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When it comes to getting a bikini wax, many women are terrified at the thought of it. Thinking of a painful beauty experience isn’t on anyone’s to-do list, and we completely understand. Hence why one Latina set out to make sure women never experience a terrible waxing experience again. Meet Noemi Grupenmager, an Argentinean powerhouse, who continues to take beauty to the next level with her global waxing business Uni K Wax. After a personal experience, the Argentinean beauty set out to create a natural waxing service that continues to grow in numbers yearly. When we caught up with Noemi at a local Uni K Wax Center in New York City, we couldn’t help but notice how diverse her staff was. The Argentinean businesswoman believes in championing her fellow Latinas and women in beauty. Get ready to be inspired to get a wax and go for your dreams all at once.
Founder of Uni K Wax Noemi Grupenmager Photo: @unikwaxstudios
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How did Uni K Wax start?I started in 1993 because I wanted to take the fear out of the waxing experience and wanted to devolve something that would provide a more comfortable and affordable waxing experience. I put a tremendous amount of work into our proprietary all-natural wax so that we could have a product that could transform the traditional waxing experience. I have always been a big believer in waxing and the benefits associated with waxing. Those benefits include smoother skin, slower hair regrowth and results that last much longer than shaving. When I started the business my two daughters and I worked to service 200 customers a day in South Beach, FL. The all natural Elasti K Wax I created paired with the application process of the wax grew quickly in popularity and it is what has helped me grow my business in Florida, New York and New Jersey. In the next few months, we will also be expanding to Iowa and Georgia which is really exciting to see.
What is the innovation behind the wax you use on your customers?At Uni K Wax we use our own proprietary 100% all-natural Elasti K Wax that is paraben and gluten-free. This provides a completely different waxing experience. Our customers enjoy a number of benefits from our Elasti K Wax and the technique that we use. For example, in the wax industry, your hair needs to be ¼ of an inch in order to get waxed. At Uni K Wax, because of our proprietary wax, no hair is too short to wax. We also apply our wax at body temperature and because of the elastic nature of our natural wax, we can cover larger areas much easier. If you look at the time it takes to complete a bikini wax, our customers are in and out in 6 to 15 minutes. When going to other wax places, you can expect to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour. As you keep up with your wax routine all that time adds up. Because let’s face it, who wants to be doing a bikini wax for an hour.
All natural Elastik Wax used by Uni K Wax Photo: @unikwaxstudios
What's the biggest wax request women ask for? Or the top three services?Our top three services are bikini waxes, full legs, and underarms. Something most people don’t know is that I have been so involved in the industry that I actually coined the term “Brazilian Bikini Wax”. After I began using it, others followed and copied the name.
Inside view of a local Uni K Wax studio Photo: @unikwaxstudios
Please tell us about the Uni K Wax Studio experience. Our focus is our customer from when they walk into our studio until they’re done with their wax and on their way home. Everything we do is centered around delivering a more comfortable waxing experience for our customers. Our all-natural Elasti K Wax is the biggest contributor towards delivering a more comfortable waxing experience, but we focus on other areas as well. Our studios, for example, are designed with the customers’ comfort in mind. We aim to use organic décor and soft lighting to create a refreshing atmosphere when someone walks in. Once they check-in, their order is sent to our on-site lab. The lab is the heart of our natural wax studio; this is where preparation of our wax takes place. Once it is ready, our waxer picks up the individualized warmer and meets up with the customer to start waxing service. This allows us to deliver on our one wax guarantee every time, which simply put means: One customer. One appointment. One wax is warmer. After each service, every wax warmer is returned to the lab, where it’s sanitized and prepared for the next customer.
Uni K Wax founder with staff Photo: @unikwaxstudios
What are the benefits of your type of wax? How is it different from the others on the market?There are actually three types of wax in the industry today. There’s a soft wax with paper strips that you see in the movies with people screaming when it’s ripped off. Hard wax, which doesn’t use paper strips to remove but includes a lot of harsh chemicals and needs to be applied at high temperatures. Lastly, there’s our elastic wax. Our Elasti K Wax is applied at body temperature, it exfoliates and moisturizes, while its flexible elasticity adheres directly to the hair, leaving only smooth skin behind. It’s also gluten free and paraben free which our customers love.
Here at HOLA!, we believe in highlighting those breaking boundaries and creating change in the beauty industry. History shows Latinas that we were and still are pioneers when it comes to the business of belleza, which is why we’re spotlighting them with our weekly segment of #HOLAGlamGetters. They’re born beauty entrepreneurs, unapologetic and fabulous. They’ve used their passion for beauty to fuel their journey to success. But, ever wonder how they got there? In a world where one’s highlight reel is on replay only showcasing the glitz and glam of creating a business, we’re keeping it real with our glam-star.