I’m a brazilian wax virgin
I must sound like a newbie to a lot of you. I have never gotten a brazilian wax. Our Brazil trip’s coming up in August, I’m thinking I should get one in the honour of the tirp :). I’m afraid if I don’t, I will feel inadequate among all the beautiful beach bodies there, lol. My little town didn’t used to have beauty salons that did brazilian wax, but I think there are a few now that do. I could’ve gone to Toronto (an hour away) to get one done years ago, but I was scared to death of it. Do you have any advice for me? I need to know everything there is to know about getting a good brazilian. I’ve started doing some research on the Weeb. Everyone seems to say it’s not as bad as you’d imagine and the brazilian waxers are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Here’s what I learned so far. Anything else you know darlings, tell me!
Most waxings occur in a private room with a door. I have heard of some with just a curtain between you and others. You remove your pants & underwear & lie on a table with clean paper or sheets. It is possible that you could be provided with a paper thong, but chances are… you won’t.
Because you only need about a quarter-inch of hair for the wax to grab onto, your waxer will start by trimming your pubic hair to the right length.
The best waxers are fast, which means less discomfort for you. The waxer will dip a waxing stick into a pot of hot wax & then spread it onto your skin & hair. She will then apply a cloth strip over the still-warm wax, pressing firmly so the cloth, hair and wax adhere to one another. When the wax has cooled, she will pull the strip off, in the opposite direction of your hair growth, pulling the hairs out by the root.
Most likely, your waxer will tweeze any stray hairs.
Waxing usually starts in the front & moves toward the back. You’ll likely have to move around in all sorts of odd positions in order for the waxer to do her job.
Once the waxing is over, the waxer will spread soothing lotion over the waxed areas. You should ask what to do in case of bumps, redness or ingrown hairs. Your waxer should be trained in this.
Don’t forget to get the name of the waxer so when you make another appointment you can get the same person so you don’t have to bare all for another complete stranger ;).
And remember to tip the aesthetician 20% - 25%.
Tips:
The procedure, like any waxing, can be very painful at first, but frequent visits usually cuts down on the pain factor. It’s suggested taking a couple Advil at least 15 minutes before your procedure. As for the embarrassment factor — we like to think getting a Brazilian can’t be any more embarrassing than a typical visit to your gynecologist’s office. These aestheticians have seen it all before.
The downside of a Brazilian wax… while it lasts as much as 3 weeks, the hair will grow back & you’ll have to do it again.
Another downside… hair has to be a certain length before it can sucessfully waxed.
Another down side… you might experience red bumps or ingrown hairs.
(Source: http://beauty.about.com/od/hairremoval/ht/bikiniwax.htm)
Filed under Hair | Comment (0)Ask Petite Chou - Shampoo & conditioner to fight hard water
Hey MPC,
I just recently moved into a new house. I’ve been noticing that our water is very hard and it’s wreaking havoc on my hair and scalp. My hair’s gotten really dry. And I never used to have itchy scalp but it gets dry and itchy as hell. Can you recommend a good shampoo/conditioner that can combat this situation and improve my hair before I shell out 3 grand to have a water softener installed.
Love,
B.
Ahhh hard water, the reality of life eh? I don’t know how I can live without a water softener. B, get that water softener soon, and you can definitely get a decent one for less than $3000. Anyway, honestly I don’t know of a shampoo and conditioner on the market that specifically addresses the hard water problem. If any of you know, please tell us :). I generally lean towards cheapie drugstore shampoos and conditioners, except occasionally I’ll splurge on a hair and scalp treatment as my scalp is temperamental - sometimes dry and sometimes oily.
Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair Lotion
$24.95, fantastic leave-in conditioner for both hair and scalp! It will relieve the itchiness, great for dry or oily scalp.
Frederic Fekkai Protein RX Reparative Treatment Mask
$28.50, pretty much the best hair mask out there. It’s like hair magic IMO.
Anyone else has tips for this problem? Any favorite hair treatments?
Filed under Hair | Comment (0)Deal Alert - Yves Rocher Last Chance Shop
My favorite page on Yves Rocher’s website is its Last Chance Shop. There’s always a ton of must-have skincare products like body washes, lotions, hand creams, scrubs, at extremely cheap prices. I usually buy a bunch at a time, these things I always need and use anyway so it’s not a waste. My mom (Yves Rocher’s her favorite skincare line) used to always buy double of everything so that she’d save half for me. I’m starting to do it for her too now. These are some of the things of great value that I just stocked up and strongly recommend.
Aqua Body Wash with Ginseng $14 $5.60. I pretty much only use body wash from Yves Rochers. This body wash is one of my faves, the herbal aroma smells great in the shower. It has mini beads that gently exfoliate. When I use a body wash that has exfoliating beads, I really go at it, it’s almost like a workout, lol.
Jardins des îles Shower Oil $6 $2.40, this one is a fantastic follow-up to your body wash, super hydrating, makes your skin silky smooth and glowy.
Pure Air Detangling Spray $14 $5.60. This detangling spray technically is for preping your hair before you start styling, but since I don’t style my hair, I just use for its great smell and conditioning, it’s a fast way to refresh your hair.
Wrinkle Smoothing Day Lotion SPF 20 $45 $18. My mom’s fave passed down to me, a great day cream since it has anti-oxidants and SPF 20 in one.
Vanilla Liquid Hand Soap $4.50 $1.80. I bought 5 of these, really lovely hand soap. Don’t you love it when the fragrance of the hand soap lingers? I unconsciously keep smelling my hands. Looks great on my kitchen counter.
Arnica Restorative Hand Balm $11 $4.40. I love hand creams as I’m deathly afraid of having leathery old-looking hands. This one works great, it’s loaded with grape seed oil, very soothing and moisturizing. Just don’t forget to put on sunscreen on your hands during the day too 
Slimming massager $4. It’s probably a stretch to call this massager slimming, but anything to stimulate better circulation thus getting rid of toxins, reducing cellulite and improving skin texture is a good tool to have.
SpaLook.com coupons galore
Anyone shopping for popular spa and boutique skincare and beauty brands? Spalook.com’s the best place to go to for its huge selection and low prices. Its lowest prices are guaranteed, or they’ll refund you for 115% of the difference in price! And every order comes with free samples. It’s a great site to load up on your dr. brandt, Molton Brown, Peter Thomas Roth, Freeze 24/7, Thalgo, etc. I have found a bunch of SpaLook’s coupons. Hope you find them useful! 
Get 10% off your $100 or more purchase at SpaLook.com. Coupon Code: Spa10
Get a FREE Sundari 5-piece set for dry skin when you spend $125 or more! Code: ASUND
Get a FREE SuperSmile Whitening Toothpaste (a $19 value) when you spend $45 or more. Code: AST
I want Camilla Belle’s bangs
Has anybody seen 10,000 B.C. yet? I’m excited about seeing the movie. Give me any big visual effects movie and I’m happy. Camilla Belle’s so cute. I’m totally jealous about her hair, so sleek and shiny, and the bangs are just adorable on her. I really want a change with my hair and I have this urge to get bangs like hers. Hers are kinda different ’cause they aren’t exactly uniformly cut straight across and they cover her eyebrows. It totally works on her. The last time I had bangs was when I was 10. I know thick flat bangs have been popular for a while now. Do you think if they are on their way out? And it takes a certain hair type/texture for this kind of bangs to work. Does any of you have bangs like that? Is it hard to upkeep?
(picture sources: hollyscoop.com, men.style.com/details)
Filed under Hair | Comment (0)When my hair is in a trasition period, it needs extra care
It’s been almost 9 months since my last magic hair straightening (also called thermal reconditioning, I later on learned), my hair has grown out quite a bit and has gotten much pouffier and less straight and sleek. It’s almost time for my yearly hair straightening again, but I’m going to try to hold out for it until the winter’s over. The summer is when my hair really craps out and needs this procedure the most because of the humidity. So in the meantime, I just have to give my hair extra attention to keep it under control. I’m slathering on hair treatment every time I wash my hair. I have these on rotation right now.
Frederic Fekkai Shea Butter Hair Mask
$22.50. Pretty much every beauty and hair junkie I talk to swears by Frederic Fekkai. It’s pretty pricey, but for once-a-week treatment, it’s worth it. My hair’s the kind of hair that I need to sleep on to get the most of the pouffiness out in the morning. Any of you know what I’m talking about? If you have fine hair, you don’t know what I’m talking about. I have way too much volume, so watching hair and blow drying in the morning doesn’t work for me. I have to wash it at night and sleep on it. This hair mask really puts the moisture back in my hair. It’s so light-weight you can even use it as a leave-in conditioner, so sometimes I put it on the ends of my hair before I blow-dry.
Biolage by Matrix Conditioning Balm
$22 $19.97. I’ve always liked Matrix products. I used to shell out the bucks for their shampoo and conditioner before the rebirth of my hair. After I got my hair straightened, I discovered that my hair no longer required expensive shampoo and conditioner so I was happy to save some money, but I still get the hair balm once in a while when my hair needs it, like now. It really tames the hair and makes it silky and healthier-looking.
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask $6.99. I pretty much always have this one in my bathroom. You don’t need a lot to coat all the hair. It’s very moisturizing, I don’t put it close to my scalp though otherwise my scalp gets oily. It works great and it’s cheap.
Yves Rocher - your best botanical beauty care line
I think I mentioned before that my mom is a loyal customer of Yves Rocher, has been for as long as I can remember since way back when she was ordering from a catalog. Yves Rocher, originally a French company now also available in North America (they have an American site and a Canadian site), believes that the nature is the source of beauty. They use organic botanical ingredients in their products. As a teenager, I had my own skincare problems and I had my own favorite products (still do) so it never occurred to me to try any of Yves Rocher’s products just because my mom was using them, although they do have products geared towards young skin. But now as my skincare needs are changing, I’m open to try different lines. My mom always has a ton of the stuff in stock (she’s a little compulsive about ordering from Yves Rocher’s catalog). And she gets free gifts and samples to try all the time. That’s a company that knows how to take care of their customers. So I’ve been stealing from her stash when I ran out of moisturizer, face wash, and shampoo. I’ve been very happy about using them and I really recommend these to you girls. The price point is very affordable too.
Phytum Nutrition Replenishing Shampoo $8 and Phytum Nutrition Replenishing Conditioner $8. These are the shampoo and conditioner that I’m using for dry damaged hair. Silky texture and fabulous scent. Many of the shampoos and conditioners are having the “Buy 1 get 1 Free” deal right now!
Inositol Végétal Optimizing Moisturizer Day 1st Lines Refill $24. I get a little neurotic about aging signs on my fac e sometimes. I’m not happy when I see fine lines under my eyes even if they are temporary. I’m using this anti-wrinkle cream as an eye cream. It’s a little too rich for the oily parts of my face, but just rich enough for the delicate skin around the eye. I don’t like to shell big bucks for a tiny jar of eye cream, this works out great.
Bio Specific Pore Regulation Purifying Cleanser $12.50 and Bio Specific Pore Regulation Mattifying Toner $12.50 $6.25. This cleanser and toner combo works great for my oily/combo skin. Because of the micro-particles in the cleanser, my face is super clean after the wash, the scrub is not harsh at all. I don’t know what the magic is in the toner, it really controls the shine in my T-zone.
Hamamélis Moisturizing Body Lotion $11 $5.50. I seriously love this lotion because it works great and it’s so cheap, you can almost always get it half off. The fruity scent is not fancy, but is very comforting. If you get this, get the shower gel $9, too.
Hair Masks
Is everybody’s hair like mine that in the winter it gets really dry and unruly? The indoor heat and low humidity are my hair’s enemies, they make my hair dull. I know we should change up our hair care routine in the winter, just like we change our skincare routine when seasons change. Hair masks are so darn useful, I really should be more diligent about using them, not be a lazyass. If your hair’s very dry, over-processed and damaged, you can definitely benefit from them. I like several hair masks from the drug store that are really inexpensive and work fantastically for restoring shine, body, and manageability. Wraping a hot towel on the head and leaving it on a long time is the key.
Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment $9.19
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask $6.99
Dove Advanced Care Repairing Treatment Therapy
$5.60 $4.99
Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Shower Works Hair Treatment, Moisturizing Formula $5.99
philosophy shear splendor age defying conditioning mask $22. I splurged on this mask ’cause I heard so many good things about it. It works wonders, really! I put it on my scalp too, it doesn’t make my scalp oily, and is actually calming, because sometimes my scalp itches and I unconsciously keep scratching my head (a big no-no if you can help it). Treat yourself with this mask, you’ll love it. But of course I always have my old favorite drug store brands handy.
P.S. Drugstore.com’s got a great promo going on right now, you can get $10 off $40 when you use PayPal. Hurry, it expires 12.21! If you are already a PayPal user, why not right?
Deal Alert - Burt’s Bees 30% Off Sale!
Everybody loves Burts Bees, right? I love it and I’ve known a couple of addicts too. Can’t blame them. The stuff’s great and inexpensive. Here’s your chance to stock up and give some away as presents. From Friday Dec 7 to Sunday Dec 9, drugstore.com’s offering 30% off Burt’s Bees! These are some of my faves.
Burt’s Bees Lemon Poppy Seed Facial Cleanser $7.99
Burt’s Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme $7.99
Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer, Champagne $3.99
Burt’s Bees Blast of Mint & Moisture $14.99, includs Burt’s Bees Peppermints, Peppermint Foot Lotion, Peppermint Shower Soap, Beeswax Lip Balm.
Burt’s Bees Old School Tote $24.99. Includes Beeswax Lip Balm, Coconut Foot Creme, Citrus Spice Exfoliating Shower Soap, Hand Salve (3.0 oz / 85 g), Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Lotion.
Burt’s Bees Body Treatment Spa Giftset $19.99, featuring full-sized Hair Repair Shea & Grapefruit Deep Conditioner, Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Creme and Beeswax Lip Balm with minis of our award winning Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo and Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme.
Ultra-feminine waves
So I was “obsessing” over how to create this season’s hottest look - Veronica Lake ultra-feminine waves. My Elle Canada magazine came just in time. It offers step-to-step instructions from the expert, Anthony Morrison, Joico International platform artist and winner of Slice”s Sheer Genius hairstyling competition. It sounds really easy. Ha! Once I start to try it myself, I know it’ll be a different story. You wanna try it?
- Comb a leave-in conditioner into freshly washed hair and then blow-dry in sections using a large round brush to create volume.
- Once dry, spray the hair with setting lotion and wrap sections around extra-large Velcro rollers. Blow-dry to ensure that the product dries completely.
- Wait five minutes, remove the rollers and then brush the hair with a large paddle brush. mist with shine spray for a lustrous finish.
(Source: Elle Canada October 2007)
Filed under Hair | Comment (0)That perfect wave
(Valentino Fall 2007)
The 40s ultra-glam look is grogeous, undeniably — the red lips, the flawless matte complexion, and especially the beautiful feminine long hair. My question is how the heck can I get that perfect neat wave that frames the face? Any of you attempted this and are an expert? Hair is definitely my weak area. I rely on my annual chemical straightening to keep my hair non-crazy so I can just wash ‘n go. Anything more than that, I’m at a loss. A friend who’s much better than doing her hair showed me how to get pretty waves and curls just using a curling iron. But her hair is well-behaved as opposed to my unruly treses. Well, she insists it’s not impossible, but definitely takes practice, good tools, and fantasic products. She uses Frederic Fekkai products, apparently they are the best out there. They provide your hair shine, bounce, strength, texture, body — you name it they have it. It all sounds like rocket science to me. Please share what you use to create that sexy hair.
Frederic Fekkai Texturizing Balm 4 oz
$17.50
Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls Cream 4 oz
$19.50
Frederic Fekkai Wave Creating Spray 8 oz
$19.50
Bangs anyone?
I was reading this article Bangs Return, and With Them, Naysayers and Chopaholics in NY Times. It really made me laugh. “Few hairstyles are as packed with emotional triggers as the bluntly cut bangs that have been cropping up on runways and in salons. They can bring back childhood memories and raise deep-seated feelings of longing (for the look) and loathing (for anyone who can pull it off). Some see them as cute and playful. Others think they’re anything but, especially on those over 30.
“To me, they scream: ‘I’m cooler than you, I have a lot of sex, and if you leave your husband with me I’ll devour him,’ ” said Meredith Hays, a literary agent in Manhattan with an unbanged brow. But Ms. Hays said she quickly becomes more rational: “It’s maybe more a cry for help, like ‘I’m getting older and so I’ll give myself a youngish haircut to compensate.’ ”
Who knew bangs provoked such strong emotions. I really love Rihanna’s bangs. I haven’t sported a full-on bangs like hers since I was five. In the last several years, I’ve stuck with the easy-to-wear side-swept kind. But more than once I really really wanted to get the full-on bangs after seeing it on a pop star or a good friend. Really makes me jealous too. But I know my own hair. It’s not suitable for such dramatic change. It’s too hard and coarse and thick to look soft and “fluffy” like Rihanna’s. Le Sigh.
What’s your experience with bangs? I’d love to hear about good and bad stories!!
Filed under Articles, Hair | Comments (3)Want to be a Beauty VIP?
I sure do! How about you, dear? The Sephora Beauty Insider program lets you behind beauty’s velvet rope, where you receive the VIP treatment and enjoy big-time beauty benefits. Click on the link and sign up now. Don’t hesitate! You’ll get gifts on your birthday, free samples when you order, and first dibs on the exclusives at Sephora. I don’t know about you, but I sure like birthday presents and free samples.
Check out these hot items that are of incredible value for how much product you get!
Sephora Summer Blockbuster Palette
$36. It’s a two-tiered palette for eyes, face, and lips, plus all the tools you need to put together endless looks. This sleek, mirrored palette is loaded with 24 eyeshadows, 24 lip glosses, five cheek colors, and one translucent shimmer powder, plus two double-ended shadow applicators, a blush brush, and a lip brush.
Philosophy Best of Sephora Beauty Insider Kit ($55 Value) Best of Sephora Beauty Insider Kit
$30. Philosophy’s greatest hits, each one a 2006 Best of Sephora winner, all boxed up exclusively for Beauty Insiders. Filled with four pint-sized portions of Philosophy favorites the pH balanced, pore-purging cleanser, Purity Made Simple; the cult favorite, skin brightening moisturizer, Hope in A Jar; two at-home facial Microdelivery Peel packets; and the multitasking, floral and musk-infused Amazing Grace Bath, Shampoo & Shower Gel this sought-after sampler has everything you need to get glowing. Available in limited quantities, this exclusive collection won’t last long.
Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin System Kit
$32. I’m sure this one needs no introduction.
And I have a couple more coupon codes for you…
Free Lorac Mocktail Sample with any purchase. Enter promo code HOTLIPS at checkout. Offer valid until August 16, 2007 or while supplies last.
Free Shipping over $50. Enter promo code FREESHIP6 at checkout. Offer valid until August 16, 2007.
Ojon - soul food for the hair
I get very anal protective about my hair after I got it straightened ’cause I don’t want it to lose its healty lustre and smoothness. So I decided to splurge on Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment $55. This is Ojon™ i(Palm Nut Oil)n its purest form. Highly concentrated, it instantly hydrates and rebuilds your destressed hair leaving it extraordinarily soft, shiny and healthy looking. It’s really amazing. It’s so hydrating my hair feels incredibly silky afterwards, but it doesn’t make my hair sticky and weighed down. My hair is so managable and well-behaved, even when caught in a blast of wind I can just shake my head a little and all the strands fall into place. Now that is a tough test to pass.
My new shiny hair
Yay no more Diana Ross hair for me! Don’t take it the wrong way. On Diana Ross, it’s totally fab. On me, it was an explosion. So I got my hair straightened. Some of you asked to see some pictures. If you suffer from the same problem as me, especially in the summer when the humidity is our biggest enemy, I strongly recommend getting the straightening done. I recommend going to a Chinese, Korean or Japanese hair salon because hair straightening has been popular for a long time in Asia. They’ve perfected it. They call it ionic straightening or something. I don’t know the science behind it. But it’s magic. You would not believe how silky, smooth, and straight your hair turned out to be! You and your honey and everybody else would not stop touching it. The best part for me is I don’t have to do anything, just wash and go and it never messes itself up. Saves me a ton of time. I introduced my white sister-in-law, who has the kinkiest hair in the world, to it over a year ago. She’d asked me how I could get my hair so straight and smooth. “With a flat iron?” “No no, something more permanent and with much better results.” She gladly forked over $300 last year and has since gotten it done again and will every year.
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