Get smooth legs, but smell like feet (Veet 3 Minute Hair Removal Cream)

Member Name: mrsgladwin

Product:	Veet 3 Minute Hair Removal Cream
Date:	27/06/09 (195 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Does what it claims to do

Disadvantages: Stinks!

While I was pregnant I was determined I would not have hairy legs when I went into labour. Perhaps a silly thing to worry, after all "they've seen it all before", right? I didn't care. It was already going to be an undignified experience, I didn't want to add hairy legs to my long list of things to be paranoid about. Problem was I could barely see my legs past my bump, never mind be able to shave them properly and safely. I'd never tried hair removal creams before but when I found this Veet 3 Minute Hair Removal Cream on offer, buy one get one half price in Superdrug, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Please note I am reviewing the 400ml pump bottle of this product.

~ Background ~

Veet are well known for their hair removal products, from waxing to creams and they can be used on the legs, underarm, and bikini line. If you believe what they tell you, this particular cream "dissolves rather than cuts hair, so unwanted hair takes longer to grow back than with shaving, and there's no stubbly feel to regrowth".

~ Packaging ~

The cream comes in a 400ml pump, and you can chose from the green one which is for dry skin, or the blue one for sensitive skin. I bought the one for dry skin.

The packaging has a list of directions and precautions, which to me are just common sense. We are told to "remove the plug from the pump and turn anti-clockwise to unlock", and after doing this simply press down on the top of the pump. Simple. It's handy and easy to use and the pump helps keep things tidy.

~ Price ~

I apologise for not remembering the exact price but if I remember correctly I paid around £10-£12 for the two under the buy one get one half price offer, which means they cost around £7-£8 individually. It's worth noting that the same product in a 100ml tube sells for around £4.50, so if it is something you'd use regularly, it's worth investing in a larger size. As I said, I got mine from Superdrug but I think it is also available from Boots, chemists and some supermarkets.

~ Opinion ~

As I said I was quite bump-tastic by that point and so struggled to reach down to my ankles to apply the product, so my husband, lucky man that he is, was forced to help. I put the lid down on the toilet, sat down and swung my legs over the bath so we could both see what I was doing. I squeezed a generous sized dollop of the cream onto my hand and the first thing we both noticed was the smell. It absolutely stunk. As I said I'd never tried hair removal creams before and so didn't really know what to expect scent-wise but as I was informed on the packaging that it was made up of shea butter and lily, I was kind of expecting something quite pleasant. That was not the case but I'm assuming the horrible smell has something to do with whatever it is that rids the hair.

So the directions told us to "ensure the area you want to remove hair from is completely covered with cream". So using the spatula we did just that. We covered my legs in the thick cream and waited the advised three minutes. I stayed where I was; there was no way I'd be able to waddle around without getting it all over everywhere. So after the three minutes I used the spatula just to test the area around my knee to see if the hair came away easily. The directions said that the cream could be left on a bit longer if needed as long as it didn't exceed 6 minutes. It took about 4 minutes for it to work with me and so after I'd tested my small patch, I hauled myself into the shower to wash the rest off.

I found that water alone wasn't enough to get the cream and hair to disappear and so I ended up using the spatula as a bladeless razor to help shift it. I don't know if that was what the spatula was intended for, but hey, it worked for me.

After rinsing off the cream, I was pleasantly surprised that it really had worked. My legs were smooth and the shea butter left my skin feeling soft and supple. The only real negative was that I could still smell it, even after using shower gel and body lotion to try and cover it up. It was also quite messy to apply but that is clearly why it advises you to do it in the bathroom.

Veet claimed that my legs would be smoother for longer compared to using a razor and I have to say that I agree. When shaving I feel I have to shave my legs again after a couple of days, but my legs stayed smooth for over a week using Veet. When the hair did re-grow it felt much less coarse than it did after shaving.

I'm giving it 3/5, as while it does work, the smell is really off-putting.

For more info try http://www.veet.co.uk/veet-hair-removal-cream-pump .php

Summary: Long lastiness smoothness vs smelliness