Why should you allow yourself to be ‘de-fuzzed’ at one of our spas? Well, for starters, you’ll save 20% on your first Bikini Wax (Basic, Betweeny™ or Brazilian) for the entire month of April. (No cheating, waxing veterans—we’re checking records to make sure only first-timers get the discount!)

Plus, we swear we’ll be gentle with you. Our stripless wax is renowned in hair removal circles for being as painless as possible. Plus, we won’t try anything ‘dirty’ (ahem), because we’re practically OCD about hygiene during our services. And if you’re just nervous about having a stranger around your lady parts, don’t worry: our waxing techs have seen it all. They’ll make you feel totally comfortable, and to them, it’s just another day on the job. (Plus, you’ll get a pair of disposable undies. They’re not exactly full-coverage, but they do the trick.) Still want more depilatory deets? Check out our waxing FAQs.

And if all that isn’t enough to convince you to ‘go all the way’, consider the fact that bikini season is inching closer every day. Do it for the good of your fellow beach-goers—no one wants to get an eyeful of errant fuzz, and you certainly don’t want to be sporting it.

If we simply can’t talk you into taking it off in-spa, you also have the option of using our new and improved poetic waxing at-home hair removal kit, now with a microwaveable cup. It’s great for DIY touch-ups, but if you’re considering going fully bare down there, take it from us: leave that to the professionals, or you’ll be mad at yourself in the morning.

So book your first bikini wax and save a few bucks. Hey, think of it this way: you never forget your first, so why not do it with someone you can totally trust?

Happy waxing!

Miss Bliss

And this year, we’ve got a major ‘wax’ incentive for you: our perennially popular poetic wax is now microwaveable! Hey, I’ll admit it: as wonderful as our wax is, the old method of warming it on the stovetop was… well, kind of a ‘hot mess’. I have a few friends who refused to even try it simply because they didn’t want to spend any more time ‘cooking’ over a flame. Plus, DIY waxing is challenging enough without the painstaking prep.

talk about microwave 'lovin'!

So we’ve tossed the old ceramic mug and replaced it with a super-convenient plastic cup—so now you can zap your wax like a frozen dinner. But relax: we’d never axe the formula of our original wax. It’s still the same painless-as-possible, stubble-shrink-wrapping stripless stuff used in our spas and our at-home kit for years.

So kiss your old ‘flame’ goodbye and say hello to the ‘wave’ of the future with our brand-‘nuke’ microwaveable wax. (Now, you’ve got no excuses for ‘wax’ evasion.)

‘Skin’-cerely,

Miss Bliss

But let’s rewind a minute, and remind ourselves why being paraben free is so important in the first place. Parabens are preservatives used to prolong the shelf life of a plethora of products. In recent years, it’s practically become a swear word in beauty industry circles, due to some studies that suggest long-term exposure to the chemicals can lead to cancer, along with other unsavory effects.

After the initial hoopla, it’s been suggested that they may not be as dangerous as originally imagined, and the FDA is still looking at the data. But we believe in erring on the side of caution—after all, our products are all about making you feel good, and how can you do that when there’s a little voice in the back of your head wondering whether all the butter you’re slathering on is going to come back to bite you?

So with that in mind, our goal is to remove parabens from all of our products by the end of 2011. But for now, a bunch of our formulas (in addition to the body butters) are already free of the controversial little buggers. Here’s the full list:

poetic waxing at-home hair removal kit
ingrown eliminating pads
problem salved
blood orange+white pepper bath+shower gel
blood orange+white pepper soapy suds
lemon+sage soapy suds
vanilla+bergamot soapy suds
fabulous foaming body wash
blood orange+white pepper sugar scrub
lemon+sage body butter lite
naked body butter lite
fatgirlscrub
fatgirlsleep (in the US)
serious seaweed cellulite soap
mammoth minty scrub soap
the youth as we know it eye cream
the youth as we know it cleanser
the youth as we know it concentrate
steep clean pore purifying mask
steep clean deep pore cleanser
peeling groovy
best of skintentions (in the US)

Pretty impressive, no? So go ahead and get worry-free gorgeous, because at Bliss, we want to make sure you’re safe, sound… and absolutely stunning.

‘Skin’-cerely,

Miss Bliss

*Tube is now 1.8 oz smaller.

Enjoy it here, and pass it on:

So don’t forget to keep an eye out for our simian street team at spots like Sephora in Times Square (42nd and 7th), Crunch gym on Lafayette Street, and every subway, park and naked cowboy in between. Sure, your initial reaction upon spotting a bikini-clad ape might be to bolt in the other direction—but when you know he’s handing out special offers for 20% off signature brazilian bikini waxes at our spas, and 20% off fuzz-fighting and body-toning bestsellers in-spa and online, we recommend chasing down that monkey suit for your chance at a de-fuzzing discount.

In the spirit of our anti-fur campaign, I’d to ask you readers a hair-removal-related question, just for fun:

That’s right: next Wednesday and Thursday (8/5 and 8/6), we’re letting a team of gorillas loose on the streets of Manhattan. (Well, they’ll actually be people in gorilla suits—we don’t want to be responsible for any attacks on banana-selling street vendors.) Hitting spots like Sephora in Times Square and Crunch gym on Lafayette Street, the bikini-clad beasts will be protesting against fur—not in the overzealous-red-paint-throwing-animal-activist way, but in the no-one-needs-to-see-the-overgrown-jungle-sticking-out-from-your-bikini-bottom way.

They’ll also be handing out special offers for 20% off signature brazilian bikini waxes at our spas, and 20% off fuzz-fighting and body-toning bestsellers in-spa and online. So if you’re in NYC, keep an eye out for our ‘gorilla’ marketing team and don’t miss the chance to de-fuzz ‘fur’ less. And stay tuned for a video documenting all the monkey business. (Yeah, I said it.)

If you are on birth controls pills does it makes your skin extra sensitive to the sun? or waxing in general? like if you get bikini waxing done b4 you are on the pill. Then can you still get it done after you start the pill?

Sincerely,
Waxing Poetic

A: Dear Waxing Poetic:

Birth control pills can make your skin sun sensitive… whether you wax or not! Add in strip wax, which exfoliates the top layers of skin and you have another factor contributing to skin sensitivity.

You can definitely wax when using birth control pills. I do all the time! Face, arms, bikini area…. and I am not blotchy with hyperpigmentation because I use sun protection daily on my face and whenever other body parts are exposed to UV light. So simply be sure to use sun protection daily… at bliss, we believe that daily sun protection use is a “must do” part of EVERYONE’s beauty regimen… whether you are on birth control pills or not! So wax away, my friend, and enjoy your smooth, fuzz-free bliss!

Bliss Kisses!
Donna

Help! I removed my moustache, now I have breakout bumps!

When I was in my early teens, my brother (who is nine years older than I) used to tease me relentlessly about having a moustache (I didn’t have one). Thinking “a lady shouldn’t have a moustache,” I visited the local pharmacy and discovered that LOTS of ladies evidently have moustaches! There were TONS of facial hair treatment options! You can bleach upper lip hair (then you have a blonde moustache). You can use depilatory to dissolve those hairs (really smelly right under your nose). You can shave (eww, face stubble!? please, no!). Or you can WAX!!! For me, discovering waxing was a true beauty epiphany! I officially said “bye bye” to my Mr. Lady look!

Then I discovered that facial waxing comes with a variety of post waxing concerns. You remove unwanted hair (yay!) and then many of us end up with post-waxing breakout bumps in the upper lip and eyebrow area (boo!). What’s a girl to do? Thankfully, you can ‘treat yourself’ with change your spots from bliss. Apply 4-6 hours post hair removal and then in 12 hour intervals after that to prevent and treat those darn bumps. Breakouts occur post-waxing because the hair follicle becomes vulnerable and inflamed due to hair removal. The breakout is your body’s healing response to the follicle being disturbed. The salicylic acid in change your spots takes down the breakout bumps by clearing the follicle and reducing inflammation.

Another post-waxing upper lip concern is dark, shadowy pigmentation. The actual waxing does not cause the dark skin spots. However, most waxing treatments stick to the skin and remove the top layer of skin during the waxing process.* This makes the skin more sensitive to the sun and hyperpigmentation. If you are on antibiotics, birth control pills or hormone replacement, the skin can be extra sun sensitive. The good news is spiff upper lip will help diminish those upper lip shadows AND help discourage the appearance of hair regrowth, so your waxing treatment lasts longer and your upper lip area looks brighter! Use spiff upper lip nightly for best results.

*note: Poetic Waxing Kit contains a special hard wax that shrink-wraps the hair and does not stick to skin!

bliss kisses, Donna