I’m a newbie when it comes to waxing. In fact, I think in total I’ve gotten maybe five waxes, so trust me when I say I’m no expert.
I go to the European Wax Center because they’re well-known and widely loved. I’ve seriously never read a bad review about them, so I went, scared out of my mind to my first wax a couple of months ago, truly ready to duck out the minute the pain became too real.
However, to my surprise, I stayed the whole time and have gone back ever since! I owe it all to my first waxer, who looked me dead in the eyes, and said, “I’ve never had anyone walk out mid-session, and you absolutely won’t be my first.”
If you’ve never gotten a wax because you’re scared it will hurt, get one. It’s not as bad as you think and the results are amazing.
Even though it’s worth it, getting a good wax regularly definitely isn’t cheap. At European Wax Center, a full bikini brazilian is $50, and if you factor in a tip, that’s pretty expensive. I was starting to get tired of shelling out so much money. I mean, spending that much at one place once a month would take a toll on any college student’s budget.
When I asked my friends what they thought, they all told me it wasn’t worth the extra money. In fact, they suggested I go to salon on Devine because the prices are cheap and, according to them, it’s basically the same as the European Wax Center. After hearing a few too many, “Seriously I’ve gotten waxed everywhere! It’s just as good,” I decided to book my appointment. I figured, if three of my close friends love it, surely I will too.
On the day of my appointment, I walked in, feeling nervous, but hopeful that this would be the answer to my financial woes.
Truthfully, most of my anxiety was about trying a new waxer and not about getting waxed at all. If you’re a regular waxer, you know that the person waxing you is a big deal. I mean, before my last waxer moved, we spent entire sessions talking about her boyfriend and the new boy I met downtown the weekend before. We were besties, ya know?
Trying to create a new relation like that with a potential waxer is stressful! Thankfully, when I was greeted by my waxer she seemed nice enough. I began to feel at ease, but that feeling quickly dissipated as soon as we walked into the “spa room.”
I’ll admit that the European Wax Center is nice. Their stores are decorated nicely, the spa rooms are uniform and clean, and all of the staff are dressed in the same outfits. In summary, you just know what to expect. To be clear, I didn’t expect that service at Claudia’s, because, you get what you pay for, right? But, I was underwhelmed by the experience I received.
The room I walked into was small, cramped, and dirty and the wax was hard and cold, not warm like I was used to. As soon as I laid down on the wobbly table, I was already regretting my decision.
I frantically texted my group message asking if I could just leave, “is that like, really rude?” Of course, seconds later, I was reminded that yes, it was, so I braced myself for the next 15 or so minutes.
When it’s all said and done, the wax wasn’t the worst experience ever – I wasn’t burned and the results are pretty good. With that being said, I think I’ll stick to European Wax for now. To me, the extra $15 saved isn’t worth it. I’d rather know my waxer was trained correctly and the wax was sanitary than feel on edge the entire time counting down the seconds till the last pull.