Tag: waxing

Waxing 3

With each waxing session I’m getting braver.

I just got braver. I had my third waxing appointment this evening and this time I went for a bikini wax as well as a full-leg wax. I didn’t do anything too dramatic with the bikini wax and just got a basic one. It hurt a bit, but nothing like I thought it might have done. Next time I go I’ll get my under-arms done as well and then this challenge can be successfully ticked off. I had thought that once I’d finished the challenge I probably wouldn’t bother continuing with waxing as the first time it didn’t last too long and so seemed easier (and cheaper) just to shave. But the second time lasted much longer and presumably this time should last longer still. So I think this could become a regular thing for me.

Waxing 2

My second waxing experience.

Well I just had my second waxing experience. This is time I went for the whole leg job and it really didn’t hurt anything like I imagined. I’m still not sure if I’m brave enough to go for underarms and bikini line yet though. So this might take a little bit longer than expected before I’ll tick the challenge off as done and dusted.

This and that

An update on how I’m doing with my challenges.

I’ve got a few things going on now. I’m still thinking about and planning for Iceland. I spoke to the photography teacher today about taking photos in RAW, but that’s something she also doesn’t know too much about. She’s going to find out for me. I’ve remembered I’ve got the Bradt guide to the Northern Lights – I got it free a while ago – so I’ve been looking for it, but can’t find it anywhere. I’ll have to keep looking.

I’ve also started writing seriously for NaNoWriMo. Now it’s nearly the end of the month I doubt I’ll get my 50,000 words done. It’s not fiction either. But I’m doing what I wanted and getting a lot of words input to my computer. I only started yesterday and I have over 5,000 words already. I had worked out that I would need to do 2,000 a words a day for 25 days. I only allowed 25 days, as I knew there would be days when I wouldn’t get round to doing any and so I built these word-free days into my timetable. To finish in time now, I would need to write more than 5,000 words a day, so I know that realistically that’s not going to happen.

I’ve also just got round to ringing the local college to book my next leg-waxing appointment. The receptionist (who is also a student and told me this was her first day on reception) seemed to be struggling to find any appointments on her computer so she took my number and rang me back. The earliest she can do is the 13th December. I’ve booked it, but I know it means I won’t get my waxing challenge finished this year. The first time I went, it was just for a lower leg-wax. This time it’s for the full leg. My final appointment will also include my underarms and bikini line. After that I’ll tick the challenge off and probably not bother any more as it seems much easier just to shave. So when I go in December I’ll make the next appointment whilst I’m there. Probably for late January.

Not doing much

Where am I up to with my challenges?

I’m feeling like I’m not doing much towards my list at the moment. NaNoWriMo started at the beginning of the month and I’ve only written a couple of hundred words. I needed to do about 2,000 words a day and so I should be on 20,000 by now. I’ve just felt far too knackered when I’ve got home in the evening. I was also going to get another leg waxing appointment made and go for the whole leg experience this time. But I never got round to making the phone call, got fed up with hairy legs and shaved them. So now I’ll have to wait for them to re-grow. That’s the bit that puts me off waxing – the inbetween times when I have to have a couple of weeks of stubble and hair before it’s long enough to be successfully ripped off. Last time I only left it a week and that wasn’t really long enough, so this time I’d left it two weeks. But now I’m back to the start again. I’ve also not read any more books from the ‘Big Read’ as I’m still reading Bill Bryson’s At Home which I started to read in Norfolk.

At least I’ve got Iceland booked and so have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights and I’ve been able to get out walking again.

This and That

Preparing for the Norfolk Coast Path and lots of other things.

Three more getups and then I’m off to Norfolk for half term. I’m looking forward to walking the Norfolk Coast Path and I’m intrigued to find out what sort of weather I’ll get. Every weekend has been so different recently and now I keep hearing talk of snow. Bring it on! – I’ll enjoy the walk whatever the weather.

I’ve been googling and searching Amazon looking for books set in Norfolk that I can read whilst I’m there, but haven’t had any luck finding anything. Then this evening my eyes alighted on my copy of Bill Bryson’s ‘At Home’. A bell started to ring in the deep recesses of my mind – didn’t he settle in Norfolk when he moved back to the UK? A quick check, and yes, the book is about his house in Norfolk. So that’s the one I’ll be taking with me. It’s very chunky and so I doubt I’ll get much of it read, but at least I can start it. My habit of reading books set in, or about, the places I visit isn’t helping me get through the BBC Big Read challenge, but I’ll get round to that at some point.

To prepare for the walk I’ve been very good about going to the gym. I hadn’t been for ages as life just kind of took over and ate up all my time. But this past few weeks I’ve been going regularly and feeling good for it. I’m surprised that my fitness level is still pretty good, but maybe all the walking I did in the summer has paid off there.

I had been hoping to go back to the local college this week for a bit more waxing, but decided I’d rather spend my available evenings in the gym instead. So stage two of that challenge will have to wait until after half term.

By the time half term is over it will be almost November and time for me to start NaNoWriMo. I still haven’t thought about what I’m going to write, but that’s ok. I’m just going to use the month to let my thoughts flow free and see what happens. I’m going to concentrate on quantity not quality. If I’m able to write 50,000 words in a month then at least I’ll know that I do have the stamina and patience to think seriously about writing in the future. Then I’ll think about quality.

I finished my first aid course last week. This is only a basic course, but has given me confidence to tackle the more full-on course that I’ll need to do for walking group leader’s qualification. I’ll think about doing this in the spring. That’ll give me plenty of time to read up on first aid and consolidate what I’ve learnt.

So all in all, things are ticking along quite nicely.

Waxed!

I get my legs waxed.

Last night was my waxing appointment at the local college salon. I was called upstairs to the huge treatment room straight away and directed to a bed with a curtain round it. The whole place seemed quite manic with people dashing about everywhere. My therapist/waxist/student asked me some questions about such things as if I’m a diabetic or have a pacemaker. Then I had to remove my trousers and get on the bed with a towel stretched across my upper legs. I was ready to be waxed.

First, my legs were wiped down with a cool antiseptic liquid. Then talcum powder was rubbed over them. After that it was time for the wax. Evil smelling, pink goo was smeared over my legs and then ripped off with a piece of thin fabric. It hurt, but not nearly as much as I expected it to. Once the fronts were done I had to turn over so the backs could be done. This was a bit more painful, but still completely bearable. At this point the tutor had come in and joined in as she thought it was taking too long. She was a lot quicker than the student and so maybe this was why it hurt a bit more. My student waxer was really gentle. But soon it was over and I was slathered with an after-wax liquid and advised not to shower, swim or use body lotions for 48 hours.

As I’ve now been waxed I could tick this one off my list. But I think I’ll keep it in the ‘in progress’ category until I’ve been brave enough to have full leg, bikini line and underarm waxing done. As the college closes for the summer next week, it won’t be until at least September before I can do this.

Waxing appointment made

Setting up my first waxing appointment.

My web design course isn’t running next Tuesday so I thought this could be a good time to have my first waxing experience. As the college salon, staffed by trainee beauty therapists, only has appointments at certain times it hasn’t been convenient until now.


I popped in on my way to class this evening to make an appointment. Whilst I was there I also got a patch test done as I’m thinking of also getting my eyebrows and eyelashes tinted. For insurance purposes they have to do the patch test first to make sure you don’t have any weird reactions. The receptionist mixed a few chemicals and then painted a purple blob on my arm. As it is meant to be a dye that lasts for a while and doesn’t wash off I’m expecting questions from curious students the next few times I have short sleeves.


Leg waxing, eyelash tinting, whatever next? I’m finally turning into a girly girl. I don’t think I’m quite ready to trade my walking boots in for a pair of stilettos just yet, but watch this space …

Soon to be waxed

Thinking about waxing

I called in at the beauty therapy salon bit of college tonight on my way to web design to check out times and so on for waxing. As it’s a college and training place they only do ‘salons’ at certain times. At the moment the only evening ones are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, neither of which is convenient. Thursdays I definitely can’t do, but Tuesdays should be possible in the next few weeks. The appointment would be at 6pm and take about half an hour. I start web design at 6.30pm. After half term the teaching should be pretty much finished and we’ll just be getting on with creating our own websites for the assessment, so then it shouldn’t matter if I’m a few minutes late. So another few weeks and then I’ll be having my first waxing experience.

Waxing

Why do people pay to have hairs ripped out of their skin by the roots? I really want to know.

Waxing might seem a strange thing to have on a list of things to do before I’m 60. Not much of a challenge, some people do this regularly and have done for years. But I never have. I’m quite intrigued by this aspect of personal grooming and why people would pay to have hairs ripped out of their skin by the roots. It’s a cross-cultural phenomenon, though in some cultures other substances such as sugar are used instead of wax. What exactly gets waxed (and how much of it) is both culturally and fashionably determined.

This really seems like something I should experience for myself, yet I’ve never tried it. Partly this is through fear of physical pain, but also it’s because of the fear of financial pain it will cost my bank account. Waxing is not cheap.

Each time I go to college to do my web design course the walk from the car park takes me past the hairdressing and beauty therapy department where there is a functioning salon. I had a look online at the treatments and prices on offer and it is cheap. There are two prices depending on whether you have a junior or senior trainee. They also offer other treatments I’m interested in such as eyebrow and eyelash tinting and massage. So it’s convenient and cheap – really no excuse now to not get this done.

I’ll start with my legs and will probably just get my lower legs done first. Then I’ll assess and decide whether this is enough to complete this challenge or if I should do more and get other bits waxed as well before I can count it as complete. I’ve just found a video on youtube of someone having a Brazilian bikini wax. It took ages, looked even more painful than I’d imagined, and her ‘bits’ got redder and redder as the procedure went on. So I don’t think I’ll be going that far. But who knows? Watch this space …