All right, I know there are some girls lurking here, and I want your two cents. Guys, feel free to chime in with your opinions too, though I'm really hoping that some chicks de-lurk for this question.
Quandary: I've always used the gym at home in the morning when feasible, but now I'm at the point in my career where I can actually start leaving my desk and using the company gym. Let's say I have a 30-50 minute workout and a 5-minute shower.
Now, I know some girls don't sweat at the gym. They are usually the ones in the cute teal wrap tops with charm bracelets and inch-long fingernails. That's not me. If I'm there, I'm there to fucking sweat.
In this situation, would you do either/both of the following things?
- Take an additional 15-20 minutes to wash/dry/style hair or leave it sweaty in a ponytail?
- Take an additional 5-7 minutes to redo makeup or go bare-faced?
In the past I would have looked at my female peers and done as they did, but none of my peers in the group are female. (Girls might be 40% of top MBA programs, but they are not anywhere near 40% of working MBAs. At this firm, not even 10% of post-MBA hires are chicks. I'm not particularly alarmed by this, but it's sometimes inconvenient to not have another female point of comparison for normative purposes.)
Conflicting issues:
- I already spend too much time on grooming and want to find a way to decrease the time cost
- I never want to come across as less than 100% squeaky clean
- I think it might be weird/uptight to roll back in from the gym in the evening looking like I just spent half an hour on hair and makeup, especially if I'm going to leave for the night shortly thereafter
Assume: Not looking for a relationship, already established credibility in current role, performance reviews truly not biased by hotness or lack thereof (within reason).
I currently spend half an hour or more per day grooming and feel like it would be stupidly expensive (in terms of my opportunity cost per hour) to double that. But I'm also not a big believer in people walking around looking like they just came from the gym. Especially not me. (The guy whose signature is printed on all of our paychecks sits 20 feet from me. And it's a big fucking company.)
Going to the gym at work already means schlepping pants, sneakers, socks, panties, jogging bra, and t-shirt. Doing the full groom would mean lugging a bunch of truly ludicrous shit around with me.... and this is coming from someone whose purse is the size of her hand. It strikes me as pretty absurd to go from that to a f'ing rollaboard just because I want to go to the gym at work. But to be honest, if I saw another person (especially a chick) walking around with sweaty hair and a red face at work, my opinion of their professionalism might dip a little.
Like I said, guys' opinions are valuable here too; the logistical issues are pretty obvious even if you don't personally face the same issues. Would you drop the extra thirty minutes or not? Would you think anything of it if you knew that a coworker did? Or didn't?
You shower, right? So you are clean. Hopefully when you shower, you wash your hair. At this point, up in a tidy looking bun and you're all set.
Make up: I am not a fan to begin with. My make up is basically some eye liner. You do not need to go full on primer, foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eyes, cheeks, lips. A cool shower should rid you of the redness, if not, apply some chamomile cream (takes 3 seconds?), lip gloss, and maybe a lil dab of bronzer?
My opinion is that professionalism has nothing to do with a full made up face and more to do with tidiness, cleanliness and attitude.
From a time management standpoint, a heavier set of squats rather than 2 lighter sets would do. I just saved 4-5 minutes and I can use the extra time to carefully apply my eye liner instead of going out looking all cross eyed and stuff.
Heavy sets build muscle FYI. Girls tend to avoid these for obvious reasons.
Girls also tend to forget (some men as well) that they do not build muscles as fast as men, and their structure in most cases won't allow bulking. Having a thing jiggly body is not attractive, muscle is needed to provide shape.
lmfao you definitely trolled me hard on the WSO chatroom, I thought you were a dude for the longest time...
This is called making a choice. This is something that only you can appropriately handicap- Is going to the gym mid-day* that important to you? If it is, then you've got to maintain the same professional standard as someone who did not exercise during lunch (or whenever) when you return. In sum, you should look fully professional after your workout, even if it means hauling a bag of supplies/accoutrements for cleaning up. If this is too much of a chore, then move your workout to after work or increase the amount you do before work.
*I assume this is mid-day workout, because if you are leaving for home immediately afterward this would not matter.
I am a female who uses the gym every day...I leave between 5-6 and don't get back until 7:30-8 (I do fitness competitions so I spend more time than average). I always shower and use the blow dryers at the gym to minimize the sweaty-hair look, but that's it. I don't take my make up off beforehand (if you use good products, it should stay reasonably okay), and it doesn't look amazing after but I only touch up the lips.
I don't think anyone cares as long as you don't smell terrible and your hair is reasonably okay looking (like in a decently brushed ponytail). If you came back with completely undone hair and no make-up, I'd say that's getting into the realm of not okay. And definitely not okay if you don't shower.
With that said, if you are leaving earlier than this and there's any chance a client might come in once you've gotten back, I would spend much more time working on it.
Definitely depends how much you sweat. If you sweat a lot, take a shower - dont blow dry, just put it in a tight bun, and do your make up. It won't take long but you'll, a - look much better and b - feel better.
put the damn make up on.
take care of your hair.
this isn't a democracy
Here I saw women's grooming and was expecting to hear about trimming the hedges, landing strips, and Brazilian waxes
Why do you think she chose that title? Her mission is accomplished, sir
do you do this? the forum want to know as well as the chat room(they r to wussy to ask )
Even if there are no girls at your firm you can still get a sense of general decorum by looking at the guys and industry you are in. Do the guys wear nice, tailored, slim-fit shirts and quality ties? Is their hair well-coiffed and their shoes sleek and of high quality? Or does everyone dress like Dwight Schrute? Do you work at a megafund in NYC, or at Procter and Gamble in Cleveland?
In general I would keep the make-up light before and after the gym (heavy make-up looks like ass), and yes, you need to blow-dry your hair. You can maybe go for a simple hairstyle (tussled, hair-up look is actually pretty hot), but no wet hair bullshit (this actually applies to guys too). And don't underestimate the power of looking good as a female, regardless of what anyone says. We had a VP in our office when I was an analyst who made it to VP, and subsequently to director, largely because she looked damn good all the time.
Better yet, stop working out mid-day and hit the gym in the morning or at after work. Mid-day is very inefficient.
Well even as a guy I wouldn't feel comfortable not taking at least a quick shower after sweating at the gym so I get that...guess I'd pretty much echo what Disincentivy said, now that I think about it. If anything, if I needed more time I'd just up the intensity of the workout and use the time saved to shower/recover/whatever. I guess there's some middle ground between doing nothing and taking way to much time that has to be found that one would be comfortable with, in my opinion.
I think if you are going back to work after the gym you need to look exactly how you did before you left. If not, make sure you go directly home after the gym (maybe some eyeliner and lipgloss in case you bump into someone on your way out) or just get it all over with before your day begins... I think any shortcuts here are an embarrassing moment waiting to happen.
this doesn't belong in a finance forum
Says someone who triple-posts all of his threads, lol.
Haha yeah I accidentally double-posted once, but that happened two months ago. It's a little weird you remember that.
Dafuq?! Who asks this? if you're dirty get clean.... I think I learnt this when I was 3 years old..
Are you trying to get laid at work? Go to the gym, shower and dry off. Throw clothes on and get to work. Why is this even a question?
You know how I know you're an MBA grad?
You manage to make simple things complicated.
Zing.
You speak the truth, both from a personal perspective and as an accurate general stereotype. Can't figure out whether to be disappointed in myself or pleased that my overpriced education is showing.
Maybe I'll send those bastards in alumni relations ten bucks after all. They can name a chair after me. Well, maybe not. Maybe a toilet seat. Well, maybe half a toilet seat.
Actually, now that I think about it, getting to name the Bankerella Memorial Tampon Dispenser would be pretty dope. All you chicks who end up going to my school (after taking my advice and getting 99th percentile GMATs, naturally) could think of me fondly while you're sticking a quarter in the slot. Or you could be like, "Screw you, bitch, you may have needed a 770, but I got in with a 710 and went to Cancun with my spare time instead. Suck it, Bankerella."
But to get back to the original point: I hear you monkeys loud and clear. I'll lug the f'ing rollaboard full of absurd crap, and I'll spend the last hour of my day looking as crisp as the first hour. And I'll think fondly (well, not-so-fondly) of you all as I put that perfect curl in each little f'ing eyelash.
Much love. Enjoy your weekend, folks.
I just skimmed but was that really the overall message people were giving you? I was reading a lot of shower and go back to work.. I'm only commenting on this because you said there were a lot of guys in your office, thats all you need to take into consideration, guarantee you a guy will NOT notice the difference between 2min infront of the mirror and 30min.. Unless your just haggard as fuck without all your mysterious lady products on..
I choose option 1
I get up at 5:00 and hit the gym before work then shower/shave/groom there. It's much easier and I don't have to shower twice in a day. I say go before work. Problem solved.
This. Or you could go before bed as i do.
Yeah same here. I usually end up going for a nice run along Central Park in the evening. You come back, shower, and pass out within seconds.
Please just do us all a favor and put a bag over your head.
Would you start your day at work looking like... that?!
There is only one real answer to this if you are the level where you are front office and / or meet clients... There are no excuses. I have colleagues who walk around with rumpled shirts, skewed, loosened ties and occasionally rolled up sleeves, but that's their thing and the look they're trying to project... Constantly looking like they're pulling an all-nighter. I take it this isn't what you're going for.
Personally I don't need to comb my hair, I just run my fingers through it as I walk out the door and I look good. Other guys may need to blow dry their hair after the gym or after their morning shower. What matters is the end result and the image you want to project. No one is going to take your gym situation into account. Most of the judging is done on a subconscious level anyway.
I know this is a troll post, but I'm sure there are impressionable girls (and guys) who aspire to be bankers that might read this and think that it is appropriate to look unkempt. It isn't.
You need to look like a professional if you want to be taken seriously as a professional.
SQUATZ AND OATZ. Rolfe, more girls would benefit from doing heavier squats and more men would benefit from the externalities.
The things you need for a clean-up and touch-up after the gym is minimal and could fit in a Ziploc bag in your purse. Or kept in the drawer of your desk. Travel-size shampoo/soap. Hairbrush. Foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipgloss. Really now, that's nothing; I'm not quite sure why the options are 1) stay disgusting, or 2) carry a shitload of crap around. That's not a shitload of crap.
Hmm, gotta disagree:
1) As I mentioned, my purse is the size of my hand (and I'd like to keep it that way, though I'm afraid this will ultimately have to change). 2) Not everyone wears/uses the same stuff. For example, I use nothing on my lips and you do. Nothing wrong with that. And you clearly don't need to do much to your hair after washing it, but due to my hair type, I need to.
I have the worst hair in the world, it needs shampoo + conditioning + oil + a scrub + other random bottles. But travel size is the best thing invented, and even if not, I doubt storing it in a desk drawer and then carrying a tote to the gym really requires that much effort.
@OP are you really contemplating returning to work looking like someone who doesnt care about their appearance? ok, im a dude and if i did workout at lunch, I would take all the necessary steps to ready myself just as if I were going in to work first thing in the morning, when I return from my workout.......
I would go for the early day work out, as they said saves time, plus gives you endorphins for the day (assuming you are in shape).
If you like going mid of the day, because it clears your mind/makes you happy, I would go for a quick shower and minimum make up. 1. If you take a shower at 5pm, then you are done till next day. You don't need to shower next morning (unless you also work out the next morning). I guess I would work out max once a day, so I also need to shower only once. 2. I've been applying eye concelear, light powder and blush everyday for almost 10 years now and it is just 2 min, It makes my face look fresher and better rested. I found this is the most efficient. Maybe gloss and mascara would also make me look better, but it takes more time, and the results aren't so noticeable (and mascara is a pain to take off). I guess I just calculated ROI unconsciusly :P
Does it look bad going to the office with wet hair? Should I make up a bun?
I'm glad that I'm a man. You girls need so much maintenance...
Appreciate the effort though...
Useful tips
http://girlsguideto.com/article/be-beauty-ninja
[quote=KeepCalm]Useful tips
http://girlsguideto.com/article/be-beauty-ninja[/quote]
Just curious if you also 'Chive On'??
Regards
How does dry shampoo work on your hair? If it isn't extremely oily or dirty could just put a little dry shampoo on it?
The very idea makes me shudder.
But it may actually be a valid solution to my problem. What the hell, I'll give it a try.
Don't care about the opportunity cost of grooming - for girls, your biggest investment is always YOURSELF.
ALways put make-up + perfume.
Perfume, huh? How much should you use? Like, at what range should the perfume be noticeable by others if the wind is right?
Also, how often should you reapply perfume throughout the day? Any advice you could give would be great.
Now I believe you are the single female in your group :)
Frequency of reapply and dosage really depend on the degree of concentration. Check the article if you are interested in: http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.ca/2011/06/myth-busting-what-fragrance.ht…
Simply put, if you can't smell it, reapply, but don't make other people sneeze. Your male colleagues will hate you for that.
Hahaha. Ahaha. So let me get this straight: you're saying I should apply perfume every morning and then just keep loading more on top of that throughout the day whenever I stop being able to smell it?
I always wondered what was going on in the minds of women who walk around smelling so strongly of perfume that they make people's eyes' water. Now I know. Thank you.
Gee, make people's eyes' water? That sounds more like insecticide than perfume. If it's perfume, must be the cheap ones...
Always put on perfume together with self-awareness.
Regardless of how costly it is, perfume makes many people's eyes water when overapplied. (You say above that it can make people sneeze when overapplied, so watery eyes would hardly be a stretch.)
So what's your native language?
Em, applaud for your sharp eyes. Yes I do speak a different native language, and it seems that you and I don't have "common language" either. But it's ok, as a big perfume fan (with a collection of >20), I always appreciate the diversity of views:)
Bankerella, is the late afternoon/early evening workout really necessary? Working out before or after work would solve your dilemma completely. It would also cut back on the amount of time that you aren't 'done up'...which you may or may not care about.
Personally, I try to uncomplicated my life at every turn. I use the gym in my building because I can change at my place, ride the elevator down, work out, ride it back up and go on with my day/night. No driving/parking at the gym (not that you NYC'ers would have to worry about that), no dragging along cleaners or soaps, etc. and no lugging around fresh underwear/clothes.
At any rate, I agree that you shouldn't lower your standard after the gym because people aren't going to consider that when they are secretly judging you. Personally, I wouldn't care much because I do take those things into consideration, but I don't think most people do, so it's worth keeping in mind.
Regards
Bankerlla, if that is you in the red shirt, hit me up via PM and I will gladly provide my digits
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