10 Beauty Mavens Reveal Their Secret For Perfect-Every-Time At Home Waxes

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Earlier this month Kate Bailey and I discussed all the reasons a DIY wax is better than schlepping over to the waxers and tips for a calming, rejuvenating at home spa night (that you can do all the time). Now we turn to you, readers. We asked y’all for your very best tips and secrets for perfecting the art of the DIY wax, here’s the top ten.

1. Make it feel luxe

My trick is that I treat it like a relaxing event–I trick my brain into looking forward to it because of all the special touches I can add. I take a long bath and then I pour myself a glass of wine and read my favorite beauty Tumblrs before I get started, then I’m pumped up to look my best and relaxed. -Kelsey, 22

2. Don’t drink coffee

I read somewhere that things like sodium and caffeine make your skin extra sensitive, so I skip them the day I’m planning to wax. If you’re a total coffee addict like me, I’ll wax on a Saturday morning so I don’t have to go a whole day without it. -Lindsey, 28

3. Proper equipment

This sounds obvious, but get a mirror that helps you see down there without having to hold it. You need your hands free. Getting this together ahead of time makes the whole process easier! -Stephanie, 22

4. Be conscious of how you apply/remove

It’s easy– apply in the direction your hair grows, remove against that direction. You’ll get all the hair at once this way. -Jena, 24

5. Light Candles and have a favorite lotion

My favorite part of relaxing is sitting around my bedroom afterwards putting yummy vanilla scented lotion on my clean, smooth skin. It more than makes up for any annoyance involved. You can even used essential oils and your skin just soaks it up. It feels so good. -Katie, 26

6. Call in reinforcements

This isn’t for everyone, but my best friend and I wax each other. We’re really close so it’s not yucky or anything, it’s actually super funny. We’re laughing and having fun the whole time, plus she does a really good job! -Natalie, 28

7. Exfoliate

I learned that a wax is less painful if you exfoliate the area right before you plan to wax. It makes it really clean and “opens up” the hair follicles so they are ready to get plucked out! Just make sure you wash whatever exfoliator you are using off and dry the area afterwards. You might want to use a little baby powder to make sure it’s completely dry or else the wax won’t stick right. -Sara, 23

8. Diaper cream

Okay this is gross, but I read that it helps a wax be pain-free if your bikini area is super hydrated. None of the lotions I had were that hydrating so I put some of my daughter’s diaper cream on my bikini area and it really helped! I don’t know of another kind of lotion that’s better suited for intense hydrating in a sensitive area. -Laura, 29

9. Have a reward

I’ll save my favorite pair of sexy underwear to wear the day after I wax. It’s a nice reward for me to admire my own handiwork! -Jess, 25

10. Enjoy yourself

My waxing tips are just like my work-out motivation tips. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing it, but afterwards you are always happy that you did it. Plus– it’s self care. There’s lots of people that don’t have time to be able to spend a luxurious hour at the gym getting some cardio, just like lots of women don’t have a free chunk of time alone to relax and take care of excess body hair. When I put it into perspective like that, I enjoy myself a lot more. -Alexis, 27

For more tricks on how to give yourself a professional-grade wax, follow Completely Bare Products on Facebook. This post brought to you by Completely Bare Products.