Barely into May, and I'm already tired of shaving my legs.

[Pool Hall Ace]

I exfoliated with a scrub, lathered up, used a brand new blade, shaved very carefully, and still managed to nick myself. :grr:

I was using a cheapy store brand disposable blade. Is it worth it to invest in one of those special women's blades (like Intuition or Venus)?

I'm afraid waxing is out. It's not in the budget right now, and I've never had success with home waxing kits.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

1. I don't use a 'woman's' blade

but I do use the Gillette Atra 3 blade thingy. I always nicked myself w/the disposables. I think it's because they're so lightweight they skip around.

There's also Neet and Nair if waxing is out for you & a heavier razor doesn't do the trick either.

As far as the home waxing kits, if you go to a beauty supply store they carry the waxing stuff that professionals use. I have one that I use for my mustache. :)

[Pool Hall Ace]

6. Oh, I didn't even think about my husband's blade.

I guess I could try one of his first. And I forgot all about the depilatories.

I remember using Neet and Nair many years ago. Do they still stink? And is Veet (with the girly-pink faux razor) just as stinky?

When I was attempting my own waxing, I bought muslin strips from Sally's, but the wax I used was from a drugstore kit (you heated in the microwave). Maybe I didn't have the wax at the right temperature?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. The waxing kit I use

has a heater. Sort of like a bunson burner only electric. The can of wax fits in it. You heat it up & put a thin layer on. Put the muslin strips over it, rub in the direction of hair growth 2 or 3 times, grab your skin & pull tight, grab the edge of the muslin, bear down & pull in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Then scream if you feel it necessary. The wax (at least for me) works best if it's pretty warm & thin. The bunson burner keeps it at the right temperature.

You also need to make sure the hair is about 1/4 inch long. Waxing does last for 6 weeks or so, so you have a nice length of time to recover. I haven't waxed my legs for eons though. Not since I lived in a beach town & was in a swimsuit or shorts or a sun dress 24/7. I remember I waxed my pits once. There is no recovery time long enough for that one.

I also haven't used Neet or Nair in a few years, but I remember they stunk pretty bad. However, it did last for several weeks, so again, you have a long recovery time before you have to smell it again.

I would try your hubby's razor first if he has a good one. Like I posted earlier, the only time I nick myself is when I've used a disposable. Another poster suggested using some kind of shaving cream. I never do, but I think it's a good suggestion. The cream will help the blade glide over your skin. Also, make sure your blade is new. Shaving your legs really dulls the blades & increases the odds of cutting yourself.

edited for typos

[Pool Hall Ace]

8. I think I will try hubby's blade first.

Then maybe if I'm feeling ambitious, I'll try a better quality waxing system. I also tended to layer it on thick, so I'll try it with a thinner layer of wax.

I vaguely remember a story I was told years ago about a woman who tried to wax her own pits and had some sort of mishap. Consequently, she had to drive to the salon, with her arm in the air, and have a technician fix it. Unfortunately, I don't remember the details of what exactly went wrong.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Maine-ah]

2. I can shave in the dark and not nick myself.

I used to live in a house (loooooooong story) had no light in the shower room. (seperate from the bathroom and very cold in the winter no heat in there) Many times I would take a shower after work and shave.

I use the same blade that my husband uses and it's the gilette (sp?) 3 blade, can't remember what it's called (LOL, DUH!)

[Kat45]

3. I got the Venus and I don't cut myself nearly as often

I tend to try to hurry, which makes it easier to cut myself anyway, but the 'women's' blade does tend to go around my legs better and I might only cut myself once instead of 10 times!

I'm also tired of shaving my legs. I don't have the time to do them every day, and by the next day I can already see hair popping up. I also wish I had the money to pay for waxing. Although the problem with that is that the hair has to get to a certain length before it can be done, and in the summer I'd hate to have to wear slacks for that many days.

[musette_sf]

4. The Venus is pretty good

It has a good shape and weight to it. I got more nicks and scrapes with the disposable thingies, so I finally broke down at Costco and bought the Venus.

I shave once a week, fortunately I am blessed with very little leg hair so this seems to be enough.

I have a bad case of "bingo wings"*, so I don't wear anything sleeveless like, ever. So no need to keep up with the pits more than once a week.

Also highly recommended: Kiss My Face unscented shaving lotion. The Best.

Depilatories smell so gross to me, I can't imagine using them. And unless I was Gorilla Girl, I wouldn't wax my legs.

* http://open-dictionary.com/Bingo_wings; http://www.youtakingthepiss.co.uk/socialmisfit/archives/2004/09/great_jiggling_1.php

[Pool Hall Ace]

5. hee heee = bingo wings

I looked them up -- they're just what I thought they were. Why is it that women with the flabbiest, dimpliest arms insist on wearing sleeveless tops?

I've heard good things about Kiss My Face products; can they only be purchased online? I haven't seen them in any b&m stores.

[musette_sf]

13. Kiss My Face products

are available in Northern Cali B&M stores... my local supermarket and drugstore both carry a pretty large selection.

But! I just got something new to try... Alba Pearnut shaving lotion. I just got a bunch of Alba stuff last week from drugstore.com and I think I am in L-O-V-E. The sea algae facial scrub is excellent, and so is the sea lipids moisturizing cream. So when picking up my monthly scrips today at Longs (after changing them from Walgreens in protest), I checked out their Alba selection and got the shaving cream and sea algae mask. Will report on the shaving cream (if it's better than KMF).

FYI, I'm not too crazy about a lot of Kiss My Face stuff, but the shaving cream and the Peachful Patchouli bath stuff are good.

[jmm]

9. Have you tried cold wax strips?

I love the ones that have the wax already applied on plastic strips. All you have to do is separate them, put it on your legs, rub it some, and pull it off correctly. The boxes aren't clearly marked though so I always open them up just to make sure it's not kind with a tube of cold wax and cloth strips.

[NashVegas]

10. You Need to Find a Nice European Man

Who likes 'em hairy.

[shanti]

16. not just european

just about any man who wasn't raised in the u.s. is more like it. they either like it or don't care, seems to me.

[mongo]

11. Sorry to butt in here...

(I waas bored and crusing all the groups)

Have you tried a product called "choochy cream"?

It is a rash free shave cream and it will cut way down on shave bumps,rashes, etc. It is hard to find in drug stores, but adult retailers and some tanning places carry it - or you can find it on the internet.

And the venus razor or the mach 3 will probably help too.

We sell an awful lot of the stuff - I know spring is here when we start selling the giant bottles.

You have my sympathies. I was shaving my privates for a long time until I nicked the hell out of one of the family jewels - OUCH!

[u4ic]

12. I use the men's Mach 3 by Gillette

I'll never go back to a woman's razor again. They're far crappier.

[all.of.me]

14. don't bother.

i have not shaved my legs in 30+ years - a vestige of the 60s, i guess!

[shanti]

15. well, there's always the "other" option

and that's NOT shaving at all...i've gone for various periods of time without shaving. right now, i'm shaving, but even then rarely. i got lucky with light, scanty body hair. i never shave in the winter, just touch up in the summer around the ankles.

gillette really sold the u.s. women a bill of goods, imo. corporate groupthink won out yet again!

[Pool Hall Ace]

17. Wow, I didn't realize people were still posting to this thread!

I've been using my husband's Mach3 Turbo with great success. I just pop in my own blade, and I can do a great job in no time. I won't use the disposables anymore, that's for sure.

Of course the hair still grows back pretty quickly. Maybe one of these days I'll purchase the proper tools and try waxing again. Or who knows? Maybe I'll say, "screw it," and let it grow!

[shanti]

18. hi!

:hi: i just discovered this club...and the posts.

[NashVegas]

19. Hi Shanti

Welcome aboard.