Hair Removal Fail

If you read this post you will know that I recently discover epilating and it rather changed my life where  facial hair is concerned. As such I was keen to discover other variations of hair removal for the larger areas of my life.

I have never waxed or epilated my body, always far too scared and happy enough with shaving. When I say happy enough, it's a means to an end - does anyone enjoy this chore, especially the dark haired amongst us. 

Firstly I started the Braun Silk-epil 7 Wet & Dry Cordless Epilator* - tentatively. I hated it, hid back in the box and pretended it didn't exist. A few weeks later I braved things again. How bad could it be? Unfortunately pretty bad which I only blame myself for and certainly not the product.

I am officially a wuss. Who know that epilating my upper lip would be less painful than the leg, certainly not me. I only tried a small area of my leg but it was just far too painful and I found that, in part due to my hesitation, the area would be come red and sore. 

With the facial epilator I am pretty happy to go all in, moving the handle around quickly and efficiently but it was just too damn painful on my legs. And people who do their bikini lines with these things, you deserve a medal.

If you have a high pain threshold I say go for it but it's a no from me.

As I've already mentioned I've only every waxed eyebrows and lips, never the body and but I was happy to give Nair Argan Oil Body Wax* with it's 'bye bye pain' formula a try. In your box you'll receive a tub of was, orange sticks and some post waxing wipes. Nothing too dissimilar to I've seen used in salons in the past.

Considering I was planning to tackle hot wax on my leg hair for the first time I was rather brave and excited to try this. Was this the wonder product I had hoped for? 

My first problem was that you're too heat the wax in the microwave. This took some trial and error to ensure that the product was 'melted' through and then you have to leave to cool slightly. Now this was where my problems came in. My microwave is obviously in my kitchen. Did I want to walk through my flat into the bathroom with a tub of hot wax? Not really so instead I decided my kitchen would be the place for the experiment so up my leg went on the oven and I spread some wax onto a small area. 

Still there was no fear, in fact I was even laughing to myself that if someone looked in my kitchen window they would wonder what this crazy girl was up to. Whilst noting never to eat anything that came out of her kitchen. 

The wax dried quickly and unlike other wax kit in with the Nair Argan Oil Body Wax you use the wax itself to for want of a better expression, rip the hairs out. I found it really easy to gently rub an end of the wax to get a handle on it and then that's where I froze. Rather than rip it quickly I pretty much rolled it back. The good thing I can report is that it didn't hurt but unfortunately nor did it remove any hair. 

Again as you can tell we have another fail on our hands due to my lack of bravery. On the other hand compared to the epilator which was just pain personified the wax wasn't really painful at all, even if I wasn't following instructions correctly. If I were to live with a willing flatmate or other half then I would definitely pursue using this product but as it is, this girl is leaving the waxing to the professionals. 

So there you have it. My names Victoria and I'm a hair removal wuss. And you, are you braver than I am and can whip of wax stripes or get handy with an epilator without so much of a whimper? Let me know.

*PR Sample

February 2015 Beauty Favourites

It wasn't difficult to highlight favourite products this month. Everything list below has been in regular use, relied upon and/or made a major impact on my regimes so let's dive in.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara link
I only posted about the latest Benefit release last week - read the post here - and it's become a favourite. Especially when I took it out of my make up bag and tried others in my stash and they just didn't occur. I mentioned in my review post how I had never jumped on the They're Real bandwagon (although I own it and am going to be giving it a fair crack of the whip shortly) so my expectations of this mascara were not high. I was proved wrong by a fantastic formula this curling mascara provides - especially to someone who doesn't often bother to manually curl lashes. Have you tried it yet?

Bourjois Smokey Stories Eyeshadow Quad in Good Nude* link
The Good Nude eyeshadow quad from Bourjois is something of a perpetual favourite for me. If I'm ever in doubt of what eyeshadow to wear or need to ensure I have something to rely on in my make up bag this is what I reach for. Yes above and beyond many of my high end options. The eyeshadows are wonderful pigmented, apply and blend like a dream and their lasting power is long. I have to consciously remove this quad from my make up bag to ensure others have their chance to shine as I could happily make do with this on a day to day basis. If you like to see my original post and swatches, you can do so here.

eyeCandy Gel Top Coat* link
You may have already read my rave review of the eyeCandy Gel Top Coat here but the love keeps going. Last week I wanted a specific shade of pink which I had in my old Chanel collection I had cast aside to sell (due to chipping; read about that here). I decided to give them another try using the eyeCandy top coat - was it good enough to give more life to my Chanel nail polish? Other than a nail I used when picking a label off of something all others are chip free - I cannot believe it. Whilst I wouldn't necessarily buy a Chanel nail polish in the future at least I can now use and enjoy those I already own.

007 Fragrance for Women* link
The 007 fragrance for women has now earned its place alongside my bottles of Chanel and rightly so. As I mentioned in my original post here I fully expected to turn my nose up at this affordable and 'gimmicky' scent. I was proved very wrong and am reaching for this scent above my Chanel's on a regular basis.

Braun Facial Epilator* link
The Braun epilator received a glowing review last week - read it here - and I claimed it had changed my life. Over dramatics aside I am still using with great frequency and there was major panic one night last week when the batteries ran out and I feared I had none spare. Rarely a day goes by when I do not give some area of my face a once over with this fantastic product. I know some commented they find epilation on the face too painful so I hope to have a review of an alternative coming up in the next couple of weeks - stay tuned.

A-derma Nutrialba Rich Nourishing Cream* link
In January I reviewed this cream in a post about how I'd switched to a heavier moisturiser during Winter to treat skin that was on the drier side. You can read that post here. Since then I had switched it out for other products but then I was struck by a cold and the associated sore nose from constant blowing. I reached for the A-derma cream knowing that in a matter of day any evident soreness and dry patches would have disappeared - a real saviour.

What have been your favourites the past month?

*PR Sample

Don't forget to enter my US  drugstore beauty giveaway here

Braun Facial Cleansing Brush and Epilator Review

The opportunity to try the Braun Facial Cleansing Brush and Epilator* arrived just at the right time and get ready for a major statement, it quite simply has changed my life and my bank balance. In case I wasn't clear get ready for a rave review and a hairy girl story.

Facial hair is something that I've always had to contend with due to being a dark brunette. Thankfully I escaped over plucking with tweezers in my youth and when the time came I went to salons for eyebrow waxing and sought the services of professionals and it became part of my regular beauty regime. 

As time went on the hair on my upper lip started to become more evident and that two was dealt with by waxing strips and when I was asked 'do you want your chin done as well' during one trip that too went on the list. 

I'd never experienced many problems with waxing. Yes there were the odd occurrences were wax was too hot and left me in some discomfort and I'd often experience blemishes after a waxing trip but on the whole I didn't have any issue with this method. Then threading became the in thing and a few friends recommended it and gave it a try. In comparison to waxing I don't find the process as 'relaxing' as those of you who have had eyebrows threaded will know the process of having to pull your eyes and the like makes it feel like you're doing half the work. It also takes longer to complete rather than the wax on wax off approach so it can cause some flinching but needs must. I find threading to be more precise than waxing, particularly round the upper lip and do not experience any of the previous blemishes or redness that would occur with waxing. 

My threading salon of choice is Shavata at House of Fraser, just round the corner to my office and I'm able to drop in without appointment as needs must. The only issue I had at this point was the cost involved in my regular threading trips. I was paying at least £47 monthly for eyebrows, lip, chin and by this point my neck was also dealt with by the cotton thread. 

As 2015 arrived I had decided to try and be a little thriftier and see where I could save money. I discovered a local salon also did threading I thought I'd give them a try to see if I could cut some costs. Cut costs I did, my usual £47 trip cost just £15 but as those of you who saw my Instagram photo will know I paid in other ways. Both my eyebrows were bruised and my neck (as the photo shows) was covered in red spots/bumps. I think it's safe to say I would not be returning. 

Resigned to spending the £47 a month enter the Braun Facial Cleansing Brush and Epilator* that would change everything. Many people had discussed laser hair removal and epilators and the like to me previously but I'd always dismissed them. Not because I wasn't interested but the large initial outlay for untested results was of concern. In this instance the Braun Epilator is £89.99 so it's not something you would purchase lightly. Whilst I received mine as a PR Sample I will state now if this is lost, breaks or for whatever reason no longer in my possession I will repurchase immediately.

I'll also explain before I continue that I have no yet tried the cleansing brush element as it's secondary to what I want to use it for and I'm not yet convinced of the whole cleansing brush 'thing'. Obviously should I have an update on that later I will let you know but today's posts is about the epilator system.

The box contains the facial epilator, a lid, cleansing brush head, illuminated mirror,  and a small brush for cleaning. Also included is a handy little pouch for you to keep everything contained. The epilator itself is battery operated and compact in it's 5.5 inches length so ideal for travel and it will certainly be travelling with me.

Epilation is often preferred due to it being able to remove the finest and shortest of hairs from the root and of course the motorised function means it's faster that your every day tweezer method. It is also longer lasting which I certainly have noticed. The problem with threading is you walk out with a smooth lip, chin etc etc and then the next day or two a fresh new hair has appeared. The beauty of having an epilator at home is that you can simple give the area a once over whenever you feel the need. I would be lying if I said I hadn't become somewhat obsessed with this handy gadget and have taken to using it almost daily. It's also slightly disappointing to see the lack of hair to tackle due to it's longer lasting results.

The process to use is very simple. The plucking movement can be switched on to go either left or right in rotation and then you simple run over the area. The first time I used this I had more hair to contend with and for me it was slightly satisfying as you'd feel it nip on a hair. If this is your first use and/or you have a lot of hair to deal with then it may cause some discomfort. I don't find it unpleasant, particularly on the neck and chin areas but the upper lip is a little more obvious but no so I'm concerned. Now I'm at a stage where the regrowth is minimal it can be frustrating when you can feel or see one particular hair and fight with the epilator to grab it. I've found the best way is a combination of turning the switch to left and right rotations and simply pressing down gently on the area so that it eventually catches.

As I mentioned I've taken to using the Braun Facial Epilator with some frequency and I've had not obvious discomfort nor markings to my skin, not even any redness. Braun do say you can tackle brows with this device but I just find that too fiddly and don't think the epilator head is small enough nor my skill precise enough to do that.

As I mentioned I was previously paying £47 for my threading trips so when I work out that just two visits would pay for this device, or let's say three as I'm still having my eyebrows dealt with then it means I will have saved hundreds by the end of the year.

I wish I had discovered the Braun Facial Epilator sooner as it would have saved me a fortune in time and money. If you're on the fence for something like this or struggle with facial hair then I'd strongly urge you to give it a try. If you read the reviews many will favour the cleansing brush element of this product and find the epilation painful but honestly it's only akin to threading.

*PR Sample