SUNDAY POST JAN 4-10
Yes! ’Coz here is a beauty fad that is making look-conscious souls even more self-aware about their bottoms and making them beach or swimming pool-ready before summer strikes. So would you be interested in getting yours done, questions P S Bhavana
One of the secrets to Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum, Nicki Minaj, JLo, and Miranda Kerr’s perfectly beautified derrieres, and their ‘buttfies’ or ‘belfies’ (butt selfies) is apparently a series of butt facials (ah, an oxymoron, no?) But mind you, this trend is not new to the glam world. Way back in 2007, it was listed in ‘Top 7 Weird Spa Treatments’ on foxnews.com! It talked about Detroit-area spa Euphoria and said, “… the facials apply to the other set of cheeks—the ones you sit on….We always try to come up with different ideas for services and I just hadn’t seen it,” said spa owner Lisa Johnson. “And that’s an area that never gets the treatments it needs. It’s like, ‘Don’t touch the goods.’ We sampled it on a staff member to make sure clients would feel comfortable.”
Apparently, this cleansing, detoxifying, exfoliation and moisturising treatment—which uses purifying cleaners, lasers, chemical peels, dense moisturisers, microdermabrasion-like exfoliation with buzzing machines, steam and then clay mask and herbal serum, to firm, smoothen and render glow to your always-hidden rear skin—spurted out and mushroomed as a beauty craze in New York (the USA) sometime in the middle of the year. Many claim (after lapping it up hungrily) that this booty cleaning technique if done regularly, fades blemishes, dimples, cellulite, and dark spots, too. Wow.
Internationally, it (also called Beachbum Buttocks, Sweet Cheeks, Shiney Hiney or anything-weird-funny-or-random is sometimes and is inclusive of foot rubs, massages and upper-thigh cleaning to relax you) could create a upto-500-dollar dent in your pocket, but back in India it seems a lot more affordable. Indian beauty and cosmetic giant Lakmé (owned by Hindustan Unilever) recently launched the ‘Buttyliscious’ ritual at its New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru Lakmé Absolute Salons that costs INR 3,500 for an hour’s hind cleaning.
Disha Meher, Head-Skin Innovations, Lakmé Lever said, “We noticed a trend where a lot of women were hesitant about dressing for occasions like Sunday pool parties or beach vacations which made us come up with the Buttyliscious. This 45-minute ritual begins with a deep-cleanse, which reduces the crustiness of the skin followed by a pampering massage with seaweed extract. The service is concluded with a hydrating mineral water spray, which seals in the benefits of the facial, leaving your skin soft and supple.” Well, are you slightly convinced now or are still squeamish? Our suggestion: Either way, have a go if you can.
Get a mitt (alternative: dried gourd loofah) and scrub your butt clean off dry skin in your shower while bathing. Doing this regularly improves blood circulation, encourages toxin release and gives you that much-needed radiance. Don’t forget to use a good-quality salt scrub with anti-cellulite properties, which can flush out sebum and bacteria out of your epidermis if you have acne. Finally, apply a generous layer of super-smoothening serum to pump in moisture back into your skin. A tad baffled with the steps? Just Google for some structured, step-by-step Do-It-Yourself options. Psst: Okay, we accept, this needs an hour or so of pampering and me-time, but a 60-minute, once-a-week-only regimen wouldn’t hurt if you want a stunning and baby-soft rear, would it? What say?