Hair today, gone tomorrow (a.k.a. the bare necessities)
When we talk about the beauty and grooming business, one subcategory gaining widespread acceptance and popularity would be that of the waxing and threading of our body hair — and this includes specific areas that don’t leave much to one’s imagination. And don’t look now, but we aren’t just talking about women and their bushy or uneven eyebrows, or Brazilians; because according to Roberta Abad-Estacion, Philippine franchise holder of Strip and Browhaus, 50 percent of their Strip business is devoted to men who go for their special services such as the Boyzilian! Yes, you did read right, it seems that male actors, athletes (especially swimmers and triathletes) and models are seeing the treatment as a boon to their general appearance, sports performance, or “book-ability.”
Roberta’s foray into this specialized business began when she first saw the salons at the Singapore Raffles. When it opened in Djakarta, where she was working in the telecom business, she was impressed by the high standards and consistency of service, and thought of bringing it to Manila. Cynthia Chua, the Singaporean founder, was entertaining two other groups vying for the franchise when saw something of herself in Roberta, a woman entrepreneur attempting to make her mark. Granted the franchise, August of 2008 saw Roberta fast-tracking her recruiting and training, and opening her Serendra salons by November of the same year — they now also have a one-stop Strip and Browhaus outlet on the 4th floor of Greenbelt 5, that has an innovative “submarine” design, courtesy of Jerry de Souza, its creative director in Singapore.
At Strip and Browhaus, hair removal is treated like a science — services and techniques are standardized, and constant innovation is the byword. The Brazilian/Boyzilian uses intense pulse light (similar to ultrasound) and is painless, with underarms done in 10 minutes and those in the body areas polite conversation leaves unsaid, in 30 minutes. The “wax” they use is not honey or sugar-based, but a special titanium dioxide base that has chamomile and aloe vera. There’s a chocolate confection that’s used on the guys, while a strawberry one is reserved for Strip “virgins.” Lavender is utilized for bigger body parts that also need exfoliation. At Browhaus, the signature service is their Brow Resurrection Ver. 2.4. Semi-permanent, non-toxic vegetable dyes recreate strand by strand one’s eyebrows like a veritable tattoo. And this has been a godsend for a lot of more mature women.
While some have commented about how their prices are higher than the other establishments offering the same services, Roberta emphasizes their quality and service, which follows global standards. And it would seem the likes of Saab Magalona, Phoemela Baranda, the boys of Boys Night Out (to name just a few), are in complete agreement!
“Hair today, gone tomorrow” — the original phrase may have alluded to the fleeting nature of fame but at Strip and Browhaus, it takes on its own very special meaning.
