Beauty
My first Brazilian bikini wax
My first Brazilian bikini wax Image by: (Insert) Getty Images
Beauty
My first Brazilian bikini wax
When I think of Brazil, I think of The Girl from Ipanema, Gisele Bündchen and nuts. I don’t normally associate the vibrant South American country with being bare… down there. But all that’s changing.
Being a woman of (somewhat) mature age, when CL’s Fashion & Beauty editors asked me to subject myself to a Brazilian wax as part of the “My First” story collection, I thought, ‘What the heck? I’ve had a bikini wax before, and I’ve had a child. Compared to that, how bad can it be?’ So I decided to take one for the team.
The Prep
Julia and Alexandra kindly set me up for my with an appointment at WaxOn, a Canadian salon chain founded by Lexi Miles that offers waxing services in a bright, friendly environment. The staff was super-nice, and sent me an email that contained the appointment details for my Braziliant (“removes all hair – includes between the cheeks”) and a few tips to consider beforehand, such as remembering to exfoliate to prep the hair and to apply some numbing cream to the skin. A couple of Advil was my own contribution. Professional: check. Approachable: check. Cue sigh of relief.
As the day for my treatment approached, I admit I felt a little apprehensive, not at the thought of the pain, necessarily, but more at the idea of totally exposing myself. For the procedure, you are starkers from the waist down, at the mercy of someone you don’t know who you know is going to hurt you. Unless you’re a frequent visitor to an S&M establishment, it’s a vulnerable position to be in. Plus, it was winter, and I had kind of let myself go, if you get my drift. I wasn’t sure if the waxologist would do some trimming, but I was assured that I could leave it all to them.
The Big Day
Stepping into the bright white, grey and lemony yellow environment of WaxOn relieved my anxiety right away. I had opted to get the numbing cream while I was there, and was shown into a bathroom so I could apply it. Then I returned to the reception area to let it sink in for about half an hour until my waxologist, Kate, came to fetch me. She’s warm and friendly, and definitely knows her stuff. We went into a treatment room where I stripped down as she warmed the wax. I hopped onto the table, and was on my back with my feet together and knees open. Everything was in full view, and I babbled the whole time, but Kate is great at small talk, too.
Kate used WaxOn’s exclusive natural Gold hard wax (with hard wax you don’t need the cotton strips, the thick layer of wax is peeled right off – believe me, it’s less painful) that includes titanium dioxide to soothe the skin and mica for a more efficient removal for the Braziliant, and I was assured that using this wax meant that Kate could do her thing in 15 minutes max. She didn’t do any trimming, just spread a layer of wax on and ripped all the hair out in 2-by-4-inch swathes.
The Pain Factor and The Results
My nerves kept me chattering the whole time, but I actually felt pretty comfortable. There were a few places, such as over the pubic bone, where having the hair removed was painful, but it just smarted for a few seconds. Honestly, for the most part, the Braziliant was totally bearable. Plus, the results were really, really good. My skin felt so smooth and soft; I felt clean and fresh. I wished it wasn’t winter so I could flaunt it a little bit, actually (okay, so I’m a bit of an exhibitionist!). There was a bit of redness right after the treatment but it went away by the next day. And the whole thing was over in Kate’s declared 15 minutes. Not bad, right? In fact, it was so good I went back for another round about a month later.
Pros
- Baby soft skin, and a clean fresh feeling
- 15 minutes of discomfort but 5 weeks of effect
- Very few in-grown hairs (at the salon I picked up Prince Reigns, an ingrown hair serum that really works)
- Super-friendly and professional service – not for one minute did I feel embarrassed or uncomfortable
The Bottom Line
If you’re thinking of going all the way (hair-wise), I can absolutely say it was worth it. Full disclosure, though: When I went back for my second treatment I chose to do the Modest Brazilian (“removes all hair except for a frontal strip; includes between the cheeks”). I know a lot of people say they think having all their hair removed below the belt makes them look pre-pubescent, but that wasn’t my issue. For me, because I’ve had chemotherapy and lost all my hair because of it, being completely bare down there just brought back some not-so-pleasant memories. The Modest Brazilian, on the other hand, is just the ticket for me. If you see someone sauntering down the street this summer looking like she’s got nothing to hide, that’s me.
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