Fuzzy peaches
Whether you’re after a Manzilian or a
Between the Cheeks (if you have to ask, you can’t handle it), business-savvy
duo Jessica Frampton and Florence Gaven encourage customers to walk in and
strip. As owners of Fuzz Wax Bar, the first full-service, unisex walk-in wax
shop in Toronto, Frampton and Gaven want to eliminate long wait times,
expensive services (a full Brazilian only costs $45 compared to the much higher
price tag at most salons) and people’s fear of hair-removal torture. The
concept of express waxing came from France, where salons made it as simple as
getting your bangs trimmed. While these French boutiques were both cheap and
cheerful, Gaven thought there was room for improvement. “Sanitaion didn’t seem
to be the number one priority”, she says. “You’re basically crouched in a stall
that has an open bottom, and an aesthetician slider under, does her business
and moves on”. So, Fuzz Wax Bar upped the ante. Treatment rooms are furnished
with a proper bed and blush towels, Berodin hard wax is used and it’s staffed
by a team of aestheticians who specialize in waxing techniques. (Think quick
and fluid motions). Bikini season may be coming to an end, but that’s no reason
to abandon your Brazilian-maintenance routine. Bottoms up!
Wax fact
If you shave between waxes, you cut hair at
mid-shaft, making fuzz coarser. “Aestheticians can tell if you’re shaving
between waxes”, says Frampton. “And, because of the hairs’ thickness, it will
hurt more”.
Bounce back
If your main concern is sagging skin (the
unwelcome face party crasher who shows up after wrinkles), a two-step approach
is your best course of action. Restoring volume on its own will only increase
the downward pull on skin – you’ve got to tone up too. Send your skin to the
gym with Philosophy Full of Promise Uplifting Daytime Peptide Serum and
Uplifting Nighttime Retinoid Gel ($89 for both). By day, the serum puts on some
spandex and a pair of fingerless leather gloves and does some heavy lifting.
Peptides are combined with kigelia, a bio-active African fruit, and rye seed
extracts to help strengthen elastin (the stuff that gives babies that
trampoline-level bound back when you poke their cheeks). At night while you
rest, the gel uses a combination of kigelia and a retinoid (an anti-aging
superhero knows for its ability to increase collagen in the skin) to get skin
pumped. Working out has never been easier.
Philosophy
Full of Promise Uplifting Daytime Peptide Serum
Deborah
Lippmann Nail Polish in Raise Your Glass ($22)
Birthday bash
Luxury Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew
celebrates its 175th anniversary with a series of limited-edition products
dressed up in the brand’s signature magenta.
DIY Shellac
We love having a chip-proof manicure that
lasts three weeks, but finding time to get the spa once a month can be a
scheduling nightmare. This DIY gel-nail-polish system lets you create a lasting
manicure from the comfort of your couch (while watching the latest episode of
The Bachelor, naturally).
Quo
by Orly Instant Artist Nail Paint in Charged Up ($4)
Quo
by Orly LED Lamp for Nail Gels ($80)
