This is definitely the start of a DIY beauty project/adventure story that I had the idiotic idea to follow through. You know we are still under quarantine, and I try not to go to places physically, I have massive allergies, and people will look at me as a walking germ. My mustache was pretty grown and standing strong as if it could feel pride for itself. I really did not care about it, I am not stepping out of my house anyways, so no one is giving me the freak look. TBH, the reason why I let it grow with pride is 1. it was too long to be plucked, and 2. buying facial wax strips is double the price to be shipped or delivered, and -frankly- do not feel like wasting my money that easy. It was not that I was fed up by the fact I had a lustrous mustache, I just seized the perfect moment to try an all-natural brown sugar wax. 

This is not a recipe of my own -of course- I went to my good old friend YouTube and follow the couple of videos that I found as closely as possible. The ingredients are mostly found in your cupboard, making this entire process very easy, accessible, and tempting to try. At first -I am not going to lie- I found myself in a position of skepticism, I barely believe in the waxing strips, why would I believe in this?! I am Hispanic and hairy by nature, and because I shaved my mustache once, this one grows with a brutal force and terrible shade, having a wild and unruly mind of its own. The FAQ’s of the moment was, would this sh** even work? What if I bestially burn myself and end up looking like a fool? Just another extraordinary day filled with questions to satisfy my anxiety. 

Making the wax

To make the wax, you will need 3 basic -common- ingredients and 2 extra materials:

• 1/2cup of sugar (white, brown, or raw)
• 2tbs of lemon
• 2tbs of water
• A microwaveable cup 
• Wooden sticks (I end up using multiples, easily facilitated by eating popsicles like a toddler) 

Process

• Mix all the ingredients together -in the cup- with a spoon or wooden stick.
• Microwave it for about 30secs at first to see how it looks. The trick is to have it reach a caramel color and consistency. I used brown sugar, so it already has that color, just make sure the sugar is dissolved completely.
• If your microwave is 1,000w, give it another 3mins and let it cool if not, continue heating until you get the rich caramel consistency.
• Take your cup out of the microwave very carefully, avoid unnecessary and preventable burns (kinda happened to me). 
• Wait -once again- until it cools down a bit more, use the smallest amount to test the heat on the tip of your fingers. The cooling down is tricky, I recommend not to go far from your wax. The wax will eventually become a taffy, which is normal to happen.
• Once the heat is okay to be applied on your skin, proceed to apply the wax with the wooden stick. You can either pull it with cloth or paper strips, or simply pull the taffy with your bare hands (remember it should not be that hot).
• Because it is completely natural, you can re-apply it multiple times without even damaging or irritating your skin.
• Speaking of skin, try it in a small area before you have any type of negative reaction. 

My Experience

I was about to poop my pants thinking I could burn my face! I waited until the consistency was caramelly and sticky, until the mix became a warm taffy. I knew I had to act quick before it was cold as ice. It was a lot of applications before I could leave the area clean without a trace of a living majestic mustache. I went back and reheat the wax for another couple of seconds to wave goodbye to my unibrow. I did not wait until it cooled down as I was supposed to and end up burning my skin. Total fail! I applied ice and aloe vera recommended by my mom who is a professional beauty expert back at home. The irony, right? It was my first time, I know it will get easier as I do it more often. 

If you feel daring to try this, make sure you have the time-of-the-world in your hands. It gets messy, however, it is easy to clean using water and soap. Oh yeah, speaking of cleaning… to clean your cup, you can fill it up with water, microwave it for a minute or two and leave it there for a while, rinse it and clean it as you normally wash the rest of your dishes.

PS, if you have any questions regarding the process, feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below!