Philips Satinelle Essential, Compact Hair Removal Epilator for Legs, HP6401/50

Okay, lets start with the first thing on everyone's mind in these reviews. I keep seeing a lot of "pain" comments. Let me tell you, if you think you're an expert as a first time user you're wrong. If you don't listen to the directions, or have patience for trial and error this product isn't for you. My first time using this on my legs it hurt, yes, but not an enormous amount and might I add my leg hair was LONG. NOT RECOMMENDED, I just thought I knew everything! It was a new sensation. I've never "plucked" my legs before. I also left room for error though. I didn't keep the epilator at a hard 90 degrees, I either pressed too hard or not hard enough, and I made it hard on myself. Be PATIENT, everyone is going to use it a little bit differently. I found that on the front of my legs I needed less pressure, and more on the back. I've used this product twice and stopped using the cap because I find life to be far easier without it. Now on use two I already feel little to no pain. This is on both the 1 and 2 settings. Now with my experience stated, let me give you some facts: 1. For folks saying it only breaks, and does not remove the hair? If you are too light in the pressure department you will trim your hair and not have it removed fully. It will sting the first time or two. It fades quickly unless you have a very low pain tolerance. 2. All of your hair isn't always in the same direction, this is why I'm guessing a lot of folks complain about missing patches? You might have to go over your leg twice at most, but it really does snag any hair you move it over AS LONG AS IT'S THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Always have the button facing the direction you're aiming for. Have it face up toward you for your first stroke, then turn it and go down your legs. I promise you will be impressed! 3. Is their a burn or bumps? I experienced little to none. Far less than shaving. FAR less than waxing. 4. Using this epilator anywhere other than your legs? TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK. I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. This is for legs. I've done my thighs, and my inner lower thighs where I get some thicker hairs, and where I have waxed. [Aka where the skin is far more used to this type of sensation so I feel no pain.] I don't recommend using this anywhere other than legs, especially not on super sensitive areas. Bikini isn't so bad, definately not your face. That should just be common sense, but I know someone will try it. [I did. I'm a curious person!] 5. Is it worth it? I say 5 stars worth of yes. I'm a woman, I've shaved for a while now and it's not that it's hard, or taxing, and it's no less time consuming than this, but it cuts costs. [No more shaving creme, using extra body wash or buying razors as often. Now I only need one razor for my underarms and genital area and that will last me much longer than if I had to do my legs every night. My leg hair grows very quickly!] Also I live in a small studio apartment with a very tiny bathroom that doesn't leave me, someone with long legs, much room TO shave. My shower is cramped, and the rest of the bathroom is very tight. I prefer to be able to sit and get a close up look at my legs when I shave them! I'm a bit OCD. :] I think this epilator is fantastic. It might take a shake to get used to but it is definately worth it and a great bargain for the price. Get a loofa or a nice exfoliating wash. Don't skip your legs in the shower and it will be clean, painless sailing as long as you're patient for your first few uses, use it as directed, and don't try it on overly sensitive areas. [At your own risk.] Welcome to the wonderful world of no bumps, dry hair removal!

First off, after arriving this sat on my bathroom counter for 3 days. Why? I was scared of it. I finally thought I would test it out. I wasn't even fully committed. I was wearing jeans that I rolled up a bit to see how badly it would hurt. Surprisingly, not as bad as I anticipated. I ended up changing into shorts and using it on both legs that night. Some spots hurt more than others (shins were bad, I have more thick hairs on this area). The back of my legs hardly hurt at all (fewer, thinner hairs back there). I missed some spots, but overall was really pleased with the results: - the look of my legs - mostly hairless, not "just shaved" smooth but they looked like I could go out in shorts without getting stares. - level of pain - not that bad. On particularlt painful spots I would do some then move away and come back later. - irritation - a little pink on my shins, but not bad at all. - speed of use - overall I was done with round 1 in 15 min. I bought this because my legs are uber sensitive. I shave, even with a new razor, with the grain, using whatever lotions and potions and I end up with red spots and generally itchy legs for a week. I find it hard to convince myself to shave. So I just don't shave. My boyfriend says he doesn't mind me looking like a sasquatch, but that is just because he is a beautiful human being. I waited to see how irritated they would be the next day and all the pink was gone. I did have to do touch ups, but I found I was moving too quickly the first time and was scared to touch the machine to my legs. Round 2 was relatively painless. I wore a skirt 4 days later and still showed off my relatively hairless legs to my lady coworkers. After a week there was no sign of ingrown hairs, another fear of mine. I did another minor touch up, which for me was just getting hair I missed the first time and this was by no fault of the machine. I have attempted bikini line and arm pits... These may take more time. I did about 1/3 of each arm pit in the first try yesterday. It hurt. Red spots where the hairs were pulled out. I didn't use deodorant yesterday, just coconut oil. Today the irritation is gone and I will likely try round 2 today. This means that it didn't hurt enough to turn me off of the idea completely. Complaints other reviewers had that almost made me not buy: 1. Broke after a few months - with these results, even if it did break after a few months, I would just buy it again. I hate shaving. My legs get irritated and they are just spikey and prickly after 2 days. This took hardly any time and 2 weeks later I still feel comfortable wearing shorts in public. 2. Loud - dude... No louder than my electric tooth brush and much quieter than a hair dryer. Not sure why this was a valid complaint. 3. Legs aren't as smooth as shaving - true, but trade offs are worth it. I can ignore my legs for over a week at a time and no more scratching itchy post shave legs. I do think my legs will get smoother with time due to growth cycles and I anticipate finer regrowth. Even if they don't, I'm completely satisfied currently. 4. Pain and irritation - varies by location. You don't have to "power through" and finish everything at once. It is a prolonged pain, not a quick, rip it off, type of waxing pain. All of my irritation was gone by the next day and I switched areas when one spot for too intense. 5. Ingrown hairs - this was more a product warning than a complaint. No issues here. I included a picture. A lazy one, I know, I didn't want to get up from the couch, but I prefer pictures on reviews I read. I haven't used it on my legs at all in about 5 days, they still look great. Update: I used this about once a week on underarms and legs. It doesn't get you as hairless as shaving, but the regrowth is so fine it is difficult to see. I make sure to touch up (about 3 min per leg) before wearing a skirt or shorts. Almost painless on my legs now, though the first time was rough it was worth it. The underarms still hurt, but it's manageable. This has been sturdy and reliable no complaints. I am tempted to buy one for every woman I know to free them from shaving. I am not paid for reviews. If I have answered your questions, concerns, please got the helpful button.

Does it work? Yes, mostly. I've only used one other epilator (my mom's, from back in the 80s, still works, looks more like a long spring coiled that picks hairs as it rotates) and this one has given me pretty similar results. If my hair is too long, it breaks it off rather than pulling it. If it's just the right length (~1/16") it pulls almost all of them. My legs stay smoother longer than with shaving, not sure if that's because the hair takes longer to grow back or because my legs just feel nicer as the hair grows back in from the root vs a cut end. I've been using it once a week, figuring that if I miss/break any hairs they'll be about the right length in a weeks time. I tried the different speeds, one on each leg, to see which worked better, but the results were about the same. What works well for me at the moment it going over everything on high speed, then quickly going back over on the low speed. So I don't go over everything a million times, just once thoroughly on high, and once less thoroughly on low. Taking 15min total for both legs leaves me with a few hairs unplucked, but I don't care that much to spend double the time to get the rest of them. If I needed my legs to be perfectly smooth for something like a wedding, I would shave to touch up. The clip on guide they provide was useful for learning how to hold the device close at 90 degrees without pressing so hard you slow or stop the spinning head, but I think it makes it less effective, so I stopped using it. Does it hurt? Yes, but I got used to it. I think the band aid metaphor works well to describe the pain. If you like to rip off your band aid all at once, you may be better off with the intense quick pain of waxing. If you like to peel it off slowly (my chosen method), epilation might be right for you. If you like to wait until your band aid falls off in the shower, you may want to stick with shaving. If you're wondering what it feels like to epilate, pluck a few hairs off your leg. Then multiply that by 25. The first time I ran the epilator over my leg, it kind of gave the sensation that it was eating my skin. But now that I know what to expect, it doesn't bother me nearly as much. I doubt it will ever be comfortable, but being prepared for how it feels definitely makes it not so bad. I've also found that some areas are more sensitive than others. My inner calf and right above my knee hurt the worst for me, but I have a feeling it's different for different people. Other reviewers give sound advice, if it hurts too much take a break/do a different area and come back to it. The different speeds don't really change the pain (more like the speed of band aid pulling). For me it was more controlled by how fast I moved the epilator up my leg (faster=more hairs at once=more pain for me). They also provide a purple thing that clips onto the top, and says that it's a guide that helps reduce the pain. It doesn't affect the pain at all. Does it leave marks? Yes, but they go away. I always get a few red marks, though significantly less than the number of hairs being pulled. I put some lotion on afterwards and they're gone by the end of the day. To be on the safe side, I would probably epilate two days before a big event, not just the day before (and definitely not day of). Ingrown hairs? A few, but exfoliating once a week or right before using the epilator, takes care of that. Is it good quality? Yes. I've had it fall to spring so far, and it still looks new. I rinse the detachable head every time. The adapter clicks into place at the bottom of the device and stays very well. The cord is longer than 7', but narrow so it can be put away easily. A bunch of reviews on other epilators mentioned those devices getting warm during use, I could only notice a slight change in temperature when I was really focused on it. The width of the spinning head (the part that actually pulls hairs) is slightly narrower than a standard razor. Makes about as much noise as an electric razor, you could hold a conversation over it with some effort. The only thing that could be better is that the detachable head seems like it could have a sturdier connection. Not bad by any means, but after repeated use I have a feeling it's going to get weaker. For me an epilator is the right tool because I like how it makes my legs feel, no scratchy regrowth. Unless they come up with some kind of smart epilator, I have a feeling that most epilators will be on equal footing when it comes to how well they remove hair. So a decent quality epilator for less than $30 seems worth it to me.

Are you a real woman? Have you suffered through your own hymenal rupture, birthed a child or suffered the stinging agony of being rejected by a man? Have you reflected with rue upon a dinner party you ruined through your own juvenile, drunken antics? Then you are ready for this product. It hurts, but it will enchant you for a short while because you want to feel tough. Actually it only hurts the first few times, but then you get used to it. I was excited to try a new method of hair removal. I don't know what my beef is with shaving. I mean, nothing is going to get you smooth like a razor blade. I also thread my eyebrows. You might say I enjoy maximizing my hair removal repertoire, as in my mind this equates with maximizing my womanliness. Your first time: So upon tibial touchdown, I felt an electrifying jolt of pain - much like that of a thousand hairs being torn from their follicles all at once. Enchanted, I continued to wave this magical device over my lower limbs, waiting to see if the pain might be any different if I kept on going, or if it was just going to continue on. It continued on. Soon, however, after several passes, my leg began to feel silky. Not shaved-silky mind you, but more than silky enough. I realized that meant I was done. I was pretty disappointed at the brevity of the encounter, so I promptly moved on to my armpits. The armpits were really fun to do. Did you know your armpit hairs are, like, an inch long? You will, once you use this product! Wow. This thing worked perfectly on my armpits. Better than the legs, and the legs were pretty good. I tentatively moved to the crotch area, but I'd just gotten out of the damn shower and I was too moist for there to be any traction. (Do not try this.) Later, I gave it a shot. Ouchhhhh. It results in a very smooth bikini area, no question. In fact, this product works better on stouter hair. So I moved up to the quintessential delicate area of the upper lip. Like the slap of a burning hot rubber band, my 'stache was GONE. It took several passes, ostensibly because I was a first-timer and my lip hair was unaccustomed to such insult. But you gotta grow up sometime, lip hair. Might as well be today. Still, again, it was not as sleek as a razor by any means. Easily one of the most exciting things about using this product is the sheer volume of hair that comes out of the thing, much like a lawn mower. I've never seen anything like it. And not only the hair comes out, mind you. Oh no. You get the entire hair bulb. I had this friend in high school you know - beautiful girl - and her prom dress was strapless. But she was a full-blooded Italian lass and heaven help her, you could see her dark armpit hair shadow every time she hoisted her arms to do the YMCA, in spite of the fact that it was clear she'd just shaved. This could have done her a world of good. So I will continue using this for pubic and armpit hair (nice long lasting results on the pubic area, somewhat less long lasting on armpits) but I won't be using anything but a razor for legs or stache. First it takes too long, second it is painful, and third you really don't get that sleekness you get from a fresh razor. Still, Recommended highly for how great a job it does on coarse hair. If you have coarse hair all over, this might be a great solution for you. Protip: after epilating, always disinfect. You will get pimples if you do not. Personally I recommend purel even for the pubic area. It burns of course, but you just ripped out the hair on your vagina. What do you care? Also there is a special sphere of heaven for women who can address those stout hairs on the labia area just above the clitoris with an epilator. I can do it. So can you. Actually, I don't recommend this any longer. The hairlessness doesn't seem to last that much longer, and I got tired of infected follicles. I did disinfect the rotating portion of the device regularly, after each use. But the bacteria must hide in all those cracks and crevices. I have returned to shaving. The results are instant, they don't result in pimples, and the effect is, overall, silkier. But heck, give it a try. Much like other aspects of passage into womanhood, first it hurts, then you get used to it, then you sort of like it, and then you get bored with it and try something else.

I waited a long time before choosing an epilator and tried tweezers first to see if I could handle the pain. After reading tons of reviews, I finally settled on this one for both the price and reviews. I was willing to spend more if the quality was better, but I couldn't find one with reviews that warranted a higher price. I've been shaving every day for the last 27 years and thought it would be nice to have smooth legs without shaving. That's one of my disappointments. I thought with an epilator I would be able to treat my legs every 2 weeks or so and save time. It doesn't really work that way. Since the hairs grow at different cycles, I've been using it daily--though for much less time than it took me to shave. I'm also saving 7 minutes of shower time, reducing costs in hot water. But my legs are never smooth now. There's always something in the cycle of growing long enough for the epilator to be able to grab it. The first time using it was a lot more painful than using tweezers, but it did go somewhat faster. The finer hairs hurt the most. After the first time, each time I used it hurt less. I also got a red bumpy rash the first time. That didn't happen again after that. It's very important that I follow up with a good lotion afterwards. I do have trouble with ingrown hairs on my legs, not causing red bumps, but being visible under a thin layer of skin about 1/4th of an inch long and not being accessible to the epilator. I've tried exfoliating and so far that isn't helping. I'm not ready to give up yet. It also can't seem to grab the hairs around my knees to save it's life. The best part about the epilator is what it does for my underarms. The instructions don't recommend using it anywhere but legs, but I gave it a try anyway. It works well and I can wait a week in between uses, which is what I wish it would do for my legs. I'm going to keep trying different things. If I can get it to work for me, I'll update. It's easy to clean, has good power and the guard thingy was helpful when I was first learning the proper angle to hold it.

I've had this since August, 2012. I got it mainly to reduce skin irritation that I got from shaving and to save a little money by not waxing. I've been using it regularly since then, it still works great, and it reduces skin irritation while saving me money. Here's the low-down: I'm assuming that if you're a person who has hair, you understand that yanking your hair out is not a pleasant experience. Is using this epilator more enjoyable after a glass of wine and NSAID of your choice, at least at first? Yes, but so are a lot of things in life, so I don't consider that a big mark against it. Furthermore, it starts hurting less and less the more you use it. I don't know if that's because my technique has improved or because my pain tolerance has, but either way, I no longer require the aforementioned glass of wine and NSAID. Doing my legs isn't my favorite sensation, but I would no longer characterize it as painful. My underarms are a bit more sensitive, but I can do them both in one sitting without any major discomfort. Beyond that, this thing does the job without irritating my skin. I threw out the guard I got with it within a month because it just isn't necessary, but it was nice at first because I was a little leery of it pinching me (it doesn't pinch, by the way. That was me being silly). I can do my legs and underarms in 20 minutes flat, and they stay smooth for a week. The epilator itself has never shown signs of breaking, slowing down, or becoming less effective. I do keep a pack of razors on hand for emergencies when I just don't have time to epilate, but I've used one pack in the past year and a half. I haven't had issues with ingrown hairs with this--if anything, I have far fewer ingrown hairs than when I shaved regularly. It does take a while to get all of your hair growing on the same schedule. I live in Florida and wear a lot of skirts, so if there's a special occasion coming up, I'll epilate or shave what stubble I have, which means I'll be yanking some hairs out when I epilate next and leaving others, but even with my lack of commitment I only have to epilate every week at the most. I've been going a week and a half without looking unduly stubbly, lately, and I'm hoping to be able to go two weeks before too very long. I've noticed the areas I regularly epilate seem to have slowly lost some hair, and the hair that remains is finer and lighter. I am very pale (despite living in Florida) and have dark body hair, so this development is a huge relief and lets me go longer between epilating. As to getting this thing to work maximally well, here are my tips: +Hold the epilator in one hand and hold the skin tight in the other. No, hold the skin tighter. Tighter! Like you mean it! Does it hurt to epilate? Yes? You're probably not holding the skin tight enough. +Take some NSAIDs and/or glass of wine the first few times. Do the epilating in patches--this gives you time to relax and troubleshoot your technique. +Technique is important and you will get better with time. This is a skill and is frustrating at first, just like shaving your legs was (I mean, I still can't shave my legs without nicking the back of my ankle or my knee). Give it a few tries before giving up. +Legs are the least painful areas to epilate, at least for me, followed by underarms. Bikini line is doable, but legitimately painful. I tend to get ingrowns there even if I epilate, so I've just cut my losses and opted for swim shorts. As I said, this product has led to less skin irritation, saved me money, and is still working after a year and a half. It costs less than getting your legs waxed and it does the job just as well with a little practice. I recommend it! ETA: I've had this product for two years and counting. I can go for two weeks (more, if I'm not wearing skirts every day) between epilating my legs or underarms, and I have reached the level of epilating expertise where I can do my bikini line with only a little discomfort. As I said, it takes skill, which takes practice, and also persistence. This gadget costs less than a single leg wax, has lasted two years, and is still going strong. Does it hurt a little at first? Yep. So does waxing (or shaving, if you're clumsy like me and accidentally cut your knees or ankles). Does it work, get easier/less painful with time, and last a while? Absolutely! I have and continue to recommend this product very highly!

OK...I'm a guy and I use epilation to remove body hair that I don't really care for...I have tried my wife's epilation prior to purchasing my own...mainly because she would nag too much about her epilator being left unclean etc....she told me to buy my own. I have tried a few of hers which include the Braun and an Emjoi... Here are my reviews of each one: Braun: This was the first one I used...it seemed to more or less cut the hairs very painfully...they didn't seem like they were being pulled out from the root. I would remove the hairs and it seemed like the area was smooth, but a few days later (about 3 days) the hairs would begin growing back. This one was probably one of the most painful ones I used. After I used it the first time, I vowed that I would never epilate again....2 weeks later I did it again...and it did hurt less than the first time, but still hurt. Emjoi: Had to go over the area multiple times to get the hairs removed and still it would miss a lot of the hairs. It wasn't as painful as the Braun. I wasn't happy with the way this one worked just because it took forever. This Philips: Finally I ordered my own cuz wifey nagging about her epilator just got annoying. And I used it today on my pubic area and underarms. This was actually the least painful epilator I have ever used. I am not saying it is pain free, but I couldn't feel too much. I didn't shower before using it. I would go over an area about 2 times and the hair would all be gone. As I've said I have tried other epilators and this one seemed to work great in very sensitive areas. On my wife's Braun, I would slightly bleed at times, but this one there was no blood. I am actually very happy with this one and even though I would never be sitting at a bar and suggest this to one of my drinking buddies because I'd probably be drinking alone from then on...I can suggest that anyone on Amazon (male or female) who is looking for an epilator...THIS IS THE ONE YOU NEED TO BUY!!!

TLDR: This is an investment, you pay one initial high price and initial pain, and the more you use it the more it pays itself off, and the easier it gets. If that sounds appealing to you then this is a good product for you IMO. I'm a guy with incredibly hairy arms and I just don't like how it feels, it feels nasty... Shaving leaves razor burns and I would have to do it every day, also my dark hair stubbles pop out more. This product worked exactly how it was intended! No, it didn't feel good the first time, in fact I think more hairs were broken then pulled out, and my arms were really red for a day after. The value really comes in after your first time, if you do it once every week it gets easier, and easier. You have less hair coming in so you don't have that initial pain of when you do every single hair. I think I made a good purchase, it's an initial investment that pays itself off the more you use it and the the more consistent you are. If I had to do it over again I would have shaved first, waited for the stubble to come in and then epilated that, instead I used a trimmer to trim the hair and then epilated but I think the hair was still to long. Due to the redness of this I would give yourself time, this isn't something you do right before work or something.... This is something you do on the weekend to give yourself time to heal. As far as the actual epilator goes it works fine, I like that there are no batteries to worry about ( I really wouldn't get anything with batteries, that's just a waste of your money), and the price is pretty good. I'm sure there are better ones the more you pay, but for this price I think I got a good deal. The main gear that drives the tweezers is plastic I would expect that to be one of the first things that fails on this, or the attachment mechanism. Other than that this is all pretty straight forward, I recommend this. When I shave the hair comes back in a day or two, with this it literally takes a a week for patches of hair to come back. Very pleased. Oh and it is loud, what I do is just sit at the computer watching youtube with headphones and epilate here and there to get any rouge hairs that are popping up. AGAIN: This is an investment, you pay one initial high price and initial pain, and the more you use it the more it pays itself off. If that sounds appealing to you then this is a good product for you IMO.

Buen, precio, excelente calidad, fácil de utilizar, está diseñada para piernas y brazos, sin embargo, la uso en las axilas, elimina todo el bello, y no me lastima la piel como lo hacía el rastrillo, la recomiendo para piernas brazos y axilas, no creo que deba usarse en el área del bikini ni en el rostro.

Its perfect !! A must have product for girls..200% satisfied..first time its like d the TV ads we see and its actually a reality....so much impressed

I have never epilated before so I wasn't sure what to expect and I had my doubts. I have VERY thick course hair with thick roots - when I waxed in the past i ALWAYS bleed from the root.... and there is usually some hairs that are left behind because they were to short to grasp. When I shave, I am IMMEDIATELY left with a "5 o'clock" shadow type thing because the roots are SO thick... so basically, I had nothing to lose because I've always had that 5 o'clock shadow look on my legs, which isn't good.... This machine WORKED WONDERS ON MY THICK COURSE DARK GREEK HAIR!!!! I am shocked!!!!!!! I let me hair grow in for only a few days and decided to try out this product one evening (3 nights ago actually).... IT IS PAINFUL AS ALL HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT it is SO WORTH IT and eventually your body adapts enough to the pain that it is more than bareable! I used this on my entire legs... following the instructions... and it GRASPED even the smallest of hairs...... My legs are smooth and soft and NO DARK SHADOW!!!!!!!!!!! yes it is very painful, but it is very worth it (in my opinion).... it does a great job!!! i used it on my bikini area as well, that was also very painful, but I had the same amazing results!!!! 3 days later and I am just as soft as the first day and smooth and again no shadow (yet!)... I will NEVER shave again.... i hate that stubble look and never felt completely smooth... until now!!!! I know that I won't have to wait too long between uses, as this machine WILL grasp small hairs... much better than waxing (which I usually waited a few weeks before going in for a wax).... Next up... FULL BRAZILIAN.... fingers crossed!!! Oh, I had a small bruise on my knee cap... which I think is from this machine, but I am not sure, it is going away... I may have pressed a bit too hard! SO WORTH THE MONEY!!!! LIFE CHANGING!

this product arrived quickly and is very easy to use. I would recommend it.

Retira el bello de manera precisa y tarda en crecer ya que lo retira de raiz. Aunque es verdad que al principio duele mucho poco a poco la piel se acostumbra.