by Anita Enahoro

Lagos Unfiltered

Say it as it is.

FACIAL BAR REVIEW

One question I get asked more frequently than I expect is “Where can I get a wax done in Lagos?” Personal grooming I believe should be gotten down to a T if you’ve been on earth for over 20years! For the ‘I Just Got Back’ (IJGB)s, moving back to the country after years abroad makes knowing where to do simple things quite tasking. Anyways as I have moved back for almost a year now, I have acquainted myself with a few essential spots here in Lagos. I actually found out about Facial Bar during my own IJGB dilemma.

Facial Bar is a medical spa and fitness spa facility on Musa Yar’adua Street, Victoria Island. I mainly go there to wax. But on this day, I decided to go get a massage instead because the spa I usually patronize was fully booked for the weekend.

I woke up feeling excruciating pain in my neck and I needed a massage ASAP! I phoned in and booked an appointment that same day. I went for a meeting on the mainland that went on longer than I had planned, got stuck in traffic before I finally made it for my appointment; exhausted. I initially asked for a hot stone massage but unfortunately the service wasn’t available so I settled for a 90 minute deep tissue massage. I just wanted to relax.

I was directed to the treatment room where the therapist gave me disposable underwear and a hairnet. First, the therapist looked pretty upset and I tried to make small conversation with her before she left me to undress hoping to get a warm feeling from her but I got nothing. She left. As I was undressing, I could hear everything that was going on in the treatment room beside mine, which was separated by a sliding door. A woman was speaking loudly on her phone in Igbo. When my therapist came back in, because I could hear all the noise from next door, I told her I only wanted a 60 minute massage.

The massage started off with her mopping my whole body with a hot towel, which gave me a cold chill. She massaged my body with lukewarm oil. It didn’t feel good against my skin and every time she poured some directly on my skin it had a chilly sensation. She rounded up each area and massaged with a karate chop motion and then patted the area down as though her hands were cymbals and my body part just happened to be in between the two instruments. This made it almost impossible to relax. To make matters worse, because I had complained about my neck hurting, whatever oil or cream she put on my neck had a burning sensation, like the Deep Heat cream or Aboniki balm. It was the most uncomfortable thing ever but I just lay there hoping that somehow the end will justify the means.

A few minutes later, a different customer occupied the room beside mine. She was getting a wax and was crying out in pain. I could hear the ripping off of the wax strips and the other therapist trying to comfort her. “Sorry aunty, sorry. It’s almost done. Sorry, sorry.” At that point, I accepted defeat and all my optimism went out the window.

When my hour was over, I had never been so excited to jump back into my clothes and leave a treatment room in my life.  When the manager asked me how it went, I gave her my honest opinion, told her everything that’s been written here, she apologized to me and recommended their Radisson branch for a more relaxing experience. The deep tissue massage cost N12000. I wasn’t given any discount.

All the other times I had gone in to facial bar had been to get a wax. The experience was totally different. I remember my first time there. The therapists were all friendly and it was the first time in my life, and the only place till date I have been where two therapists waxed me at the same time. I mean, it was time effective but the pain was something else! Nonetheless they gave me an incomparable experience that was good enough for me to keep going back and even recommend them to friends. An underarm wax cost N4500 and a full leg wax cost N8500.

In their defense, what I like about Facial Bar is the possibility of getting a last minute appointment. Their therapists are professional and are quick with their hands (for waxing) so you’re out of there as fast as you got in and have time to do other things that day. The VI branch is also situated in the same compound as a nail salon and a boutique.