The Secret To Being Low Maintenance Is Actually To Be High Maintenance

Some people look like they spend five hours getting ready every day. They have a bouncy blowout, expertly groomed brows, and glowing skin that seems like it takes ages to perfect. But according to a viral TikTok trend, the trick is to be as high-maintenance as possible first to ultimately live a low-maintenance lifestyle and save yourself a ton of time.

The “high-maintenance to be low-maintenance” trend, which has over 55 million posts, reveals all the over-the-top beauty routines that allow people to lead coiffed but seemingly stress-free lives. Instead of waking up at dawn every single day to do their hair and makeup, many creators keep a strict weekly or monthly self-care schedule that, once completed, allows them to roll out of bed looking and feeling great.

TikToker @_miss_monroe_ shared her high-maintenance routine in a viral video posted Feb. 28. She applies heavy-duty lip stain every couple of days, dyes her eyebrows once a month, and paints self-tanner on like contour. That way all she has to do is wake up, pop on a lip gloss, and run out the door.

There are plenty of simple tricks like these that buy you extra hours, but other creators are even more high-maintenance, and it really does pay off. While it seems counterintuitive, it looks like doing the most is the key to doing the least.

These High-Maintenance Hacks Save Time

Instead of investing hours every day into your beauty routine, this trend is all about planning ahead and perfecting the self-care strategies that’ll carry you through the week — or even the entire month. It’s similar to TikTok’s morning shed trend, which is all about high-effort, high-payoff beauty, but instead of oiling, curling, and shaving every single night, the end goal is to cut corners and give yourself a break.

Creator @sarah.kidwai’s high-maintenance routine includes teeth whitening, self-tanning, laser hair removal, rosemary oil, quarterly lash lifts, and regular Pilates classes. She also dermaplanes or shaves her face and gets monthly nail fills. “It takes a lot to look this good,” she says in a May 15 video, but the results save her time in the end.

Teeth whitening, she says, may be a time investment up front, but the results brighten her face for weeks after the fact. She’s also into hair oiling twice a week so her strands stay thick and full, and she no longer craves expensive hair extensions. Laser hair removal, while pricier, has replaced her daily shaves, and it also prevents annoying ingrown hairs. And dermaplaning allows her to smooth on makeup without a struggle.

Then there’s @bellamower, who says in a July 18 TikTok that she goes all out once a week. Her approach involves heatless curls, applying self-tanner where she’d usually spend forever putting on bronzer, and an at-home manicure.

She also tints her eyebrows and lashes using boxed beard dye so she can completely forget about mascara, eyelash curlers, and brow gel. This routine allows her to go out for girls’ nights at a moment’s notice without having to spend hours getting ready.

Going Above & Beyond

Scroll deeper through these trending TikToks and you’ll see even more high-maintenance hacks, like @jenalondra who goes hard with her routine once every six weeks.

In a June 30 video, she revealed that she laminates her brows and rips out her armpit with an at-home wax. In her comments, someone wrote, “Waxing my own armpits is the best decision I’ve ever made! lol” while another said, “To be low-maintenance for six weeks is so real.”

Meanwhile, @allisonhoeller is out there showing everyone how it’s done. “This is the best high-maintenance routine to stay low-maintenance,” she said on June 18. “Trust me, you’re going to want to watch this one.”

She starts with a niacinamide face mask that moisturizes and smooths her skin. She’ll wear the mask while using an at-home laser on her armpit hair. Like other creators, she also applies a dark lip stain so that she wakes up looking like she has a face full of makeup.

While a lot of creators do their high-maintenance routines at home to save money, others see the benefit in going to a professional regularly, like @alishasapproach. She steps out for a facial every three to six months to reset her skin and keep it clear, and she also invests in a manicure every four weeks so she doesn’t waste time painting her nails at home. “I just feel so much better and more put-together when I have [my nails] done,” she says.

Every two weeks she’ll apply a clay mask to her entire body to get rid of bumpy skin, and she also hits up the sauna bi-monthly to breathe in the steam and boost her body’s recovery and immunity. As a finishing touch, she’s also a fan of using a face steamer at home twice a week to unclog her pores. All together, this routine allows her to feel her best without having to think about beauty 24/7.

There’s no end to all the ways you can be high-maintenance to be low-maintenance, but the main message is this: If you splurge on yourself every now and again, it’ll save you time — and money — in the long run.