Oh, the woes of body hair. I am blessed to not have very much to begin with and if anything, as I have gotten older I am having to shave less as my hair growth is fairly slow. Ever since I got laser hair removal on my underarms and bikini area (review), I am making my way through hair removal products at a snail's pace, but now that it's summer and shorts and dresses are pretty much the norm I feel the need to be prepared at ALL TIMES. I realized the other day that I was headed out in a short skirt with legs that had been unshaven for weeks. No, you couldn't see anything from far away, but what if I got that spot on the bus where the sun shone like a beacon on my thighs?! Needless to say, I have definitely been more on the ball with my hairier bits ever since the weather took a turn for the mid 20s!
Avon packages are some of the most amusing ones because I honestly never know what might be in each one. One day it's a scratching board for my cat, the next candles and then of course beauty and fashion. Early last month, Avon launched a couple of new hair removal products from the Skin So Soft line called Fresh and Smooth that I had to try right away! As a teenager, I was always fascinated by hair removal and didn't shave my legs with an actual razor until I was 14. On a church missions trip to Mexico. Using water from a relatively clean toilet with two other girls, legs propped up on the edge of the bowl with one of the older girls teaching me how to angle my razor around my knees and shins. It was a real bonding moment that I will never forget.
Avon packages are some of the most amusing ones because I honestly never know what might be in each one. One day it's a scratching board for my cat, the next candles and then of course beauty and fashion. Early last month, Avon launched a couple of new hair removal products from the Skin So Soft line called Fresh and Smooth that I had to try right away! As a teenager, I was always fascinated by hair removal and didn't shave my legs with an actual razor until I was 14. On a church missions trip to Mexico. Using water from a relatively clean toilet with two other girls, legs propped up on the edge of the bowl with one of the older girls teaching me how to angle my razor around my knees and shins. It was a real bonding moment that I will never forget.
The Fresh and Smooth collection features two depilatory creams - one for face and one for body, a shave oil and shave gel. I enjoyed using all four products, but definitely had some preferences depending on what parts of my body I was "working on"!
Starting with the Body Hair Removal Cream* ($10.00 CDN), this is a depilatory that will remove body hair in as little as 2.5 minutes! Made with moisturizing meadowfoam oil and shea butter, this initially has a cherry blossom scent that eventually breaks down into that typical sulfur scent as potassium thioglycolate breaks down the disulphide bonds in the keratin of hair. I don't think there are ANY depilatories that smell good the ENTIRE process which is too bad. It had been a long time since I had used any chemical hair removal products, so I did do a spot test first on my arm. Do not use this on the bikini area, face or other areas of thin skin like nipples because odds are, your skin will become quite irritated. As this depilatory works quite quickly, I prefer not to use in on large areas like my legs, but instead prefer it on my arms where I don't have to rush before my skin starts to tingle. Yes, it does tingle! Both arms took about 5 minutes to become hairless which was awesome, but my skin felt a bit sensitive for the rest of the night. It felt super soft and smooth though and even 3 weeks later, my arms still feel smooth to the touch.
The Fresh and Smooth Silky Stay Shave Gel* ($6.00 CDN) is what you would envision your classic shave gel to look like with the exception that it is actually BLUE and does not foam. It is a fairly thick gel that allows you to clearly see where you have applied your product and does not slip and slide off your legs. The thickness of the gel gummed up my razor a bit so much rinsing was necessary. This product is also made with meadowfoam oil and shea butter leaving your skin feeling soft, but is nothing too different than the shave cream you already might be using.
While my right leg had blue gel on it, the other had the Fresh and Smooth Moisturizing Shave Oil* ($10.00 CDN) which is made specifically for in-shower use. This shave oil is made with castor oil and shea butter with a hint of cherry blossom for scent. I preferred the shave oil over the gel because my leg felt so much more soft and smooth after rinsing! The only thing that made shaving with this difficult was that I couldn't see WHERE I had applied the oil as it is completely clear. It's pretty dark in my shower so I did miss a spot or two, but this oil is still my new favourite go-to!
Ok, so this is the one I was most afraid of using. The Fresh and Smooth Facial Hair Removal Cream* ($10.00 CDN) is for facial hair, but not to be used on the eyebrows as your freakin' EYES are there! Again, test spot on another area of your face before diving in just in case of a reaction. I usually use one of those Asian face shavers to shave off my mustache, but this time it was all about the depilatory!
Though it feels creamy like a moisturizer, resist the urge to rub this into your skin. I applied a thick layer that I left on for the minimum two minutes before wiping everything off with a muslin cloth. My face is a lot more finicky then my body so my upper lip felt a bit burny for a few hours, BUT the hair was gone and stayed gone for about 2-3 weeks.
Final verdict: My favourite products would have to be the shave oil and depilatory body cream, but I don't have much experience with depilatory products so I can't say if these ones were better or worse than the Nairs and Veets of the world. All in all, an enjoyable experience in the world of hair removal! My days of toilet bowl shaving are over!
These products are all on sale right now online so order now through your friendly Avon rep!
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