What You'll Get
Aesthetic perfection requires either constant, painstaking maintenance or an uncomfortably thick coat of surface-preserving shellac. Opt for a breathably beautiful body with today's Groupon to Sweet 185, located downtown in the Upper King Street Design District. Choose between two options:
- For $25, you get a Sweet Essentials mani-pedi (up to a $55 value).
- For $20, you get a body sugaring bikini hair removal (a $40 value).
Conceptualized by a pair of Charleston moms, Marilyn Roe and Christina Mikolajcik, Sweet 185 aims to coddle clients until they feel as warm and at home as living in a bathtub of chicken noodle soup. Sugaring is an ancient Egyptian hair-removal technique that evicts unwelcome follicle-fillers using an all-natural paste of sugar, lemon, and water. The hair-removal process resembles waxing in that the hair-hugging paste is applied to the skin before being carefully pulled away. Sweet's organic Sweet Essentials manicure ($25) and pedicure ($30) is performed by experienced nail technicians who make each keratin-buffing moment an experience in pampering. Mani-pedis are perfect for putting the finishing touches on a polished, professional look, as well as essential hand and foot maintenance.
Reviews
The Charleston City Paper named Sweet 185 Sugaring Studio the Best Place to Get Hairless Without Wax and Razors. The Post and Courier and Moultrie News also featured Sweet 185. Eight Google Mappers award the business a perfect five-star average.
- Spreading a golden ball of just sugar, lemon, and water over areas of unwanted hair, the magic paste picks up hair without the painful yanking of a wax job. Void of the resin and chemicals in wax, sugaring is perfect for those with sensitive skin, eczema, sclerosis, or for the run-of-the-mill hairless addict. (Men, that includes you!) The honeyed paste gently exfoliates the skin while removing even the thickest of hair. There's still a bit of squealing and squirming, but it's hands down the sweetest way to enjoy a Brazilian. No sticky mess, and no tangled panties. – Svetlana Minx, Charleston City Paper
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Apr 26, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. By appointment only. Merchant's normal cancellation policy applies. New clients only. Gratuity not included. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Sweet 185
Sweet 185’s dedication to natural ingredients is apparent in its organic facials, which rely on plant essences, and its holistic massages, which use herbal oils. The same can be said about its hair removal treatments—rather than rely on chemical-laden waxes, Sweet 185’s experts hark back to the ancient Egyptian technique of sugaring, using an un-heated paste made simply of sugar, water, and lemon to remove hair. Because of this excellence, they have been included in USA Today's Top 10 Spas in Charleston.
Meanwhile, the spa's oxygen therapy treatments have caught the attention of both the Charleston Mercury and the Moultrie News. Inhaling four to five times the normal amount of oxygen in the air while reclining in the spa's leather zero-gravity chairs is said to promote healing and heighten memory, and is far easier than doing aerobics in space.
After their treatment, guests can peruse Sweet 185 boutique, where staff have handpicked gifts and goods ranging from natural chocolates to jewelry to organic sunscreen. There, visitors will also find Angel Rox clothing made with organic cotton and low-impact dyes, Jurlique creams and lotions that are never tested on animals, and Nadina bath towels, made with sustainably grown bamboo rayon.