The ever-so-helpful Dictionary.com defines high-maintenance as:

High-maintenance, adj.:

1. Needing frequent maintenance or repair;
2. Demanding a great deal of attention, money, or effort

Self-explanatory, no? So it seems, but what’s high-maintenance to you, might be nothing to me.

I’m always the first to be ready to go out – yes, before the men, too. In under fifteen minutes, I can get skin, hair, makeup, and a clothing change done and dusted. Granted, the finished look is unquestionably minimal and definitely on the natural side. Showers are within the ten-minute range and I don’t do baths. My nails are always freshly painted, but I have yet to actually get a mani/pedi service done. Professional facials are not a regular occurrence (a rarity, actually – I know, I know: shame on me, but my excuse is that I’m a college student. What’s yours?) The list goes on.

I’m a minimalist, or so I think – and so I’m told – but am I really a minimalist? Or a minimalist-relatively-speaking? To those who just splash their face with water and walk out the door, I’m the furthest thing, but when my mostly-au-naturel face is compared alongside a well-coiffed, well-made-up lady, I fall short of putting in any “real effort.”

My entire makeup collection – day-to-day makeup as well as all my special occasion tchotchkes – fits into a 1 x 2 drawer with plenty of room to spare, but I’ll admit that each curated piece cost a pretty penny. My skincare regimen is pretty basic, but I’m a sucker for all sorts of body care products. (Lotions and potions, oh my!) There are tweezing rituals, bi-annual haircuts, monthly at-home hair treatment days, massages, and monthly DIY facials. There are supplies to be replenished every two months, and if any of my products should suddenly disappear, yes, I would go out of my way to repurchase them immediately, because I’ve come to believe that I have narrowed down my regimen down to the must-have and can’t-live-withouts.

So just how high-maintenance am I? And how high-maintenance are you? Take our quiz!

“How High Maintenance Are You?” Quiz

1. How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning? a. Half an hour to 45 minutes, with breakfast. b. About 20 minutes max. c. An hour or more. You’ll pick up coffee and a bagel on the way to work.

2. You can only book one type of beauty-related appointment for the rest of the year. What will you choose? a. Mani/pedi. You’ve learned how to blow-out and cut your hair since you were in high school. b. Haircut. To keep your mane looking healthy, of course. c. Does an all-inclusive spa count?

3. You just got a last-minute invite to one of New York’s biggest soirees of the season. What do you do? a. Start planning. You can book a blow out now and head over if you skip out of work 20 minutes early. Maybe Suzy from your favorite makeup counter at Nordstrom will do your makeup for you on your way home? You’ll get a simple winged liner look and nude mani (fingers crossed) to keep things safe and practical. b. No worries, you’re sure you can pull something together once you’re home. Plus, it’s all about that French je-ne-sais-quoi, right? Just a few touch-ups will do the trick. c. Remind yourself to breathe and frantically make a mental to-do list. Hair. Makeup. Nails. It’s a good thing you just got a spray tan, so at least that’s something… but makeup! Hair! Nails! You can’t possibly plan these things when you don’t know what to wear! It starts at 8 pm? You secretly hate the organizers for only giving you two hours to get all this done.

4. Quick! What’s in your on-the-go makeup bag? a. Powder, kabuki brush, a nude lipstick, a red lipstick (you never know), emery board, lip balm, gloss, liner, a compact mirror, mints. b. Oil-blotting sheets, a rosewater facial spray, a few lip balms, a mini perfume. c. Yesterday’s pink lipstick, today’s nude lip combo, a just-in-case red lipstick, a neutral lip liner, compact foundation, tweezers, cuticle oil, a mini travel brush set, concealer, color corrector, eyeliner pencil…

5. What does your beauty cabinet look like? a. Organized. A shelf for skincare, a couple for makeup. You have some backups of your favorite products and some special occasion things stashed in a separate drawer. b. Clean, simple, minimalist. With some room to spare. c. Cabinet? A collection, more like. The cabinet’s for emergency kits and spare floss. The Container Store is your best friend – your vanity now resembles a little boutique.

Results! If you picked mostly...

A’s: You’re a beauty girl, for sure. You know your stuff just as well as you unabashedly love it, but when push comes to shove, a few things are just extras you could live without. Maybe not happily, but you’ll make do.

B’s: You ooze minimalism. You’ve found what works for you and hey – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Easy, natural, but beautiful – that’s your philosophy.

C’s: High-maintenance and proud! You don’t just love beauty – you live it. Breathe it. Embody it.