All Waxed Off!

Well, maybe using a gorilla to convey the message is taking it a little too far, but just bear with me and look at it as a tongue-in-cheek image, okay?

If you think this post is about candles or figurines in a museum, then read no further.  Because here, I will tell you the tale of my Brazilian wax experience.  It has nothing to do with football though, so those of you who have been misled, you can stop reading here too.

The Brazilian Wax.  No no…some call it the Brazilian All-Off, to be precise.  Because that’s really what you get:  ALL off.

I satisfied my curiosity about 2 years ago when I first found out about this waxing specialist shop in Penang and decided to book myself an appointment.  As a first-timer, I was, quite simply put, terrified about the prospect of someone yanking off all the hair down there.

But a brief chat with the friendly waxing therapists at Fluff Waxing Concept Store assured me that it would not be as painful as childbirth, which I had gone through.  On the other hand, I would have to tell you that childbirth is not a walk in the park either.

Anyway, long story short, that’s how I came about doing the Brazilian.  When I had my first Brazilian, Fluff was located in Island Plaza, but they have now moved to Gurney Plaza.  I’m not a regular though, as I find that getting a Brazilian is more of a luxury, rather than a necessity.  Still, it depends on how you look at it.  It does feel more hygienic to a certain extent, and if you want to look good in a bikini, it will be considered a necessity. 🙂

Since my maiden encounter so many months ago, I have had the Brazilian done about 5-6 times, and on each occasion, I’ve requested for the same wax therapist to do it.  After all, it’s enough that only one person sees me “exposed” that way, yes?  However, it gets tricky now because my wax therapist will be leaving soon…

So this is how they do it at Fluff:

When you arrive, you will be ushered into a private room which is painted and decorated in a soothing shade of green all over.  Perhaps the color green does help in calming the nerves somewhat.  You will then be left alone in the room and asked to remove all your clothes from waist down and to lie down on the bed.  In the interest of modesty, another towel is provided on the bed, with which you can cover yourself waist down, while waiting for your wax therapist to come in.

Now when you are ready to start, press the buzzer attached to the bed, and your friendly therapist will come in.  She will then ask you what you would like to do.  Fluff offers waxing services for all parts of the body: bikini, face (eyebrows (for the record, I dig eyebrow waxing as opposed to eyebrow embroidery or eyebrow tattooing – waxing looks more natural!), upper lip, lower lip, etc), chest, arms, legs; but I would say the most popular one would have to be the Brazilian.  Even for the Brazilian, there are many types.  You can choose the All-Off or you can choose a line, or triangular pattern, or a customized shape, for instance a heart-shaped one.

I’ve always done the Brazilian All-Off though.

First your hair is trimmed with a scissors and then some wax is applied on a small area to be waxed.  If it is too hot, you will need to let your therapist know, but through my experience, the temperature has been okay all the time.  For the Brazilian wax, hard wax is used, and Fluff uses products from GiGi Wax.  Contrary to its name, hard wax is gentler on the skin as it adheres only to the hair and does not stick to your skin.

Next, it’s wax on and wax off!

I know what you’re gonna ask next… is it painful?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, if you keep on harping on the pain and being afraid.

No, if you try to relax and not think about it too much.  A little bit of chatting with your therapist will help take your mind off it, and sometimes I even request for a magazine to read while the “process” happens.

The pain is just for a few seconds and after the initial *yanking off*, you don’t feel anything at all.  Of course, the *yanking off* needs to happen several times repeatedly.  Ah yes, things we women do for beauty…

That being said, Fluff offers the option of having a Numbing Spray (using the GiGi Honee Anesthetic Numbing Spray) applied before the actual waxing is done.  The Numbing Spray option is an additional RM15 and unfortunately does NOT take away all the pain, but it helps alleviate about 75% of the pain, I’d say.  Not too bad for those who have a low pain threshold.

I used to be chicken and always asked for the Numbing Spray, but one day I bit the bullet and tried it without.  And I’m happy to say that I don’t need it now.

Word of caution though: if you really want to try it without the spray, do so about a week after your period, when you’re not THAT sensitive to pain.

The Brazilian All-Off takes all of 30 minutes tops to complete.  For stray hairs that cannot be waxed off, a tweezer is needed.  A cooling gel is then applied to the area and your therapist will then leave the room for you to get dressed.

Fluff offers the Brazilian for WOMEN only, although waxing on other parts of the body are available for both men and women.  I’ve seen internet ads and promotions which promote the Brazilian for guys, hence called the Boyzilian, but I have not seen any store in Penang offering it yet.

Important thing to note though: No double-dipping is done at Fluff.  This is a very important thing to ask  if you want to do waxing at a salon.

Other than waxing, you can also pamper yourself to a manicure or a pedicure at Fluff.  Check out how cozy the manicure/pedicure area is:

Hmmm…some day I wanna try their manicure and pedicure…when I have the urge to splurge…

For other promotions offered at Fluff, do check out their website or the Fluff Facebook page.

So BIG question: Would I recommend the Brazilian?

I would say Yes, if you want to find out what exactly the hooha is all about, and Yes it does render a cleaner and hygienic feeling.  I think every woman owes it to herself to try out the Brazilian at least once in her life.  But if you’re not that bothered, then it’s not such a big deal.

Me?  I usually do it once in a while when there are promotions, but honestly, it’s a form of pampering which I am glad to indulge in.  For one thing, it does not take as much time as a facial and yet, it allows me to treat myself to that little bit of pampering! 🙂

Have you tried the Brazilian and if you haven’t, do you intend to?

At the point of writing, the Brazilian All-Off at Fluff Waxing Concept Store costs RM108.  If you opt for the line (landing strip) or triangle, it also costs RM108, and for customized shapes, it’s RM128.