Braun Silk-Epil 7 SkinSpa

After a long, cold winter of hiding my legs away under tights and jeans I thought it was time to invest in some new products to get my legs looking great for the warmer months ahead. I've relied on razors for such a long time, but they just don't give me the silky smooth finish that I'm after, so this time I've chosen an epilator to give me hair-free legs for longer. However, the Braun Silk-Epil 7 Skinspa is so much more than just an epilator, so I thought I'd write a post to tell you all about the different features and my experience using it. Read on to find out more.

  The SkinSpa itself is a really sleek, handheld device. It's mainly white, but has a gorgeous glittery overlay on the surface that you grip to give it that girly feel. In the centre there's a purple dial which allows you to switch between setting 1 and setting 2 (you'll hear more about this later) and above the dial is a 'smartlight' which helps you to see any hairs, however fine, while using the device.

The SkinSpa comes with 5 different heads to make it suitable for any occasion and for a range of uses. Three of the heads are for epilating, one for exfoliating and one for shaving. It's unique that you're getting an epilator, an exfoliator and a shaver all in one and as you'll tell from the rest of this review - it performs exceptionally well at each of these functions. The added bonus is that you can use the epilator and the exfoliator on wet or dry skin - whatever you're preference.

Epilation

Of all the hair removal methods, I've found that epilation is by far the most effective at removing all the hair on my legs and lasts the longest. The SkinSpa has, 'close-grip technology with 40 tweezers' and claims to, 'remove hairs even as short as a grain of sand (0.5mm)'. As crazy a claim as that might sound, they're not lying. The smartlight really shows up every hair on your leg and this epilator just annihilates them all! Another unique advantage of this epilator is it's flexibility. The head actually pivots meaning you can smoothly move this over your legs and across any contours. This has been really useful because you can easily reach those spots you might have difficulty epilating with a conventional device.

A huge selling point to me was that this epilator comes with a 'high-frequency massage system' - this is the purple head you can see the pictures below. This has tiny, pointed beads which rotate very rapidly and soothe your skin as they pass over it. The stimulation of your skin around the epilation area is supposed to make it feel more gentle and I'd have to agree with that. It definitely made me feel more comfortable.

If you are after a more tender epilation, you can also change the speed settings. Speed 1 will give you a more gentle epilation, whereas speed 2 will give you a more efficient epilation. They'll both do just as well, just speed 2 will get it done faster! 

You're not just restricted to your legs with this epilator. Using different caps you can use the epilator in different parts of your body. Below, in the picture on the left, you can see the 'sensitive area cap' which you can use for your underarm and bikini line. The picture on the right is the 'facial cap'. 

Compared to epilators I've used in the past, this one is by far the most efficient, effective and comfortable. It would also be a really great device for a first-time epilator as it has the massage system and the low frequency setting.

However, this is just the beginning of the SkinSpa - let me tell you more about its' other features.

Exfoliation

I was so excited to see that I could pop on another head and have a handheld exfoliator. I have dry skin so it's really difficult for me to get smooth arms and legs with my normal skincare routine - my shower scrubs don't quite manage it. The SkinSpa comes with a high density brush (10,000 fine bristles!) which conducts more than 3000 micro-vibrations per minute.

According to the instruction manual, the most effective way to use this is on wet skin using your favourite shower gel. Not only was I really impressed with the results, I also really enjoyed the process itself! It's so relaxing to just sit back, run this over your skin and let the magic happen. I last used this 4 days ago, and my skin is still silky smooth. I think using this exfoliator would be perfect to do on a weekly basis. 

The two speed settings apply for the exfoliator as well. Braun recommend speed 1 for sensitive skin and speed 2 for normal skin. You can use it everywhere on your body, except your face, but if you are looking for a facial exfoliator I did see that Braun have released 'Braun Face' which is a facial cleanser and epilator. 

As you can see from the pictures, there is also a handy protective covering for the brush if you want to take it out travelling with you. 

Shaving

It's hard to believe that so many companies haven't thought about combining a shaver with an epilator before - it's a winning combination! Firstly, if you want to trim your hair down before you epilate to make it more gentle then all you have to do is switch heads. Secondly, if you prefer to just epilate your legs and shave elsewhere (like me) you can still do that all with the one device.  

The shaving head is composed of the shaver foil and the trimmer. The trimmer raises all long hairs to begin with and cuts them off and the flexible shaver foil then follows to smooth away stubble. If you want to trim a precise line or contours you just have to flick the lock switch on the head.

I'm always a bit scared of electrical shavers, because I'm so used to conventional razors, but this is so much quicker and gets the job done so much better. I'm a convert, definitely.

Each of the heads are really easily to clean - the instruction manual tells you what you have to do and they really are just simple steps. You also get a carry bag, for when you're travelling, a charger and cleaning brush. 

I'm so happy that I got this device because there's so much that you can do with it. I use the shaver every day on my underarms, the exfoliator once a week and the epilator whenever the stubble starts to come through! It all depends on your hair type as to how long you'll need to go before epilating again, but I'm a week and a half in since my last epilation and I'm still nice and smooth! 

As hair and skincare devices go, I'm so glad I've discovered this one. It's definitely an investment, because you'll have this for years and years (my mum still has her epilator from 20 years ago!). 

The SkinSpa is available from all major retailers, so check it out if you get the chance. You won't regret it!