It's no secret that women stereotypically put more time and effort into their appearance than men. Social expectations make women believe they have to spend all of their time and money making themselves look completely different. Being a female is expensive, and it's hard. There's a price tag on being a woman, and we are expected to just pay it.
Shaving is a social norm that is almost more effort than it is worth. Sure, most of us love having silky smooth legs all the time. In order to get these perfect legs we all dream of, we have to shave every single day. If we don't, the hair can start to grow back within 12 hours of us shaving. Even if someone chooses to shave once a week, the amount of razors and shaving creme we go through is insane. I go through up to 3 razors a month during the summer. My boyfriend uses maybe one a month. Which means I spend three times as much money as my boyfriend does on just razors alone when I'd prefer not to waste my time on shaving.
The other killer beauty standard is makeup. Good make up doesn't come cheap. There are so many layers, pallets and colors. Drug stores often have good makeup options that tend to run out quickly and make you spend more money either way. I use strictly e.l.f. products because the price is super low and the product is high quality. While I can get away with using cheap moisturizer, some girls can only use high end products on their delicate skin. Everyone has a unique facial regimen, which is why companies can get away with charging so much for their product. I have found only one foundation that matches my skin, and the price still makes me shutter. If I want to dress up and do my makeup nicely, I'm almost forced to use it as it's the only one with my exact shade and oil level. If I were to go out to a dance or a party without doing my makeup, I am seen as lazy, tired or bored. If I want to wear makeup to make myself feel better, everyone thinks I'm trying to impress someone. As a female I get ridiculed for both wearing and not wearing makeup. It's a never ending battle.
When the conversation turns to things women have to buy that men don't, the most obvious is feminine hygiene. Tampons, pads, and panty-liners cost a great deal of money over the years. A single female can go through an incredible amount of sanitary products in one cycle. The prices may not be ridiculously high, but it's something men don't have to waste thought on at all. As if it wasn't bad that women have to deal with having a period in the first place, we've also gotten used to paying for them as well.
Men don't have to buy $50 bras or spend their money on hair products. While I suppose women don't have to either, we feel obligated to follow social standards of wearing bras in public and keeping our legs smooth. Sure, no one is obligated to wear makeup. No one is obligated to shave or do their hair or wear cute clothing. No one has to abide by the pressures of society. As females, we have accepted all our lives that it would be this way. Being a female is hard in many regards, why does this have to be hard too?
