1309 King St., Alexandria; 703-535-7875
Who: Aida Fekir
Price: Brazilian bikini wax $60, classic bikini wax $40, eyebrows $22.
Why We Recommend Her: Fekir wins raves for her sugaring technique, which has its roots in ancient Middle Eastern beauty rituals. While still technically a wax, sugaring is, some say, gentler on sensitive skin. You won’t get much sympathy if you wince—Fekir isn’t going to hold your hand—but you will find her procedure relatively painless.
Raves: “I love Aida for her old-European, no-nonsense bedside manner.”
2315 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-337-8048
Who: Eliza Ramos
Price: Ramos’s $45 Brazilian is one of the cheapest around. Eyebrows are $15.
Why We Recommend Her: If you decide to go through the process of a Brazilian bikini wax, there’s nothing more disappointing than discovering afterward that there are still hairs. That’s not the case with Ramos, who hails from Brazil and wins marks for her completely-bare-and-then-some skills.
Raves: “She never misses a spot. She’s where you go when you want to feel confident you’ve gotten the smoothest wax possible.”
Haven Beauty Lounge, David Rios Salon & Spa
1519 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-525-2613
Who: Shae Jackson
Price: Brazilian bikini wax $84, classic bikini wax $50, eyebrows $36.
Why We Recommend Her: Step inside Jackson’s Zen-like treatment room at this upper-Georgetown salon and you’ll feel tension melt away. It’s private and spotless, and her positive vibe makes for easy conversation and very little awkwardness. A great sign: Many of Jackson’s customers are other beauty-industry pros, from facialists and makeup artists to hairstylists.
Raves: “She has a breathing technique she’ll teach you that honestly helps with the pain; it’s a good distraction.”
5520 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-537-6046
Who: Vesna Stojanovic
Price: Brazilian bikini wax $80, classic bikini wax $50, eyebrows $27 to $35.
Why We Recommend Her: With more than 30 years’ experience, Stojanovic has a large following at her Baltimore salon as well as in DC since opening a sunny outpost near Chevy Chase Circle a year ago. Thanks to her own homemade wax—a blend of essential oils and beeswax—her technique is quick and painless, and the results leave clients free of ingrown hair.
Raves: “Vesna’s technique makes the process more comfortable than most, and she has me out of there in under 15 minutes.”
Semra Skincare, Ury & Associates
3109 M St., NW; 202-342-0944
Who: Semra Tanrikulu
Price: Brazilian bikini wax $70, classic bikini wax $50, eyebrows $35 to $45.
Why We Recommend Her: Working above the Steve Madden store in Georgetown, Tanrikulu plies her waxing skills on everyone from upper-crust socialites to high-powered executives. Known for her eyebrow work as well as her very thorough Brazilian waxes, she has a client loyalty the likes of which is hard to find in the fickle beauty world.
Raves: “Semra has a light hand yet is very quick and leaves no hairs in sight.”
309 Main St., Gaithersburg; 301-987-8140
Who: Li-Sann Mullings
Price: The Bikini Plus, a service that goes a bit beyond a traditional bikini wax, is $38. Eyebrows are $20.
Why We Recommend Her: This serene spa has a long list of devoted clientele. Mullings, who is also a nurse, has a professional demeanor and caring disposition as well as a dedication to cleanliness. The fact that this is one of the most inexpensive waxes around doesn’t hurt, either.
Raves: “Li-Sann has been doing brows and waxing for 20 years, and she is super-knowledgable.”
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This article appears in the June 2014 issue of Washingtonian.
