Finding love on reality TV isn’t easy. It is also not cheap. Some fans are surprised to learn that the contestants on The Bachelor have to bring their own wardrobe and do their own hair and makeup on the show. Since most women don’t have multiple ballgowns in their closet, this usually means buying at least some (and often *many*) new items for the show.

In January, Daria Rose, a contestant on Clayton Echard’s season, posted a video on TikTok revealing that she spent $4,4000 on clothing and beauty products to prepare for her appearance on the show, only to be sent home on the first night. The post quickly went viral, for obvious reasons:

Financial transparency 👸🏾 #thebachelor #whatispent #dresses #greenscreen

In a new post on Insider, Daria broken down her Bachelor budget in detail, complete with links to some of dresses she bought. She also offered a little extra insight into why she spent as much as she did and what she plans to do with the gowns she didn’t get a chance to wear onscreen.

Let’s start with the one, $600 lewk that did make it to TV. Daria choose a stunning blue Sandra gown by Dress the Population (cost: $200) paired with white lace-up heels by Black designer Kendall Miles (cost: $400).

That’s a lot of money, but she DID look stunning:

“Some of my TikTok followers said they would have bought all of their dresses from cheap fast-fashion companies like Shein to save money,” she wrote. “It’s true that I definitely wasn’t required to spend thousands of dollars, but it was important to me that my fashion choices highlighted a diverse group of designers.”

Here are some of the other pricey pieces Daria says she bought for the show:

Red Illegal Halter Gown from Revolve — $219

Red x REVOLVE Allure Gown — $319

Hot Pink x REVOLVE Single Breasted Jacket and matching Boot Pant — $395

Emerald Green Alamour the Label Gown — $420

Daria says she also spent hundreds of dollars stocking up on new everyday fashion items (tops, jeans, athleisure wear, etc). and that, in total, she spent $3,408 on clothes to wear on her Bachelor journey.

Add in the $600 she spent on hair services and products and the more than $400 she dropped on makeup and beauty supplies, and Daria’s one-night Bachelor appearance ended up costing her about $4,400.

“The amount each Bachelor contestant spends probably varies a lot, but I’m not letting my investments go to waste,” she explained. “I’ll still make good use of the beauty products, and I plan on repurposing or donating the dazzling gowns.”

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