Anyone out there enjoy treating themselves to a spa day?
I do! A few months ago I was in need of a day away from my kids, spouse, and chore-filled house, so I scheduled a morning appointment for a haircut/color and an afternoon appointment (thanks to a ‘spa days’ coupon) for a massage.
I arrived at the hair salon full of excitement about my relaxing day. When I sat down to have the what-are-we-going-to-do-today discussion, I thought I looked okay, save for the dead ends and overgrown roots. But then, for the better part of an hour and a half, I was forced to stare at myself in the salon mirror. That’s a long time to stare at oneself, especially with a towel-wrapped head and then with bedraggled wet hair. My mood wavered then started sliding.
What can I do, I wondered, about this situation? (Namely, the situation of MY FACE.) I’d recently turned 40 and was fresh out of the power to turn back time.
I conceded that there was much I could not do. But was there anything I COULD do to help myself along? Inspiration struck. My eyebrows! Yes, I decided. A woman of any age can pursue good eyebrows!
So, before my massage, I followed a friend’s recommendation to a nail salon in a strip mall that offers facial waxing. A young woman escorted me to a private room in the back — clean, spare, neat — and directed me to lie down. I did. She leaned over my face and observed my eyebrow flaws critically, slathered on warm strips of wax, then jerked off the strips. It was painful enough to cause me to cringe and flinch. But for those of us who’ve survived childbirth, an acceptable pain-price in exchange for shapely brows.
When she finished, she passed a hand mirror to me.
Ah, good, I thought darkly. Another mirror!
While the eyebrows themselves looked well-groomed, the skin around them looked… extremely angry. It had turned bright red, which I believed to be normal. But there were also some not-so-normal looking patches below both brows. You know how a burn looks? Sort of smooth and shiny? That’s how those areas looked. As if the wax may have… pulled off the very top layer of my skin.
I assured myself this couldn’t be the case and headed to my massage. The waiting room had been wall-papered with — you guessed it — mirrors! Upon further study it really did appear that my brow bone region was missing some epidermis.
Hm. And oh, dear.
I was called back to the massage room, where I spoke with the therapist while trying not to look self-conscious about my red and white raccoon face. I lay down on the table and placed my face on the cloth-covered, donut-shaped head rest.
Let’s just say that my strong eyebrow anxiety made massage enjoyment difficult. I worried, quite sincerely, that my scars would stick to the cloth headrest cover and that I’d try to turn over only to take the cloth and the whole donut up with me.
Alas, God had pity on me. When it came time to turn over, nothing stuck.
But the following days confirmed that I had, indeed, lost a thin slice of skin above each eye. Relatively easily hidden and quickly healed. Still. Enough to convince me that eyebrow waxing isn’t for me.
The story would end there. Maybe should have ended there. Except that I’ve never been easily deterred from a goal.
So the next time my brows needed attention, I took myself to a kiosk at the Galleria Mall. There, within view of every shopper in North Dallas, I allowed a wizened gentleman to roll and rip my eyebrow hairs out using threads. It looks peaceful but it’s as painful as the waxing, only slower. Again, for those of us who’ve survived childbirth… yada yada.
I walked away from the kiosk with charming brows, all my skin, and a thimble full of extra wisdom. 1) Hair salon mirrors are not my friend. They’re more like a business adversary. Best not to worry too much about OR trust too much in the things they tell me. 2) Sculpted brows are nice to have, but not essential in any way. 3) God has His ways of keeping us all humble.
How do you keep your eyebrows looking fabulous? What’s your favorite spa treatment?
And look at this!
Win a Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™ in Becky Wade’s My Stubborn Heart Giveaway and RSVP for FB Party {5/24}!
Celebrate with Becky by entering her My Stubborn Heart Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 5/24!
One fortunate winner will receive:
- A Brand New Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™
- A $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate
- A copy of My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on May 24th. Winner will be announced at the “My Stubborn Heart” Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/24. Becky will be hosting an book chat, testing your trivia skills and giving away some great prizes!
So grab your copy of My Stubborn Heart and join Becky on the evening of the May 24th for a chance to meet Becky and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)
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