Bored of shaving only to find the results fading after a day or two, and tired of spending so much money on hair removal cream each month, I decided in autumn last year that it was time to purchase an epilator.

At the time, the Philips Satinelle was on special offer (though I don't recall the price now), and it was this alone which drew me to it.

The Satinelle comes in a small box with various different plastic covers. Supposedly, these can help to target hair removal and reduce pain, and as seen in the image one also contains massaging beads to run over the skin after the epilator has, and to calm everything down again.

I'm not one for extras and for blocking out the pain. I decided that if I were to get the best from the epilator, I had to throw myself in head first, so I did.
Unlike some epilators, the Satinelle uses a mains plug rather than batteries. To some, this might be an issue, but really it's not the kind of thing I'd want to be carrying with me anyway - the cable's long enough to reach right across my bedroom, and I don't particularly want to go further than the bedroom door anyway!

First using the epilator on my legs wasn't as bad as I'd braced myself for. In fact, it brought back to me a sensation I'd not felt since very early childhood - it was like being stung continuously by nettles; painful, but not unbearable. Epilating both my legs in full took approximately thirty minutes, and it was only after I stopped that I realised how comfortable the pain had become.
Likewise, only after I stopped did I realise how red my legs were - note to new users, don't do this twenty minutes before you go out in a skirt or shorts. Also, and this is my largest warning and a mistake I'd never make again, do NOT (I repeat, NOT) stop the epilator moving. Distracted for a second, I kept the epilator in one place on my skin. The result? The swirling blades took hold of my leg, and pulled my skin into the epilator, which only stopped spinning when the tweezer teeth were digging deep into my leg and I'd jammed the machine up. This epilator doesn't stop in emergencies, so I then had to switch it off and pull my leg free - ouch.

After epilating my legs, I attempted the arms (of course, keeping the epilator moving at all times), and THAT hurt. Though I persevered that first time, I've never done the same since. My arms are quite happy to stick to a new, reduced amount of hair removal cream, or razors.

Now, I'm also experimental. I wanted to try the epilator on my underarms, too. Pulling the skin taut, I did so. It hurt, but it worked...then I bled. Minor bleeding, of course, but enough to put me off the idea again. That said, no hair grew there for at least a few months afterwards!

On my legs and arms, hair re-growth didn't become noticeable for a few weeks - a huge improvement on shaving and still an improvement on hair removal cream. Every time I epilate, things get a little less painful, but no less effective. I'd really recommend the epilator as it's reduced my hair removal bills and it's a relatively effective method, but be prepared not to rely on it as your sole method, since some parts of your body just aren't made for this!