There’s been quite the uproar ever since Completely Bare launched its new luxury merkins, including the Foxy Bikini, a pubic wig made of real fox fur. Well, just as quickly as our video investigation went viral, animal rights activists lashed out in protest. The result? Cindy Barshop, owner of Completley Bare Spa and former Real Housewife of New York, has confirmed that she will now be making her merkins of faux fur… and that she and PETA are actually now friends!
In case you missed it…
I spoke with Cindy today, and despite the seemingly negative situation, she looks as this as a very positive thing to have happened. ”This opened my eyes and made me more aware of a cause that people feel strongly about,” Cindy said. “I respect people’s opinions and I really admire how PETA supported their cause. There’s no reason to use real fur, I’ll use faux fur.”
Cindy is also taking this one step further: “I don’t think anything negative came from it! In fact, I’m currently speaking with the people over at PETA and we’re looking to put together a Completely Bare campaign to support animal rights.”
Well done, Cindy – we can’t wait to see the next big bikini trend! We just hope you don’t become too friendly with the animals to the point where they are requesting bikini waxes and faux fur merkins.
The Foxy Bikini and The Carnivale have also both been slightly reduced in price, now $175 for either, including the wax.
From Swarovski crystals to spray paint and now to feathers and real fox fur, there is one woman not-so-secretly behind the beauty craze of decorating one’s bikini region like a birthday party.
Cindy Barshop, the owner of completely bare high tech spa, famous for both a season on the Real Housewives of New York and her fearless reputation for adorning the hair-free nether regions of women nationwide, has released the latest trend: The Foxy Bikini (real colored fox fur) and The Carnivale Bikini (an array of festive colored feathers). Merkin Madness! More on that here.
In the exclusive video above, Spa Week investigates.
Lorna gets the Foxy Bikini
Michelle gets the Carnivale Bikini
So there you have it – Vajazzling‘s out and pubic wigs are in!
Not totally sold? I’m not here to sell you on it – just to tell you what it was like. Yes, there’s a party in my pants, and yes, you are invited. As you’ll see in the video, Cindy Barshop performed The Carnivale on me, and it was a highly customized experience. I asked for a peacock, and a peacock I got. One by one, using a special completely bare glue, she placed the feathers on my freshly waxed bikini zone in a shape to slim my appearance. It was way more flattering than I thought it would be. All these years of diet and exercise, and all I ever needed was a feather merkin!
Does it hurt? Not at all. When my Carnivale was on, I actually couldn’t feel a thing. Unless I touched it, obviously. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all until 3 days later when they started to itch and come loose. At that point, I just peeled them off, painlessly. (Now they are pinned to my office cork board.) The Foxy Bikini and The Carnivale are meant to last 3-5 days (daily showering included) as a kitschy and unique way to spice things up – either for your sex life or your personal confidence. They may not be the most practical or necessary thing in the universe, but it certainly has that sexy shock value that appeals to us (bored?) lovers of innovative beauty.
Including the wax, it’s $225 for the Foxy Bikini and $195 for The Carnivale.
*A SPA WEEK EXCLUSIVE OFFER*
Curious to try? Get a year worth of unlimited laser hair removal at completely bare, and receive a FREE Foxy Bikini or Carnivale with EVERY session! Unlimited Bikini Laser Hair Removal: $1000. Unlimited Brazilian Laser Hair Removal: $2000. Mention SPA WEEK when you call to book. Available in New York only. Call for an appointment or consultation: 1.855.366.6060.
So, I ran into ex-Real Housewife of New York, completely bare spa owner Cindy Barshop in the elevator yesterday, NBD or anything. We’ve actually been sharing the same office building since November – who knew? Well, as fate would have it, Cindy, the mastermind behind Vajeweling (Vajazzling) and Vatooing, told me about her new product that literally just launched and got picked up in TMZ and Gawker yesterday. Wait for it… wait for it… The Foxy Bikini.
It’s winter and your mons pubis is surely getting chilly, why not treat it like a real person and wrap it in a warm, pretty fox fur… pubic wig? As Cindy says, beauty follows fashion and fox is all over the runway for pre-fall, from Missoni’s sleeveless vest with beaver and fox chevroned fur trim (below, left) to Marc Jacob’s mock-croc bomber jacket with fox fur trim (below, right). Once again, Cindy is ahead of the curve and has created the newest merkin craze.
At the top, in pink, is the Foxy Bikini – made from real fox fur, only $225. It comes in a variety of colors, lasts about 3-5 days, even through showers, working out and working out (wink, wink). And the show-stopper? The multi-colored lady parts decoration below is the Carnivale Bikini, $195, to decorate your hoo-ha just in time for Mardi Gras with bright feathers in your choice of colors.
Stay tuned for more on the most glamorous merkins on earth – we are sooo not done here! (Hint hint: at completely bare filming today…)
UPDATE: Click to see how it’s all done in our exclusive MERKIN VIDEO!
Runway photos via style.com, fox and feather photos via TMZ
Last night we posted your Crystal Ball to What’s Hot in Spring 2012, a glamorous, cultured look at what to look forward to in the season ahead. Today we wanted to share with you Lifehacker’s awesomely helpful guide to getting the best bang for your buck on absolutely anything (well, almost anything – ahem), all year long. From patio furniture to Broadway tickets to digital cameras, this guide tells you exactly when your big purchases of the year are at their cheapest.
But they neglected to mention one thing – SPA TREATMENTS! That’s where we come in. Mark it down: The BEST TIME to go to the spa in 2012 is when treatments are just $50 A PIECE during National Spa Week®:
SPRING SPA WEEK: April 16-22 | FALL SPA WEEK: October 15-21
Make sure you’re signed up to get the best deals on spa in 2012 – full service treatments that normally cost between $75 and $500, for only $50. Since 2004 Spa Week’s mission has been for everyone to be able to experience the wellness lifestyle. This may not be your year for a new pool, gas grill or motorcycle, but this is your year for spa!
We have all seen the viral video of the bride texting down the aisle (well, at least now you have). Classy stuff! But it’s not all bad… really.
We are using social media and tech gadgets in all facets of our lives from guiding us on the road to planning our busy social calendars. Another way technology is helping make our lives a little bit easier: planning what might be the most important day of your life, your wedding day. We aren’t advocating having your phone in hand while walking down the aisle… but going online just makes the headache of wedding planning and coordinating a little more manageable (you can only work so many miracles!). Did you know 1 in 5 couples now use a mobile app to help plan for the big day? A lot more organized than having a Filofax stuffed with Post-its and vendor cards. Brides going viral even made our top 11 moments of 2011 list!
Let’s take a look at how social media is reinventing the wedding game as we enter 2012:
A whopping 65% of couples create a site to manage RSVPs, stream video and keep guests in the loop. That is just one of the staggering statistics about how modern brides are incorporating social media into their big day.
Including out of town guests
Probably one of the greatest things about technology is the ability to connect with loved ones who are long distance. Sometimes we have friends or relatives who are unable to attend the big day. Programs, such as Skype, are helping change that. Now you can Skype in bridesmaids to the ceremony or live stream the big day for those unable to attend. About 10,000 weddings have been broadcast live from the site — Ustreamtv.com — over the last 12 months.
Facebook Page
How many of us liked the Royal Wedding Facebook page? Guilty! You don’t have to be Kate and William to create a Facebook Page for your wedding day. In fact, it is a lot easier than setting up a website. Odds are most of your guests are already on Facebook and Americans spend nearly 11 hours a month on the site so why not be where your guests are? There are tons of widgets and apps to allow for fun interaction on the page as well. They include a wedding day countdown, a map widget that displays the event venue’s locations, an RSVP widget, and we could go on and on. It can be the hub where you update guests on the planning, such as a cake tasting or posting a teaser picture of the centerpieces. They also make those who are unable attend feel part of the big day.
Going paperless
Nearly 1 in 5 couples go paperless for invitations or save-the-dates. Remember this awesome 90s rap music video invite? Going digital allows guests to easily add it to their online calendars. (I’d be lost without my Google Calendar!) You can add QR codes, which allow your guests to scan by phone and automatically be directed to your wedding page. Or you can also conduct the entire ceremony via your iPad with the sermon or the reading of the vows.
Interactive seating charts
Creating an online seating chart allows guests the opportunity to get to know each other before the big day. You can manage RSVPs, meal choices and hopefully prevent awkward conversations. There are many free sites to browse, such as Wedding Mapper.
Let your guests be the photographer
Your wedding photographer can only cover so much ground during the ceremony and reception. Let your guests get involved and share their own pictures. uSnap.us is a mobile app that your guests can download to view a slideshow of the event. They can submit their own pictures, which are then aggregated into one presentation for all your guests to enjoy.
Social media allows for brides and grooms to add personal touches to their ceremony in a way never thought possible. Embrace the opportunities but also remember to keep the phone tucked away while you enjoy your special moment down the aisle. We don’t want to see you on YouTube! Unless you’re these guys.
Nearly 1 in 5 couples go paperless for invitations or save-the-dates. Remember this awesome 
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