Last Friday I scooted over to the Strip Wax Bar & Boutique and had THE most amazing Brazilian wax in their signature, infamous - and bloody amazing - chocolate room, complete with the Sex And The City film playing in the background (specifically the bit where Miranda and Steve meet on the bridge GAAAAHHHHHHH so emosh!!). 'Is it real chocolate' I asked eagerly, and now I realise, stupidly. No, is the answer, no, they do not actually wax you with melted chocolate (forgive me, it had been a long week...). It is actually chocolate-hazelnut scented essential oil infused, skin hydrating hot wax and it is this combined with the Strip Wax Bar blend of essential oils used pre and post wax and the skill of the Strip therapists which result in a pain-free, fuzz-free, seriously smooth bikini wax. No pain, bumps, redness, soreness or 'plucked chicken' effect (ewww I know - I'm sorry for the mental image - but it really does sum up the aftermath of some bikini waxes!) here. There's no fannying around (get it? get it?) with paper pants here ladies, this is a knickers-off-knees-to-chest-affair so brace yourself for the awkwardness of discussing London housing prices with your lady bits on full display - but oh, it's so worth it...
You can see why I thought it was actually melted chocolate...
As mentioned above this is a knickers off bikini wax. To be honest, if you're opting for a Brazilian/Hollywood style wax where you want as much removed as possible, arsing around with the paper thong really is redundant, it gets in the way and seeing as you have to keep moving it to the side anyway it really doesn't preserve any of your dignity. I will admit that even though I have had the full-frontal-wax on quite a few occasions now, it is awkward. I feel awkward. I don't think this is really surprising but the horrific awkwardness, for me, only lasts for the first few minutes because, as strange as you feel clambering up onto the table fully dressed on your top half but totally, completely naked on the bottom half, legs akimbo, with a woman stood next to you about to slather you in hot wax, the great thing is that the therapists just do not care. They literally do not bat an eyelid - it's their job! - and Jade at Strip was no exception. With the Sex and the City movie on in the background, Jade chatting away and covering me with a towel whenever possible making me feel completely relaxed, that inner dialogue of 'OH MY GOD MY VAGINA IS LITERALLY OUT RIGHT NOW, LIKE LITERALLY IT'S JUST OUT' feeling eventually eased from a constant deafening roar to the occasional whisper.
Ever since I visited my good friend Laura at her home in Cheltenham as baby Exeter Uni Freshers and discovered the revolution that is hot waxing I have never looked back! Once you've tried it you'll never be satisfied with anything else, goodbye strip waxing, veet and god forbid someone suggests shaving (ick-how do people do it!). Hot wax is, well it's pretty hot (thanks Sherlock) and it's spread thickly onto the skin and then allowed to cool and dry slightly before it is gently peeled away. Hot waxing is SO much less painful and the benefits include fewer in-grown hairs, less breakage and therefore longer re-growth periods.
STRIP is unique in that before they begin the waxing they use an essential oil all over the skin which acts as a barrier between the wax and the skin. Therefore, the wax is able to shrink wrap around the hair and will not stick to the skin. Less tugging = less pain! The therapists are also trained in Strip's highly skilled technique to minimise discomfort and I found the Strip hot wax to be much less 'OUCH'-worthy bordering-on-boiling hot than any other place I have been and was genuinely much, much less painful than other places.
The Strip Wax Bar & Boutiques offer different themed rooms and, as you can clearly see, my room was the Chocolate room! Other opulently decorated and themed rooms include The Berry Room, The Olive Room and The MANifico room (for the boys). The purple wax pictured is the Lavender hot wax, great for the really sensitive areas during a Brazilian wax (or on places such as the eyebrows) as it removes short or stubborn hairs as short as 1mm and contains lavender and chamomile essential oils making it ideal for sensitive skin.
You start the waxing by lying on your back, heels towards your bum with your knees out to the side and then for the second part you raise your legs into the air, hugging your knees to your chest (that's when the inner dialogue gave me the second verse of the 'YOUR VAGINA IS LITERALLY IN HER FACE' song) and then the tweezing starts. GAHH. That's probably the most painful part as it definitely makes me wince, but it's to remove the teeniest of hairs that are too short even for the lavender wax ensuring a totally hair-free, smooth finish. The wax was finished with a soothing, hydrating and comforting chocolate-scented oil and a spritz of anti ingrown hair spray.
On their website Strip explain:
'Our wax also eliminates the “freshly plucked chicken” effect that many other waxes cause. Therefore, having to do a brazilian a good 24 hours before the hot date is now a thing of the past! '
If you've ever had a bikini wax of any kind in the past you'll know exactly what the plucked chicken effect is! Pink and bumpy skin usually remains for about a day or two after and I've found areas that have been waxed often feels hot and sore (if you haven't ever had a bikni wax think about how red and angry it looks all around the eyebrow area immediately after waxing..!) and that's really not the look anyone is ever going for down there.
I have to say this was the best Brazilian wax I have ever had as it was pain free and completely non-irritating (I want to add 'and it looked good' but I feel like that's a really, really strange thing to say...but you know what I mean!) so I'd be more than happy in the future to have this done literally moments before stepping onto the beach in a bikini - or the same evening as an important date!
I have to say this was the best Brazilian wax I have ever had as it was pain free and completely non-irritating (I want to add 'and it looked good' but I feel like that's a really, really strange thing to say...but you know what I mean!) so I'd be more than happy in the future to have this done literally moments before stepping onto the beach in a bikini - or the same evening as an important date!
I went to the STRIP Wax Bar & Boutique in the City Of London location but you can also visit branches in Soho, Notting Hill and Essex and concessions in Topshop Oxford Circus and Harvey Nichols Bristol and Liverpool. A Brazilian wax costs £49 (I had 20% off so it cost me £38) and they offer courses on waxing and also many other treatments such as HD Brows, Tanning and of course you can purchase some beautiful lingerie and a wide range of fantastic skincare products in the Boutiques.
Overall a fabulous experience and I am definitely a STRIP convert now! Please let me know your good and bad waxing stories, if you have an awkward inner monologue with yourself whilst your getting waxed, if and why you've never tried a bikini wax and if you've shunned waxing in favour of SHAVING- the horror the horror!
I think it's something that probably doesn't get chatted about on Blogs much but it's a seriously important part of a girls routine and I think it's great to know where is good to go and also what to expect as it can be a bit scary first time!