22-year-old's hilarious attempt at 'pandemic waxing' gets millions of laughs
A woman who used an at-home waxing kit while in quarantine is spreading laughter during these difficult times.
Molly Lee of Dallas, Texas, shared her hilarious attempt on Facebook and Instagram, where the video has been viewed by over 2 million.
The 22-year-old works for a nonprofit and recently received a master's degree in addiction and recovery counseling. Lee told "Good Morning America" she really enjoys making people laugh on social media.
So when she needed an eyebrow waxing, Lee ordered a kit off Amazon and filmed the laugh-out-loud effort for her followers' amusement.
"I've been making dumb videos for my friends since junior high so I guess it's always been a thread in my life," Lee said. "I had the video idea in the back of my mind and I ended up filming that night."
"What I wanted to do was lift people's moods and brighten their day when things are so scary and bleak right now," she added.
In the clip, Lee giggles, struggles and faces her fears as she tries her hand at waxing her own eyebrows and upper lip. Salons have all been closed to ensure public safety as COVID-19 affects the globe.
"There's so many other women right now in the same boat so I thought it'd be very funny to film my experience with it," Lee said.
Lee admitted it's probably smarter to consult a professional before waxing at home.
Jeannel Astarita, a New York-based licensed esthetician and founder of Just Ageless Beauty + Body Lab, offered tips for "GMA" readers braving the attempt.
"For a first-time waxer you typically won't start with the most difficult area like your face," Astarita said. "Practice on your shin or on your leg a little bit, until you get an idea of what the temperature is."
Astarita noted that makeup-free skin, rather than squeaky clean skin, will protect you from irritation. So, don't wash the area with soap and water before you wax.
"The vast majority of people will think, 'I want to clean my skin because I want to the wax to stick to my skin,' but really, you want the wax to stick to your hair," she said.
Astarita's final advice is to not use so much wax. This way you won't remove hair you want to keep.
And before you pull the wax strip, hold your skin "very tight," Astarita said. To moisturize a waxed face, Argan oil will soothe and act as an anti-inflammatory, she added.
As for Lee's video, Astarita said she thought it was hilarious.
"It's actually one of the first times I laughed out loud from social media since all of this drama began," she said. "It's good to see something funny...also objectively to look at what we put ourselves through in the name of beauty."
