Every now and then I get a bit fed up of the constant defuzzing that it takes to be smooth and silky and hair free, particularly in the summer and on holiday. That's where Veet Ready to Use Wax Strips come in really handy.

The one I go for is specially formulated for sensitive skin and contains Vitamin E and Almond Oil. These retail at around£4.99 and are available in most supermarkets and chemists.

The box for the sensitive skin type are blue in colour and contain 20 wax strips and 4 perfect finish wipes, along with a quite detailed instruction leaflet, however, don't worry if you loose the leaflet as the instructions are also printed on the reverse of the box.

If I plan to wax I tend to exfoliate my skin quite thoroughly with a good quality abrasive scrub to assist in avoiding in grown hairs, and to get my skin in tip top condition.

These strips are suitable for use on even the shortest hairs, anything between 2mm and 5mm long. It does recommend that if hair is longer than this, trim to avoid any unnecessary discomfort.

The next step in using the strips is to make sure that skin is clean, free from oils and creams and is not irritated. There is also a recommendation to do a skin test 24 hours before use, this is just a precaution, and if there is no adverse reaction then you are good to go.

Now that the easy and painfree part is all done, you might just want to take a few deep breaths in preparation of what is to come. Well that may be a little over exaggeration but I must warn you that it does hurt, bearable, but stings nontheless.

The wax strip must be warmed by rubbing between palms for a few seconds before peeling apart. This is then smoothed on to the skin in the direction of hairgrowth, then peeled off very quickly, but very closely along the skin in the opposite direction, hopefully removing all traces of hair. In reallity, they are pretty good, I have very thick dark hair and there are sometimes one or two hairs left that I just tweeze out.

Once waxing is finished, use one of the perfect finish wipes to remove any tell tale bits of wax left on the skin, which does happen. Another good idea is to get some ice in a muslin cloth to hold gently against any red or sore areas.

Skin is a little red afterwards, but it soon settles down. Skin is now hair free for up to 4 weeks depending upon hair growth. For me it usually lasts 3 weeks before I start to notice any regrowth. Just don't wax immediately before a special occassion or night out as skin will need time to recover.

Make sure you do read the leaftlet before using the strips as they give some great advice, and the usual warnings and precautions.

Would I use these strips again? Yes definitely, I've used them on and off for many years and find that in the last few years they have improved greatly and can compete with the type of results that were at one time only available in salons.