A lot of gay men have done just about everything, right? Well, ever been sugared? I was running around shopping for a few last minute things for a beach vacation when I ran into my friend Michael. I was complaining that I still needed to get a haircut and waxing before hitting the beach. Michael’s eyes lit up when I said “waxing.” He asked if I had ever been “sugared.”

I was intrigued; I hadn’t seen Michael in ages, what sort of kinky thing is he into, now? “They’ll get your back, crack, & sack, you’ll leave feeling like a million bucks,” my friend exclaimed. “I typically just get my back and shoulders done,” I responded, modestly. But he urged me to give it a whirl and pointed me in the direction of Koru Touch to “get sugared.”

I arrived at Koru Touch not knowing what to expect. An adorable puppy, Bhutan, greeted me the front door of the spa. I can’t help myself from petting every dog I see, and immediately became BFF with Bhutan. When I looked up, Gregory Cartwright (aka Master of the Sugar) was standing above me. Gregory is a total sight sore eyes. My hands immediately got clammy as I thought about this Greek God removing excess hair from my back, crack, & sack. He quickly put me at ease as we walked back to the room where I was to pop my sugar cherry.

I felt like a prudish Victorian housewife as I took off my petticoat jeans and T-shirt while Gregory gave me a bit of the story of how he came to work with sugar. Cartwright lived with the Royal Family of Turkey in London where he was first exposed to the practice. The family grandmother was raised in the Dalmache palace in Istanbul and used to boil sugar and refined it into paste to use for body grooming. Cartwright later trained as a pastry chef and had a successful career in London and New York. He decided to diversify his portfolio by studying as a massage therapist, becoming certified in Shiatsu, Swedish, Thai, and sports massage. He decided combine his knowledge of working with sugar and massage by opening Koru Touch.

I kept imagining Gregory with a red spatula spreading buttercream frosting all over my back. I think he could tell I was a nervous and slightly body conscious so he sat down beside me and showed me the sugar he was going to use for the treatment. I suddenly felt like I was in a classroom listening to a brilliant show and tell. Gregory’s sugar is a 98° paste that is molded onto the body and hair. “The sugar removes the hair, root, follicle, and any dead skin that might be surrounding it,” he explained.  Wax is more aggressive, and can make the skin break out whereas sugaring makes the body soft as a baby’s behind. He demonstrated on part of my leg and showed me where the hair follicle is removed. I realized that had I just gone in for a routine waxing the treatment would already be over but my back would be throbbing in pain.

I felt completely relaxed as Gregory started the treatment. Despite some slightly painful moments of the treatment (you can imagine), I enjoyed every moment of it. I found out Gregory used to spend a few months out of every year traveling with his massage table and chef tools. We reminisced and compared notes on trips to New Zealand and Croatia and gossiped about yoga studios, restaurants we love, and great shows we had seen. When our 75-minute session was over Gregory patted me on the back and let me know I was officially “porn star smooth,” just in case I run into Michael Lucas on my vacation. I looked down and started to giggle.  I took a shower and ran my hand across my shoulder, wondering when I had ever felt my skin so smooth. I didn’t want to leave the spa, so I asked the receptionist if would be possible to stay and get a Swedish massage.  One gorgeous LMT had a half hour before his next appointment and sent me off with a half hour sports massage to write home about. I patted Bhutan on my way out. I left Koru Touch not only ready for the islands, but somehow more ready to face the world.

Photography courtesy of Koru Touch

Special thanks to Gregory and our friends at Koru Touch