Asians have no body hair. Well, I must’ve completely missed that gene mutation boat. Having been blessed with hirsutism my entire life–which to me is a complete curse–hair removal is the bane of my existence. Women apparently spend up to $23,000 and 57 days during a lifetime removing unwanted hair. That’s a shitload of money, and time. I guess that’s why we pay people for the convenience.
A week ago I was invited by Strip (professional Waxperts!) to try out their latest promotion; Strip Summer Wax featuring two limited edition waxes–moisturizing cucumber or whitening lemon. Truth be told, my only prior experience with waxing involved baby powder, DIY bikini-line strip wax, and a (thankfully!) high tolerance for pain, all in the privacy of my room. Those instances have always left me with a neck ache and residual wax stuck to my skin. Not particularly enjoyable aye? The day before my appointment, I started to get a little anxious. Pre-brazilian jitters, if there’s even such a thing?
My internal monologue went something like this: What if the therapist thinks my lady parts are weird? Don’t be ridiculous, she’s probably seen a million vajayjay’s before yours. Can I change my mind halfway through if the pain is too much? And leave with a half bush, really? You know waxing really is a modern way of torture right? Cavemen and Egyptians have been dealing with hair removal since forever, which you would know if you paid attention during Beauty History 101. Will the hot wax burn me? Um, will it?!
Perhaps, indulging my overactive imagination wasn’t the best course of action. The day of my appointment I made my way to to Strip’s branch at ION Orchard, and bravely told the receptionist I was here for my Brazilian wax. After filling out a couple of forms, I was ushered into a brightly lit room and told to strip (no pun intended) from the bottom down. Alcohol swabs were also provided for me to clean my uh, surface area, though I’d considerately taken a shower before I left the house. I laid down on the terrycloth-lined bed and covered my nether region with a towel.
My therapist waltzed in two seconds later and told me she’d be giving be a couple drops of Bach’s Flower Remedies to keep me calm. Awesome, can I drink the whole bottle? After which she snaps on her latex gloves, checks the temperature of the wax, and gets right to it. Here’s what I remember of the process–a sprinkle of powder followed by her spreading the hot wax on a small area–once the wax hardens enough she peels off the edges and RIIIIIP! Honest to God, the pain is negligible on the outer areas, down the labia, and butt crack. You’ll want to mentally prepare yourself for the middle portion, but I realized the cooling pad they immediately place on the freshly waxed surface helps to alleviate any stinging or pain. Strip has a very strict no ‘double-dipping’ policy, and I’m happy to add that everyone gets a personal pre-sealed wax kit, so all you hygiene-freaks (myself included!) can rest assured.
Before I knew it, the treatment was over, and she was scrutinizing my current state of baldness while attacking errant strays with a tweezer. “That’s it! I’ll let you get dressed and I’ll see you outside.” I nimbly hop off the table and can’t help but examine myself thinking that I haven’t been this bare since puberty hit. P.S.: I recommend wearing something loose and comfy on the bottom because you don’t want any clothes rubbing against your skin, which could cause irritation.
I listen closely while my therapist (her name is Moon, if you must know) explains after-care to me, because experiencing itching and pain down there isn’t fun! Basically don’t do anything that will raise the body heat too much over the next 24 hours and start regular exfoliation from the third day. She also hands me their popular SCO Ace Cream which is purported to brighten darker areas in two weeks if used regularly. I can’t comment on it’s lightening properties yet since I haven’t been using it long enough, but I’ll definitely report back!
Strip is running this Summer campaign till the 30th of September, so if you’ve always wanted to get a Brazilian, the time is now. Plus you’ll only be paying SGD35 (U.P. SGD62) for a Brazilian, or SGD45 (U.P. SGD85) for a Boyzilian.
I wasn’t under obligation from Strip to share my experience, but I thought it would be helpful to those who’re curious about what goes behind closed doors at a waxing salon. Most reviews I’ve read don’t really go into much detail. So Brazilian wax virgins, I hope this has been helpful! If you have more FAQs, check this page out.
Disclosure: Compensation was not provided by Strip Singapore. The opinions expressed herein are mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Strip Singapore.
