Beauty Bit: Emjoi eRase Review

Since it's summer and prime leg-bearing season, let's talk about hair removal. Yay, we're women, so societal pressure dictates that we must pretend we have no hair growth on our bodies below the eyelashes! Feminist rant aside, I still succumb to the hair-removal school of thought, especially when wearing skirts, shorts, dresses, and bikinis. Shaving is quick and easy, but is so very short-lived, requiring a daily commitment to maintain smoothness. I have things to do and places to be. Ain't nobody got time for that.

So when I was offered a chance to test out the new eRase epilator by Emjoi, I was more than happy to try a new longer-lasting method. For those who don't know, an epilator is a little machine that removes the hairs by the root - sort of like waxing without the wax - and the results can last up to six weeks. I really liked the sound of that.

^ the eRase is made up of tiny tweezers that open and close automatically; it's less scary than it appears

I won't lie - it hurts. You're pulling the hairs out of your body, and hairs do not go quietly. But is it unbearable? No. Of course, the amount of pain will differ for everyone and it depends on a few factors: your tolerance for pain, how sensitive your skin is, how much hair there is, and the area in which you are removing hair. Outer thigh = barely feel a thing. Inner thigh = a whole other story.

Things I've learned from my experience - my skin got realllly irritated after using the epilator. All red & bumpy (see below). If this happens to you, don't worry; it's just the skin's reaction to having its hair ripped out, but it will go away. My advice: don't use it the day you're going out, especially if you're using it on your face; do it at least one day prior to give your skin time to recover. Mine took almost a full 24 hours.

^ a few minutes after using the eRase (not pretty)

Another thing I found - it helps to go slowly and methodically because the machine doesn't get every hair with each pass. I had to go over some areas many times to get most of the hairs. It never got every single one, but I might have just been too distracted watching Rock of Love reruns to ensure that each hair got plucked. I did, however, go back over my legs the following day and got a bunch more.

The results, though not perfect, last a long time! It's been five weeks and counting, and I have much less leg hair than before. I still am shaving every so often, but the re-growth is hardly noticeable, and I can get away with shaving about once a week.

And just so the last image seared into your brain is not one of my bumpy, red, and strangely flabby-looking leg (nobody ever said taking photos of your own body parts was easy), here is one of what's contained in the box.

^ epilator w/ cover, storage pouch, power cord, & cleaning brush (not pictured is a cover designed for sensitive areas)

Compensation was not received for this post; however a sample was provided for review.