Braun Silk-épil Xelle 5770 Body & Face Epilator

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

Less painful than I expected!, 25^th March 2009

Review By Shady Tree (Herts, UK)

I'd never used an epilator before but having been a convert to waxing for some years now I thought I'd give this a go to see how it compared in the pain stakes.

I was pleasantly surprised. If you've only ever shaved before and have never had your legs waxed it may seem a lot more painful, but compared to waxing I actually found it surprisingly pain free to epilate my lower legs with this.

The reason I only gave the epilator four stars out of five was that I expected it to be cordless, i.e. only plugged in for recharging, but it does have to be used plugged in. This isn't a major issue though but would have made the product even better.

The epilator comes with optional attachments: a shaver head, a precision head in case you want to epilate very small areas, i.e. your upper lip, and an "efficient" head for faster epilating (I didn't need to use this).

It also comes with a cool gel pack, designed to be put in the freezer, which you can slip inside a soft glove to cool your skin before epilating. I think you'd need this if you'd never been waxed before but I didn't need it.

I tried the epilator in daylight but it has a handy "smart light" on it if you're epilating in the evening or poor light. The epilator has two speed settings, Optimal or Soft, and being a bit of a chicken I started with the "Soft" setting which is slightly slower. You place the epilator at a 90 degree angle to the area you're going to epilate, switch the epilator on, and move it slowly against the direction of hair growth (i.e. on your lower leg, you start near the ankle and move slowly upwards).

It's reasonably noisy but I really expected quite a painful experience and it really wasn't that bad; much more bearable than waxing and even less painful than plucking your eyebrows.

That said, I haven't yet been brave enough to try it on my bikini line but I'll try that another day!

After epilating my legs felt perfectly smooth with none of the redness associated with waxing so I'd definitely use this again. I was surprisingly impressed.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Braun does it again - another fab epilator, 22^nd January 2009

Review By Gemmeg (Here)

I am a bit of a fan of Braun and their epilators. They are a trusted brand, with well thought out product features and accessories - and their range of epilators don't look like something out of a horror movie or an Ann Summers catalogue if left out in view when friends come round.

The little light on it is genius, and the head attachments that are designed for different hair removal needs such as bikini, legs and underarm - as well as face to stop you looking like the bearded woman - are brilliant and do the job perfectly.

Another great product from Braun.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Plucky Mother., 27^th January 2009

Review By Useless Article

I got this epilator through the Vine program that Amazon runs. Since I'm happy being hirsute, I tested it out on my mother...Rather she tested it out on herself...in private... Not as Norman Bates as it sounds...honestly...

Here are some excerpts from emails on progress so far...

"I got it today, I've read the instructions but haven't tried it yet as I have to get an adaptor plug, but I'm looking forward to road testing it this weekend."

"I've thought about buying one for some time but hesitated because I'd heard such mixed reviews ranging from poor performance to needing a lot of practice. This model has proved very efficient and easy to use with less reddening of the skin than waxing,including on the lip, the bright light highlights any stray hair and I'm delighted with the results. All that remains is to wait and see how the re-growth compares with waxing, although it's so quick and simple to use I don't foresee a problem. I have already recommended it to a friend who had the same reservations I had.

Thanks so much for sorting it for me, you could make it my birthday present, I'm thrilled."

I'm glad she's thrilled, although I'm not so cheap as to use a review product as a present. I'll update this review after her birthday to say what I did buy... Lets just say it's something related to a lady who could have used this epilator ...if they'd been invented... Actually, I'll tell you in the comments section if this review is accepted. (Mum: don't peek)... I'd recommend this as a combined present with this epilator...

Update (via phone): She's still thrilled with it. Obviously plucking hairs will hurt, but it's less painful than waxing (and you won't get burned either). Best to take the lead to an electrical shop to get the correct adaptor (it comes with a two pin cable). My mum heard they need some practice to use, but this epilator was easy from the start. The blue light certainly helped finding stray hairs. She said it worked perfectly and didn't miss a single hair. Tested on lip and legs, works as advertised without any fault. My mum would recommend this completely. The only thing you could say was negative was the loud noise it makes. She didn't use the cooling glove, but I guess people who've never plucked or waxed might need it. Did I say plucking hairs hurts? Perhaps some people find waxing less painful, I don't know. My mum said the other advantage was you could use it anytime, unlike waxing where you'd have to let the reddening go down. I guess different options suit different people and an epilator may not be your perfect fit, but my mum thinks it's brilliant.

Apparently you can shape your hair 'down there', but I stopped at suggesting to my mum to shape it into a heart or something. I mean I wouldn't want this to sound creepy...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

It's not for everyone..., 31^st January 2009

Review By Adamski (UK)

I'm sure there are some who will get on with this piece of kit but be warned - it's very painful to use, noisy and inconsistent in results. This thing isn't a shaver, it *plucks* - yes folks, it pulls hairs out....by the dozen. So of course it's going to hurt. This isn't a magical device, it dishes-out pain and torture! Mind you, do does waxing. This is cheaper and easier to use (in some areas) than waxing. That's about it - it's not the sort of device one can recommend as it's a personal thing as to whether you'll get on with it.