Profile

With her definitive opinions on why women suffer ingrown hairs and what she considers the sloppy techniques of other salons, Daniela Oliveira can literally wax poetic about the proper way to do Brazilians. But hers isn’t some random rant: Hailing from Bahia, in northeast Brazil, Oliveira considers hair removal a part of her—and her native technicians’—upbringing. Ipanema’s products are imported from her homeland, including the authentic hard wax preferred by the slew of regulars, both male and female, who seem to regard any hair below the eyebrows as a foreign object. This glob of warm green goo is spread on the skin, dries instantly, and is pulled up to release the strands, making cloth or paper strips unnecessary; it also makes for a quicker application—a full Brazilian can be done in 10 minutes–and a relatively painless experience. Nervous first-timers are encouraged to come on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday when complimentary liquid courage is served in the form of Champagne and Caipirinhas. A small menu of glycolic-peel and essential-oil facials and relaxing body scrub/mask treatments is also available. — Chanize Thorpe