Hello everyone,
I was just wondering if anyone else gets more into beauty (make up/hair/nails etc) as the scale goes down? I have noticed that I actually want to do my hair and make up in the morning, which is new for me. I used to pretty much wake up 30mins before work, slap some mascara on, put my hair in a pony tail and leave. Lately however I have actually started to take an interest in my appearance.

Anyone else experience this?

Definitely. I stop wearing makeup all together when I get heavy, but for a few weeks now, I've worn it every day. I care more about clothes, makeup, hair, nails. I've gotten highlights and a new cut I love...so yes, I start caring about myself so much more.

I honestly find it kind of sad. It's like I don't feel like I'm worth the effort when I weigh more.

Funny. I think I have the opposite. When my weight is in a fat place, I put more effort in to hair, make up, clothes to lessen the impact of the fatness. I find that when I'm slim, I actually feel confident enough to not always want to bother with the details.

But I totally support the ethic of self-love and the reclamation of self signaled by a new attention to hair/make up/etc.

I definitely put more effort in when I'm feeling more self-confident. Even if I'm not "thin" yet, I'm still much more likely to get dressed up and wear make-up if I'm dieting, because I'm feeling better about myself.

Absolutely! Its weird though, while I pay more attention to making myself look good, its for different reasons.

I used to put make up before I would dare to leave the house, but not because I wanted to look prettier, I was trying to make myself look somewhat presentable because I was overly embarrassed by how the rest of me looked.

I obsessed about what I would wear, but not because I was trying to be fashionable, more so because I was trying to wear what would make me look the most slim. (Which in hindsight was just still. No shirt was going to hide the fact that I was 100lbs over weight.)

Now, I still put make up on, but I do it to highlight my features. Now, I can wake up right out of bed, smile at myself in the mirror and be genuinely PLEASED with the image that stares back at me. Before, I wouldn't dream of wearing yoga pants out in public - now I wear them PROUDLY - its not fashionable, its the ultimate in comfort-wear. But they are form fitting and I love them.

Its very cool to see how our perceptions of ourselves can change how we care for our bodies.

YES.

I always thought of my weight gain as temporary (it started due to pregnancy so I just felt I needed to lose the baby weight even if it took a LONG time!) so I refused to invest much of anything in my at that time. I had the bare minimum of clothes that was reasonable and that was about it. I also figured make-up was pointless and rarely wore it (and didn't have much time to think about it either taking care of a kid and working).

Now that DD is older and I've dropped a good chunk of weight I'm really taking care of my appearance more. I even wear dresses! Another big part of it too is I want to show off my loss. Wearing those old icky clothes (trust me, they were really bad! ) just hid everything I lost so I'm trying to slowly change over my wardrobe as much as possible. I'm a slow loser so it makes more sense for me than many because I tend to stay in one size for a little while. I have to admit, though, it's a lot easier to care more about the way I look without a baby around! Now DD will watch me get ready rather than being glued to me every second.

I hated makeup before and I still hate it. I refuse to wear it for any occasion (I honestly just don't see the point).

I do take care of my hair though; it's curly and very sensitive. If I don't do everything exactly right, it's a poofy mess for the day. If I do get it right, it looks really great without much effort.

I definitely am putting more effort into looking better overall as I lose weight and become happier about my appearance. For me, it's not about make up - although I wouldn't leave the house without when younger, ever since my son was born, I've pretty much stopped wearing any because I just didn't have the time in my schedule. But now I'm starting to at least put on a little bit of lip color, and taking the time to make my hair look ok vs. just keeping it long and in a pony. I am also taking more effort with longer term things, like using anti-aging products for my skin (I am almost 50 but still look much younger and am finally trying to maintain that!)

I suspect that as I lose even more weight, I'll start making even more effort, and will probably even start wearing make up a bit more.

I've never worn a lot of make up and I haven't started yet. But I am becoming a clothes horse. It's so easy to find cute clothes when you're a size 8 or 10, than when you're a size 14!

I know it has nothing to do with the stores OR clothes, but how I feel about my body at this size, rather than at a higher size. I keep buying clothes because they are cheap and fit me!

I now pay more attention to my beauty... can't really do the make up thing. I really want to start working out at the gym 5 days a week and refuse to have time wasted by having to wash off makeup before I go. One time I had all this mascara go into my eye from sweating so much and after that never again.

It's strange. I treat myself to a couple items from a few of my favorite consignment/thrift boutiques. Something that fits right now (preferably a little smaller than last shopping trip!) and something that's tight to keep me going. I've been able to learn from Youtube how to care for my curly hair so it's nicely shaped but something I don't have to fuss over. I'm wearing a little mascara and liner. I like pulling an outfit together that's sharp (in my mind but my older sister teases me because no one matches shoes with their bags anymore).

I don't like fancy stuff; I just like really nice fabric that is a handsome color, nicely tailored, and very well constructed.

I've really gotten in to cute purses and matching bags! Cute as in a super nice color but very simple styled.

My saddness is that I buy super cute items on these trips. When I lose 10 pounds or more, I have to retire these items as unwearable. I've had some hard times occassionally when I realize that a top or jacket is just unwearable. Several pants that I bought "too tight" never got worn because I "accidently" blew by the weight that I could have worn then at and then they were too big. Arghhh.

I've always put a good deal of attention into my "beauty regime". Fat or thin, always did my nails, my hair, make-up, took special care in my clothes, jewelry, etc.

Going to work includes a shower, clean clothes, good-face & hair. I work in a place that allows shorts, Tshirts & flip-flops, so I don't HAVE to go all out, and so mostly I don't. But I still like to look "presentable to the public eye."

However, since getting OLDER, I am less inclined to throw on full facial make-up when running to the store for milk & eggs... and OMG, that's so very FREEING!!!!

I've always tried to find flattering clothes for my body, but flattering at a size 20 is different than flattering at a 10-12. And I'll probably end up at a 8-10.

But, just before I started this journey I chopped off my hair. And since feeling better (and it has more to do with feeling better than it has to do with being thinner), I shave my legs more often and wear a touch of makeup here and there (but I'm a minimalist with makeup - basically, I'm very fair and have blonde eyelashes, so I wear a bit of mascara and blush and that's it).

And I know I'm going to be a clothes queen. I want everything that looks good and that's more and more stuff! But, while I'm still on this journey, I'm trying to keep it minimal.

I always have been. Always tried to take care of myself. I CAN put more effort into it now though b/c my choices in clothing aren't so limited.