My First (and probably the last) experience with Sugaring - in Bare Naked Glorietta 5 at least (Updated 10-7-16)
#services
I don't usually make #services posts twice in one week but I am going to make an exception because I want to share my not-so good experience with BareNaked in Glorietta 5. Ok, so I don't know what to call the substance so I will just call it "sugar wax". Please take note that this review is for the Glorietta 5 branch only, and does not apply to ALL Bare Naked branches.
First of all, let me tell you that when I am trying a new service "undercover", I never reveal that I am a writer/beauty blogger because I want to experience everything as a regular client. After the service, I always let them know that I am making a review and give my blog address so they can check out what I think of their service so they can improve more on their service, or maintain an excellent job. Either way, I have no reason to lie about a certain review.
There are only 2 waxing/threading salons that I go to and would recommend: #1 is Lay Bare, and #2 is Wink (in no particular order). I decided to try something new and I remember seeing this new "sugaring" salon at the top floor of Glorietta 5 called BareNaked.
I love the facade and the interior of their salon. It looks like a spa and looks very clean. Not nearly as germaphope as Wink but it actually reminded me of a small "The Spa". I was welcomed by their staff and are very accommodating. I took time to read their services menu and the prices.
I spoke to the receptionist and sugaring technician named Abby. Since I was a bit confused with their pricing, I asked her how much to have my whole face "sugared". Whole face would OBVIOUSLY mean from fore head, to the cheeks, to the chin. THE CHIN, my very fuzzy chin that is the most important area that needs sugar waxing.
Abby punched in a few keys on her calculator and said that it would cost PhP 550 for the whole face. I asked her if that included the chin area and she told me that it's included under the category of "the lower lip area". I remembered that in particular because I remember thinking "Hmm... Not bad if it's just my upper and lower chin that needs waxing next time, it would include the chin already."
My technician's name is Dimple. She's very pleasant and very easy to talk to (except for the fact where she's always right even when I complained about the reusable sponge she used on my face that smelled like a rag). I do believe however that she needs more training in brow shaping. My brows were horribly shaped and was, in other words, simply TERRIBLE. But before I get into that, let me tell you about their facility.
The salon has a bathroom where you can wash up before your Brazilian sugaring, and the rooms are very soothing and clean. I love the soft lighting because it's very relaxing.
I am very OC about my brows. Dimple gave me the impression that she knew what she was doing when I said "please do not shape my brows, just groom them". She nodded and got to work. Dimple applied something on my face using a reusable makeup sponge that they just keep damp each time because they wash it after every client and is not exposed to sunlight to dry completely. It smelled funky (like a piece of clothing that didn't dry well), and she insisted that it's "normal" saying "ganyan talaga amoy niyan".
That was the first miss. They used face masks and surgical gloves but they don't use disposable cotton pads/sponges for your face. They shouldn't use anything reusable on anyone's face specially when they do several different faces a day.
Dimple used about a 10-scent size amount of "wax" on my brow area, and about a 1-peso size amount on my entire face which I found a little gross when I think about it. They claim that the pores are "open" after sugaring, but they reuse the "sugar wax". I just feel that that's a little contradicting. So whatever is removed from your skin just goes back to the open pores. Very curious.
Oh gosh. Sugaring is cray-cray. I did not expect that much tugging and pulling on my skin. I was actually worried about my skin sagging because of how harsh they stretch, pull, pinch, and tug on the skin to spread the very sticky Sugaring, sorry I don't know what else to call it, wax. Basically, they were actually KNEADING the sugar wax on my face. (Sag alert!)
After my skin had almost been ripped off my face 45 minutes later, I cancelled my Brazilian service because I know it won't be pain free from what I had just experienced with all the tugging/kneading. When I went back to the reception to pay, they are charging me PhP 680.00. I asked why the price jumped from 550 to 680, as it turns out, the chin sugaring is a seperate fee which Abby told me was included in the lower lip area. I guess they just decided to charge me.
I expressed my frustration because Abby was insisting that she didn't make a mistake, and had the audacity to say that I was the one who's mistaken and insisted that I didn't hear her right. Dimple apologized for Abby which made me relax a little but I still left the salon with a huff and steam coming out of my ears (or pores, doesn't matter).
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| Eyebrow Shaping from LayBare -Threading |
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| Eyebrow ("grooming only") from BareNaked -Sugaring |
UPDATE (10-7-16)
Today I was able to go back to Bare Naked and had my whole face sugared and my armpits. After what I experienced months before, I took the risk of them doing my brows again, and truthfully, I saw a lot of improvement in their service and in their facilities that actually made me enjoy my experience with them today. Please see my updates in red font below.
Here are my thoughts based on the information I gathered undercover (unbiased):
PROS
- Facility is clean.
- They provide feminine washes and a clean bathroom.
- Technicians use surgical gloves and a face mask for the procedure.
- Clean work, no stray hairs after.
CONS
After the sugaring, they remove their gloves and they tweeze the stray hairs with bare hands.-They actually keep the gloves on now while they tweeze.Extremely painful because of the pulling, tugging, stretching, and hard pressing of the skin. For repeated exposure to this, the skin will eventually sag.-They no longer do this too! They are very gentle, and no longer tug on the skin. They apply just the right amount of pressure on the sugar mixture and careful not to pull on the skin.The "kneading" of the face feels extremely uncomfortable.-No more kneading happening!They do not change the "sugar wax" no matter the area. They will only use a tiny amount to sugar the whole area, even when the "sugar wax" has already turned so white because it is already mixed with so much powder.-They actually change the sugar wax often, a small amount is used per small area.They know nothing about eyebrow shaping. My brows look terrible after.-My brows looked awesome after the procedure! Good job Bare Naked!The prices change, so better to calculate the rates yourself.-They explain really well how much and what is included in the rate you are paying.Their soothing lotion after the sugaring has a funky smell, kind of smell of an expired cream.-These no longer smell expired but actually smell pleasant, clean, and fresh!They use a reusable sponge that smells. (This one is really unpleasant.)-All materials are now disposable! No more reusable stuff.Technicians remove the gloves for plucking stray hairs.-Not anymore.- T
hey reuse their surgical gloves so using them is useless.-I don't think this is true anymore too. Pricey for a salon who reuse most of their tools: sponges, gloves, towels, sugaring wax (only a small piece for the whole face).-Now very much worth the price because of the cleanliness and the good service.The face will itch very much after the procedure!-Not anymore because they're now very gentle with the skin.Takes too long for facial hair removal. Threading takes half the time.-They're faster, and their work is more flawless.The facility is a little bit too dark for a waxing/sugaring place.-Now they have ample amount of lighting.It takes a while for the redness to go away. With threading and waxing, it takes 1 to 2 hours max for the redness to subside (based on my experience).-Not anymore because they are more gentle with skin handling.They do not display the brand of the lotions and toners they use on your face. If you ask, they only say it's "organic", but they can't tell you what it's made of.Technicians are chatty while they wax you.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS SALON BRANCH? No. Yes.
WILL I RETURN? No. Maybe another branch. Yes. Look for Abby.
What is your favorite hair removal salon?
42 comments
Never gonna try this after you review..Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteNew Post Up: http://beauty-fulll.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-outfit.html
You might have a different experience with other sugaring salons :) Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteI'm going to take your word for it and not consider going to this waxing place.
ReplyDeleteIt's really too bad that sugaring can't be more gentle with the skin. I will try another salon that offers sugaring and see if kneading/tugging the skin is a standard process in sugaring! It's such a shame. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteOh my gosh, what a letdown! It sounds like a really cool process, but it obviously is really tough on the skin. I'm sorry that you had such a negative experience - especially with your brows. I hate when I pay for something and then it turns out worse than if I did it myself.
ReplyDeletethe-creationofbeauty.blogspot.com
That is so true! I really feel that I would have done a better job than what they did to my brows. And after this? The growth flow of my hair will never be the same! :( Boo hoo... Thanks for reading! ♥
DeleteWith that said, which waxing salon would you recommend that's pain-free? :) I'm quite a virgin to the whole waxing process (especially Brazilian). :)
ReplyDeleteWell, waxing the hoo-hoo area really hurts whether it be a Brazilian or a bikini wax. I have been done it 5 times in my whole adult life and I must say that while the pain lessens each time you go, it still does hurt :) I wish I can give you a few salons to choose from, but I have only been to 2 waxing salons that I have gone to for Brazilian wax: LayBare and a waxing salon in Boracay whose name I forgot. I plan to try Wink at the Fort next! I will make a review as soon as I go for a B-wax and let you know how it goes! ♥ Thanks for dropping by!
Deletewhat the. they should always go after their customers' demands. the customer is always right. lay bare parin ako. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! I love Lay Bare and their staff is friendlier, and not snooty. The staff at BareNaked are snooty and they make a face every time you say the word "waxing" or "wax"! They reply with "Sugaring po! Hindi waxing!" in that scornful tone. They have a lot of improving to do.
Deletethats a no-no! I really love staffs who I can make kwento and laugh with during my appointment. and lay bare staffs never fail to do that! :D anyways, thanks for the honest review! Now I know what to expect whenever I pass by this branch in glorietta
DeleteI'm sorry to hear this, Sabs. Their service and the "shaping" they did for your eyebrows are really horrible. :'( Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! Haaay... I hope my brows grow back soon so I can have them reshaped na asap! Thanks for dropping by! ♥
DeleteI am sorry to hear that your experience was unpleasant. Thank you for your feedback. We do consider our customer's feedback and strive to improve to give our customers the best service. Will share your thoughts with the Team and aim to do better. God bless you
ReplyDeleteoh dear =( kaya nga im really afraid of waxing =(
ReplyDeleteFrom Barenaked Body Sugaring Salon : We wish to thank you for taking the time to review Barenaked Body Sugaring Salon. Your feedback will be looked at, discussed and improve upon to better serve our customers. One bad experience does not reflect the whole of Barenaked as we have a lot of satisfied, loyal and happy clients who keep coming back. Once again, thank you for your feedback, Happy Holidays and God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response! I am rooting for you, I hope your Glorietta 5 branch will improve the service. I appreciate the fast reply! God bless, Happy Holidays!
DeleteI like Lay Bare, too. But I don't have other waxing salons to compare my experience there to, though. I will not try that salon even though the place looks nicer than the Lay Bare near our branch. I also had the sugar wax in Lay Bare for my brazilian. I had a pleasant experience there. :)
ReplyDeleteYou might have a better experience at the BareNaked branch near you :) This branch is in Makati Glorietta 5 naman which is somewhat new. But in my experience, the sugaring at LayBare is not as painful as BareNaked, and they don't knead, pull or tug your skin :)
DeleteYou should try brow studio for threading and pink parlour if you prefer waxing. Both are located at sm north the block. :) the first ever waxing salon that i've tried was lay bare. But after i tried brow studio and pink parlour, i never went back to lay bare again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation! I will try that salon when I am in the area. I live in Makati so SM The Block may be too far for me :) But thanks for recommending!
DeleteHi Sabs, your review was really helpful. I was actually thinking of trying out BareNaked in G5 but after reading about your experience, I might just let it pass for now. Btw, I think there's a Pink Parlor at A. Venue if you wanna try them out.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I was able to help! I just hope that their Glorietta 5 branch has improved already :( Ooooh! Pink Parlor ei? I will definitely give them a try! Thanks for the suggestion, I will pay them a visit! ♥
DeleteHi! I actually love barenaked, Im 16 and have been going there monthly for a year now. Im sorry about your bad experience, but maybe it was because of the branch? The branch I go to is very good and accommodating. And the pain, i think, depends on skin sensitivity and how tough your hair is on the day of the appointment. Because the pain level when I go there is always inconsistent, there are times when it hurts really bad and times when I feel nothing at all. Anyways, I just wanted to share that the whole bare naked franchise isn't bad at all. :)
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you for your feedback :) As I have mentioned in my article, this review is only for the Glorietta 5 branch, I was careful not to generalize my bad experience to all Bare Naked branches in the Metro :) So just to be clear, I am not maligning all Bare Naked branches :) I am hopeful that they have improved their services since waxing is part of my beauty regime just like brushing my teeth. LOL If ever I implied that all Bare Naked branches are bad, that is definitely not my intention ♥ Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteHi! I am sorry to hear about your bad experience with Barenaked. I have been to one of their branches/franchises about twice if I remember correctly. I always have Brazilian wax done, and sometimes, UA. Never do I let anyone else touch my eyebrows since I know sometimes it may not be how I wanted it to be when I let someone else do the grooming.
ReplyDeleteWith Barenaked, I like how they are soft with the sugaring, unlike Laybare, which lately, has been making me feel sore after every Brazilian done. They just need to be more patient with the leftover hairs when plucking, or is it just me because I always go there late in the evening and they're almost closing?
I've been to Wink and Strip, both at BGC. But if you're really OC with cleanliness and all, your best bet for waxing services is Strip. They may be priced higher than the rest, but I like how they are fast and efficient! They also use warm wax, which makes my skin feel relaxed and comfy because of the warmness of the wax. You may want to try it. I tell you, it's worth your money ☺
Thank you for the tip! I haven't tried Strip yet but I intend to once I give birth na! :) I don't really mind paying for more. As long as the service and the result is top notch! Thank you so much for dropping by and letting me know about Strip! ♥
DeleteOh GOD I had the same HORRIBLE experience with Barenaked! This is the branch in SM Fairview. Like you, I am very OC with my brows, and they just MURDERED mine yesterday! Not only that, the lady who assisted me was making comments about how big I was and how I was "pinabayaan sa kusina". It was totally awful! Girls, NEVER go to Barenaked! They charge so much for horrible service, equipment, facility, and work!
ReplyDeleteO.M.G. Are you serious? I really don't like it too when staff are too familiar with their customers. I mean you're there for the service not to make "chika". I don't like overly familiar staff! That's my pet peeve, specially when they talk to you like you're so close. *Cringe* I think BareNaked should train their staff to be more professional. It's just nakaka turn-off. There are some staff pa who makes comment pa to me (recently lang while I'm pregnant) like "Ma'am halatang buntis ka na kasi ang laki na ng ilong mo!" O.M.G. close tayo?!
DeleteLike, hey business owners, TRAIN YOUR STAFF WELL ABOUT MANNERS! It's not too much to ask.
Im just about to go there. I never thought that bare naked had such branch like that. I have a great experience in barenaked at fairview. Thank you for this
ReplyDeleteYes, it's probably just this one branch... :-/
DeleteHi Sabs! I tired upper and lower lip at Barenaked, Don Antonio branch last December and was disappointed too! Got red marks afterwards! I expected they would include the lower chin part but no. I didn't want to ask anymore why it was not included nor requested to have it waxed because it was too painful! The lady who serviced me naman was too quiet! Awkward! No hi nor hello. LOL! Thanks for sharing this, now I know i'm not the only one disappointed since my friends recommended the salon for me.
ReplyDeleteI know right? It's not just me then. I think their staff lacks the proper training, or it could also be it really depends on the skin type too. Although with ordinary waxing and threading from other salons that I have been going to, I never had to suffer from redness afterwards. For some reason, sugaring method is not as good as the hype seem to describe.
DeleteI don't like cold staff either. Sometimes you need a warm welcome too! Thank you for your insights!
Hi! I was thinking of actually going to barenaked for sugaring but after your review I changed my mind!! The service isnt worth our hard earned money. I am so glad I read your blog! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBarenaked in other branches may be better though :) And I am hoping that the Glorietta 5 branch has improved. I haven't been there since this one time so I wouldn't know... Won't hurt until you try for yourself. As for me, I am never going back though.
DeleteI wish I read this review before availing of their services. Ako naman sa Regalado Fairview branch. Staff were appropriately chatty, and I didn't get to see if they used reusable sponges, because I immediately closed my eyes (being quite tired and everything). They groomed my eyebrows and waxed, sorry, 'sugared' my upper lip. The whole process was more painful than waxing!!!! Plus, it's been almost an hour after the procedure, and it still itches. Never going back there again. I'd rather have my brows threaded and use another waxing salon (haven't tried LayBare, but they opened a branch super near our place, so I just might).
ReplyDeleteWorst Service din ang BareNaked MARKET MARKET. The hair Technician is very disrespectful. She lets me wait for 10 minutes and didn't ask me if everything is ok on my eyebrow and she wanted me to go out on the room even if I wanted her to remove hairs on my upperlip! Parang nagalit pa siya na magpaparemove din ako ng hair sa upperlip at sobrang binigatan pa niya kamay niya! hanggang ngayon may mga redness pa din sa upper lip ko!!! Hanggang sa pagbayad ko ng service pinagmamadali ako! I will Never go back to this Waxing Salon! kaya pala wala masyadong Customer!. Think Twice kung Gusto niyo ng Maayos na Serbisyo. Nakakatrauma kayo BARENAKED MARKET MARKET!
ReplyDeletei experienced the same thing with my brows. they're thinner now than before. not all of the staff are bad at it though, i just experienced it from one them. but all the same, the damage has been done. i get my brows threaded now instead of having it waxed.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Seriously? I was thinking of availing their services pa naman sa market market. Hay. Probably, it's better sa lay bare or sa strip.
ReplyDeleteHi! I actually like he shape of your eyebrows on the second picture.
ReplyDelete
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