Mariah Carey -- It Takes a Village Bank To Pretty Her Up

Mariah Carey is one expensive chick to hire ... and we're not talking her day rate -- she charges nearly $85,000 just to look presentable.

It all came out in a shocking lawsuit, in which a photographer is suing Mariah's record label, claiming he prepped a photo shoot for the singer's album cover and it was cancelled for no reason.

In the legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the photog lays out exactly what it takes to get Mariah camera ready:

Stylist -- $65,391
Hair stylist -- $9,600
Makeup artist -- $7,200
Manicurist -- $2,400

The photog is suing for his fee -- which totaled $150,000

High maintenance, for sure.

But the record label claims they never fully agreed on the terms of the contract ... so there's no breach and the label's not on the hook for the fee.