Waxing heaven at The Strip

I’ve tried shaving and waxing before, but I never did them religiously. This wasn’t because my hormones gave me legs with hardly any hair; in fact, friends would call me ‘Wolverine.’ Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against hair removal, especially for those who want to wear shorts or bikinis. I guess I just found the whole routine too elaborate and demanding. Every guy or girl that has ever used a razor would agree that shaving could be one difficult task. You get burns, rashes, discoloration, and rough skin. Unless you do it everyday, smooth and carefree skin is almost impossible to achieve. And so, for almost six months, I decided to just let it grow. But recently, after much cajoling and a gift certificate, I decided to give in. I’m happy I did. The Strip: The Ministry of Waxing was an experience in itself. Amsterdam feel Upon arrival at their Serendra Branch, I knew it was going to be a little different from the traditional waxing salon. Apart from the fact that they weren’t using earth colors, or playing the usual zen music (not that it’s a bad idea), the place had a modern feel. There were street lamps, road signs, vandalism, cobblestones, and high chairs everywhere.

According to Ms. Roberta Abad, owner of the Strip, the inspiration was Amsterdam’s street life. “Each store, around the globe, is really different from each other. We just have the same tone, feel, and mood", she said. “There’s no real connection but it tells people not to be scared and just come in for a wax." Fast and nearly painless I guess the whole ambiance helped, and so did the chocolates (yes, they’re free). My session was nearly painless and I was done in less than 15 minutes. This is, by far, the fastest I’ve ever had my legs waxed. It’s also the most expensive. I must admit I’ve always been half-scared of hair removal for fear of contracting skin infections, but the Strip did reassure me several times. Not only were they using latex gloves and disposable bed sheets, I also never saw my Striperella (or skilled therapist) double dip her spatulas. From the moment she applied thin wax over my legs up to the time she pressed a paper strip and ripped it off against the direction of hair growth, the spatulas were thrown after every application. “There’s a correct way of doing it," Abad said. “It’s time people know, there’s science behind waxing." Mastery from ‘press’ to ‘rip’ After the treatment, I was confident that they knew what they were doing. There was mastery and skill involved as the Striperellas quickly moved from ‘press to rip.’ According to Abad, the salon usually takes 15 minutes for leg waxing to be completed. Hair-free skin lasts, on average, four to five weeks. However, Brazilian wax, defined as the “depilation of hair from the female’s pubic area – that is, the anus, perineum, and vagina," takes more time. (For males, it’s called The Boyzillian.) “It takes approximately 15-30 minutes for a Brazilian to be completed, depending on the amount of hair required to be removed, and also on the customer’s preference," she added. Striperellas are trained to do shapes on the bush manually. “We usually get requests from customers, especially on Valentine’s Day. The heart shape has become very popular and yes, they don’t do it with stencils," Abad said. It’s a luxury Waxing at The Strip is a breeze, but it is a little expensive for everyone. I might even consider it a luxury. The cheapest treatment on the menu is a Brazilian or Boyzilian Crack, pegged at 550 pesos. The most expensive procedure is a full leg Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Hair Removal that costs 35,000 pesos. According to Abad, IPL is an advanced and semi-permanent hair reduction method that uses beams of specially filtered light to disintegrate hair from the root and follicle. “Contrary to the usual misconception, there’s no such thing as permanent hair removal," she added. “There will always be hair but some just aren’t visible." It’s worth it After the whole session was finished, I knew The Strip was indeed waxing heaven. But was it worth it? Definitely. The Strip: The Ministry of Waxing is a franchise from Singapore. Aside from Manila, it has branches in New York, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur. – YA, GMA News