Did Someone Say ‘Vajazzle’? A Look at This Year’s (Ahem) Hottest Waxing Trends

Main Image – Elena/Adobe

Whether you’re looking to embrace the au naturel allure, dazzle with intricate designs, or grab attention with pops of colour, there’s a waxing trend that speaks your language – but what do the experts *really* think about the (often weird) world of waxing trends?

She’s been at the forefront of waxing for more than 15 years, named a ‘female disruptor’ by Medium, provided LTG HQ with tons of expert insights and advice, and created a super-successful waxing spa franchise providing affordable luxury to people from all walks of life.

A firm fave in the media for giving her honest, no-holds-barred waxing and skincare advice, we ask Stacey Laricchia *all about* waxing – from brows to bikini – men’s grooming, and the failed return of ‘the bush’, as well as the trends she just can’t get on board with.

Ladies and gents, get ready to slide into the silky realm of waxing as we speak with one of the best in the business about trends this 2023.

 

 

Laricchia always knew she wanted to be involved in the beauty and aesthetics world. After spending her college years doing her classmate’s makeup before nights out, then moving on to become Christan Dior’s West Coast Education Director, she worked at a big waxing franchise before setting up The Birthday Suit in 2011 with the goal of making anybody and everybody confident and empowered.

Laricchia tells us, “Being on the front line of many ‘behind the scenes’ waxing trends over the past 15 years or so has given me a newfound curiosity to what brings about these changes, and for some, it is very much an ‘about time’ type of moment.”

So, let’s start from the top and work our way down.

Nothing beats a strong brow for shaping and framing the face, and there’s a size, shape and style to suit all needs and lifestyles – whether you want to style a naturally bushy pair or go for a semi-permanent makeup option like microblading.

Laricchia says, “For starters, the ‘big brow’ has made a comeback. For such a long time, clients asked for pencil-thin, almost straight-line brows which honestly, looks unflattering on about 98% of women.

“To see the Brooke Shields brows of old making a strong comeback has made my heart happy. Those who engage in the pencil-thin brow have some top-of-the-line brow kits to choose from to fill in the areas they now wish had hair or the ever-evolving technology behind microblading and permanent makeup.”

 

 

But wait, there’s more hair on the face than just brows! Laricchia asks, “Can we talk about nose hair?!”

Yes, please!

“The nose hair wax is a fast fan favourite for both our male and female guests. I am married to a man who is 6 feet tall, and I’m several inches shorter than him, so as the one constantly looking up I’m grateful for this small yet essential grooming detail,” Laricchia jokes.

I think we can firmly agree that nobody wants to see an abyss of hair up their partner’s nasal passages!

On that note what about men’s grooming? Once a taboo subject in the male sphere, more and more men are taking personal grooming seriously, and Laricchia says, “Men’s grooming trends have become so normal over the past three to five years, it’s no longer a surprise to see multiple chest, back, brow or arm waxes for our male guests in a single day.

“Previously, we had seen a handful, if any, over the course of an entire week, so it is an applaudable moment to see men increasingly aware of their own body hair and making the decision to remove it.”

And bikini waxing? The trends are ever-evolving, with Brazilians and Hollywoods still ruling the roost, “Bikini waxing trends come and go like nothing I have ever seen,” Laricchia tells LTG HQ.

“These trends come in like tidal waves, and some of them leave equally as fast. That is ok in my opinion.”

 

 

But what’s the demographic and has that changed over the decades?

“The range in age of clients that now get a Brazilian wax is amazing to see. This service is no longer looked at as a treatment a 20-something-year-old would receive. We have our ‘seasoned’ ladies (their term, not mine) who have stories about ‘back in their day’… For example, our oldest guest who received a Brazilian wax was 82.”

We *LOVE* to see it!

Are there any celeb-inspired trends in the bikini waxing world?

“For a minute with Gwyneth Paltrow and her ‘bush is back’ thought process, a group of 40-somethings suddenly decided they wanted their bush back too and would only wax the bikini line and the butt strip.

“But, as the hair grew longer, unfortunately with hair comes odour, so these women rethought that decision and a new service was born at The Birthday Suit – ‘This Not That.’

“This was a service where the upper bush was left intact, but the bikini line, labia and butt strip were all waxed clean. The ‘Best of Both Worlds’ is what we were told. But in true tradition, the majority of women who receive intimate waxing services are bare down there,” Laricchia says.

So we’ve covered 40-somethings and Stacey’s oldest client at the grand age of 88 – but what about the younger, Gen-Z crowd?

“We’ve seen a trend in younger guests coming into our spas over the past five years. It seems puberty is arriving a little earlier for some, which brings unwanted facial and body hair.

“The upside of that, though, is parents are more open to bringing their tween or teen in for a facial, underarm or lower leg wax as opposed to options like at-home wax kits, shaving or other removal kits.”

 

 

Now, we know all about the up-and-coming trends in the world of waxing, but we wanted Laricchia to spill the tea on trends that she “cannot get on board with, no matter which celebrity endorses them.”

First up is “the vajacial – Just like it sounds…A facial for your pubic or bikini area.”

While some claim vajacials are beneficial for those who suffer from ingrown hairs (the worst), they can actually do more harm than good and are completely unnecessary.

Following the advice from your wax tech is MORE than enough to take care of the hair down there – no vag facials needed.

What about stencils and designs for public hair? Laricchia tells us that clients ask for “everything from a heart to someone’s initials. It is a skillset I am not looking to even begin practising at this stage of my career.” Fair enough!

Now, we are getting flashbacks of Amy Childs explaining the viral ‘vajazzle’ trend on TOWIE (*shudders*) with this next trend.

Laricchia tells us the Bedazzled Brazilian “was huge back in the early 2000s but slipped away as fast as it showed up… but it has made a comeback.”

“I don’t know where or how, but suddenly clients are asking if I can put coloured stones on their skin in the area I just waxed. Not the cute little heart on the hip that you used to see but a three-inch wide heart, star or initials, for example.

“I’m patiently waiting for this trend to make an exit once again, but this time for good.”

 

 

And dye? Yes, people really do dye their pubic hair!

Out of character for the chatty (and frankly, hilarious) Laricchia, this trend leaves her speechless. She tells us, “I just have no words for this one. Neon, tie-dye, striped – you name it that request has come in!

“I tell them to swing by a beauty supply store and do it at home with box dye.”

Laricchia finishes by praising the mindset shift in intimate waxing. Gone are the days of sneaking in and out of the salon not wanting to be seen and pretending you’re naturally as smooth as a dolphin down there!

She tells us, “Intimate waxing has become normalised over the past 15 years, and I applaud that. I don’t care where, who or how, but thank you!

“I want women of any shape or size to feel like an intimate wax is for them, too. For that ‘seasoned’ lady who just doesn’t want to deal with hair any longer at this stage in her life, I want her to know it is normal and more common than she realises to get a Brazilian wax.

“I welcome this trend and hope it is here to stay!”