A trip to the hairdresser or beauty salon is now considered a necessity for many rather than a special treat. It wasn't that long ago that women considered a trip to the hairdressers a special treat. That altruistic generation of our mothers and grandmothers - with their "put up, shut up, no one will be looking at me" mentality - were content to limit their beauty regimen to a quick slick of lippy, whatever the occasion.
But this generation is different. We have become the 21st-century pin-up for perfection. And not that we're anywhere close to the kind of faultlessness we crave, which is why we've made it our life's mission to pluck, suck, preen and pamper our way into oblivion.
While Mum made do with a blow-dry on special occasions, for us - indulging in an arsenal of beauty treatments - manicure, pedicure, hair extensions, Botox, fat injections, spray tans, oxygen facials, laser hair al, you name it - has become the norm.
The lifestyles of celebrities, with their impossible-to-attain looks, have become the benchmark for success. When you consider we're not all A-list-loaded princesses, one can't help but wonder exactly when we put ourselves on a pedestal?
"There are two main reasons women are investing more time and money on pampering," says demographer Bernard Salt.
"Firstly, they work hard, so feel they deserve to and they can afford it. Our mothers' generation did not have the same expectations; their role was motherhood and home-keeping so there was no rationale in their minds as to why they should be pampered.
"Secondly, there is a greater 'dwell time' between adulthood and commitment to marriage and children. Even then, more women are opting not to have children, or to just have one, which means there are greater finances and time to dedicate wholly to themselves."
Of course the whole celebrity and celebritel - "it" models who now come with a celeb tag - thing hasn't helped. Spurred on by a barrage of ridiculously flawless faces and bombarded with cosmetic catch cries of "because you're worth it", these days devoting endless hours to your beauty regime requires no justification.
"In previous eras, mass marketing and media simply didn't exist but today images of perfection peer out at us every time we go to the supermarket," Salt says. "It shapes our idea of what we can and should be."
Back in the real world, however, it's worth noting the women we drool over have been retouched within an inch of their lives. But, Salt says, while deep down we know having supermodel skin is unattainable, "it sets the bar for what to aspire to".
Our desire to keep up with the Joneses and gain a competitive edge - especially in this cutthroat climate where redundancies are rife and image is seen as a measure of success - is also fuelling our lust to be lavished.
Psychologist Dr Janet Hall says: "We're definitely the generation who demands it all and believes we can have it, so why shouldn't we be self-indulgent and made to feel special?"
A great deal of importance, she adds, is placed on looking your best in the workplace. "If not, that more attractive, more stylish colleague might nab your job."
Being swept up in the fantasy world the stars appear to inhabit - we have the ruthless pursuit of the paparazzi to thank for that - has also been a catalyst.
"Remember when we all wanted Jennifer Aniston hair?" Hall prompts. "Now we don't just want her locks, we want her fabulous life."
Aniston reportedly spends $20,000 on her monthly beauty upkeep, so apparently deep pockets are a must here.
Also driving our quest to be treated like the Queen is accessibility. Walk around any department store or designer mall and there's an army of pampering treatments - drop-in nail bars, foot spas, Chinese massage, express facials, instant makeovers - on offer.
And go to any big-name event and its highly likely there will be an opportunity to indulge in the latest beauty treatment. During the Spring Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick racecourse, VIP guests were treated to free hair and make-up at the aptly named pop-up Pamper Palace. Even the trusty hair salon is unrecognisable from the days when Aunty Joan went in for her weekly finger waves (and she was one of the lucky ones).
Seriously chic-in-the-city salons Renya Xydis City and Brad Ngata Hair Direction have become modern-day sanctuaries where stressed-out workers flock for weekly hairstyling, facials or speedy early morning blow-drys.
Why bother doing your own hair in the morning when there's someone on hand to do it for you? And hell hath no fury like a woman denied her post-shampoo head massage.
Even the traditionally sterile, once-secret cosmetic clinic is now a place to be pampered. The recently opened Skin by Scott and Sullivan, which has set up shop at the Ivy, is more luxe beauty retreat than cold clinic.
With a mantra of providing a "clinically exact but luxurious experience", it's the brainchild of two registered nurses, who, despite cutting their teeth on invasive procedures such as Botox, medical-grade facial peels and laser hair al, have answered the call of today's clients: to serve up a healthy dose of bliss with their lunchtime beauty treatment.
"Society is so critical about the way we look, we're the first to criticise Britney's baby flab or Kate Moss's bad complexion," director Lisa Sullivan says.
"At the end of the day, every woman wants to look the best she can for her age and we've found that all demographics and socio-economic groups want to indulge in the latest treatments, not just the wealthy.
"Somehow they will find the money to pursue their desire, especially older women, who can feel threatened by their younger peers.
"We're also seeing a shift in the types of treatments clients seek. Not all customers want high-strength vitamin A and C anti-agers, there's demand for a more nurturing organic option." Where it will end is anyone's guess.
Our love affair with luxurious beauty products and decadent pampering treatments has resulted in the global beauty industry - now worth $250 billion a year - giving birth to a hot new miracle product and state-of-the-art, anti-ageing treatment seemingly every nanosecond.
It will be interesting to see whether the popularity of pampering outlasts the recent cost-cutting mood, courtesy of the credit crunch. Then we'll know for certain whether spoiling yourself has moved from a mere indulgence to just part of a day's work.
Words: Natasha Silva-Jelly
It feels great to look good. I find it a necessity to check how I look before I step out of my house.
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