EYEBROWS ON FLEEK//BIKINI WAXING 101
Hope I am not alone here but I cannot pre-book my eyebrow waxing appointments for the life of me. I usually realize that it's time to get waxed when I am looking in my rear view mirror and then I frantically text my fabulous aesthetician Sonja to see how I can get worked into her schedule! And until I see her I am attached to my sunnies even indoors because my brows look like the hot mess express. I even got rid of my tweezers a year ago because I am not a responsible tweezer gal. I would use them to tweeze a few fly-a-ways and then before you know it I would have tweezed half my brows off. So yesterday I found a pair of my tweezers and made the hugest mistake over tweezing even though I know better.I was just trying to tidy up and save time and seriously HUGEST mistake. And now all my hard work in achieving my super thick full bushy brows is ruined and I am now needing to start from scratch. (This has been my "grow-out" inspiration.. images via pinterest) Sorry Sonja.
It's no secret that the whole world is obsessed with eyebrows. And achieving the perfect brows on fleek kinda vibe, all begins with shaping. Brows frame your whole face. So I am quite obsessed with waxing over threading. Threading was really painful and irritating for me. Sonja also explained to me that that threading does not requite a license, so you may not have a professional providing the service. You also have to wait longer between your services because the hair needs to be longer to thread. This would be the biggest challenge for me as I love having perfectly manicured brows 24/7. However threading is great for people who are using Retinol products. You must stop using Retinol one week before waxing as it thins the skin and you would not want the waxing to remove the top layer of skin. Anyone can benefit from an eyebrow wax - but it's especially good for people who can't stand the pain of tweezing or threading. Surprisingly waxing is often seen as the least painful of all eyebrow removal techniques, because it's literally over in two minutes and I hate pain so I am definitely a wax girl! I have been seeing Sonja, who is at Parlour Salon in Brookside now for years. My brows are extremely course and difficult and she's incredibly patient and knows how to work with a stubborn brow. She's also a bit of a perfectionist and I need that when it comes to something that frames my whole face and changes my whole look. She also uses a fantastic wax called Cirepil by Perron Rigot. It's French and it's a low temperature wax that is great for all skin types, even sensitive skin. When it dries it shrink wraps around the hair follicle making this less damaging to the skin !
Swimsuit season is right around the corner too ! And a good bikini wax is my favorite thing. Of course, you can shave but you and I both know you have to do that tedious daunting task daily and shaving causes irritation. Waxing allows you to be hair free for three weeks!! And you only have to wait a week's time for more hair growth to get waxed again ! If you are a first time bikini waxer..do not fret. Everyone feels a bit self-conscious, especially the first few times. But remember, beauty therapists have seen it ALL before and perform bikini waxes every day. Worrying about whether you're too hairy / not hairy enough / have rubbish knickers on is all very normal but very unnecessary. If Carrie Bradshaw can handle it we can too !
BIKINI WAX 101:
• There are several categories of bikini wax based on how much hair is removed and priced accordingly. The classic shape is the 'Bikini' and involves a simple tidy up of hair at the front and a bit down below, so that it doesn't extend beyond your knicker line – just enough to get you bikini-ready (this is the ideal wax for first-timers). The 'Brazilian' involves a lot more hair removal – typically leaving just a 'landing strip' of hair at the front and all hair removed down below and even round the back! The 'Hollywood' is total hair removal, front to back. Many salons offer a 'High Bikini' or 'G String' wax which is a little more thorough than your classic 'Bikini' shape and includes hair removed from the top to take your strip down in length.
• Your therapist will ask you to lie down on a salon bed/couch and remove your clothes below the waist. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF IF YOU DON'T WANT TO (and most people don't)! They are very adept at working around your knickers to protect your modesty
• If you want a thorough wax like a Brazilian or Hollywood the therapist may find it easier if you remove your pants or offer you some disposable pants instead. Some salons which offer a form of hot wax without strips may also prefer you not wear anything. But your dignity comes first so if you feel uncomfortable at any point, just speak up – or leave!
• The therapist normally asks you place one leg bent up at the knee and the other bent flat on the bed at a right angle, exposing one side of your bikini line. She will then tuck a tissue into the edge of your pants to protect them from the wax.
• Wearing gloves, the therapist applies melted hot wax onto a small section of your hair using a spatula – it's warm, not too hot. Then a strip of cloth or muslin is applied on top of the wax, she presses down for a few seconds, holds the skin taut and pulls the strip away in one sharp tug. She continues repeating this process, both sides, until you're all done.
• OK, the therapist WILL be very close to your butt and MAY have to touch your labia and adjust you here and there to get the skin taut. Weird but necessary.
• Just how painful is it? Everyone has different pain thresholds but we won't kid you that it's painless (as many salons claim). Normally it results in a sharp intake of breath but it definitely gets easier the more you have it done. In some areas you'll hardly flinch; other spots result in a bit of involuntary swearing (top of the landing strip always seems a bit ouchy) - but either way it's over in about TWO SECONDS. In our experience, the best therapists work in small sections and press down on the skin immediately after pulling off the wax strip to dull the pain – so ask your therapist to work this way.Sonja says popping an ibuprofen an hour beforehand also helps.
• The therapist finishes by checking her handiwork and removing any remaining stray hairs with tweezers. Annoying but important.
• Finally, a soothing cream is applied all over. This bit feels really nice. She'll leave the room to let you get dressed.
• A bit of redness is normal afterwards for a few hours. BRAVO! You are now gorgeously hair-free and low-maintenance for about 3-4 weeks before you're ready for your next session.
Local Tulsa loves, Sonja is offering a 10% discount to my readers for your first time eyebrow wax and your first time bikini wax ! Call or text 918-521-3101 ! You must use the promo code " Spring Special" to get the 10% discount ! You will not be disappointed !
XO
Sam