Wax On, Wax Off

Have you ever paid someone for a service or task only to find out that you could have saved your hard earned dollars and done it yourself? Take for example buying your morning coffee/tea vs. making it yourself. Let me run the numbers for you real quick: green tea or morning coffee at Starbucks $1.75, box of 12 tea bags or a pound grounded coffee $4.99, saving yourself the extra $16 for 12 AM pick me ups? Priceless. Yes I make my own morning tea but my thriftiness doesn't stop there.

I've always been a big believer in waxing vs. shaving but the bi-weekly appointments started feeling a bit like a rip off (no pun intended!) when I quickly realized that the aesthetician wasn't doing anything I couldn't do at home given the right tools. Most luxury spas count on Depileve for their wax since it is high quality, efficient and professional. Unfortunately a couple of years ago this salon/spa exclusive wasn't available to the common folk like you or me but thanks to the growing e-businesses doors have been opened. For small areas like the upper lip or underarm, which don't require precision like the eye brow, I count on Depileve Monoi of Tahiti Stripless Extra Film Hard Wax. As the name implies this is a stripless wax which instantly hardens on skin as it binds onto the hair. Once hard you simply pull at the edge to remove the strip for hair-free, soft skin. I find that hard wax is better suited to smaller areas because it's cleaner (no left over sticky wax on skin), easy to use (No Dummies for Waxing books needed!) and most importantly it removes hair more efficiently. The only catch is that you must purchase a wax warmer (think a little stove inspired device that keeps your wax at the proper temperature when you need it) but trust me the investment pays off. A quick easy thing that you can do at home so you can skip the spa/salon visits (who has the time?!) and invest the money you will be saving for some hot strappy summer sandals!

Usage tip: Always make sure the area is clean and oil-, moisture- and deodorant-free. Test the temperature of the wax on your hand first to make sure it's not too hot then apply with a wood spatula in direction of the hair growth (target sections no larger than 2 inches). You want to make sure the wax you apply is thick enough that is grabs the hair and will all pull off together without breaking into pieces but not so thick that it can't dry (no thicker than 2-3cm). After applying the wax wait a second or two and then gently pat to help it lock-in every bit of hair. Grab the corner and pull the strip in the opposite direction of the hair growth. If you didn't remove all the hair you can repeat in smaller amounts on those areas. After you've finished make sure there's no leftover wax pieces and apply a calming lotion to the area.

The result: Money in the bank and a newly acquired skill set that will ensure you're always hair-free without needing an appointment!