Once the kids were in bed I ran out to buy it, eager to get started. However, like any sugaring product you have to grow out the hair a fair bit - 1/4 inch! Since I normally shave my legs, I realized this was going to take a while to use. So, much to Keith's dismay, I had hairy legs for weeks (by the way, summer is not the best time to embark on growing out your leg hair).
I do realize that since I normally shave my legs, that waxing/body sugaring may not show optimal results the first few times because the hair is different lengths, more coarse, and not used to being yanked out by the root. I have had professional waxes in the past, but haven't really tried it at home before. I really hate the maintenance involved in shaving though - so I thought wax/body sugar may help me by stretching out my leg maintenance by a few more weeks (lazy, I know!)
A few weeks later, I deemed my legs hairy enough, so I heated up the sugar kit, plunked myself down in front of a movie and prepared to experience this product.
First, I won't lie - it takes a strong woman to not only get waxed/sugared - but to do it to yourself! After the first strip, I was reminded why I don't regularly wax. Every subsequent strip removed required many deep breaths and a fearful hand. I don't know why I really was swayed into thinking sugaring would hurt less than waxing - the end result is the same! You are still yanking hair out of your legs by the root! That will always hurt!
After I finished one leg, I was too chicken to do another. Keith suggested I shave the other to use as a comparison for how the hair grew out.
Here is my overall review of the product:
Pro's:
- The kit strips are washable. So, as gross as I found it to wash off my leg hair clinging to the sugaring solution - they rinsed off easily and looked like new with minimal effort (I contemplated just throwing them in the washing machine - but realized that may get the sticky solution all over the machine and instead opted to rinse them in the sink)
- The sugar solution is water soluble (which is better than wax, where if you chicken out partway through, you can't wash it off!)
- The results of my one waxed leg really did last a long time. It was at least a month until I needed to shave them and probably would have been about 6 weeks before the hair was long enough to repeat (as the product claims). Since it was only my first time, I suspect that had something to do with it. The hair was just as coarse as the shaved leg.
- The Azulene oil was delightful and really did soothe my legs after sugaring
- Extremely minimal ingrown hairs afterwards, which is a risk with waxing/sugaring. I think I had only one on the whole leg!
- It hurt like hell. I have a pretty good threshold for pain - I mean, I birthed my kids (one of which was back labour without a working epidural!). Thus, it takes a lot of strength to pull your own hair out. I would prefer having a professional do it where you don't have time to think before they pull it off!
- I did ensure I was using proper technique (which I do recommend reading up on if you haven't done sugaring yourself), yet I still bruised on my shin bone and my leg felt very tender for a few days.
- It was a bit messy for a novice. In this case though, sugar kits are good because any spills clean up nicely
- I was a bit slow and the solution needed to be reheated mid-leg (but I am too lazy to go down to my microwave again!)