Reader beauty habits

There’s no doubt about it: Looking great is important to you. Three-quarters of you said it’s important to look your best every day and well over half said wearing makeup helps you feel better about yourself. But as busy moms, many of you said that keeping up with your beauty routine isn’t as important as it was before you had kids. That said, most of you spend about an hour every day taking care of your skin, applying makeup and doing your hair. And you also love shopping for beauty products. The number one reason? Browsing the cosmetics aisles of drug and department stores gives you a chance to do something nice for yourself.

In all, 2,683 of you responded to our beauty survey. And when it comes to beauty concerns, aging skin and wrinkles were your top beauty woes, followed by adult acne among those 18 to 34 years old. The majority of you aren’t willing to go under the knife to look younger. Instead, you take care of yourself through healthy eating, exercise and drinking plenty of water.

We say: You have beauty and brains!

The results

74% feel it’s important to look their best every day

50% say looking good is not as important since becoming a parent

4 in 5 usually wear at least some makeup

2 in 3 of respondents say having makeup on makes them feel better about themselves

63% enjoy shopping for beauty products

16% think of their beauty routine as a pleasure, while 55% think of their regimen as a necessity

95% spend up to 15 minutes a day on makeup

4 in 5 shop at discount department and drugstores for beauty products

1 in 4 visit salons or spas for pedicures and hair removal

26% say they never leave home without first applying makeup

69% believe good hair and skin compensate for not wearing any makeup
Top 3 must-have beauty products
mascara, lip gloss, foundation

Top 5 best-looking celebrities
16% Catherine Zeta-Jones
14% Reese Witherspoon
12% Jennifer Aniston
11% Julia Roberts
11% Angelina Jolie

Top 3 favourite beauty brands
CoverGirl
MAC
Clinique
*though many also said they aren’t loyal to any one brand

Top 3 beauty concerns, by the numbers
32% wrinkles and skin aging
21% adult acne
15% dry skin

3 in 5 feel that cosmetic procedures aren’t for them, but 3% say they plan to undergo a cosmetic surgery at some point.

$60 amount typically spent per month on cosmetic products and services

9 in 10 regularly change or update their hairstyle

7 in 10 regularly change or update their hair colour

Top anti-aging efforts
1. regular exercise
2. drinking enough water
3. healthy eating
4. getting enough sleep
5. using anti-aging products

Top 5 beauty tips moms would pass on to their daughters
1. Always take care of your skin
2. Moisturize
3. Wear sunscreen
4. You are beautiful as you are
5. Beauty comes from within