This morning I examined my face in the magnifying mirror (otherwise known as my best frenemy) and realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I waxed my upper lip.
Was it three weeks ago?
It may have been four…
Needless to say, I have a ’70s-style shag carpet above my upper lip, and it’s not a cute look.
And don’t even get me started on the chin hairs…
As I walked into my bathroom to grab my trusty Bliss blue wax hair-removal kit, it occurred to me that the only other creature who’s ever seen me wax my upper lip hair was Tabs.
He was probably the only one I would let see me with the Bliss blue wax on my face because I knew he wouldn’t be able to say anything snarky, although I’m pretty sure he was thinking that I looked like a dime-store drag version of my brother with a blue mustache (Tabs was ruthless that way, but that’s why I loved him).
I don’t know why I’m so private about those two particular areas, since I’m cool with almost all other forms of hair removal/hair change. Like, I have no qualms about friends, family or complete strangers seeing me pluck my brows. It’s totally not mortifying to me.
Oh — and once in the middle of a hair appointment I strolled down two big city blocks to feed the meter with the foils in my hair and a hair styling cape draped across my shoulders. No biggie.
But anything having to do with my twisty villain mustache has to be done behind closed doors — ideally, only in the presence of a close feline friend.
More of the beauty rituals I do in private:
- Waxing/shaving of “the lady-bits” (although, does anybody want to do this in public? LOL!)
- Clipping toe nails, and I’ll even clip them *before* going to the nail salon so the nail tech won’t have to do them (I have no idea why I’m so weird about it.)
Beauty rituals I’m comfortable doing in front of other people:
- Facials
- Face masks (honestly, the weirder the better!)
- Putting on makeup (this one’s very social for me, of course)
- Haircuts/color
- Manis/pedis
How about you? What are your public and private beauty rituals?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I am the same: clipping my nails or waxing my face/ shaving my lady parts has to be done in private. Everything else – I don’t care.
Yeah, why is the clipping nails thing so private? I can’t quite figure it out.
Have a good rest of your week. 🙂
Living alone, my grooming is private, so no problems. When I had my last cat and first used a metallic-looking face mask, she seemed to notice that something was askew, but didn’t overreact . . altogether, pretty cool about it.
Make yourself a good day,
L
❤️
P.S.
Your brother’s a cutie!
Hi L,
Kitties are super chill about masks… At least Tabs was! He didn’t flinch when I walked around with a sheet mask that made me look like Jason Vorhees, ha ha ha!
I would say that any shaving I would only do privately as well as my facial care, especially face masks (I find them relaxing). Other than that, I would do other things in public. I even get makeovers at store counters.
I’ve been thinking about why most people are comfortable with doing their makeup in public, and for me, I think it might be because when you’re growing up, getting ready with your girlfriends is like a right of passage. I kinda miss that — a room full of girls getting ready for a dance or a night out!
Hope you’re having a good week so far. It’s crazy cold and rainy here in Northern California, which is unusual.
I think the Hubs and the boys have seen just about every beauty ritual I have (well, not the lady parts grooming). 🙂 Oddly, I only have a few stray mustache hairs these days. I used to have to wax but now I can just tweeze. I tweeze my lone chin hair as well. The boys usually only comment on the face masks – they find them creepy and ridiculous. HAHA!
You should have the boys do a mask with you! That would be fun. 🙂
It’s funny you say that – I have a sulfur, clay mask that is excellent for clearing up acne. There is a noticeable difference, just using it once, overnight. I’ve let the boys use it as a spot treatment and both have complained about the smell and said “I’m not putting that on my whole face”. HAHA! They’ve both used a charcoal mask on their T zone before (Origins) but couldn’t wait to wash it off. I need to find a nice smelling sheet mask for them – maybe with an animal face. 🙂
I can do makeup in public but pretty much all the rest of it is private.
I’m cool with makeup in public, too. I guess it’s because it’s a bonding thing amongst girls? Anyway, I hope you’re having a nice week so far. It’s cold and rainy here in Northern California, which is nuts.
Funny, I just watched a Jaclyn Hill video about how she shaves her face to help with makeup application! I love that she was totally cool with doing that on video, I know I couldn’t do that! I sometimes uses a facial epilator on certain spots of my face, my DH and I used to refer to it as HR, for hair removal (e.g. “I’m going to go do HR”) but I preferred to do it in private, unless I was super pressed for time. Every thing else, I’m totally fine with doing in front of others, nail clipping included. I LURV creeping my son out with sheet masks, he thinks it’s hilarious!
For some reason I enjoy freaking out people with sheet masks, too. 🙂 Why is it so fun?!
Other than anything relating to the lady-bits, not many beauty rituals are private in a house with teen, pre-teen, and toddler girls. Which is okay with me. It’s a time for bonding and also I can teach them the right way to do things. (No over-plucking eyebrows, for instance. That almost became an emergency situation with one of them.) Now, even the baby comes to me, pushing her bangs out of her eyes, saying “my haaaaair!” when it’s time for a trim.
The girls are lucky to have you to guide them! I wish I had someone to tell me to step away from the tweezers when I first started plucking my brows.
Haa..i clip my nails before going to the salon too 😀 😀 So I am not the only one 😀
Hi Radhika,
I thought I was the only one! Glad to know I’m not alone.
I clip my toenails before going to the salon. bUt, only because I don’t think they cut them short enough. If I’ve ever asked them to cut them a bit shorter they always get mad and say it’s not good! Haha I use the perfect touch hair remover on my upper lip. Once I’m comfortable in a relationship I don’t mind doing it, I did it in front of my ex husband and I do now in front of my boyfriend. I agree with taking care of lady bits in private. Although i have had Brazilians a few times. Surprisingly, it’s not as mortifying as you would think!! Haha but it does hurt to high hell!
On a side note… my mom plucks her chin hairs using a compact mirror while sitting on the couch watching TV. My dad makes hilarious “zoink” noises each time she plucks one ?
I’m private about anything involving my lady bits, because of my sons and brother being around. For obvious reasons. Hubby’s seen it all in various states of maintenance, though.
I often pluck facial hairs in my car mirror: The lighting is better. No one should be looking in my car, so if they’re grossed out…well, that’ll teach them.
I’m totally fine doing makeup, hair, getting my brows or upper lip waxed, etc. around other people. Most things, really.
I clip my nails and toenails in front of my husband on occasion, and he’s definitely seen me shave my legs and stuff. He’s probably never seen me tweeze my brows but it’s not like I hide it from him LOL!
I had to go a long time without shaving my underarms because of being on crutches for 6 weeks. Shaved armpits and crutches are a recipe for irritation, i learned my lesson the hard way.
I use one of those Flawless shaver things on my face and it works alright because my facial hair is invisible blond. If you’ve got darker hair I’m sure it would be noticeable. Waxing scares me since my skin is so delicate anyway.
Oh — and once in the middle of a hair appointment I strolled down two big city blocks to feed the meter with the foils in my hair and a hair styling cape draped across my shoulders.
this is too funny and I have an image of you in my head running around with a superwoman cape and foil!
I don’t like to do pedis in public. but facial hair? go for it! lol