dailygaelley

Ready for an intimate topic?

Last December 10, 2019, Strip Ministry of Wax finally opened their first branch outside of Manila and chose Davao to be its location. Strip Davao is located at the second floor of Abreeza Ayala Malls.

Strip, an international waxing company originating in Singapore, has finally branched out in Davao. The Waxing Salon boasts of their top-of-the-line equipment and services. We were able to look around the new branch and their highlighted service: the Brazilian Wax. Brazilians weren’t all that new to me prior to the Strip experience. I’ve watched numerous sitcoms and movies featuring the dreaded brazilian wax and I’ve always sort of thought of it as terrifying. Of course when I first tried it at a different salon, I thought my mind would have a different opinion or I would eventually get used to the pain. I didn’t.

So when Strip started talking about how their waxes were relatively less painful than most waxes, I was intrigued. They talked about how they’re different because they value the HSQs: Hygiene, Speed & Quality. Their rooms are always hygienic because they use proper draping and make use of latex gloves. They boast of a 30-minute service, and they formulate their own waxes; making sure that each strip of wax would give a clean & comfortable strip off.

Each of their branches are different in theme. The one that opened in Davao is themed after Women Warriors. The place is filled with different ethnic cloths and the walls are adorned with paintings and posters of women warriors. They also share the space with their sister company, Browhaus. I particularly liked the fact that despite being all fierce in its theme, the store still maintains a sort of quirkiness. Their waxing kits come in the large condom-like packets and are placed in a large dispenser mounted on the wall.

We had a tour of the place, learned about our intimate areas, and eventually, even got to try their services. Because it was December, their specialty wax was The Gingerbread Wax. They gave us a voucher for an XXXX ALL OFF wax.

I booked an appointment later that night and got a bit nervous by the second. I had already done a couple of waxes before but I was curious about how painless the procedure really was and how different it would be.

The Wax Expert assigned to me was Ms. Meliz and she made the experience less terrifying by talking me through it. She also talked about how all of them knew how to wax and were heavily trained on it. They even try it on each other prior to performing the waxes on the customers.

The experience was surprisingly fast. It was only about 25-30 minutes and it was absolutely, 100%, 5x less painful that the previous waxes I’ve had before. I didn’t even get to use their Gorilla Squishy toy! I think I’d just been converted from freaking out about waxes to actually looking forward to them. Waxing is supposed to be part of self-care and shouldn’t be something uncomfortable.

Strip, admittedly is among the more expensive waxing salons in the city but I honestly think that the quality of the service is what the customer pays for. The HSQs come with a price, and to be honest, I’m more than willing to pay for that. I mean, what is the point of self-care if you do it at the bare minimum?

Their waxes smell great, and one thing I noticed during the wax was how it didn’t burn my skin nor did it feel sticky like a sugar wax. Overall, I think Strip is the best choice for waxing! 

TWO L(I)PS

Another thing I that intrigued me during the launch was the topic of vulva care. As far as I can remember, the words vulva has often been considered taboo. It’s something everyone avoids talking about but the world, thanks to the internet and social media, has slowly been introduced to the world of Vulva Care. Vulva, the two lips that line the outer portion of the vagina, are important parts of the female reproductive system and should be taken care of, too!

This is where TWO L(I)PS comes in. The brand specializes in vulva care. The then taboo subject is now a topic of self-care and I am all for it! Strip houses the following TWO L(I)PS products:

• TWO L(I)PS – BUMPS – Press Release
• TWO L(I)PS – POUT – Press Release
• TWO L(I)PS – DIAMOND – Press Release
• TWO L(I)PS – UNDERCOVER – Press Release

I was given the TWO L(I)PS Blackout Activated Charcoal Mask and I was… intrigued and fascinated at the same time. It’s a sheet mask… for your vulva!  It has received quite a bit of following (it’s the world’s first vulva mask) and its very own controversies. I, on the other hand, am willing to try things at least once prior to judging them and decided to give it a try.

It was…. interesting, to say the least. I didn’t feel irritated nor did I feel super changed. It felt.. like a sheet mask on your hoo-ha. The Blackout Mask is aimed towards “detoxifying, brightening and moisturising the vulva with the help of infrared activated charcoal to boost lymphatic drainage to rejuvenate the skin.”

Coming from the medical field, I know for a fact that females should be careful with the things they use on their privates. Too much chemicals could trigger different reactions or even a yeast (yikes!) infection. The vagina cleans itself and anything you apply could create an imbalance in the normal pH and might cause more problems.

Knowing this, and after my experience with the mask, I personally wouldn’t do it again. The mask retails for about Php 1,280.00 each and a box of five costs Php 5, 400.00. Now that I’ve tried it, I learned that it doesn’t necessary do wonders for me except that it makes my skin feels like it usually does after thorough cleaning and hydration.

Would I recommend it? Sure. If you’re someone who’s interested in trying things out and can afford the price, why not? I just suggest doing your own research and taking care to test it on your skin prior to application, because your privates are delicate areas and should be well taken care of.