Why I Kissed Waxing Goodbye & Shop Forward Personalized Bag

This weekend I've had a productivity lapse. Mountains of laundry and unhung pictures glare at me, while cooking efforts went no further than frozen pizza  to feed my brood. I'll blame it on hormones and justify it with last weekend's accomplishments. Do you ever do that? Well, that's me this weekend and especially today as cooler temps and rain kept me snuggled up in front of Jane Austin's  "Emma" AND "Jane Erye" by Charlotte Bronte. With my heart full of both tragic and comedic romance classics, I feel ready to chat about those expression making, featuring making OR breaking - brows! Do you pluck your brows, get them waxed or do you opt for threading? Sharing why I kissed waxing goodbye and a new favorite bag!

Splash Of Fashion

In today's featured outfit I ran errands to Costco and the Brow Art Lounge. Once again, my COMFY Pikolinos make an appearance to the blog!  The sporty top is a warehouse sale find from Five Girl's Fashion . (Now that I own several tops and a jacket that I LOVE and I can confidently vouch for the quality of the pieces.)  As for the personalized, trendy bag by Shop Forward? That was a surprise from a sweet friend back home. She knows me well!

Pikolinos, Similar Jeans by Judy Blue Denim

Shop Forward Bag, C.C. Beanie

Every Outfit Looks Better With Groomed Brows

GAP Utility Jacket

I've had my brows maintained with routine waxing since I was a teenager. Once upon a time these brows were bushy caterpillars and the butt of many jokes. My boys inherited them as well! One son was often referred to as an "Angry Bird" in grade school. Don't worry, after I laughed my butt off I had our hair stylist take care of that. (Such a good mom!)

But why the change? Why go from waxing to threading? 
Back in Georgia, I made my first to visit a threading lounge at our local mall about 5 years ago, out of mere curiosity.  My first timer nerves were quickly assuaged by the sweet woman that patiently answered my questions and explained the process. I would be assisting the ancient practice by holding my brow up with one hand so she could get to my arch. After a few awkward repositionings, she was off and pulling.

Admittedly, I was surprised by the initial discomfort during the pulling, but it passed quickly enough. She also cleaned up any lengthy, wild hairs with scissors. Finally, she took witch hazel and applied it with a cotton ball, which was both cooling and calming. The result was fantastic and I became a regular from that day forward! Also, I noticed that any post redness did not last as long as it used to with waxing,  and I had less "burn" incidents as well as less breakouts. You know what else? After a few visits I didn't feel as much discomfort.

Again, threading takes a couple minutes longer than waxing, thereby drawing out discomfort time, but I think it's worth it. It's not as rough as waxing on the delicate skin around your eyes. In addition, I think threaders are able to achieve a cleaner, more precise look with the pull and tug of that thread. All that being said, it cost about $10 to $12, and frequency depends on the rate of your hair growth. I should probably go about every five weeks, but I usually push it to six.

Here's a few tips if you're considering a threading adventure.

1. Don't go when you're on your period. Your skin is more sensitive.
2. Just as you would for waxing, clearly communicate your desired shape. (I just say, "Please clean them up and keep them thick".) 
3. Hydrate. Sounds so basic, but hydrated skin has more give.
4. Once you've connected with a threader, ask for her schedule. You won't need to explain your preferences and you may make a friend in the process.

Here's a picture with my sweet friend Mahtab in Georgia. I've found a place here in Florida, but haven't quite gained the confidence to pester them with a photo!

So, how do you maintain your eyebrows? Have you had them threaded before? If so, what did you think?

Chrissy