worry about. Taxes, my pap smear results, how much dishwasher detergent I have left… I honestly can’t imagine a life where I don’t plan or write shit down to remember it. If it’s not on my phone, it’s not anywhere in my brain.
Anyways, one day I came across this video where someone was listing their maintenance “to-dos” and how often they should be done. At first, I was looking over the list and went, “no because WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!” Like, people REALLY remember to do all of this?
But, then, I remembered: Maintenance looks differently for everyone. While some may consider a gel pedicure and spray tan as all the maintenance they need, others might think it’s getting their highlights retouched every 3-4 weeks with a lymphatic drainage massage wedged somewhere in there. Whatever the case may be, I recommend EVERYONE try to list down all their maintenance tasks / needs. This includes both health and beauty maintenance. We do so much and work so hard to not carve out our own time and keep up with ourselves.
I wanted to show you all my own personal maintenance list and give you an idea on what mine looks like. As women, we have a little more maintenance to keep track of and it’s not a bad idea to just write it down, plan it out and put yourself first (for ONCE 😌).
Here’s my list:
LIST DETAILS —
(*affiliate link)
ANNUALLY
blood test / physical: this one’s kind of a no brainer but please, please, pleaseee make sure you get check ups every year. being aware of the state of your health is sexy, i promise.
women wellness / pap smear: in 2023, i had an abnormal smear result that made me literally spiral. all is well but i can’t stress enough the importance of getting your downstairs checked regularly.
EVERY 3 MONTHS
trim / dye hair: i have hair extensions right now, so this one’s touch and go; but, since i have bleached hair, i need to get my roots done and my hair toned every 3-4 months. i would even go so far as to recommend you get a gloss or hair mask at a salon (or do it yourself). something to add a little extra oomph to your tresses.
lymphatic drainage massage: is this FR? yes, it is. the first time i got one, i can’t say i felt a NOTICEABLE difference immediately but it was definitely something i would advise people to try once. this massage helps with debloating and depuffing, break down cellulite and fat cells, help with post-injury swelling and more.
MONTHLY
facial: i love me a good facial but you can very easily do your own at home. i’ll have to do a post on how i do it but one product you might want to look into is the Shani Darden Triple Acid Signature Peel. this facial helps resurface, brighten while neutralizing the skin to deep clean and refine pores.
brazilian wax: DEFINITELY NOT A NECESSITY, LMFAO. this one’s more of a personal preference. if you want to know more about my brazilian wax experience, watch this video.
pedicure: another thing i love to do at home because lately i have been so sensitive about other people touching my fingernails and toenails, especially with that darn drill. some products i use for my at home pedis:
Beetles Gel Builder* (helps if you have bendy / weak natural nails!)
EVERY 2-3 WEEKS
nails: same deal as above, i have been PICKY about my nails recently. i used to get acrylics WEEKLY and my natural nails suffered so bad. now, i’m trying to grow them out and can say it’s been pretty successful. i’ll need to do a separate post on this… the tea is too good.
lashes: you’re probably going to guess this already but… yeah, another thing i do at home. i love getting my lash extensions done but GOSH, since buying a house, i haven’t had much time to fit this into the budget. my go-to lashes are the KISS So Wispy lashes* (cut in sections) and applied with the Fadlash Bond and Seal*.
WEEKLY
hair removal: so, recently i’ve been trying to shave my legs with a single blade razor and body oil (same logic for facial shaving). at first, i thought it gave a great smooth and closer shave; but, i’m noticing some ingrowns … lol. next, i’m going to try using sugar wax for my legs before i go back to my trusty old 99 cent leg razors.
sheet mask: if you haven’t heard about the Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask*, you need to look into it. it’s an overnight sheet mask that makes my skin SO SMOOTH AND GLOWY the next day. you can watch this video of me testing out the product with the results.
hair mask: currently been loving the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask applied for an hour on dry hair, then washed out in the shower and followed up with Colleen Rothschild Quench & Shine Restorative Hair Mask for 10 minutes before rinsing it out. I also apply Kiehls Magic Elixir Scalp and Hair Treatment the night before I wash my hair to help with hair growth. If you want a more affordable hair oil to also add to your collection, I highly recommend the Dabur Amla Hair Oil*.
body exfoliation: my top 3 body scrubs at the moment are the First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser*, Fenty Skin Buff Ryder Exfoliating Body Scrub and, of course, the Tree Hut Moroccan Rose Body Scrub.
self-tanning: i love a good self tan - DURING ALL SEASONS! i’m not a huge fan of the “wash off” tans where you have to wait for it to set then wash it off because 1) I’M LAZY and 2) I’M REALLY LAZY. Josie Maran used to make an amazing self-tanning oil that self-corrected (meaning, you didn’t look orange AF after) but it’s been discontinued 😭. right now, i’ve been trying the Tanologist Express Self Tan Water* but the first time i’m trying this is RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE OUT THE BLOG POST so we’ll have to see if it really works out tomorrow. i need recommendations…😭
Like I said, maintenance looks different for everybody so don’t feel like you need your list to look EXACTLY like mine. As long as you keep your personal health a priority, that’s really the only maintenance you need to remember.
See you in the next post…x
with love,
