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The most helpful favourable review
The most helpful critical review
229 of 234 people found the following review helpful:
Great, but don't expect miracles
I owned a previous model of a Braun epilator and got rid of it as I remembered it to be so painful and not a pastime I thought I'd ever continue. However....I've really had it with hair removal and I've tried the lot. Tired of the mess, stress and money disappearing down the hair-removal drain, I researched into epilating once more and decided, after reading all the great...
Published 10 months ago by Katherine
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68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
No pain no gain!!
Allowed my wife to do the review for this item, although I was brave enough to try the thing out on my hand. Good god, it was agony, but as they say, women can stand much more pain, so did my wife manage to fall in love with the Epilator? Erm not exactly, here are her thoughts...
I was a little nervous to try the Braun Silk epil Xperssive, as I knew I'd...
Published 12 months ago by L. Calland
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229 of 234 people found the following review helpful:
Great, but don't expect miracles, 3 May 2009
I owned a previous model of a Braun epilator and got rid of it as I remembered it to be so painful and not a pastime I thought I'd ever continue. However....I've really had it with hair removal and I've tried the lot. Tired of the mess, stress and money disappearing down the hair-removal drain, I researched into epilating once more and decided, after reading all the great reviews, to give this model a go (annoying now significantly cheaper on Amazon only days after I bought it.) At nearly £100, this was a lot of money for me but, I concluded, was about the cost of four or five waxing appointments without the hassle of waiting for the hair to grow and walking around looking like The Gruffalo.
So, is it any good and how much does it hurt? I epilated my legs first and did them dry. The smart light was very good at showing up the hairs and the epilator removed them very efficiently. I did have to go over areas a few times in different directions to ensure all hairs were caught but it says you have to do that in the instructions and considering hair grows in different directions I would say it's reasonable to have to do that. As for pain, I didn't think it hurt that much at all. It was more an uncomfortable pulling/twanging sensation than pain. My legs did come up with mild red raised spots, but this went down within a couple of hours. Hair-free legs in 15-20 minutes! Result! One thing I would say is that if you're expecting the smoothness you get with shaving you'll be disappointed. The nature of shaving means every hair is taken off at skin level so you're inevitably silky smooth (if only for a day or so.) Epilating plucks hair from the root and does miss teensy-weensy hairs that you can't necessarily see but you can feel when you run your hands up your legs. Anyway, hair-free legs - very pleased indeed! Then I tried my underarms...
Oh. My. Giddy Aunt. I figured I was more hardy having experienced childbirth since my previous epilating days so forgot about all that and gritted my teeth. And I continued to grit my teeth and soon found myself using the breathing techniques they teach you in antenatal classes to now deal with epilating, panting my way through the searing pain as I saw my skin being drawn towards the machine like paper into a shredder. And shredded was exactly how my underarms felt when I finally finished. And finish I did because I was determined I was going to get my money's worth from this machine and epilating was the way forward. Disappointingly it did not remove the hair as well as on my legs. Before I blame the machine, this could've been down to my method not being great as I do remember blurred vision caused by the sweat from my brow as it trickled into my eyes; probably not optimum conditions for effective hair removal. Anyway, I did one underarm then braced myself for the second. Double the fun! At the end my underarms were, what's the word..? Oh yes, raw. I think I may have removed the skin in addition to the hair as it was red, sore and I had actually drawn a tiny bit of blood. I found applying Aloe Vera jelly and later some Savlon really helped and they were fine again after a few hours (though still blotchy the next day.) Results were not as pleasing as with the legs though and I found this quite a disappointment. Felt I deserved totally hair-free underarms after all that at the very least. To be honest I felt I deserved a congratulatory slap on the back and a large glass of wine.
So, after this rambling, what do I think? Firstly, don't expect miracles. I was excited after doing my legs but the underarms were a disappointment. Secondly, how much epilating hurts you will depend on the length of your hair, the sensitivity of your skin and obviously your pain threshold. I'd say epilate at least 24 hours before you intend to expose your bits to allow for any redness to go down. I also haven't tried epilating my underarms in/after a bath, so maybe that'd help with the pain. As for regrowth, I can't comment on that yet, but when I used to get waxed my hair would start growing back after 10 days or so and I expect this'll be the same. Don't be tricked into thinking you'll be hair-free for four weeks - you probably won't be. That said, 10 days is surely better than the measly one or two you get with shaving! Also, it's good you can do in-between-days touch-ups. The hair does come back finer. I'm hoping the underarms will get easier as I get used to it and the hair gets finer. Here's hoping anyway! In the meantime, I'm sure there are some good sedatives out there.
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Fantastic epilator, 18 May 2009
I've been using a Braun epilator for about 12 years, so I am used to the pain. This model had a number of features which made it much much easier to use than the old model. I loved that it is rechargeable, so you can use it easily and quickly anywhere, and the epilating action seems to be more efficient than my old one. Being able to use it in water as well makes it less painful, easier and very convenient - you can quickly "touch up" an area in the shower. I also loved the light - my main problem before was getting enough natural light on my legs to see the hairs, close enough to a power supply - these problems are solved! The massaging head genuinely reduced the pain as well.
All together, a great product and well worth the money when you think about all the areas you can de-hair and what that would cost you in wax.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent, but be prepared for pain!, 31 May 2009
This really is an excellent product, but the first time you use it be sure to allow plenty of time, and be prepared for plenty of pain!
Once you've got the initial run over and done with, repeat treatments will of course be pulling far fewer hairs, and I promise will hurt far less too.
I think with hindsight it might have been better to wax first, and then start using this epilator a few days after to catch any missed hairs and then of couse to strip the regrowth. That might have made it much easier.
I've used this in and out of water, and not really noticed much difference to be honest, but the convenience of being able to wash the unit and attachments under water is a definite plus.
If anything, I found it harder to use on wet skin in places (ie under-arms where the skin is not as tight), as it tended to snag the skin more rather than gliding. (I haven't tried using shave/shower gel with it as suggested in the manual, so maybe that would be better.) Fine on wet legs though, but no better/worse than dry to me.
The smartlight is a great addition - even in what I consider reasonably good light, it shows up hairs that I would otherwise have missed.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this, but would suggest lots of short, quick strokes for the first attempt rather than long sweeps, and start with lower legs rather than anywhere more delicate! Keep skin taut while using, move fairly slowly and take your time.
Expect redness too - especially for first use. I looked like I'd been stood knee-deep in red paint for an hour or two after! Having said that, repeat uses have hardly produced any redness at all.
Invest in a good, gentle moisturiser, with as little rubbish in as possible, for using immediately afterwards to soothe (I use Lush's Dream Cream, but a plain unscented cream/lotion with a drop or two of tea tree or lavender oil in would work fine to cool and calm the skin.)
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
No Pain, No Gain!, 13 Feb 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
I gave this to the missus to road test (not needing smooth legs myself!), hence she is penning this review. So it's over to you Mrs O':
This is the first time I've used an epilator, so I was a little apprehensive and not sure what to expect, except I had heard they were painful. Well - oww (!) they are!! However, I think it's a sensation I'll soon get used to (and the booklet tells me I will, so here's hoping).
The epilator comes in a nice presentation box with all the heads you need for every possible occasion, from shaving your legs to more delicate areas! The instruction booklet is in multiple languages and the instructions are pretty clear, although I did take some time to understand which attachments were for which areas and the 'any language' pictures at the front of the booklet didn't do much to dispel my confusion. However, once I'd worked it out I wondered why I hadn't realised earlier! The epilator itself is rechargeable and charges in 1 hour to give 40 minutes epilation. The 1 hour charge is great, especially for the first time, as you expect to have to charge appliances for at least 24 hours in the first instance, so that was refreshing. The instructions suggest that as you use and recharge your epilator the charge will last longer and longer.
The unit itself is very ergonomic and the light is fantastic, highlighting all those tricky light hairs that you wouldn't normally see. In fact without the light I think the epilator would be much less effective, as most of us don't have brilliant daylight conditions in our bathrooms (admittedly I used it when it was dark outside, so the light was a boon!).
So, down to the epilation itself.... I started with my legs and tried both wet and dry conditions and yes it hurt, but nowhere near as much as waxing does! (Admittedly waxing is a short sharp shock and this is repeated!). I don't think using it in wet conditions changes how it feels during epilation, but I do think it gives a better result. I think in the leg area I will soon get used to the epilation feeling. The result as far as smoothness was good and I'm sure it will get better the more I get used to using the appliance and then can go on to using the efficiency head attachment. As far as the more delicate areas are concerned e.g. underarms and other bits (!), it was a bit more challenging and painful. The underarms were tricky in trying to keep the skin taught enough when only having use of one arm and that's holding the epilator! However, I did better on the second underarm and although I had to take a deep breath, I think I will be able to use it effectively. Don't do it before you go out though as you can't use alcohol based deodorant afterwards (or invest in non-alcohol base variety of course!). The other bits were also challenging and of course sensitive and my first attempts not that great! However not as painful as you might imagine and NO WAY near as painful as getting down there waxed (and less embarrassing!!).
The epilator is easy to clean, especially as you can clean it under running water, and the brush is also very useful. The carry case it comes with keeps everything together and the charge was sufficient to `do' all areas in one go. All in all I would say this will prove to be a good investment, especially if it slows down the rate of hair return, we shall see!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Ouchy, 27 Jan 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
Man, epilating *hurts*. I was an epilating virgin prior to using this, so if this as pain-free as it gets, all earlier models are just medieval torture devices what were invented by mens what hate us.
The actual thingie is satisfyingly heavy and chunky... that's probably not remotely relevant to build quality, but it's reassuring somehow. It's also quite pretty, really. It's white and blue and it has glitter :o) It's a superficial benefit, absolutely, but it's a really nice touch.
(A quick word of warning... avoid looking directly at the part that actually removes hair. It looks a little like a gaping maw full of jagged silver teeth, and it put the frighteners on me.)
The plug is a two-prongy one, so you'll need to buy an adapter. Bit annoying, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. You'll need to charge it for about an hour before using it and the charge apparently lasts about 40 minutes. I used it while in the bath - if having babies in warm water makes it be less painful, surely the principle here is the same, I thought. Excellent in theory. In practise not so much: it hurt like the dickens. Even with the pre-massage and pre-epilation wipe (they provide 16 of them), it really, really hurt.
It doesn't feel like it's being waxed. I'm a waxer, so I figured this would be a giggle on a Saturday afternoon next to that. Tisn't. While waxing pulls off a layer or two of skin, with epilating, it's like you can feel each hair being pulled out. It's more akin to intensive, persistent plucking on a larger area. Plucking certainly becomes more bearable as you adjust to it, though, and I expect it's the same for epilating.
But. The 5 stars is because after a few hours, my skin is so so smooth, with none of the rawness of post-wax, none of the waxy residue and none of the clean-up. Such a bonus. I cannot imagine venturing into more sensitive areas, and I can't fathom doing it dry... I reckon am well 'ard for doing both legs in the bath! But it's worth persisting with as the end results are so wonderful.
So absolutely 5 stars - but it's totally ok if you cry.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Sorts out that facial hair...BIG TIME!, 1 Sep 2009
I read so many reviews of the silk-epil in the hope I'd get at least one person admitting they need one of these for facial hair but found none.I suffer from POS and haven't the right colouring etc.. for laser treament therefore was desperate and decided to give the silk-epil xpressive a go. Boy am I glad I did! It doesn't hurt at all on my chin and pinched a bit on my upper lip which I'm used to already and the result is simply fantastic! It works really well on short hairs, ones I didn't even know where there...it is very satisfying to hear the pluck, pluck, pluck as I ran it over my chin, lip and neck!!I used to wax...which always left behind some tough persistent hairs that I then had to tweeze. Hair removal was a time consuming, never-ending job for me but no longer! Now I'm done in a few minutes...or less the only thing I would say is be prepared to go back over area the next day etc..for the hairs that are growing at differing rates...not a criticism of the silk-epil...more of a criticism of mother nature!It's hassle free so repeating daily or so until you have it under control isn't a problem!
I feel like a new woman and get extremely emotional when talking about how this product has changed my life, I have gained so much confidence and highly recommend it for facial use.(haven't tried anywhere else yet)I hope this helps!
Braun Silk-épil Xpressive 7781 Wet & Dry Rechargeable Body & Face Epilator
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Does what it says it does!, 30 May 2009
I have tried all hair removal methods (not laser...) out there and this little machine is by far the best so far. I have used cold wax, hot wax, epilators, razors, creams... Out of the epilators that I have tried this is by far the best and most comfortable (if there is such a thing as comfortable hair removal) out there.
The light is most certainly NOT a gimmick, it really does work and is a great little plus. The fact that you can charge it and take it away with you or simply use it anywhere without having to awkwardly be near plugs is fantastic. The fact that you can use it in the shower or bath as well is great. It makes the whole affair much more enjoyable (as far as that is possible!). I did find it cheaper else where, so I did not purchase from Amazon, but thought I would rate it as I would definitely recommend it to others!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
The best hair removal system I've ever used., 7 Feb 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
Ok, I confess, this review is composed with the aid of the lady of the house, but so glowing is her feedback that I'm tempted to use it myself. Actually, I already have. I had to, because she wanted me to feel the difference between her old epilator and this one, which we used wet. Well, the old, dry one absolutely killed. Man, it just plain hurt. But the 7781 was much, and I mean MUCH, better. Was it painless? Of course not. Was it better than dry epilation? Without a doubt.
Of course, we're all different and some of you might still be reluctant to epilate regardless, but this is a very nice product. It feels weighty and substantial, it has more features than any other item in the same market, and it works phenomenally well (now that I can vouch for). The whole package basically makes the hair removal process as painless and thorough as possible, and you can trim hairs to what is considered the optimum length for plucking.
You can check all the product details on the Amazon page, but we would like to add that, once the slightly pink raw feeling has passed, you really will be happy with the results. You can't get any smoother than hairless, and you can't epilate any more smoothly than with this item. We would just like to second the warning of another reviewer - don't look at the "mouth" of the epilator, it's terrifying.
Five out of five on every count from us, for the product and the results. I might edit the review further when I've epilated my rugby player legs.
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68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
No pain no gain!!, 19 Feb 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
Allowed my wife to do the review for this item, although I was brave enough to try the thing out on my hand. Good god, it was agony, but as they say, women can stand much more pain, so did my wife manage to fall in love with the Epilator? Erm not exactly, here are her thoughts...
I was a little nervous to try the Braun Silk epil Xperssive, as I knew I'd experience a little discomfort. I had no idea I'd be screaming the house down!
I read the instructions, which were very easy to follow and actually put me at ease. I put each attachment on to make sure I knew exactly how to use the epilator. It's a very user-friendly model. After dawdling for about an hour I finally plucked up the courage to have a go.
I thought I'd start with my legs, as I hadn't shaved for days in preparation. I switched it on and almost had a heart attack, as I was convinced it was a hand held torture device. I then studied the smart light, which was really bright and impressed me. I took the plunge and started on a small patch on my leg. The pain was immense, I was right it was a hand held torture device!! I decided not to be a wimp and took my time on each section of my leg; it actually got more bearable as I continued. After finishing one leg I threw it down and screamed I could take no more. After feeling how amazingly smooth my leg felt I felt the pain had been worth it.
I let a few days go by to try the epilator on my arm pit, I used it for one second nearly fainted and decided never to go near my under arm hair again.
Overall it's a brilliant product, the results are flawless. I would have rated it higher but because I have such a low threshold for pain I couldn't bring myself to give it any more than 3 stars.
If you're not a wimp like me you'll love the Braun Silk-epil Xpressive!
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67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
Bath, Bubbles and Braun, 23 Jan 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
The Braun 7781 Wet & Dry is Brauns first epilator that can be used in the bath or shower. It is rechargeable and charging time is about an hour and usage time per charge about 40 minutes. The charging lead has a 2 pin plug and the adapter, if you need one, is not included.
It comes with;
Massage head which stimulates the skin before and after removing hair.
Efficiency Cap for fast epilation.
Underarm cap for use on delicate body areas.
Precision cap for precision of hair removal from face or sensitive areas.
A shaver head with opti-trim comb.
The 7781 has a pivoting head that follows the contours of your body neatly which is great for those tricky parts like ankles and knees. There's a smartlight which is great for spotting hairs that would otherwise have got away. It also has a dual speed setting, a neat little bag for keeping caps etc in and a pack of pre-epilation wipes for cleansing and preparing the skin prior to epilation is included.
The heads and caps are also detachable and can be cleaned under running water.
Being able to use this epilator in the bath is great, after a lengthy soak I lathered my legs with shower gel and did both legs in a few minutes. It was practically pain-free, incredibly easy, no irritation and an added bonus is all the little hairs go down the plug-hole with the bath water.
Please note: I've been epilating for a while now so others (especially new users) may not find it quite so pain free, it's true that the pain lessens with continued use.
Tips for first time users
If you've never used an epilator before be prepared for a bit of pain but believe me it's worth it.
After the first time the hairs grow back finer which makes them easier and less painful to remove.
The length of your hair does make a difference to how much it hurts and the OptiTrim comb with the shaver are designed to trim your hair to the optimum length for epilation.
If you find hairs are growing back within a few days try epilating slower - if you go too fast it can cause the hairs to break off instead of being removed.
Epilating armpits can be particularly painful the first time (I remember it being an eye-watering experience!). Pull the skin as taut as you can, grit your teeth and stick with it. After doing mine for a few months now I hardly feel anything and don't even bother changing to the precision cap.
My previous epilator is an earlier model Braun and they may not be the cheapest but they are definately worth every penny.
Update: Another good point I've noticed with using this epilator for a while now is how well it holds its charge. I only have to recharge it about once every 4 or 5 uses which is great, especially if you want to take it away with you!
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