A woman who proudly admits to being high-maintenance and spends a whopping $37,000 (£30,000) a year on her looks says she's refusing to settle for a man who doesn't put in the effort.

Koko Slunjski, 32, has always been high-maintenance and sees no reason to be embarrassed about it. She spends thousands each year on her looks, including a seven-step skincare routine, and says she's 'living her best life'.

Before finding her current partner, Koko faced criticism from men who thought she was "too much". She believes that dating is tougher than ever for women.

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Koko, a content creator from Miami, Florida, US, said: "High-maintenance just means you want the very best from life - and you're not afraid to ask for it. All my life, trolls told me I was asking too much - and I'd be 'lucky' if I got taken out to McDonald's on a first date. I don't expect men to do things for me - I'm likely already doing them for myself. But I will only date a man who wants to level up - who strives for bigger and better things.

"I'm trying to be the best version of myself - putting the work in, doing my workouts, reading self-help books - it can be hard to keep up. So, if you're not able to keep up with that, why would I want you in my life?"

She's been labelled as high-maintenance her whole life after relocating from Croatia to Miami at the tender age of 22. Her loved ones told her she "didn't have to prove anything" by moving across the globe, and that she could lead a content life back home. But Koko yearned for "something more than a 9-5 job", which she believed wasn't achievable in Croatia.

She revealed: "I moved to the US when I was 22 - my whole family is in Croatia. They said I didn't have to prove anything, and I could be happy there. A lot of people asked me 'why are you doing this? Why can't you just be happy with what you are?' Which is just not correct - I think you can be perfectly happy but strive for bigger and better things."

Koko initially landed in Miami with a mere $1,000 (£819) and two suitcases. Now, she splurges thousands on her nails annually, follows a seven-step skincare routine - including acid peels and regular facials, and dreams of becoming a "female CEO".

In a single year, Koko spends $1,300 (£1,064) on Russian manicures, $600 (£491) on pedicures, $3,000 (£2,456) on hair upkeep, $2,000 (£1638) on skincare and a staggering $30,000 (£25,000) on clothing. "I'm not just a rich girl," Koko declared. "Everything I've had, I built myself. It's not easy being high-maintenance at all - I get a lot of trolling. It just makes me sad that instead of trying to level-up themselves, they try to drag people down with them.

"You have to be levelling up in every aspect of your life - friendships, career, relationships... there's a lot of work you have to put in. It's not just about your physical appearance - but it's still very important to me.

"I have a very intense skincare routine which is at least seven steps and I get my nails done every three weeks. English is not my first language - so appearance to me, is like communicating with someone before you even speak."

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In addition to her looks, Koko considers her six-month-old micro Bernedoodle, Rocky, as an extension of herself. She's even been told by the doorman in her apartment that he "smells better than every other dog in the building".

Despite investing into her appearance, career and friendships, Koko struggled to date before finding love with her partner - a 34 year old equity consultant. She said: "I'm 32 years old - this is the first time in my life I can confidently say what I like and dislike. When I was single, I was never really a blind-dater, or someone who used the apps.

* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk