Jaime Lewis, a skin care and waxing expert at the ever-popular Maxine Salon in Chicago took a few minutes to fill us in on what it was like to be responsible for a Playboy Playmate's wax, what her favorite skin care lines are, as well as some expert skin care tips just for you.
Jaime, you are famous for your waxing abilities. You have to share your Playboy story with all of us.
Back in the day (the late ‘90’s) I was requested for a photo shoot to do one of my famous heart shaped wax designs. I waxed the day before the shoot, using a hand-made stencil for the heart shape. It took about a half hour, then I dyed the hair purple and added glitter the next day. It was perfect for Miss February!
The photo shoot took a few hours and there were about eight people there. The editor from Playboy still comes to me for waxing. The model loved it too and she came back to me for a while afterwards.
While we may not all be as brave as your playmate, what are the trends these days when it comes to bikini waxing?
The Brazilian remains a classic, and it's not just for that special occasion anymore. To set the record straight, the Brazilian does not mean the “Full Monty” (everything off)! It takes 15 to 20 minutes in the salon.
The finishing touches are customized to each client's personal style. Details matter, so for example I'll customize the shape of the bikini line to a triangle, straight up and down, all off, wider or tinier.
Skin care is your other passion. Fill us in on what you think is a perfect morning and evening skin care regime.
Stick with the basics. I call it CTH: Cleanse, tone and hydrate. Pay special attention to the eye area. Let’s also remember the neck and chest are not only there to hold your head up, they need a little TLC too. So, moisturize them!
What about treatment products? A girl could easily add 10 products into her regime, but that's not always affordable. If you could only have 3 treatment products, (besides your cleanser, toner, moisturizer) what would you use, and why?
An exfoliating scrub to refine and polish, a weekly mask to hydrate or clarify (based on your skin type) and a hydrating mist to always have on hand (True Mineral mist for example) for extra moisture and to set your makeup. True's contains hyaluronic acid and green and white tea. It smells so fresh because of the rose, lavender and cucumber in it. If you can't find it, I do like the Evian spray as well. It's a good basic.
Speaking of your skin care habits, what skin care brand are you loving at the moment?
I love the True skin care line, which we use in the salon. The collection is wide enough to address most all skin care issues, and they have some interesting anti-aging products. True also smells divine, as it's made with concentrated botanicals. My other favorites are Kanebo and Fresh.
These three lines are all natural. Kanebo’s eye cream is great for the evening. I love all the scents in the Fresh products. True’s Weightless Moisturizer is great for combination skin. Their Purifying Cleanser is an antibacterial and has a minty clean scent. The Restoring cleanser has an oil base and removes makeup beautifully.
When it comes to professional facial treatments, what advice can you give to a first time patron? How does she know what facial to choose when she's making the appointment?
For a client who has not had a facial in a long time I would recommend a glycolic peel along with deep cleansing to open up the pores. Then the skin becomes ready for any extraction work. But when they make an appointment for the first time, it's best to choose whatever basic facial the spa or salon offers. The the esthetician will customize her facial after she sees her skin. I can't decide what to do for a client until I touch their skin and examine it with a magnifying mirror. I determine what skin type I'm dealing with, whether the skin is dehydrated, how clogged it is, how sensitive the skin is, and then address it with the right products.
What are your three favorite beauty tips that all women could start doing right away to improve the over-all health of their skin?
First, water, water and more water! Second, treat your skin as if it’s your most prized possession. Third, and I can't say this enough, cleanse, tone and hydrate!! Ladies, this means don’t go to bed with your party face on!
You can make an appointment with Jaime at the lovely Maxine Salon in Chicago IL.
