It’s been over four months since I’ve had my eyebrows waxed. While beauty and hair salons were allowed to reopen in Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan, there were limitations on the types of services they were able to offer. Eyebrow and any other facial hair removal services were prohibited until Stage 3, along with facials, eyelash extensions and makeup applications.
So when Simcoe-Muskoka was given the green light to enter Stage 3 on Friday July 17, I immediately made an appointment with Sumayya Khan of Sumayya & Co. beauty salon to have my unibrow tended to.
She greeted me outside upon my arrival, letting me know about the new safety procedures she has implemented including hand sanitizer at the door, mandatory masks for her and all clients, 30 minute gaps in between clients for thorough sanitizing and disinfecting, and only one guest per appointment.
Khan moved into her new home in late May, and had her basement transformed into a brand new salon, coincidentally just in time for her grand reopening.
“This is what I’ve worked towards, to have a bigger space,” she said. “I had arranged for the work to be done by July 15 and two days later we were allowed to reopen with all services.”
Khan opened her home business in Bradford in 2008.
“Makeup was always a passion of mine, since I was a kid,” she shared.
The pandemic has given her time to move homes while designing her brand new studio.
“I was able to complete so much without working,” she said, noting that between moving, renovating and watching her kids at home, “I don’t know how I would have done it.”
But she isn't done yet.
She has been working closely with fellow business mama, Farah Grozelle of Oh Darling creative media, to curate the perfect studio space.
“I don’t even have everything yet,” she explained, noting there is much more to be done in terms of decor. She would also eventually like to add a ‘selfie-station’ where clients can take before and after photos in front of her large mirror at the front of the studio, and install new window coverings.
“It’s a work in progress and everything will take time, because of COVID,” she said, noting many items she would like to order for her basement are on backorder and delayed.
Everything in her space is brand new, from the furniture to the lights and has a clean, fresh feel when you walk in.
At the top of the basement stairs, Khan has hand sanitizer and spare masks for clients. Downstairs is very spacious, with bright lights and mirrors everywhere. Some upbeat music is playing in the background and I feel at ease.
Inside her waxing room, she has more hand sanitizer, as well as Lysol wipes. She cleans off the waxing table before I lie down.
As I feel the hot wax glide over my eyebrows, I feel strange. Something I used to do almost every other week, has become a foreign experience. It’s almost like learning to ride a bike again.
Once she waxes both eyebrows, she shapes them with some thread and it feels amazing. I feel like a new woman!
I already knew, pre-COVID times how amazing an eyebrow wax could make me feel,(it really does shape your face) so having them tended to after 16 weeks felt incredible.
I look in the mirror with a renewed sense of confidence. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but it’s the eyebrows that are the curtains, making them look stylish!
When asked how booked up Khan is now that she is officially reopened, she said she is not as busy as she was before the pandemic, noting some people aren’t ready yet.
“I think people are changing their way of living, thinking ‘do I really need to get my eyebrows done? I think some things have changed for people,’ she said.
But Khan understands and is just happy to be able to work again. She has even created a beauty pack giveaway contest to her Instagram page @sumayyaco, as a way to welcome back her clients and thank them for their continued support.
“This is a thank you to all my clients and everyone who supported me and I was able to pursue my dream and have this large space in my basement, basically a full studio,” she said.
Next week...I am venturing out and getting my first massage in almost a year. Stay tuned to hear about my experience!
