wax on, wax off

Beauty is pain.

We've all heard this common expression before, but it's never hit quite as close to home as it did for me yesterday. 

I got my first wax - a Brazilian.

I decided to go for it all out because countless women get waxes every single day so I know it's somewhat normal, and feel like it is almost a rite of passage into adulthood (questionable). Am I justifying the pain that accompanies an unnecessary beauty practice such as waxing? Absolutely.

I do have to say the half-off special (for first-time guests) and my new white bikini really did all the convincing I needed - without even saying a word! Imagine that.

A whole crew of my friends also got waxes at European Wax Center yesterday, so I kept telling myself that if they could do it, I could do it.

A couple of tips: take an anti-inflammatory an hour before the appointment, try your best to relax during the appointment, and avoid exercising, tanning (both UV and spray) and hot showers up to 24 hours after the appointment.

It takes confidence to wear these!

Going to great lengths to feel beautiful is not a recent concept. Even though waxing may seem ridiculous to some, women were removing body hair in the Renaissance period using much more painful methods involving arsenic - ouch! Melting the hair off skin just before the flesh itself burns off is not something I would never volunteer to do.

Taking "pain" in exchange for "beauty" isn't really about looking good, but feeling good. It is about the confidence that comes as result of the practice. (By pain I mean getting your ears pierced, wearing 5-inch heels for more than three minutes, or getting a wax). 

When it comes to hair removal, to each her own.

sunless prep for spring break

The last spring break I'll ever have (brb while I go cry) starts in three days. So while everyone else is stressing about midterms and papers due before break, I'm stressed about when I'm going to get everything done beauty-wise. First world problems, I know.

This I am going to JAMAICA! I'll take a tropical vacation over a cold one any day, but constantly being in a bikini means I have more beauty preparation. Since my skin never fails to turn ghostly pale during the Winter, I really need to have a little tan the first time in a bathing suit in months. Self-tanner can be extremely tricky - you have to strike a balance between "orange and streaky" and "still pale." 

I have had a few too many bad experiences applying self-tanner over the course of multiple days even though thats what tanning lotions typically suggest, so this year I am just going to apply one layer of tanner the day before I leave in order to avoid streaks and orange spots. Even though applying only one layer won't necessarily create a tan, it evens out skin tone and minimizes the look of cellulite.

It is so important to always exfoliate your skin before applying tanner in order to avoid streaks!

I am trying out Jergen's Foaming Daily Moisturizer  because the "quick dry" and "ordorless" features really sold me! Cheers to (maybe) not making my clothes and sheets reek of self-tanner. I am also trying Sonia Kashuk's face tanning towelettes (no longer available). Towelettes are great for sunless tanning because they deliver a consistent amount of color - check out L'Oreal's here.

Tip: if you do get streaks/too orange from self tanner, don't panic - scrub with a lot of body wash and it will fade.

Fingers crossed for a successful sunless tanning experience!