Female Grooming

This past week i was quite overwhelmed by the amount of basic grooming i had to get done along with work and my other daily activities. I had to mentally force myself to get them done and look 'decent' and feel free and light. The most annoying being anything to do with waxing and trimming, i enjoy tweezing and have to caution myself not to overpluck. lol. Here's my list:

• Eyebrows: Grooming methods- I trace out the shape, tweeze and use a fancy blade for extra clean up if necessary. Check out my post on brows, i pretty much still use the same technique.

Tweezers

• Ears: Grooming methods- I use cotton buds to clean mostly the outer part of my ear and a bit of the entrance, Don't go poking your ears with cotton buds to get all the wax out and have it squeaky clean, it'll just make your ears produce even more wax. The wax is also there for a reason, it protects your ear canal. If you have pesky ear hairs, buy a 'Nose Ear Trimmer' to get rid of them.
• Nose Hairs: Grooming methods- I just tweeze out any pesky ones that grow way out of my nostril (very painful!). Alternatively you can use a trimmer or small scissors to cut the overgrowth
• Chin Hairs: Grooming methods-I tweeze the black obvious hairs (I have quite some facial hair but luckily the majority are pale and blend in with my skin). This method works great for me and i don't have to deal with any bumps or rash.
• Finger & Toe Nails: Grooming methods- I Cut and File as required because i keep my nails quite long and hardly wear nail polish
• Underarms: Grooming methods- Cold strip waxing & Tweeze

Cold Wax Strips

• Pubic Region: Grooming methods- I have used all sorts of methods to be rid of the hairs but was scarred by my last warm waxing experience, read here, so for now i'm into trimming with small scissors till i'm satisfied (it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time!!). I hope to get an epilator wen dollar goes down (procrastination caught up with me) or a shaver, my friend swears by her Grundig shaver, she says its stress and pain-free. I'll update you guys on how that goes. 

cuved scissors

• Legs (half-leg): Grooming methods- Cold Wax Strips
• Head Hair: Lol!! This one i have to write a different post on my regimen. I mostly DIY but on super lazy days i go to a salon for some TLC. So watch out for this post

That's it! It is a long list right and imagine all the above being due for grooming at the same time! I know typically most ladies have to deal with the stuff on my least than most guys.

Sheesh!! But when they are all sorted i feel as free as a bird in the air.lol.

Do share your basic grooming habits and methods you find easy and pain-free.

Toodles!XooX

#Storytime-Yaaoch Part 4 (Back to DIY)

This post is loooonnnggg overdue. Check out my other Yaaoch (Wax) Posts. I was able to locate Bnatural Spa (No. 30, Mediterranean str, Imani Estate, Maitama) and although not as efficient as my former Morroccan lady cosmetologist at MB Hammam, this new spa served my purpose well. I was attended to by a Nigerian lady and although she was initially chatty and would complain about me leaving my hair for so long, etc; *rme* after a couple of sessions however we became cordial and i would even tip her 'cos she always did such a good job with my full Brazilian (they call it Playboy Wax) and underarm wax. Whenever the wax couldn't take out all the hair, she would go in with tweezers and take out all the hair and leave me with a super smooth and clean skin. Don't you just hate it when that one hair starts growing and spoils such a good job. 

Anyway fastforward to the main story, on this day, i called as i usually do to book an appointment with the spa and to confirm if my regular therapist was available. They informed me that she wasn't and if i'd like to shift my appointment for a date she was. I said i would have the appointment with whoever was available, i was under the assumption that all their staff were adequately trained and it wouldn't be an issue. BOY WAS I WRONG!! 

I showed up for my appointment on time and was led to the treatment room, i did the usual undressing and got on the bed, the new therapist was not chatty, thankfully, she did the usual trimming and got to work waxing. I was getting my usual full Brazillian (Playboy) Wax which cost about N6,000+ at the time. 

I have a highhhh pain threshold, i have had several waxing sessions and come out smiling. This was definitely THE WORST and tops my Yaaoch Part 3 experience. The therapist had no clue what she was doing and after yanking the wax strips off my skin severally, she started apologizing, telling me my hair was too tough, i had left it for too long since my last wax appointment, she has tried all she can and its not working, bla bla bla. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes when i looked down and realized the hair was basically intact with patches everywhere. I could have done a better job!! I was furious! I just kept thinking, i should have just waited for my regular therapist and avoided this trauma and waste of money. I got up and got dressed with my patchy wax job and my nether regions hurting like crazy. I considered making a complaint and not paying for the service but honestly i was sooo furious, embarrassed and teary eyed that i would have full on started crying. I paid and left and swore NEVER AGAIN!!! I'm done with waxing my nether region. 

My people i never looked back o, as much as i miss the smooth feel and not having to worry about hair for a long time, i'm done biko. I no come this life come suffer. I was also not ready to go back to shaving sticks as i much love being bump and spot free then i got a *light bulb* Scissors! I went on the hunt for small sharp scissors with curved blades, the type you find in a manicure set and i got to work. I got a small stool and sat in my shower and trimmed till i was satisfied. It takes forever but DIY is definitely the way for me. I still use cold wax strips for my underarms and lower legs. I'm gonna do a post soon on all the grooming we females constantly have to do. It can get tiring sha. Trimming with Scissors has replaced my Brazillian Wax until i can buy an epilator and try it out. I'll definitely let you guys know how that goes. 

Toodles!XooX

Yaaoch Part 3 (Back to square 1!)

My new ‘Wax’ Spa- Bnatural Spa

Lol!! Don’t mind me, I had to find a new spa for my waxing needs after my not so pleasant experience at MB Hammam during my last wax session (new therapist) it was a horror! the 1st therapist practically bruised me without taking out the hairs until she finally gave up and told me her thumb cound not allow her continue; they sent in a replacement who talked and apologized almost throughout the session and barely managed to make it look decent. I was quite upset at the service, the pain and my time wasted, i expressed my disappointment to the manager who apologized and said i'd get a discount for my next treatment (definitely not waxing). I was able to locate Bnatural Spa (No. 30, Mediterranean str, Imani Estate, Maitama) and although not as efficient as my former morroccan lady at MB Hammam, this new spa will serve my purpose just fine. I am still using MB Hammam for my hammam sessions though, i have a free hammam on my loyalty card to do thanks to all the referrals and gifts of spa treats i have made to friends. I hope i enjoy the treatment as usual as i will be very sad to go hunting for a new spa for hammams also.You can check out my Yaaoch Part 2 here http://tamikoadyms.blogspot.com/2012/03/yaaoch-part-2-not-really.html Take care of you and remember to spoil yourself once in a while. 

Toodles!XooX

Yaaoch Part 2 (Not Really)

Soooo i went to the spa again for my second waxing session and there was no yaooching from me this time. It was just like Smile (my waxer) had said, that after the first time it is not as painful. I went in there during work hours (yh..yh) 'cos i was less busy and my boss was AWOL. I did the same things i did the last time i.e underarms, brazillian. I decided to do my legs too, i.e the lower half, i used to use Veet and it was ok but i was in an experimenting mood and it did not even hurt. It felt like lil pin pricks, i have a high pain threshold anyways so that may have contributed.

This is the longest i've lasted comfortable without needing to shave and if you check the time between my last post and this, you'll see its about a month and some days. I also noticed that my underarms are not as dark as they used to be. yipee!!! anyways, summary is, the procedure did not hurt much and i was done in less than an hour and back to work and i can forget about shaving for about another month. 

You can check out my Yaaoch Part 1 post here http://tamikoadyms.blogspot.com/2012/01/yaaaaoooch-even-with-high-pain.html

Toodles!Xoox

Yaaaaoooch!!!!!!!! (even with a high Pain Threshold)

....and so i waxed!

I no know who send me message o...I was bored at work and the headache i had been having at one side of my head since 4am was just beginning to dull out. I did a mental run-through of all the stuff i had to do and the one bugging me was that i had to SHAVE!! hairy underarms are not sexy on guys or gals!! but we all know how annoying and dulling it can be to do routine stuffs, as much as we try we lax a bit and next thing u know, u wanna wear a tank top and that hair is all over the place saying 'i told you so'.

Anyways enough of my babbling, i picked up my phone and called my fave ladies spa (MB Hammam) to book an appointment for underarm waxing which cost 2000 Naira. I went along with my friend who just wanted to see what the place was like thanks to all the deserved hype i had been making about the spa.

We got there and I decided i might as well try the brazillian wax while i was at it. I changed in the dressing room and waited for the person to attend to me another room.

...and then she started, gaskia i no know who send me message o!!wey i for just dey use my shaving cream/stick jejely. She  first put some baby powder on my underarms and then rolled the hot wax ('cos it was not warm o!) on my underarm from some deodorant looking thing like that, all this time i was cool o, then she placed the strip where she had placed the wax, she  rubbed it for a bit and FIAMMMMMMMM she pulled it off!!!!! It hurt so bad I screamed inside me and clenched my teeth, i could see the hair that had once been on my underarms on the wax strip. The woman no even take easy or give me time to rest! She just dey wax, dey strip dey go. I don peme finish inside, i just dey pull brave face like sey e no too pain me. When she was done, i decided i ssssssoooooooo was not doin any brazillian. The pain had been bad enough here talkless of down there. While i was thinking all this i thot she was done o 'cos she

had moved her bright light and had put aside the strips...in my dreams o... she pulled out tweezers and plucked out all the stubborn ones that had not come off with the wax!! Aye mi o!! i had not planned for this. I told her i did not want to do the brazillian anymore cos the pain was too much, she just calmed me down and told me i had done very well for a first timer as others usually scream at the top of their voices. She said she'd give me some time to relax and if i still did not want to do it, there was no problem.

After relaxing for about 15mins i decided WTH lemme just get this over with! You know those comprehensions they used to make us write in Secondary School? the 'had i known' ones? well thats how my story turned out! HAD I KNOWN i would have left after doin my underarms. I will not bore you with the details but it was 10 times more painful than that of the underarms. Anyway i went back to work and by the time i closed i wasn't sore anymore and by the next day it was as if nothing had happened.

After all this drama i acted i had to ask the lady why waxing was better than shaving and she sed it does not make the area darker in color as shaving does and one does not get bumps. Trust me i did not take her word for it o. I googled her response when i came to the office and got similar responses, they said the hair grows out finer 'cos its removed from the roots when waxed compared to shaving so i guess she was telling the truth. I guess this wont me my last time there then,hopefully the next time will be less painful. i'll try to get the mini strips so i can try doin it myself. oh well..till then! i'll let you know how that goes.

Here are some useful links i found while surfing the net:

• http://www.ehow.com/how_2214922_do-underarm-waxing.html
• http://atmarupa.hubpages.com/hub/Waxing-Hair-Removal-Or-Laser-Hair-Removal
• http://strangevision.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/a-late-christmas-present-braun-silk-epil-soft-perfection-epilator/
• http://www.makeupsavvy.co.uk/2011_07_01_archive.html
• http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2010/12/21/the-brazilian-wax-when-deforestation-is-allowed/
• http://www.epilatorcentral.com/best-epilator-for-brazilian/
• http://www.epilatorcentral.com/best-epilators/

epilator (multi tweezers!! arrgh!)