The Telly Savalas | Strip Ministry of Waxing
In the 2006 romcom, The Break-Up, Marilyn Dean tells Brooke {played by Jennifer Aniston} to go to her personal waxer, Mishka and ask for the Telly Savalas.
Marilyn Dean: Oh, go see Mishka, my personal waxer at the spa. Ask her for the Telly Savalas, complements of M.D.
Of course, if you do Google Telly Savalas, you would know :D
Dear male readers, this might not be the topic you'd like to read so feel free to close this tab now. =P
Whenever I'd say out loud that I avail of Brazilian waxing services, one of the following happens:
a) friends' eyebrows go up in what seems to be judgment,
b) seemingly wince in pain and ask me how painful it is or
c) shriek and ask if I also go to Strip Ministry of Waxing.
If it were entirely up to me, it would be always the third option but I think the Telly Savalas, as what I'd like to call it, is still a slowly-permeating practice in the Philippines, given our conservative culture. I mean, even going to the OB is such a married thing / non-conservative thing to do in this country. After all, a Brazilian citizen would have to lie down on a bed and expose herself ---- and endure waxing in what can be the most sensitive body part of all.
Now, I am about to go Carrie Bradshaw on you and tell you {just in case you have reservations on Brazilian waxing} why the pain is worth it:
Because hair, especially when you're in a bikini, is unsightly and an eyesore. I used to do it for the sake of vanity but my OB-Gyne, Dr. Gonzales from St. Luke's, chats me up every single time and we talk about all the various waxing salons that have come up in the metro. Having a clean, trimmed, if not 100% taken off, such in the case of a Brazilian, private area is hygienic and perfectly healthy for us women. This is especially beneficial when we have our red days and of course, when we suddenly have to go to the beach and don our bikinis. Also, life is so much easier without the hair! And as evidenced by the movie
The Break Up, the Telly Savalas does add that something to your life.
Now, while there are a multitude of salons that offer Brazilian wax, I can only recommend one: Strip Ministry of Waxing, at least here in Metro Manila. As "experienced" as I might be when it comes to this type of waxing, I do get iffy exposing myself to people I don't know so I just stick with a regular striperella, that's what they're called. This is why I only have one at Greenbelt 5 and one at the Serendra branch, and this is why I've only come to only
Strip, since I've come to know it. After all, a sensitive and private procedure needs all the utmost care and quality that you can get.
How do I love Strip? Let me count the ways:
Chocolate. Or Strawberry. Strip prides itself with the two kinds of waxes that they have. My Mishka {named April} said that they used to offer Vanilla but their choices are now Chocolate {for the more veteran ones, such as me} and Strawberry, for newbies. I love it that I can smell it during the procedure.
No Double Dipping. Strip uses whatever number of small wooden spatulas you need to keep the process hygienic. During a waxing session, hair follicles are open and it's important to not double dip to avoid post-wax ingrown hair.
The Interiors. Every Strip branch is different {I've been to two} and I like how the rooms do not look intimidating at all. I'm pretty sure the photos can do the talking here.
Quality Control. I of course just had to ask how they maintain the temperature --- April says it's set to Medium all the time. For some of us, wax can be too hot, so they always make it a point to ask the client if they're alright with the temperature.
The Little Details. A hanger for your bottoms, a mirror so you can fix yourself after the treatment and the pre-session measures that they apply before the procedure {such as the pre-wax oil and the post-wax thing}.
Surely, there's a downside.
A Brazilian Telly Savalas is not cheap, more so compared with other waxing salons in the city --- it's a little over a thousand pesos, for the removal of hair that's to grow out anyway, depending how long it normally does. But if you only do this before beach trips, or events like a pole dance recital, a smooth and hairless bikini line is very much worth it.
So --- have you ever tried the Telly Savalas, too? What are your experiences?
xx
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