Salon and Spa Directory: Strip: Ministry of Waxing

Painless wax? I honestly thought that concept was a myth until I stepped into Strip: Ministry of Waxing.

Now, let's be honest -- waxing just isn't fun. It's something we do, of course, and we want to find a place that makes us feel comfortable and does a good job. But it usually HURTS. And you're stuck in a little white room that looks and feels like a whole heck of a lot like a doctor's office.

Well, at Strip, those notions just go right out the window. The treatment rooms have fun Jackson Pollock-esque abstract art on the walls, cubbyholes for your belongings, Strip's philosophies scrawled across the ceilings, and even little squeezy monkeys to hold onto during the session.

But the REAL reason to come here? The waxing. I made sure not to take any aspirin beforehand, so I'd really know the full extent of the pain. There. Was. NONE. And I got the XXXX Strip ($85), which means there was quite a bit of removal going on. My waxing specialist, Elena, expertly removed every single hair with the ultimate precision and an eagle eye. The whole session took around 25 minutes, and when we were done? Not a single hair remained, and I hadn't been encouraged to shed even one single tear.

For more information about Strip: Ministry of Waxing and to book an appointment, visit strip-usa.com.

Salon and Spa Directory: Brows by Lura at Stark Waxing Studio

Are your brows totally and completely out of control? Are you desperate for a reshaping and cleaning up? Well, Lura at Stark Waxing Studio is your new lifesaver.

Fact: your brows will look better than ever before. Seriously, I've had my brows waxed for years and have never had them look as good as when Lura does them. And not only that -- Lura is so good at what she does, she doesn't even need to ask you about the shape or what you want. She just has you lie down on the table and gets to work -- and the finished product is AMAZING. Exactly what you would have asked her to do, but even better.

For more information about Stark Waxing Studio, visit starkwaxingstudio.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

The Perfect Pairing: Waxing at Stark Waxing Studio and BareEase & Cream

I'm going to let you in on a secret. Waxing is painful. Okay, maybe that's not such a big secret. But here's something you may not know -- if you pair BareEase & Cream with a waxing appointment at, say, Stark Waxing Studio, your pain is cut down tremendously.

I went in for an appointment recently and was pleasantly surprised at how easy the waxing went due to my application of BareEase & Cream beforehand! What is BareEase & Cream, you may ask? It's a numbing cream formulated with lidocaine, a common local anesthetic, that takes away the pain and suffering from bikini waxing. Pretty genius if you ask me!

Plus, the BareEase & Cream prep kit comes with everything you need pre-appointment to make the pain go away. The kit has a pair of latex underwear, a tube of pain-relieving cream and a pamphlet that details exactly what to do. (But, basically, you just put on the cream and wear the underwear with it for about 45 minutes before your appointment.)

And the actual waxing appointment? It couldn't have gone more smoothly! (Pardon the pun.) My waxer was professional, quick and thorough, removing every single hair with the greatest of ease.

BareEase & Cream retails for $25 at drugstore.com. A Full Brazilian Wax at Stark Waxing Studio is $70-$85. Visit starkwaxingstudio.com for more information and to book an appointment.