Having superfluous hair pulled out by the roots is not exactly my idea of fun, nor most people’s I would suspect. However, with warm summer days ahead, and the scant clothing associated with it, one’s gotta do what one’s gotta do. I had heard about a unique waxing studio in Allentown and was told I needed to check it out. With a trip to Florida coming up, I decided to take the plunge and get my first Brazilian wax, known as The Lunch “Box” at Shianne Waxing Studio, located at 138 Elmwood Avenue, one of the few places in Buffalo providing the service.
I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous, sweating actually on the way there. I’d had my eyebrows waxed before, but certain areas of the body are a bit more sensitive, shall we say, than others. A barrage of thoughts sped through my head as I was driving over, ranging from, “What is the etiquette of such a procedure? How can I maintain a sense of decorum through it all? What if I can’t make it through this event and it only gets half way done?” to “Everyone there will be thinking, ‘What the hell is this old lady doing here?’”
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I can honestly say, the moment I walked into the shop most of my concerns were put to rest. The pain aspect put aside for the time being, I immediately felt comfortable as soon as I stepped in. Owner Shianne Velletta was waxing someone’s eyebrows and immediately welcomed me and my daughter, who I had dragged along with me for moral support, as soon as we entered. Shianne’s laid back but vibrant personality immediately put me at ease. I sat down in a seat in the main area where a beautiful mural of the self-proclaimed “Wax-Master” Velletta decorates the wall, just steps away from the eyebrow waxing chair. I
quickly got into a conversation with Shianne, her “waxee”, and her receptionist. Dressed in a pair of jeans, tank top, and cowboy hat Velletta laughed saying, “I like to consider myself ‘The Brow Whisperer’.” There was not one ounce of pretension, no stuffiness, no judgments. Not at all a typical salon vibe. This is definitely a place you want to hang out in.
Velletta has been in the beauty business since 1999, but never felt at home in traditional salons. An avid music lover, she opened her studio in November of 2014. “I love music, but I knew I wasn’t going to be a singer in a rock band, so I wanted to surround myself with music in this space, I just wanted to rock it out,” said Velletta. The eclectic studio is just that, a rockin’ spot from the floor to the ceiling, echoing with great tunes throughout. The floor is made out of old vinyl albums, the walls are adorned with funky photos and images, and a drum set is suspended from the ceiling. The bathroom floor is a mirrored mosaic, and the toilet seat is in the shape of a guitar with a snowboard hung above it that reads, “Pussies Get Smoked” with a rather descriptive image beneath. Various other rock-n-roll items are spattered about, creating a cool hippy vibe that, in the words of the aforementioned waxee Sam Berical, “Makes you feel so comfortable, I’ll never go anywhere else.”
Velletta clearly is in the right business. It’s not your average gal who can have the type of personality to make your vagina or ball waxing something you look forward to. Yes, I said balls. Guys, manscaping just got a whole lot broader for you, huh? The menu of services includes When Hairy “BECAME” Sally, listed as a Bro-Zillian, though the description does have a disclaimer, “balls are a liability, I’m not going near them,” so don’t get too freaked out. In fact, the menu includes an entire section on Waxing for Bros, right across from Waxing for Hos. You can check out all their services at www.dontbeshi.com.
So now on to the nitty gritty. It was time for what I call “The Full Monty,” the Brazilian, The Lunch “Box”. For those who don’t know, a Brazilian wax takes it all off, smooth as a baby’s you know what, from pubic bone to south of the border. When we walked back to the waxing room Shianne said she lets first timers pick whatever music they want to listen to. “How sweet,” I thought, not even Brahms’ lullaby would have slowed down my heartbeat at that point, quite frankly. The sweats started again. “Not exactly the best time to be experiencing beads of moisture,” I mumbled to myself. I had no other choice but to throw modesty to the wind and my pants to the ground, hop up on the table and hope for the best.
The whole ordeal took about five minutes, maximum. During that time, conversation with the witty Velletta took my mind off of what was happening, and with the exception of a couple little pangs of pain here and there, I have to say it was not that bad. I’ve had a couple of tattoos, compared to those, this was a piece of cake. Velletta had said it would only take ten minutes tops, whereas other salons can take up to 45 minutes. What they are doing in that amount time I am not quite sure I want to know.
According to Velletta, 80% of her clients are women, but the number of men she sees has been on the rise. It’s not as uncommon as it once was for a guy to pay attention to hairy details, from everything from a brow wax, Don’t Worry, I Won’t Tell, to a foot wax, Footloose, and all places in between, like the Crack the Ripper ass wax. When it comes to hair removal Shianne has got us all covered. Her advice for clients is to not drink heavily the night before your appointment because it can make your skin more sensitive, do not panic, and remember it’s only ten minutes or less!
Also under the roof are tattoo artist Noel LaMonaco, formerly of Divine Machine, and aesthetician Amber Faith who provides facials, non-surgical face lifts, and peels. Girl power at its finest.
Services also include makeup application and makeup lessons. Shianne Waxing Studio is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you’re a newbie like me, Shianne’s is a great place to lose your waxing virginity. If you’re more experienced in the ways of the waxing world, give Shianne’s a try, like Berical you might never go anywhere else again.
Shianne Waxing Studio | 138 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, New Yorkn | (716) 884-5716 | Facebook
