Looking for a New Career? Join Our Team!

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It’s amazing when you find a career that mirrors your passion, and for many people, aesthetics is what they love!

If you’re looking for a new career, consider becoming a body sugar practitioner. The ever-growing field of aesthetics is only becoming more and more competitive, and sugaring is great way for you to do what you love, while making a decent income!

The other benefit?

It’s an environmentally friendly practice, which means you’ll be taking advantage of a quickly-changing landscape of eco-friendly hair removal opportunities.

Sugar’d is now offering an intensive 2-day course that will teach you everything you need to know to become a Certified Body Sugar Practitioner., and jump-start your new career. You will be provided with the tools you need, learn from industry professionals and become confident in the Sugar’d technique. Our training is completely hands on, ensuring you get the education you require for success.

The 2-day Body Sugar Specialist Training includes the following:

Day 1 (Students must have grown out hair for practice)

  • History and Benefits
  • Theory
  • Demonstration
  • Hands on Practice

Day 2 (Students must bring a model)

  • Trouble Shooting
  • Types of Paste
  • Client Care
  • Business Building
  • Hands on Practice

Certification Requirements

  • 5 Full sets of legs
  • 3 Full arms including underarms
  • 5 Bikini
  • 5 Eyebrow
  • 5 Upper lip

More Information

  • An investment of $450 is due upon registration
  • Purchase of a $150 Starter Kit is required to participate

Please contact us to receive more information! And if you’ve never experienced being sugared yourself, we recommend you give it a try—it’s cleaner, kinder, and gentler than waxing.

To familiarize yourself with what makes sugaring different, click HERE.

Start 2018 out with some new education and a new career.

Happy holidays! Love, Team Sugar’d.

 

Sugar’d for the Holidays

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Happy holidays, friends! We have so many fun things happening in December and January that we want to share with you. Check them out:

NEW THINGS

Renovations

Our downtown Abbotsford space is being renovated in January! We’re adding another treatment room, and increasing our retail space. Also, new floors, paint, and awesome vibes.

New Skin Care Products

Hey—if you know of any kind, environmentally friendly cosmetics or skin care products that you’d like us to bring to Abby, let us know! We’re scouting around for cool products that aren’t saturating the valley, yet.

We want your recommendations!

Abbotsford Food Bank Donations

Friends: next time you’re strolling around downtown Abbotsford, drop by Sugar’d and donate a non-perishable food item to our food bank bin. OR, because it’s even easier, bring one to donate the next time you’re in for your Sugar’d appointment.

Remember that giving is the theme at this time of year, and donating food is a great way to contribute to our own community—help make a difference to those in need!

ALSO…

This month, we dare you to take your sugaring habits to the next level. If you typically come in for a bikini, try a brazilian. If you come in for half-legs, try full legs. Never had your underarms or upper lip done?

Do it!

Take a leap outside of your comfort zone, and level up—you’ll be pleased with the results! Remember: sugaring in the natural direction of hair growth means less in-grown hairs, and a better result. If you’ve tried threading or waxing your chin and didn’t like the results, keep in mind that sugaring is completely different.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about our upcoming changes. Remember to schedule your sugaring appointment asap, as we’re booking up fast at all locations for the month of December.

Happy holidays!

 

 

Simple Ways to Improve Your Body Image

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At Sugar’d, we see people in an intimate setting—especially if they’re having bikini and brazilian treatments. It’s natural to feel insecure when another person sees you in a literally naked state, where everything is laid on the table. If you have a negative body image, attending these appointments can be stressful; we totally get it.

We have women who ask us if their vaginas are too fat. Seriously. Or people who want to know if they’re too hairy or overweight or underweight or smell bad.

Friends: we get body image issues—we all have them to some extent. But it’s time to give ourselves—and our bodies—a little well-deserved love. Here’s how:

Avoid Negative Media

What we choose to spend our time reading or viewing has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves. Because of this, we should all be very particular about the magazines, websites, and television programs we choose to absorb.

Fashion and gossip media are awful—if you’re trying to improve your body image, it’s important to avoid TV programs that are blatantly image-focused. Also, try to avoid ads.

Alternatively, consciously seek out media that reinforces positive self-image. Gravitate towards travel, wellness and entrepreneurial media and magazines.

Choose Where You Shop for Clothing Wisely

Clothing stores that depict ultra-skinny mannequins and cater to those who fall between a size double zero and size 6 are straight-up depressing. (What even is a double zero, anyway?! Who started this weird size?)

Places like these are total insecurity dens. Everything is designed to make you feel dirty and inadequate—and it’s a highly successful form of manipulation.

When we feel inferior, we are much more pliable to the whispering suggestions of display windows. Shopping centres aren’t only taking your money, they can also be places where positive self-esteem goes to curl up and die.

Instead, shop where you feel good, and where the overall vibe isn’t depressing or straight-up ridiculous. Also, instil this practice amongst your children—because clothing stores that cater to today’s adolescents are the absolute worst.

Avoid Materialistic Conversations about Appearance

Whenever someone starts to talk about the way they look in a disparaging way, most of us will inadvertently internalize it. Getting stuck in a conversation about the way someone else looks, whether they have put on weight and so on, inevitably leads to thoughts on our own appearance.

This can be unhelpful if we’re trying to feel better about ourselves.

Treat Your Body Gently and with Respect

When’s the last time you treated yourself to a facial at a spa? Or your partner gave you a shoulder rub? Or the last time someone gave you a tight squeeze?

Touch is an incredibly powerful way of reinforcing the way you feel about your body. And if you’re touched gently, with love and care, you’ll feel good. So, try to practice gentle love and care with yourself.

Treat yourself to a facial. Give yourself a massage when you’re applying moisturizer. It feels good, and it reinforces a positive, kind relationship with your body. Thank your body for working for you.

Meditate and Try Yoga

Meditation is an incredibly effective tool for clearing away unhelpful thought cycles. Thirty minutes. Five minutes. One.

Whatever.

Just sit, close your eyes and breathe. If you want, you can inhale and exhale a body acceptance affirmation such as “I love and accept my body exactly as it is.”

This is where yoga comes in.

Yoga helps to increase positive body image, through its positive spiritual teachings. It’s a common misconception that everyone who goes to yoga has a tight body and cute yoga gear. Yoga is a practice that celebrates every body, and often includes some sort of meditative and affirmative moment.

Also, yoga is a very community oriented practice, and you might meet new friends that are striving to attain healthier body images, as well.

Treat Food as Fuel and Eat Mindfully

Thinking of food as fuel for your body means being mindful of the nutrients that your body requires to function. It means eating plenty of good-quality food and ditching crappy foods that compromise our digestive health, our hormonal balance, our mood and energy levels.

Equally important is finding the ability to move past the binge-fast guilt cycle. If you eat something unhealthy, don’t punish yourself or try to restrict caloric intake. Healthy eating and body respect is not about food deprivation—it’s about food celebration.

Remember: moderation is key.

Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Ones

When you look in the mirror, try to replace any negative thoughts about your body image that pop up with an affirming thought about the way you look or feel. Replace a disapproving scowl with a confident smile. Instead of thinking “I wish I could lose ten pounds,” think “I’m grateful for this functioning body that allows me to live my life.”

Create Purpose

People who have purpose are too busy getting stuff done to worry about how they look. In the end, creative expression, passionate parenting, and effective leadership are far more satisfying than making sure your butt looks good in your new jeans.

The bottom line? Positive body image is a habit, not an attribute. None of us always feel great about every aspect of the way we look, but if you’re having a day where you’re feeling less than confident, try pulling your shoulders back, holding your head up high, and friends?

Fake it ‘til you make it. You’ll get there.

 

10 Excuses to Not Get Sugared—and Why They’re Not Real

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There’s no great excuse for not getting sugared.

Okay, guys. And girls. And everyone. Here’s the deal: no one enjoys getting the hair ripped off their bodies, but many of us do it anyway.

Why? That’s a good question.

For some of us, we just like the maintenance, and would rather tough it out for 10 minutes each month, than to shave every day. For others, it’s the feeling of smooth, soft skin that keeps them booking regular appointments.

If you’ve wanted to try getting sugared but haven’t yet, we dare you to come up with a viable excuse regarding why you haven’t.

Here are some of the excuses we don’t accept, because they’re not real:

My Pain Tolerance is Low

That’s okay, because getting sugared isn’t that painful. Yes, it will be uncomfortable, but it’s not as painful as waxing. Also, the sugar isn’t heated, so there’s no way to get burned. We also provide you with a squishy beaver (yep) to hold in your hand and squeeze to relieve tension.

Bottom line? You’ll be fine. Book an appointment.

I Can’t Fit in Into My Schedule

Yes, you can. We have 6 salons between Chilliwack and Vancouver, and we’re open later on certain days. You can do it—this is entirely up to you.

Book an appointment.

I’m Afraid of the Upkeep

What upkeep? You literally do nothing! We sugar you, and then you come back 4-5 weeks later. It’s easy—book an appointment.

I Have No Time

Yes, you do. If you have just 10 minutes, you can get your bikini sugared. In fact, you can get your underarms, lip, brows, or bikini done in under 10 minutes, generally.

10 minutes! You have that time. Book an appointment.

I’m Worried about In-Grown Hairs

This is one of the fabulous things about sugaring: no in-grown hairs! This is because we pull in the direction of hair growth, not the other way around. (You know, like waxing.)

You will experience minimal to zero in-grown hairs; we promise. Book an appointment.

And some of our more creative excuses:

I’m Having My Period

So? 51% of the planet will have, has, or have had periods. They’re a thing, and we don’t care. Book an appointment.

I Haven’t Shaved My Legs

We’re not even going to comment on this one. Don’t be ridiculous; book an appointment. (We’ll do your legs, too.)

I Have a Hemorrhoid

Here’s the deal: hemorrhoids happen. To everyone. Not just you, and not just us. EVERYONE. Forget about the ‘roid—book an appointment. Hemorrhoids are NOT allowed to dictate your hair removal habits.

C’mon…

I’m Embarrassed to Be Naked

Why? You’ve been naked in front of people before—and for way more invasive reasons than hair removal. Birthing babies. Pap tests. Sex. (Probably in the opposite order.)

All we’re doing is removing some hair. Book an appointment.

It Might Be Cold, and Then I Might Shrink (this one’s for dudes)

Fact: we don’t care about shrinkage. We’re not your wives or girlfriends or partners or buddies or whatever. We’re here to get you sugared, and send you on your way. Plus, our rooms are not cold—we’re in the business of removing hair from people who are often at least half naked.

We’re keeping warm rooms, guys. We promise. Book an appointment. (Note: only offer male brazilians at our Chilliwack and Langley locations.)

No excuses! Book an appointment.

Let’s Talk Body Image

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Let’s face it: we (as in the majority of North America) are a society that places incredible emphasis on what the general population deems to be beautiful. We’ve chosen a certain type of body that we feel is aesthetically pleasing, and then placed that body image on a pedestal so high that all we can do it stare up at it in awe, and know we’ll never reach it or even come close.

What is that doing to us? What is that doing to our children? To our self-esteem and priorities and evaluation skills?

Everywhere we look, we’re marketed to on the topic of beauty. We buy makeup and hair product and clothing that we feel inches us closer to the body image that’s pushed in our faces.

We purchase gym memberships and fat-free food and acne medications.

All for the sake of making ourselves appear more in line with what our neighbours and friends and family are telling us is perfect—a description that doesn’t even make sense and is certainly not attainable. You lose before you begin. Trying to keep up with today’s conventional beauty standards is impossible and harmful.

The goal simply cannot be attained.

We know this, because models in magazines are airbrushed. They go to makeup and hair for four hours before they begin shooting their spreads, and when they’re done, they go workout for more hours so they can keep up the illusion of their perfect bodies.

Here’s the thing: unless we’re identical twins and share exactly the same DNA, none of us look the same. We’re different. And if we all looked the same, wouldn’t that be boring?

(Or creepy? Thinking Village of The Damned, here…)

Instead of teaching our kids to groom themselves a certain way, dress the way we dress, or adore images of “perfect” people, let’s give them the gift of diversity! We are a diverse species…wouldn’t it be simpler and more satisfying and interesting to just let everyone be themselves and look however they want to look?

Who cares if your hair isn’t as long as your best friend’s. Why does it matter if you have freckles or big thighs or small boobs or big feet? Do having these trivial differences make an actual difference in your quality of life?

Be proud of who you are, what you do, and how you conduct yourself. We can’t choose our genetics and we shouldn’t have to feel pressured to look a certain way. But we can choose other things, like how we treat people, how well we take care of ourselves, and what kind of friends we choose to associate with.

And we can choose to love our bodies because they work for us every single day. They deserve gratitude, not pressure! Work on developing a positive body image, not one that will create confusion. Life is confusing enough, already!

Here’s our advice: be you. It really is the only option, and once we all accept that diversity is a blessing and not intimidating, we can take a deep, collective breath and enjoy our lives just a little bit more. Be proud of you for you, and don’t try to live up to anyone else’s beauty standards but your own.

What do YOU find beautiful about people? If you really think about that question, we doubt anything cosmetic pops into your head, first.

Beauty is diverse—so be your diverse self.

And remember that if you like hair removal, that sugaring is for every body, not just one type. We promise.

5 Reasons to Try a Brazilian

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Think a brazilian isn’t worth the blood, sweat, and tears? (Not the nationality—the hair removal.) Let us guess: it’s because you actually think brazilians mean blood, sweat, and tears.

They don’t!

Don’t give yourself a bum deal by avoiding a brazilian—here are 5 reasons to take the plunge:

You Do Other Things That Hurt Worse Than a Brazilian

Honestly.

There are many things we all voluntarily do that are more painful than a brazilian. Like tattoos. And travel immunizations. And upper lip threading. And having babies.

Brazilians? No problem.

Yes, it hurts the first time. But we try to have as much fun as we can with it, and we promise it gets easier every time you have it done.

(In every conceivable way.)

It’ll Keep You Cooler

You know how when you let you leg hair grow a little (or a lot) and it keeps you warm? Yeah—so the opposite of that. Remove the hair, and save on air conditioning. Win-win!

(Also? We can remove that leg hair. Come on, now…)

You’ll Rediscover Your…Parts

If you’ve never had a brazilian, then you’ve never really seen yourself in all your glory. Remember grade eight science, when sex ed was mandatory and body parts were discussed? When is the last time you had a good look down there?

Yeah. We thought so. You’re due!

The Result Will Surprise Your Partner

Again, with the science stuff: every action results in a reaction, right? Well…let’s cause a reaction! Come home with a freshly sugared package and see what happens…it even sounds yummy!

Sugared vagina? Yes, please!

Your Parts are Not Unique

Well, they’re not not unique. Hmmm…what we’re trying to say is this: we’ve seen a lot of private parts, and we’ll never remember yours—so you don’t have to be embarrassed. On the contrary, you should feel comfortable knowing that body hair removal is all we do all day, every day.

We’re experienced. We’re professional. And you will LOVE everything that happens as a result of your fearless choice to finally try a brazilian.

Visit our website to find the Sugar’d location closest to you—there are six—and then give us a call to book your visit. If you’re a brazilian virgin (again—in reference to the hair removal, not the beautiful people from South America), then you need to come experience what all the fuss is about.

People don’t do this for fun, folks. They do it because the result is awesome.

 

 

 

Sugaring is for Every Body

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Nope, that’s not a typo. At Sugar’d, we like to promote a healthy body image for all of our clients—we all need to stick together and lift each other up, whether we identify as male or female, and regardless of our weight, skin colour and ethnic backgrounds.

We’re all the same—we all want to feel comfortable in a bathing suit, right?

If you hadn’t already noticed, Sugar’d has 6 locations, and each location is owned and operated by women who look very different from one another. We take pride in our diverse appearances, and so should you!

While other hair removal businesses advertise what the media depicts as ‘perfect people’ in tight bikinis, we want to be true to ourselves and realistic—we all come in different shapes and sizes, and it doesn’t matter what we look like, where we’ve been, or where we’re going—we all want our hair removal experiences to be comfortable (silly, even!), professional, and performed by someone who knows that people don’t come in a standard, uniform shape.

Right?!

More than recognizing that we’re all different looking and that’s what makes us all interesting and amazing people, we also strive to poke a little fun at the idea of hair removal in general.

We provide Muff Wipes at the time of your sugaring appointment so you can freshen up beforehand should you choose to do so, and tiny, squishy beavers to grip and squish during your appointment in case the hurt gets to be a little much. (Like around the time of menstruation.)

We also sing to you if you need a silly song. (Just joking—but if you asked, we’d probably do it.)

Bottom line? Hair removal should be as pleasant and comfortable experience as possible, and we want to make that happen for you. We don’t bat an eye over gender, weight, hair growth, age, race, or anything else.

We remove hair for a living. From private parts. You don’t scare us, and we promise not to scare YOU. So don’t beat around the bush (get it?)—call the location nearest you today to book your sugaring appointment.

Dare to be bare, friends! It’s liberating, and we’ll help you feel your best by doing our best at making you feel comfortable and at home here. See you soon, and happy sugaring!

 

 

 

 

What Do Different Countries Think of Hair Removal?

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Think all regions in the world perceive hair removal as necessary and aesthetically pleasing? Nope! Depending on where you live, you may have a completely different perspective on hair removal than those who live elsewhere.

Here’s what 6 different countries think of removing unwanted body hair:

Canada

In Canada (and the United States, for that matter), hair removal is common. In fact, spotting hairy underarms and legs on an adult woman is fairly unusual!

It’s also mainstream to clean up the bikini area on both men and women, alike. Popular ways to remove unwanted hair include shaving, waxing, and sugaring.

China

China isn’t fully westernized, so Chinese notions of beauty differ greatly than American ones (which is refreshing).

In China, underarm or leg hair is nothing to be worried about; body hair is considered completely natural and acceptable in their culture. As a result, hair removal just isn’t very popular there.

Brazil

You probably think the Brazilian wax derives from Brazil, right? Wrong! It’s actually an American term, and the procedure isn’t very popular in Brazil. The most common grooming style among women in Brazil is to leave a “landing strip” of hair. (Essentially, a bikini wax.)

Brazilian women also prefer to remove hair from their underarms and legs.

Germany

Most German women shave their legs, underarms, and bikini region. Much like in Canada and the US, it is very popular to be smooth and hair-free. Women who forego shaving in Germany are considered to be “alternative” or “free-spirited.”

Waxing and sugaring as hair removal methods aren’t very common in Germany, but laser hair removal is. In Germany, it’s considered the most effective, efficient, and permanent way of removing unwanted hair.

German efficiency, right? 😉

Japan

Most women in Japan prefer to shave their legs and underarms, but tend to leave their bikini area untouched. Japanese women also choose to remove unwanted facial hair by either shaving, waxing, or administering repeated laser hair removal treatments.

France

The “au-natural” movement isn’t so much a thing in France as it is a marketing-generated myth. After the second World War, “American razor depilatory cream companies (as well as nylon stocking manufacturers) wanted to extend their markets overseas and began pushing the fur-free lifestyle hard in France.

According to a 2006 study, 77% of French considered it important for a woman to be free of body hair; 83% of women shaved their legs, 73% shaved their underarms, and 54% shaved their bikini line.” [1]

Interesting, right? If you think hair removal is something you might (or already are) interested, give Sugar’d a try! Our sugar paste is clean, kind to the environment, and 100% natural.

The process is fast and effective, and if you live in Vancouver or the Fraser Valley, we have 6 locations to accommodate you.

Book your sugaring appointment by visiting our website and finding the location closest to you.

References:

[1] https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/myths-about-france-do-french-women-shave-do-the-french-wear-berets

Our Clients Love Our Natural Sugar Paste!

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Nowadays, the words ‘natural’, ‘organic’, and ‘kind’ get thrown around like confetti when it comes to health and beauty products. Sometimes products are these things, and sometimes they’re not. But guess what? The sugar paste we make and use for hair removal is natural—so natural you can eat it!

Made from just three ingredients—water, lemon juice and sugar—this product is safe, effective, and naturally green. (Not in colour (silly), but in regard to the environment!)

While other body hair removal methods create a ton of waste that doesn’t compost easily (ahem—wax, wax strips, plastic applicators), sugar paste is genuinely kind and gentle to Mother Nature.

Testimonials

Here’s what our clients say about their experience with Sugar’d and our natural sugar paste:

“After years of waxing I decided to give sugaring a try, I figured it couldn’t be any worse and I have now been going to Sugar’d for close to 5 years. I love the results that I get from sugaring and it’s all natural. Also unlike wax it washes off with water so no scrubbing any little bits that have been left over. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and even though I am having my hair ripped out I usually am laughing and leave with a smile. Strange. I have referred many people now to Sugar’d and they too have only positive things to say.” –Deb Enns

“I have been getting Sugar’d by Tammy for several years now. She is amazing at what she does and makes you feel so comfortable. Every appointment is full of laughs and funny conversation and I feel like I’ve made an amazing, life-long friend! I also love how easy it is to be able to *text* to book an appointment. The results you get from sugaring are incredible. You notice a difference in the type of growth you get, just after a few appointments. Thank you, Tammy!” –Nia Cee

“I somewhat randomly ended up booking a Sugar’d appointment, and I won’t go anywhere else ever since! The staff are amazing, and they do such a fantastic job. They are busy, so book in advance, but well worth the wait. I can’t recommend it enough!” –Contessa Sookerukoff

“I have been coming here religiously for over two years and I am never disappointed. Katherine is fantastic! Quick, professional and great company. The studio is always immaculately cleaned, very bright, friendly and inviting whenever I come in! I HIGHLY recommend it here.” –Mercy McVety

Book an Appointment

As you can see, we have happy clients who love our product. For more reviews on Sugar’d and our all-natural sugar paste, please visit our Facebook page and click on Reviews.

To book an appointment at a Sugar’d location near you, please visit our website at Sugard.ca.

Skincare Before and After Hair Removal

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Hair care and skincare are both equally important, and when you’re consistently invested in aesthetic hair removal, the skin that holds those hair follicles needs a little love.

At Sugar’d, we offer advice on both pre-hair removal and post-hair removal:

Before Hair Removal

In the weeks leading up to your sugaring appointment, we recommend gently exfoliating the area daily, and applying moisturizer afterwards. This helps to prevent ingrown hairs and keeps the skin hydrated and supple.

However—do not do these things on the actual the day of your appointment. Exfoliation of the skin on the day of hair removal can be irritating to the skin after your appointment. If you go in with wide open pores, some redness and blotching may occur.

Also, we don’t recommend using moisturizer on the day of your appointment. Lotions and oils can cause the sugar product we use to not grip the hair tightly, which can result in multiple tries and a lot of tweezing.

Save yourself the hassle, and arrive at your sugaring appointment with un-exfoliated, un-moisturized skin.

After Hair Removal

After your appointment, you may want to apply a kind and unscented moisturizer to ease any redness or irritation that may occur. There’s no need for exfoliation yet; we recommend waiting 2-3 days after to begin the daily exfoliation routine that we mentioned above.

Also? Keeping your appointments regular (every 4-5 weeks) is important, because the hair will grow back more sparsely every month, resulting in less overall hair removal irritation.

To find out more about the process of sugaring, what it’s made with, and how the procedure works, visit our website. To book an appointment at a location near you, call the location of your choice (locations are listed on our website; we currently have them in Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, and Chilliwack).

Dare to be bare (while keeping up skincare!), and you’ll never go back!