Uni.K.Wax

I'm always flabbergasted by the fact that we women (and some men) pay perfect strangers to apply hot wax to body parts we would never otherwise expose, only for the stranger to R-I-I-I-P that wax off, all in the name of beauty.  Yet we don't hesitate to proffer our various bits and pieces to the wax-wielder.  Alas, I am not immune to this phenomenon. 

Which is why I've been visiting Uni.K.Wax in Murray Hill for the last six or so months.  At first, I was reluctant to schlep all the way there from the boondocks of Queens just to get hair yanked off my body, but I was soon won over, but not without some misgivings.

Uni.K.Wax does nothing but remove hair and they do it way cheaper than my local shop.  You pay for what you want to have waxed, so it sometimes feels like you're being nickeled and dimed.  The premises is very clean and sort of sterile-looking.  The walls don't go all the way up to the ceiling, so if you're one of those people who chatter at their manicurists/masseuses/other personal service person, be aware that you can be heard by (and disturb) those in nearby rooms. 

After my first visit, I joined their waxing club (free) and was thereafter able to make appointments online.  Perfect for those of us who never remember to make personal service appointments until the middle of the night.  *crickets*  Oh.  I guess it's just me then.  Anyway, after they give you the membership card, you enter its number in their booking system and book your desired time.  Despite my joy at being able to book appointments online whenever I want, I'm not very fond of their website- it seems kind of clunky and not all that intuitive.  It's also very slow at times.  Still, I like that I can see when I last had a wax, what kind it was, and who had the dubious honor of working on me.  When making appointments, I can choose the waxer, though that can severely limit the availability of appointments.

As to the wax itself, I like that they use hard wax rather than the kind that needs muslin strips- it doesn't seem to hurt nearly as much.  Maybe the lesser pain is due to the waxer's skills?  Be prepared: you will need to remove your underwear when getting a bikini wax of any kind, so your downtown area will completely exposed whether you're getting a Brazilian or regular bikini wax.

This last visit left me a little wanting.  I feel like it wasn't as thorough as it could have been and I was a little alarmed when the waxer reapplied wax to the same area on my upper lip; it's fairly common knowledge that this is a no-no because you can remove too much skin and cause irritation.  In my case, my upper lip felt like it had been sunburned although there was no visible damage, and the feeling lasted for a couple of days post-wax.

Despite my uncomfortable upper-lip wax, my overall experiences have been positive and I'll continue to get my bits and pieces waxed here.

P.S. Credit cards are accepted here, though tips are cash only.  You can get cash back on your card though.

Uni.K.Wax
553 3rd Avenue
(between 36th St & 37th St)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 481-2777