D. I. Y. Brazilians.
I received a great emailed question via our online beauty magazine Beauty Marked! and instantly knew a fair few of you would love to know the very same thing. This valued Beauty Marked! reader’s email was in response to the BM! Q&A page answer regarding Horticulture of The Nether Regions, no doubt.
The email reads as follows:
I was reading your article about Brazilians and I was wondering wether its ok to do it yourself the first time? And if so what products are there that are good? And are there any tips or hints I need? Also I love the site xxx
Firstly and most importantly, thank you for your email and kind words about the Site. You’ve made my day! Secondly, it is, absolutely, fine to D.I.Y. Brazilians. But let’s face it, it may just require you to channel your inner Yogi in order to do it thoroughly, but it’s doable nonetheless. As a first timer to Brazilians, I suspect it may be a good idea to have it done professionally first, and then you can capably take over the reigns next time. The reason for letting a professional have a go initially is that they will be infinitely quicker at the job and possibly a little less painful. Let’s face it, no matter which side you part your hair on, Brazilians can be a tad ouchy until you get used to it. So the quicker it’s done, the better. Then you can get on with deciding if Brazilians are for you and if you’re feeling up to the task after seeing and experiencing what’s involved.
So what do you do once the baton is passed to you? What are the D.I.Y.-er’s essentials you ask? I wouldn’t even dream of attempting a Brazilian without the following:
An electric wax pot
A quality hard/hot wax
A mirror that can stand on its own
A waxing spatula
A quality pair of slant tweezers
A superb post wax oil (which can double as a pre wax oil too)
Towels
(optional)
A quality strip wax and strips and an extra wax pot or pot insert for the strip wax
All of the above can be purchased from a reputable beauty supply store, which you can suss out from your local yellow pages. Go for the products that are best suited to your specific skin type and the best you can afford. Just to get you started, here are a few brands which should do the job nicely, but there are several decent lines and waxes available, so if you don’t see my recs., there’s sure to be other good ones about, so please don’t sweat it too much:
For…
Wax pots- Caron, Lycon
Hard/Hot Wax- Arbre, Mancine, Lycon (which are made especially for sensitive areas)
Slant Tweezers- Tweezerman, Rubis
Post wax oil - Caron, Lycon
Strip Wax and Strips- Caron Venetian Spun Lace Depilatory Roll, Mancine XXX Wax (these are optional)
Without boring you with an entire waxing tutorial, I’ll just leave you with a little more by way of explanation regarding a few things to consider, should you wish, when waxing. Hot wax is generally the wax of choice when attending to sensitive areas, but strip wax can be used successfully on the Mons Pubis (the triangular area also affectionately known as the map of Tassie) which is the pubic area that remains visible when standing with your legs closed. If that’s sounding like a little too much palaver than only go the hot wax, which is more than fine. The benefits of strip wax in this area only, is that it can wax a greater area quicker and some reckon it also gets finer hairs too. If you have used the strip wax for the Mons Pubis area, then go over the entire pubic area with a little Post Waxing Oil. Not only will it remove any trace of residue wax, but will disinfect and soothe the area waxed and prepare the unwaxed area for the hot wax. The quality post waxing oil doubles as a necessary pre wax oil which you will need to apply before hot waxing as this protects the skin greatly. Well, the tweezers, you will need to remove the few rogue hairs that inevitably get missed when waxing. Generally tweezing after waxing isn’t anywhere near as painful as tweezing prior, because many hairs are loosened in the initial waxing process and tend not to resist removal too much when plucked at this time.
After waxing, it’s often not recommended to have a hot shower for the day or swim in chlorinated pools or spas. I’d also recommend that you not wear tight under garments or tight trousers for the day of the wax either, as they can be chaffing. And lastly, consider any waxing well before the week your period is due. In the premenstrual period our pain threshold is lowered, which makes us slightly more sensitive. So, if it can be helped, try and avoid waxing during this time like the plague. *shakes head and sighs* Trust me, it’s not worth it.
So there you have it. It is absolutely okay to D.I.Y. wax, just give yourself a bit of time, limber up beforehand, and give it a go. Too easy!
For Your Troubles.
Seeing that this weekend’s worth of posts have all been about keeping you up to speed regarding our beloved beauty blog’s momentary misfortune, I aught to give you a little something for your troubles. So you’ve got to be sure to keep checking back with us for some scrumptious M.A.C. news regarding the next 6 months worth of collections! I know! So exciting! I’ve got pics, pics, and more pics! I also have a few sneaky peeks at some new products, AW 08 shows, and news about soon-to-be released M.A.C. collections up to and including the always anticipated Holiday Collections *faints* -all straight from M.A.C.! I better leave it at that for the minute. After all, as we know, all great beauty secrets shouldn’t ever be kept.
I’m Still On The Job. Promise.
Just a weeny update to say that Get Even More Gorgeous With Beauty Marked!® blog is not 100% just yet, but it’s on the road. So, fingers crossed, it shouldn’t be long. We’re aiming for things to be right by tomorrow, latest. It’s a pity I wasn’t gifted with technical expertise where all things internet are concerned, but rest assured, I not only use all the brains I have, but those that I can borrow!
BM! xx
Under Construction!
Eep! I think my blog is broken. *cry* I did some fiddling around with the site yesterday (when will I learn?) and may have broken my cherished blog. What The? Not a single image from the last week or so is visible. *sob* So I’ll have to get that sorted ASAP. Fingers crossed it won’t be long before we are cooking with gas again! Wish me luck!
-Beauty Marked! xx
Did They Think I Wouldn’t Notice?
This Friday kicks off a week of birthday celebrations in the Beauty Marked!® household. We have three birthdays within the next seven days. So in efforts to pick up a few last minute clothing bits and bobs for the wee ones welcoming in a new year of life, I ran into my local Target store, as you do. Low and behold, I was hit by several large photographic murals of smiling kids either cuddling up to the Target logo like it was the most cherished of teddy bears or the coolest toy ever, along a couple of the main outer walls. At first glance, the images were cute, quasi-benign, and perhaps a little cheeky, but on second look…*my eyes bug out*…Outrageous! The little girls, we’re talking maybe 6 or 7 years old, were wearing more makeup than I do, even on my full face days! Uber glossy, nearly dripping cherry red lips, cheeks sporting the flush of a fallen angel, and eyelashes complete with lashings of the inkiest mascara. And yes, I saw you too, smudgy eyeliner, along the lower lashline! My goodness, what is this world coming too? You’ve got to go and check it out and tell me if you noticed it too. For once in my life, I’ll be glad to learn that I’ve just imagined it. I suspect though, that it wasn’t me, this time, that has lost her mind. So wrong.
So Totally Handy.
I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to tell you about the gorgeous hand cream I am so into at the moment: Decléor Beauté Des Mains Nourishing Comforting Hand Cream. This divine golden tube of goodness is positively packed with essential oils, plant and marine extracts, which work fabulously together to soothe and protect the hands all day long. Beauté Des Mains contains both nourishing and anti-aging ingredients like shea butter, Prairie Pearl Oil, Pro-vitamin B, parsley extract and cypress essential oil, meadow foam oil, and ester of Vitamin E. Decléor Beauté Des Mains Nourishing Comforting Hand Cream doesn’t leave your hands greasy due to its light, yet effective, texture. This is, absolutely, a gorgeous little number to keep on hand. *pun intended*
Decléor Beauté Des Mains Nourishing Comforting Hand Cream is available from leading beauty salons, day spas and selected department stores. Visit True Solutions for more information on this little French beauty and much, much more!
Don’t Forget Your Wet Weather Gear.
I’m talking wet weather makeup gear. I don’t know about in your neck of the woods, but in mine, we’ve been having wonderful weather… wonderful weather for ducks, that is. Wet, windy, cold and wild. Blustery, precipitous weather is absolutely no excuse to abandon the makeup ship. Just be sure to grab and apply your favourite waterproof mascara, long wearing gel eyeliner, cream blush, and super emollient lippie before stepping out and you’ll be sweet. As long as you batten down the hatches with these staples on, you can build on top of them and be assured to come out the other end of all the weather about still looking fab. Plus, I always reckon that if I can maintain the makeup magic, no one will notice the havoc the elements are clearly reaping on my hair!
