These days it’s nearly impossible to know what women are spending on the way they look. Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments or face serums. Enter our series “What It Costs to Be Me,” where we’re asking interesting women for radical transparency.
Up this week: Krista McCurdy, a 36-year-old artist from Portland, Oregon. Her annual total? $17,293
For artist Krista McCurdy, who creates wonderfully dreamy, atmospheric botanical prints, beauty math is pretty straightforward: put money into one-time expenses (tattoos) or treatments that contribute to overall health and wellbeing (Pilates, massages, barre classes), and save on everything else. The sleeve tattoos, which she designed herself, are an extension of her art: “I never really thought about getting tattoos as making a statement or necessarily for beauty, they were just important images to me that seemed right on my body,” she says. “I do think they’re beautiful, though, and I love them!” As for why she’s willing to pay for Pilates: “It works!” she says. And she believes so much in its rehabilitative powers that she became a rehab Pilates instructor herself: “Pilates literally changed my body and gave me self-confidence.”
My Body Art: $950
I got my right sleeve—the flowers—about nine years ago at FTW Tattoo Parlor ($700). They were traced directly from one of my drawings. My left one, a sycamore tree silhouette that I created for silkscreening years ago ($250), was a gift from my boyfriend. I also thought about it for years before I was ready, even though I’d loved it for a long time. Any tattoo I get has to be of my own design, and I have to be dead sure about it. It’s pretty funny, how people see me [as a badass with these tattoos and piercings]. They’re surprised when I tell them that I have a J.Crew soul!
My Exercise Routine: $15,490 a year
I turned to Pilates to regain mobility after an accident that broke my collarbone and shoulder blade—and to fix my bad posture. What’s so great about it is the full mind-body integration and the fact that it creates changes you can actually feel and see. For me, private rehab sessions at Studio Blue ($70-90) and Pacific Northwest Pilates ($60-90) once a week are so important because you have the instructor’s full attention and they’re tailored to your specific body and needs. On top of that, I’ll try and sneak in a weekly Pilates group mat class ($19). I started going to Barre 3 classes ($23) last year, and you can really tell in my butt! I try to go at least twice a week. Plus, I have a climbing gym membership at Planet Granite ($80 a month). I also go to physical therapy once a week at Element Wellness ($140), and a couple times a year, I’ll do a 60-minute massage with therapist Carissa Conner at Studio Blue ($115).
My Shower Essentials: $40
I shampoo and condition my hair whenever I take a shower; right now I’m using Head & Shoulders Classic Clean ($12) and the John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Color Deepening Conditioner ($8), which really does enhance brown hair! Duke Cannon Supply Co. Heavy Duty Hand Soap Pumice For Deep Cleaning ($10) is a retro brand that’s modeled on soap supplied to GIs during the Vietnam War. It’s got very fine pumice, not scratchy at all, and it comes in lovely thick 10-ounce bars. Both my boyfriend and I have loved it ever since he bought a bar about four years ago. When the store that carried it discontinued them and was selling off their stock at 50% off I bought all 10 bars they had left. We’re finally on the last bar now. I love that soap. I’ll even wash my face with it if I take a shower in the morning, just for convenience sake. Any shaving cream I use is for sensitive skin, typically on sale in the men’s department like Barbasol Thick & Rich Shaving Cream with Soothing Aloe ($2). Women’s shaving creams are the biggest ripoff and way more expensive than men’s. I mean, I do not need a pink container. And I prefer men’s razors, too. Gillette Mach3 Turbo Men’s Razor ($8) is pretty awesome.
My Hair Styling Must: $34
I try to towel off as much water from my hair as possible post-shower, but I usually end up blow-drying it to speed up the process. Every so often I’ll use the Remington flat iron ($20) I bought at the drugstore and I always carry the travel size Bumble & bumble dry shampoo ($14) with me during the day because my bangs get greasy; that stuff really works.
My Morning Skin Care Routine: $22
I usually wash my face in the shower, but if not I’ll use Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser ($9). I had amazing skin until my thirties, then I developed rosacea and melasma. But the rosacea is mild and I’ve just come to accept the melasma and hope it looks like freckles! I apply CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 ($13) to help protect against more melasma. I don’t use body products. I really don’t! My skin’s always been pretty fine without them.
My Daytime Makeup: $199
I’ve never worn very much makeup, and I find as I age, more makeup actually makes me look older. To be honest, I feel like I need to put more work into my beauty routine; with my physical health issues this past year I just haven’t felt that great about myself. I’m fairly low-maintenance, but I’ve really slacked off this past year.
I invest in a good foundation and concealer like the Makeup For Ever Ultra HD Concealer ($28). Mascara not so much, but I love Benefit Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara ($25). Sometimes that’s all I use. Other times, I’ll put concealer on and the E.L.F. High Definition Setting Powder ($6) on top, which kind of smooths everything out. For eyes, the Colourpop Double Entendre Pressed Powder Eyeshadow Palette ($16) is definitely worth it. It is so easy to put on with your fingers, and it lasts forever. I also love the Nudes palette from Maybelline ($7) and MAC’s Sumptuous Olive Luxe Pearl Eyeshadow ($16). It’s a subtle kind of khaki that looks good on my skin tone. If I use eyeliner, I smudge it along my upper lashes with my finger, since I’m not very good at making clean lines. My favorite is Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kajal Eyeliner in Brown ($4). A layer of Benefit They’re Real! Tinted Primer ($24) underneath helps keep it from migrating throughout the day. Sometimes I smudge a little iridescent white Rimmel pencil ($4) on the inner corners and along the waterline of my lower lashes to open up my eyes. Then I do some Boy Brow by Glossier ($16). For lips, I’m into Lipstick Queen’s colors, especially Frog Prince ($25), which is green but gives lips this bright, natural shade of pink and Medieval ($24), a sheer, deep rose. I love that they’re moisturizing. Aquaphor Lip Repair ($4) is a staple in my bag for dry or chapped lips.
My Nighttime Makeup: $159
At night I’ll use the same products, but I might mix a little Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer ($24) with some Vanicream moisturizer ($13) and apply the mixture with a BeautyBlender ($19) for extra glow. I get the hype around that sponge, because it fucking blends! And I love its little sibling ($18). It’s genius for applying concealer.
My general makeup philosophy has always been less is more, although for evening, it’s fun to wear blue or green eyeshadow—just something a little different. I like how pigmented the Colourpop Super Shock Shadows ($5) and Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel shadows ($7) are. To finish, I use Coty Airspun Translucent Face Powder ($6), applied with the E.L.F. Kabuki Brush ($5). It works well and is super cheap. Then for touch-ups, I’ll stash the green-tinted Laura Mercier setting powder ($38) in my bag to counteract any redness in my skin.
My Evening Skin Care Routine: $39
I swear by the Almay eye remover pads ($5) to get rid of everything from concealer to heavy-duty eye makeup. After that, I’ll wash my face with Cetaphil ($9). From there it varies: Sometimes I’ll put on prescription Retin-A, but am usually too impatient to put anything on top. If I do, it’s The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid ($7). My go-to for the last few months has been a cream from a skincare brand that my coworker’s mother runs in Egypt called Black Lotus. It has jojoba oil and essential oils—no idea which ones!—and it’s super-emollient. I’ve been fighting a battle with dryness on the sides of my nose for years, and nothing really worked. I dug this cream out (it had been a holiday gift) and tried it…and it worked! My skin is so soft in the morning. It’s amazing. If I don’t use that, then I’ll use Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream ($18).
My Periodic Skin Fixers: $20
Twice a month, I’ll use Alpha Skincare Enhanced Renewal Cream ($13) to get rid of any flakiness. I used to use a bunch more facial creams, but my skin had adverse reactions to something last winter, so since then I’ve defaulted to Vaseline ($7), and am crazy careful with what I use now.
My Hair and Brow Touchups: $340
I get a haircut every eight weeks or so, but sometimes I’ll go several months in between. I go to Paramount Hair Salon in Portland; one of my clients reccomended them. A haircut is $50. When I’m in the Bay Area I try to go to the Benefit store in Berkeley to get my eyebrows shaped and tinted ($40 once a year), but most of the time I just chase stray hairs at home.
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