Let’s get straight down to business and chat hair removal shall we because you guys have showed so much interest in my hair free journey since I opened up about it recently on Instagram. If you happened to miss it thanks to the apps awful algorithm, you can find it here. I have complained for years about every single aspect surrounding this topic. I started shaving when I was about 13, I think. Maybe even 12. I started waxing my armpits and bikini line in my early twenties. Then graduating to full brazilians shortly thereafter. FML. I am in my late thirties now so that’s a lot of years of painful agony from waxing and annoying nicks from straight blades. This summer I had enough. Like, why the hell was I making myself suffer? It had to end.

I just want the smooth and soft legs that Maxie has

So, what happened next was an immediate call to action on my IG stories asking my followers to dish on their go-to hair removal methods. The response…well let’s just say most of the women agreed that waxing is savage. There were many that still shaved but to be honest, I was blown away by the amount of women who had turned to epilators and laser hair removal treatments. Like tons actually! I got feedback from the black community on what clinics in Toronto were the best at dealing with darker skin tones and started looking into the option of electric shavers and epilators after a few people brought them up. I ended up booking Holly from The Ten Spot Queen West location for my laser treatments on my va-jay-jay and I am going to see how that goes, then determine whether I am going to get other areas done. Who am I kidding? If it’s as good as people say it is, I will literally be a Kardashian and do my entire body head to toe. At $210 per session, you better believe they use the best machine in the game that is able to detect the amount of melanin in darker skin to avoid burning. I’ve only done two sessions so far and I promise to report back on the progress but so far they have been virtually painless (requires no numbing cream) and I have about 8-10 sessions left. I am excited to not have to worry about it anymore. But in the meantime, it’s just the one area and I am using the Philips BikiniGenie Bikini Trimmer in between appointments to keep things in check down there. Holly is infamous in the beauty and aesthetician community when it comes to laser removal and is The Ten Spot’s laser guru. She actually advised me to stay away from waxing completely from now and suggested I use my trimmer only as needed. It’s so easy to shape and trim with it. Its battery operated and portable, making it really convenient to use anywhere, especially when traveling and it can also be used in or outside of the shower. With that area now taken care of, you’re probably wondering what I am doing with the rest of my body that sprouts more hair than I would like to admit.

I know the Philips brand has been known for their epilators and electric shavers for many years so I figured my experience with the BikiniGenie may mean that I will also love their other hair removal products. I am not quite yet ready to dole out coins for laser on my legs, pits or face just yet so it was worth a shot and the price point is so much more affordable than laser sessions. My first attempt was with the Philips Satinelle Advanced Wet & Dry Epilator. I was stoked for it because I heard that it had the ability to grab even the finest of hairs (even has a unique light to illuminate the area you are working on so you can target the teeny tiny hairs) and because the hair is removed straight from the root, it grew back slower, similar to waxing. It came with several attachment heads making it safe and easy to use all over my body but you know what…it’s just not for me. I am not quite sure what I was expecting in terms of pain level but it was far from pain free, I will say that. Personally, for me the discomfort level was not far off from waxing so I didn’t see the point however, if you can handle it and are looking for an at-home hair removal option that removes hair straight from the root and eliminates trips to the salon, this is the tool for you.

With the epilator no longer an option for moi, I tried the Philips electric shaver and have been using it religiously ever since on my legs, arms and armpits. So much different than shaving with straight razors. There’s a multiflex head with dual foils to make sure you don’t miss any hairs. I do find that I have to be very particular and hold it on a 90 degree angle when I am moving the shaver up my leg to ensure that

the blade cuts the hair as close to the skin as possible. I loooooove that I don’t need to be in the shower to use it like I would with a traditional razor. I’ve actually only used it in the shower once, I much prefer dry use. It’s a lot more convenient that way. I have traveled with this thing and even bring it on set with me to shave before a shoot if I don’t have time to do it the night before. You can’t expect to get the same shave as you would with a straight razor but if you’re anything like me, you’ll rush and end up slicing your skin. You can eliminate cuts and nicks from your shaving equation with the Philips SatinShave Prestige Electric Shaver. Plus, its only $60 on Amazon right now, so in the long run if you think about it, even more cost effective than purchasing straight razors for the foreseeable future.

For the ultimate in smoothness, I love to use Céla’s Seed to Scrub (a natural grain polish), their Exfoliating Mitt on my legs and arms followed by the brand’s Creme de la Creme Light moisturizer. And, voila…welcome to the softest skin ever. Also, just because I’m super extra, I wanted to also try out the Philips PrecisionPerfect Trimmer because why the hell not. I had gotten my brows micro bladed back in January so the maintenance on them is pretty minimal but now I don’t have to waste any time going anywhere to do threading to clean them up.

Photography by Jess Baumung

I’ve linked all the products above so you can shop them directly from Amazon, because who doesn’t love receiving the products they have ordered same day? They are also available for sale in store at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, London Drugs, and Jean Coutu nationwide.