I have been a regular waxer for years and I used to epilate, but found that most did not work well or would pinch my skin. This epilator is the cream of the crop! It met all of my expectations and more! Packaging is nice, but whatever, let's get to the good stuff. It is well-designed, comfortable bean shape that fits nicely in the palm of your hand. It allows for good grip and control, especially with the components on the inside rumbling around.

Having tried every kind of hair removal out there, I was excited when I received this item as one of Ali's Top Ten contest items, so that I could try. At first it looked like a torture device (I don't understand why my boyfriend wouldn't let me practice on him?!), but once I got it started there was hardly any pain. I would say that it hurts less than waxing, and takes about the same amount of time. So far I have only used the lower speed, but I can't think that the faster speed would hurt that much more.
It does leave little red dots from where the hair was removed (but much less than waxing), but they usually disappear by the next morning.
I have found that it doesn't get every hair with one pass, but then it could be my inexperience with epilators.
I like that it also comes with a shaving attachment, which worked well for my bikini area. I don't think I would want to try using the epilator there or anywhere on my face. I am still waiting to try it on my underarms.
Overall I would say this is a great product and really effective. When you take the cap off you can see all the hairs it pulled out. I never realized I was so hairy!

I have used this on and off for about 8 years now or maybe more now that I think back to when my cousin excitedly introduced me to this... It is quick and effective without any messy spillage (like from wax, tho' I LOVE waxing too)... I usually wax or shave if I have been lazy and not done it in a while and then use this a week or two later for "maintenance"... Luckily, for my skin this does not cause any bleeding... So be careful with that...

I don't understand why girls still use razor to shave their legs or make a mess out of wax. Epilation is like tweezing each hair out of the follicle. Because it's done at such a quick speed to multiple hairs, you can't really feel it on your skin. I use it once every 2 weeks and it keeps my legs silky smooth.

What can I say but thank you for your great reviews on this product. I have been a religious waxer for years now and saw your reviews of this item, which convinced me to buy one. Surprisingly the cost was less then a full leg waxing session and though it was a bit painful (no more so than waxing) it was easy and convenient. I did not have to go out of my way to schedule an appt, go to the salon, and spend $$ monthly. I found that the best time to use this is after a nice hot shower.

I asked my sister to get me an epilator for Christmas last year. She thought I was crazy! One of the main reasons I wanted one was from the reviews I read here on Chick Advisor!!! (Thanks ladies! :) ).

I was so excited when I opened my gift at the dinner table! :) (I had to explain what it was to my Dad and brothers... turns out they didn't really want to know and were sorry they asked! hehehe). I waited a few days to try it, making sure the hair was long enough. The first time was definitely the worst time! It hurt! But the skin becomes numb as you rip the hairs out. And after a few uses the hair grows back thinner and fewer! I was very impressed with this fact. So now when I epilate I'm not mowing through nearly as many hairs as I was when I started. I also feel comfortable leaving the hair to grow a little longer then I did when I was shaving because it is softer and there are less of them!

One day, after waxing my underarms, I decided to try to epilate the few left over hairs instead of tweezing them out like I usually do. Since the skin was numb from waxing it wasn't nearly as painful as I was expecting it to be! And it worked great! Now I am brave enough to epilate my underarms without waxing first! Yes, it does hurt! But gritting my teeth and dealing with a little pain is worth the excellent job it does and being hair free for a few days. I've also discovered that the hairs do not have to be as long to epilate as they do to wax!

I am an "epilator" for life now! I love it! Thanks for the great present Sis!

Oh, the things we will go through for beauty!!

I decided to wait to write this review until just after I used the product, so that all my thoughts would be fresh! I hate shaving my legs. The pain of epilating is worth it, and as others have said, you "get used to it." Don't get me wrong, it never really feels "good," but it does become tolerable. The key is to slowly, and I mean slowly, move the epilator from ankle to knee (or beyond) so that the little tweezer machine may grab every last hair (even the fine ones) in one single pass. The tweezer monster is very thorough and only on occasion do I have to go over an area twice.

Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you may notice red dots all over your leg (i.e. each follicle that has been tortured). These clear up w/n 12-24 hours. So unlike misschickie's review, I'd avoid using the epilator just a few hours before a hot date or even an impromptu trip to the pool. No cause for alarm, though. Just sooth your mangled legs w/ some cooling lotion.

Another problem I come across w/ 1 or 2 follicles after each use of the epilator is ingrown hairs. They generally aren't too bothersome, but be sure to exfoliate a lot!

I stay smooth for about 2+ weeks. Then the little buggers begin to poke through again. Its lovely, though, to feel hair coming in that is soft and smooth, not stubbly and stiff.

Oh, and I use the epilator only on my legs and feet. I tried it near the girlie spot just once. That was a mistake. Those hairs are too coarse and hurt A LOT more. I'm way too much of a wimp to try this thing on my armpits.

But, believe it or not, I love this thing!!

I remember the first day I waxed my legs. I was 11 years old and although I had tears streaming down my face, I was far to determined to have silky soft hair free legs.
I remember the first day I tried the Silk Epil. I was 14 years old, visiting my sister in UK. I closed my eyes, bit my tongue and prayed that it wasn't going to kill. The sound was enough to put fear in my heart!
Machine touched skin.
I felt a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't as bad as waxing.
4 years later, Canadian Tire in S'side, PEI had a Silk Epil on sale... I had to buy it!
Why? Because, the Silk Epil is the only epilator that, in my opinion, removes even the finest of hairs, is less cumbersom then contorting with a raiser, less messy than waxing, less expensive than going to a salon, and less harmful than Nair.

I use my epilator on my legs, my arms and my upper lip.
The head can be removed and washed.
And, it's durable! I've had the same machine for nearly 10 years. It gets heavy use and has travelled with me everywhere.

In short, girls, be brave go for it. Kiss your raser good bye and give it a go. Yeah, it'll hurt when you first use it, but it's nothing that a big girl can't handle.

It hurts to be beautiful.
Especially if you're hairy!!!

After much deliberation, reading and re-reading misschickie's review of this "little friend" as she called it (in her blog I think it was), I finally was convinced to buy it once I found it on Amazon.com for less than $60 US (wow!).

I sat in my bathroom bravely looking at the whirring tweezer head buzzing away like a swarm of angry African killer bees, then after a couple of deep breaths placed it gingerly against my hairly leg that I had been saving up for this very occasion.

"SWEET MOTHER OF --" I noticed my daughter standing in the doorway just in time to cut off what would have been a very inappropriate comment.

Ok, so it hurt like heck the first time but it's probably because I had quite the harvest a-waitin'. Once I got to an area with finer hairs it was virtually pain free, so I feel confident that it will hurt a lot less next time!

Maybe this isn't the most comforting review, so let me simply say that it did a fantastic job. This model has a buzzing/pulsating head that distracts from the pulling sensation as well as a guidelight that really helps you find those pesky leftovers that always seem to hide while shaving yet are glaringly obvious when you're out somewhere barelegged.

Oh, the ridiculous things we do for beauty...

I use this all the time. It's amazing. I used to spend a lot of money on waxing or on expensive razors but this little puppy has saved me a lot of money. The hair grows back slower and thinner so I only need to use it every couple of weeks. Even if i wait a month my legs still feel soft and smooth unlike the stubble you get from razors.

I don't use it for the bikini or underarms. Tried that once and it was excruciating and I got ingrowns. I go to Roza's Esthetics for the bikini area and armpits I still use wax because it's so easy.

This device has little massagers in it that vibrate the skin as the hair is being plucked out so it is less painful that it would be without. I really don't find this painful and I have a low tolerance for pain. However, I've been waxing for years. If you have never waxed or epilated before, this will hurt at first and will take some getting used to.

I bring this with me on trips and if I'm going to the pool at the last minute, just take a few minutes with my epilator and I'm set!