Not My Favourite Pastime. (Immac Wax Strips)

Member Name: mr-zeeman

Product:	Immac Wax Strips
Date:	24/11/03 (386 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They're small, lightweight, and easy to carry.

Disadvantages: They offer just a temporary solution, and can cause a skin reaction

As a lady of "a certain age" I am able to produce a moustache to rival the one which lurks beneath the nose of Saddam Hussein. (OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but my top lip DOES support enough dark hair to cause embarrassment.)

Sessions with a razor were always followed by rapid, stubbly re-growth. And even when using a pastel-coloured "Ladyshave" blade, the activity lent an uncomfortably MACHO feel to my morning ablutions. No ... the shaving/stubble cycle was clearly not going to provide a long-term solution; and bleaching simply rewarded me with a blonde moustache. I'd tried depilatory creams in the past, but felt alarmed by the sinister nature of a product that can cause one's hair to drop out by the roots in a matter of seconds ... "deforestation" and "chemical warfare" were words which always sprang to mind.

Shopping in Wilkinsons, I bought "Immac mini cold wax strips" in a crushed, off-white & tourquoise box, for the Reduced Price of £3.49 (they normally retail at £3.99). The packaging is discreet and unremarkable. Bland, in fact. The dark blue lettering on the front merely informs the interested hirsute customer that "Immac" is "soon to be called Veet" (why?), and that the cold wax strips are ready for use on the face and bikini line (although probably not at the same time). The back of the box is printed with very tiny "precautions" which can only be read by those with either damn good natural vision or an efficient pair of prescription lenses. Apart from the 20 wax strips the box also contains 4 moisturising wipes, to soothe the area stripped bare (FOUR? shouldn't that have been twenty?) and a sheet of instructions. The box carries a warning: "waxing is not suitable for the elderly". Hey, I'm only 49 (OK ... I'm really 54) so, despite being considered "elderly" in TopShop terms, I decided to try the strips.


It was only when I unfolded the instruction leaflet at home that I noticed the warning "only use on face and bikini line if you have experience with waxing". Hhhmmmm. Ah well ... there were diagrams (line drawings) of how it should be done; I'm neither daft nor drunk; and I'd follow the instructions carefully: "Hold skin taut with one hand and remove the wax strip in one quick decisive action". Decisiveness is something I have always had trouble with, isn't it? ... but taking a deep breath I .... WwwhhhooooOOOOAAAaaaa ... pulled the strip off, trying not to faint from the eye-watering PAIN.

After treatment, my top lip area shone with a red glow. It became even more shiny once I had soothed it with an oily moisturising wipe. OK, I looked as though I'd been smacked in the mouth, but ~ Joy of Joys ~ the area was completely bald! Unfortunately though, overnight a crop of acne-like spots reared their ugly heads in place of the loathesome moustache. They provided a hideous focal point on my wrinkled, but otherwise blemish-free face. (Yep, I know ... I should have given the wax strip a test run first, but hey, who is actually THAT sensible?)

Furthermore, the promised "Long Lasting Results" of the Immac treatment proved to be no longer than 7 days max. Meanwhile, the spots took about 10 days to disappear ... so at one point I had an acne-enhanced moustache to contend with. So do beware hairy ladies ... this product isn't suitable for all of us. If you're tempted to try it at home I suggest you do it well in advance of any important social arrangement ~ just in case your face fights back with an arsenal of pimples.

And I still haven't worked out why Immac mini cold wax strips are "suitable for the Face and Bikini Line" ... personally, I'd like to point out that, in my case at least, there's not a great deal of similarity!

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