Beauty Treatment:The Sharp-to-Shabby Slide

How workaday beauty devolves, quick primps and piercings.

By Jenny Merkin, published on September 01, 2010 - last reviewed on November 08, 2010

*Including bathing, outfit, makeup, and hair.

Look around on Monday—that’s the best-looking your colleagues will get. Workers’ a.m. primping efforts start strong and plummet as the week progresses, notes a British survey. “On Mondays, you hype yourself up to go back to work,” says career expert Cynthia Shapiro. “It’s psychological armor.” Here’s how we allocate preen-time in a typical week.*—Jenny Merkin

Pretty Fast

"A frazzled look says ‘overwhelmed,’” Shapiro warns. Try these minute-shavers to sleep in and still look fresh. —JM

Aubrey Natural Sun SPF 20 Tinted Sunscreen: A light lotion that replaced my sunblock-foundation-bronzer routine.
derma e Vanilla Bean Cleansing Mousse, Age-Defying Facial Formula: Creamy and deliciously scented, with anti-aging green tea.
Pantene Pro-V 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner: An old standby that shortened my shower and left my locks squeaky-clean.

Pierce Your Way Fierce

Why real men go under the needle

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Hot guys get tattoos. That’s the conclusion of a recent study from the University of Wroclaw that looked at body decorations vis-à-vis body symmetry, a good proxy for overall genetic quality (attractive specimens are generally more symmetrical). Scientists thought uglier men might use metal and ink to up their attractiveness or hide flaws, but the opposite proved true.

Since body decoration can pose serious risks (worldwide, 20-30 percent of those who undergo the needle develop some health problem), piercings and tats signal that the body they’re adorning is already hardy. The findings didn’t apply to women, though—as the choosier sex, they’re less motivated to show off their biological quality, explains researcher Boguslaw Pawlowski. “Men might not realize it, but they’re thinking, ‘This will make me more attractive. I need to prove that I can do this.’”—Lauren Gerber