Product Placement

I used to like the idea of being a faceless, nameless entity who lived in a world of beauty products and (usually quite ill-judged) advice. But then I realised that a goonish little photo of me comes up when I reply to a comment, so I’m not faceless. And that people have started calling me PP, so I’m not anonymous, I just have a silly name. Well, for those of you who remotely care, my friends actually call me Elle (not PP, or indeed Pee-Pee), my colleagues call me Eleanor, and the bloke who comes round to clean the windows calls me Mrs Tucker. So now you know.

Which links as seamlessly as ever into Product Placement’s not remotely celebrated series, Preferential Treatments. And excitingly enough, this week’s instalment is also swathed in secrecy and intrigue. Is it because it’s by a celebrity contributor? Is it because there are legal issues? Or is it because it’s about pubic hair? I’m not telling you. Read it and find out.

What? Organic Hot Wax (G-String).
Where? 360 City Spa, St Stephen Street, Edinburgh.
How much? £20.
What for? Use your imagination.
What happens? You keep your own knickers on, and the therapist shows you how to stretch your skin to minimise any discomfort. The therapist then uses a spatula dipped in hot wax and applies it to your nether regions, then (instead of applying a fabric on top) peels the wax away, while you hold the skin taught taking all that nasty fuzz with it… and hey presto, you’re fuzz-free!
Nice or nasty? One of the more pleasant bikini waxes I’ve ever had – I’ve tried a few salons and this one beats them all hands down. It’s virtually painless because the hot wax opens up the pores, allowing hairs to be removed more easily and therefore making it less painful. Plus, it only took ten minutes, and my therapist was great – very pleasant and really put me at ease.
Did it work? Yes. It’s not as painful as traditional waxing, and because there aren’t strips of fabric involved it seems to hurt less and has minimised those ghastly in-growing hairs, leaving my skin silky smooth.
Did it last? It really did. So much so that I had to postpone my next appointment after six weeks because there wasn’t ‘enough’ for her to work with!
Cringe factor? Let’s see… lying on a bed with legs akimbo in front of stranger. Yep, it’s up there with childbirth! (Please note, you don’t cringe when you give birth, you are too busy screaming in agony – The Editor).
Recommend it? Totally. Despite the cringe factor, it’s fast and virtually painless. And what’s more, all 360′s staff have been fully trained by Lycon Wax London, London’s number one wax bar to the stars including Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller and Minnie Driver. If it’s good enough for Posh, it’s good enough for me!