Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Shave it, yank it, ignore it- everyone treats body hair differently. I've pretty much stuck with the tried and true, but here's a few favorite options of mine.....

Body By Brigitte wax strips are easily the BEST I've ever used. They are specifically made to cause zilch pain or redness!  No kidding- it's pretty freaking amazing. And they actually work too! They aren't at all sticky, don't need warming to work and actually yank all of those little buggers out! The down side- I CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE ANYMORE! HELP! The web site says they are available at Ulta, but it must be in store only, because the product isn't listed on their web page. I suppose i need to just call around to my local Ulta stores to see if they carry them.....

Another easy peasy waxing option is Parissa cold wax strips. I made an awesome discovery about this brand- BUY THE ONE MADE FOR MEN! You get bigger strips that are easy to cut to size, so you get waaaay more for your money that way, and the product is exactly the same. The large sized wax sheets also make it a snap to wax large areas like the legs in one fell swoop. I will give this one caveat. You have to warm the wax up on these by rubbing the sheet briskly between your hands, and if your bathroom is freezing like mine was recently, no amount of palm friction will get it to work. I had a gloppy useless mess. Now I know not to keep them somewhere with subarctic temperatures :-) The kit comes with azulene oil, which is divine. A little of this on a cotton ball removes any excess wax and also soothes any redness. I love that Ulta sells the Azulene Oil all by itself as well!
Special Offers: Sale Items, Clearance and Free Gifts at ULTA

Speaking of strong enough for a woman but made for a man..... My hubby uses an electric shaver, so I get these men's shaving products that he can't test for me because he's just not a razor guy. This leaves the task to my intrepid self, and I have discovered some truly awesome products!

Jack Black Beard Lube Conditioning shave with jojoba & eucalyptus

is delightful. It has a slight mintiness to it that makes for a really refreshing morning shave. The oils in it soften the skin so you're less likely to get ingrown hairs and you don't have dry patches that leave you vulnerable to nicks. After using this, I didn't even really feel a need to put lotion on my legs because this made them so soft. A little goes a long way, and it's cheap too! According to reviews I've read written by men who actually used this for it's intended purpose, it's perfect for thick or coarse hair, so you might throw some of this your man's way! The packaging is "manly" enough that he won't feel like you're trying to metrosexual him.

Now if being metrosexual doesn't bother your fella, then Sothys Homme Detoxifying Active Cleanser

 is great. It's designed specifically to clean men's skin with a high level of lipids-enhancing malt extract and sea salt. Hubby will only use Ivory. Party pooper. What I discovered it's great for is, yup, you guessed it- a shaving lotion. It smells wonderful and leaves your skin baby butt soft. It doesn't smell all Brut or anything, so women can use it on their legs with no fear.

The Art Of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil, Shaving Cream, and After Shave Balm

is what I used on my gams today- more products where the men get to have all of the fun.....I am fully enamored of the Pre-Shave Oil and intend for this to remain a staple in my stable. While all of these say they are unscented, the oil had a light clove scent that just drove me WILD. Coconut oil soothes, calendula oil heals, and peppermint invigorates. I haven't shaved my legs in, ahem, a while (hey, I'm a redhead- cut me some slack!) and using these products left my legs super soft and smooth and the hair forest was mowed away with minimal fuss and a single swipe of the blade! Whoo-hoo! The shaving cream is a light enough lather that you can actually shave it away, as opposed to, say, a Barbasol layer that takes 12 swipes of the blade just to cut through the cream. The products are sold seperately, but I think the kit would make an awesome gift for a razor inclined fella. Or gal, for that matter- what the hell!

All of the lovelies are available at Skincare Rx, who does a price match guarantee as well as a product satisfaction guarantee so that you don't have to get stuck with a dud.