Why Bare is Better

Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there were a few things that were drummed into me at an early age:
1. Jewelry is important. Very important. Leaving the house without earrings is as unthinkable as leaving the house without pants. My ears were pierced in the hospital when I was born, and I've never looked back. And my baby Lola had her ears pierced at 6 months.
2. Black is for funerals and for widows. (This mantra never caught on with me, as I love black. But I also love color).
3. You have to suffer to be beautiful.
4. Suffering = waxing. My mom first waxed my legs when I was about 12 years old. I remember running around the neighborhood, showing my girlfriends. I was so excited.
In Middle Eastern countries, waxing is a rite of passage and as de rigeur as facials in Eastern Europe. Traditionally, before their weddings, brides would have their entire bodies waxed. Their entire bodies. The only place where hair was allowed to remain was above the neck. Everything from the neck down was ripped out using "halawa", which is what we Americans would call sugaring.
Forget the Brazilian. Middle Eastern women routinely sign up for what I call the Cleo. No hair down there. Period. That's why I wasn't too surprised when, shortly after college, I found myself in a Cuban-owned waxing salon in South Beach, being asked whether I wanted it off. All off.
I went for it, and I've never looked back. Bare is better in so many ways. It's cleaner. It's sexier. It's more feminine. And gentlemen prefer it. Just ask my husband. Better yet, ask your own, if you have one.
No matter how old you are, or how conservative, or what your ethnic background, I urge you to try the Cleo. You'll feel fresh, new, vixen-ish. It might just change your life.