Review: Sally Hansen Extra Strength Wax Hair Remover for Face - Brazilian Formula

It's a cold hard fact in this economy that we're all making large and small sacrifices. I know that personally, I've chosen to skip my usual salon waxing when my brows are looking shabby, in favor of busting out the ol' tweezers to make things look presentable. But no one can debate the look and feel of a freshly waxed brow. When all of those tiny, fine hairs are removed from the bottom side of your brow, it's heavenly. Your primer applies better, and most definitely your eyeshadow looks better. Everything's just so nice and clean.

Which brings me to the topic of at-home waxing. Ever done it? I have nightmares about it, actually. I've never had anything bad happen, but I've sure as heck spent plenty of money on at-home waxing kits that yielded less-than-stellar results. Have you ever pulled the strip off in slight pain, only to look at the strip and see NO hairs on it? That's happened to me more times than I can count. So mostly when I think of at-home waxing, I think of nothing but a big mess and no payoff.

But that was then and this is now, ladies (and gentlemen if you're reading this). Let me introduce the Sally Hansen Extra Strength Wax Hair Remover for Face.

Let me break this down for you and make it as simple as possible. How is this different from other at-home waxing kits?

1) There are no strips. The formula, which you heat in the microwave before applying, dries in a minute or two and actually becomes the strip that you pull off your skin. Genius, and it works (just be sure to make the side that you're planning to grab hold of a little bit thicker so that you have more to hold on to).

2) IT WORKS! This magical Brazilian formula is specially designed for thick, coarse facial hair (hello, eyebrows) so it really grabs those hairs and makes them easy to remove.

3) The wax is loaded with tons of good-for-your-skin ingredients like coconut oil, aloe leaf extract, orange flower extract, black walnut extract, chamomile extract and wild cherry bark extract. It smells divine.

4) The price! I picked up this kit for under $10 at CVS. Oh and someone at my local CVS tucked $2 off coupons in each box, so I actually ended up spending about $7 when all was said and done. Waxing in a salon can run you anywhere between $10 and $50 per appointment, versus $9 for multiple do-it-yourself waxings? That's my kind of bargain.

Here's what you get in the kit:

As you can see, you get detailed instructions, eyebrow guides in three shapes (I skipped these but I'm sure they work for some people), a pot of wax (this pot will last a long time if you're just using it on your brows), a spatula and the best part: Azulene Finishing Oil with Vitamin E, sesame and menthol. Seriously, this oil ROCKS and it is sooo soothing to apply it immediately after waxing. It calmed my skin immediately and took away the redness. Oh and it didn't break me out either. Good stuff.

I recommend giving this kit a shot if you've tried other at-home waxing kits that have left you frustrated and disappointed. Just remember to follow the instructions to a "T" and don't overheat the wax. Oh! I almost forgot! The spatula is super cool. It has the word "ready" printed on the side, but the only way you can see this word is when the wax is cool enough to use. So when you're stirring the hot wax and you DON'T see the word "ready" on the side of spatula, you know it's too hot to apply to your skin. Love that!

Have you tried at-home waxing? I'd love to know your thoughts.