And so it Begins... Hair Removal for Summer.

Yes... summer is advancing, and inevitably we have to get our grey old hairy pins ready for summer... In the winter it's safe to say, I get a little less fastidious about making sure my pins are smooth and ready for the public, so the onset of warmer weather (whether accompanied by volcanic ash or not...)always engenders a slight feeling of panic and horror within my soul - Its simply not acceptable to "forget" to shave my legs now... 

I'd just like to take this opportunity to reassure you all though, that the onset of summer does not mean I begin to don mini-skirts and low cut tops. Goodness me no - Maxi dresses and gladiator sandals are more my style... but there are still those inevitable days where you'll be sitting in the park, possibly with a lolly ice (or if you are very lucky, a 99er, depending on how generous the Mister is feeling...), and you'll get the old pins out for a bit of a vitamin D boost. Its also so much nicer to feel silky smooth legs under your clothing of choice rather than dry stubbliness!

 (not my actual legs... yet. Picture sourced HERE)

Anyway, before I make any further confessions which may induce vomiting, I'll get to the point shall I? I'm going to be testing and reviewing a few methods of hair removal over the next few weeks - I have a couple of razors, a new fangled epilator, and a Boots Smooth Skin lazer removal device... The days of the epistick are over! Thank god! 

First up, we have the good old razor - convenient and quick, this has been my method of choice for much of my adult life. The problems with shaving are the possibility of knicks and cuts - something that seems to increase with the number of blades (like seriously, how MANY more blades can they fit onto a razor? If it carries on at this rate, there will be some sort of door attachment made up of 50 000 blades that you shimmy past on the way to the bathroom that leaves you as smooth as a baby's behind...). 

The other problem is stubble after a couple of days, usually accompanied by a horrendous itchy feeling... Oh, and then theres the fact that you can't really use them on your face, unless you are male, which is no use to me and my magnum PI monthly 'stache. 

I was asked to try two razors from Gilettes range of female razors - the Venus Spa Breeze razor and the Venus Embrace...

The Venus Spa Breeze is a new version of the "razor and shaving gel in one" that was previously attempted by Wilkinson sword with their intuition razor - that basically looked like a block of soap and a razor has produced a child. 

These two in ones appeal to me, as I find them quicker and more convenient and I always forget to buy shaving gel anyway. Having used and been disappointed with the Wilkinson Sword intuition set, which just basically dissolved away in one use, I was not sure how well the Spa Breeze would work. 

This did surprise me though - the gel strips smell lovely and fresh (they are scented with white tea, but there is a bit of a floral vibe there too...) and do help the razor glide over the skin nicely. No need for any extra shaving gel/foam etc, as this does all the work. 

I'd say the one possible drawback with this one is that I noticed the top strip started to come loose after a couple of uses and actually fell off in the shower the next time I tried to use it. Depending on how often you need to change your blade, then you might or might not be bothered by this, and also, it could have been just a fault blade. The razor costs £3.99 with a spare blade, but a pack of 8 replacement blades comes in at £17.99, so you might want slightly more wear from a blade than that...

The Venus Embrace has a whopping five blades and is surrounded by "moisture ribbons" - you are meant to use a separate shaving gel or foam with this. I use baby oil usually for shaving, as I find it less drying and also  helps the razor glide better. 

Generally, the more blades a Razor has, the more nervous I get - yes, they give a close shave, but I'm also incrementally more likely to cut myself - My ankles and knees were littered with nicks and cuts when I was younger before I got the knack of it... 

The aqua blue cushion pads surrounding the base do help though, and I managed not to shed any blood using these. The razor costs £3.49 and comes with one refill. Replacement blades are £14.99 for 6. 

Razors are, as I've said, the useful workhorse of the hair removal world - both of these give similar results, and a smooth close shave. Of the two, I personally like the Spa Breeze the best, and would use this again and again - I just prefer the fact that I don't have to use anything separate to soften the hairs. 

I'm preparing for the epilator next time on my legs...

Stay tuned too for regular updates on the Boots Smooth Skin iPulse machine too, which I've started using on the smaller areas of my body...