You've heard I'm sure that waxing places are open again but I'm still pretty leery of any outside of the house grooming so if you have also been looking for an at-home replacement for waxing, give an epilator a try. It's a cost effective, fast, and convenient way to keep skin hair-free and smoother for longer - and works in a similar way to waxing, as it removes the hair from the root for smooth skin up to 4 weeks!

Philips Satinelle Prestige Wet & Dry Epilator - $129.99 - an effective at-home all-in-one grooming solution for the entire body that provides fast epilation  thanks to unique ceramic discs that rotate at a super fast speed and firmly grip even fine and short hairs to easily remove them.

The question of course is, does it hurt as much as waxing - and of course that depends. I find waxing excruciating while epilating is just mildly uncomfortable - but I've also heard people say the opposite...  I do know that the more you do either one, the less it hurts over time so suck it up and give it a try!
The wide head is slightly curved which makes it easy to steer over knees or other lumpy areas and has a light which ensures you don’t miss fine hairs. It also comes with a bunch of attachments:

a wide epilation head for optimal hair removal in one stroke as well as an attachments for face, underarms and bikini area as well as one for an extra gentle epilation; an exfoliation attachment to remove dead skin, a massage attachment to relax skin; and a shaving head and trimming comb for a close shave.

Available at mass retailers across Canada.

I love my epilator and even though it's only meant for the body I've actually tried to use on my face - bad idea! It's not gentle enough and I ended up with a nasty red rash - so I'm happy that there is now one actually designed for all those delicate areas:

Philips SatinTouch Precision Epilator - $39.99 - with a slender, precision design designed for more subtle yet effective hair removal on sensitive areas and face, it features 8 tweezing discs that firmly grab and remove the hair from the root, helping to avoid discomfort and reduce pulling of sensitive skin. Comes with an additional cleaning brush for easy cleaning and optimal hygiene and a protective pouch ideal for storage and travel.

Available now exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.
Parissa Persian Cold Wax - 240ml - $15 - includes cold wax, 2 spatulas, 20 reusable non-woven fabric strips and easy to follow instructions - the original natural sugar hair removal treatment effective for removing medium-fine hair on legs, body or face and made up of 3 basic ingredients: sugar, lemon and water that have been cooked down into a thick taffy-like paste - making it a great choice for people who have sensitive or allergic skin and require a simple, all-natural product.

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.
Avon Skin So Soft Fresh & Smooth Moisturizing Shave Oil - 150ml - $10 - with a fresh cherry blossom scent and a formula enriched with shea butter extract and vitamins A & E that transforms from an oil to a creamy lather on wet skin for a silky smooth glide, it moisturizes while you shave leaving legs (or whatever) feeling soft and smooth.

Available from your Avon rep - 1800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

The elegance of rose gold is now available to  class up your toothbrush thanks to:

Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Rose Gold Edition - $239.99 - featuring: patented Sonic technology, 5 brushing modes: Clean, White, Deep Clean, Gum Care or Sensitive for a custom cleaning experience; advanced brush head technology that offers an amazing whitening system that is proven to naturally whiten teeth in just one week; and superior plaque removal that removes 10x more plaque then when using a manual toothbrush.

The system also features Quad pacer and Smart timer to encourage attentive brushing of each quadrant of the mouth and reinforce the recommended brushing time of at least 2 minutes as well as a charging travel case that allows you to take your toothbrush on the go, it lasts 3 weeks after charging so you might not even need to worry about charging but if you do, it connects to your laptop via USB or can be charged by wall outlet. The included charging glass can be used for charging or to rinse your mouth after brushing.

Available now at major retailers including Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs and online at amazon.ca.

Philips PureRadiance Facial Cleansing System - $150 - the only cleansing system with Advanced Dual Motion which combines sonic pulses and gentle rotations, making it as gentle as manual washing but also improves microcirculation for more radiant skin, exfoliates better for smoother skin and is 10X more effective at removing makeup. The water resistant brush offers multi-speed setting - gentle or deep cleansing and a skin zone timer alerts you to rotate to the three key areas of the face every 20 seconds making it a quick, easy and effective one minute facial treatment and prepares your skin better for your skin care product.

Includes a sleek charging stand that holds the product upright while charging, allowing the brush to air dry and allows for up to 30 cordless uses with one charge and a convenient travel pouch.

Available now at Personal Edge locations across Canada.

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush - $95 - a gentle, re-chargable, compact cleansing system suitable for all skin types and ages. With an oval-shaped brush head specifically designed to allow targeted cleansing in the hard-to-reach, contoured areas of the face like around the nose, hairline and chin with two strengths of rounded bristles to deliver a gentle, custom cleansing experience: the pale green, angled tip consists of firmer, shorter bristles that allow for easier and more efficient cleansing of areas prone to more oil production and clogging, like the t-zone; and the white bristles on the body of the brush are softer and less firm, designed to target the larger more delicate areas of the face like the cheeks where there are less oil glands; while the sonic vibrations combined with the unique brush configuration gently massages the skin, loosening stubborn dirt and oil more effectively than hand washing


Designed to work in partnership with the Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System to gently deliver the cleanest, healthiest skin ever that looks instantly smoother and more radiant, with purified pores that can now breathe and is more receptive to the skin care treatments that follow, allowing them to better absorb into skin and perform better.

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Sephora, select Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques and online at www.clinique.com.

If you're teeth aren't looking as white as you would like and you aren't getting the results you want from home products then it might be time to consider a visit to your dentist for Philips Zoom! WhiteSpeed Light-Activated Whitening System. This is an especially good idea if you are a fan of instant gratification as you can expect it to whiten teeth up to 8 shades in just 45 minutes!

I recently had a chance to try out the new and improved Zoom! system. I had actually done Zoom! many years ago and while it did a nice job whitening my teeth, it created a lot of sensitivity in my teeth in the days following so I was curious to see if the new system really was better
as it has advanced intensity settings that allow dentists to make adjustments for patients who may experience sensitivity during the whitening process.
I went to visit the nice people at Toothworks Bay Adelaide Dental to experience Zoom! anew. After a check by the dentist to make sure there weren't any issues that would make the experience a problem, I was then put into the capable hands of Registered Dental Hygienist, Diana Ismail, who did a great job of talking me through the procedure as she did it so I would know what was going on and have something (somewhat) intelligent to write about here.

First the rubber thingy you see above was inserted in my mouth - this keeps lips back so that teeth are fully exposed for the light to be able to reach them all. I couldn't help but think of it as a reverse ball-gag, which is probably not the name that Philips will want to use in their advertising campaign, but they are welcome to if they like. Then cotton is stuffed in around the rubber to help hold it in place and also give your drool someplace to go. 

My gums were then protected with a special covering, then the unique hydrogen peroxide whitening gel was applied which breaks down into stain-fighting radicals that break the molecular bonds making up stains, both on and in teeth. The light from the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed shining on the whitening gel helps these stain-fighting radicals whiten faster. The process is then repeated 2 more times for a total of 3 - 15 minute sessions.

I felt absolutely no pain or sensitivity during the procedure, the most uncomfortable part was the rubber thing and cotton stuffed in my mouth. You also have to remain really still which is the perfect excuse to have a nap!

What I was more worried about was afterwards. Last time I had it done I had shooting pains in my teeth for 12 hours or so afterwards. At the time I was told it was my teeth regaining the water that they lost during the procedure. This time I had almost no pain at all a bit of a dull ache that went away with a couple of Advil and didn't return. The other thing that is challenging is finding white foods - you can't eat anything with staining potential for 24 hours after the procedure - luckily vodka and white wine are on the allowed list!

Check out the before and after pics - I really just did these to have an excuse to make stupid faces for the camera!
Unfortunately the before pics really don't do credit to the discolouration that did exist- but you can certainly see that there is a big difference in brightness from these pictures to the next 3.
You can see from the after pics that my teeth are now as white and bright as it's possible for teeth to look and still be real! 

You can get more info on Zoom! at the Philips website - http://www.zoomwhitening.com/en_ca. If you are in the Toronto area and interested in getting Zoom! I highly recommend visiting Diana at Toothworks for as enjoyable an experience as you can have with something like this. There are 4 locations in Toronto and you will find Diana at the 333 Bay Street location - 416-869-9888. At the time I went there was a special going on for $599 - I understand their usual price for Zoom! is $799.

You can check out their website at www.toothworks.com for more information or their other locations or find them on Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/Toothworks and Twitter - https://twitter.com/toothworks416.

A couple of months ago I posted about starting a (hopefully) hair free life with the help of Philips SatinPerfect Epilator and Inhibitif Advanced Hair-Free Body Serum and I'm back as promised to let you know that this combo is a winner!

It's easy enough, use the epilator to get rid of the hair and spray the Inhibitif on twice a day to keep the hair from coming back. It's not perfect a few stray hairs did pop up here and there but after using the epilator on them again, they didn't return.

Of course there's always a downside, if you've never used an epilator before, it can be a painful experience but by adding the Inhibitif step, you won't have to use it nearly as often! It's also a bit of a pain to remember the Inhibitif twice a day, it was no problem in the morning but by the evening I often forgot so I actually got these results from using it once a day and twice every few days - I'm lucky to have pretty fine and light leg hair so if yours is darker and coarser, it will be more important to remember to apply twice daily.

Now I'm on to maintenance which means I only have to apply the Inhibitif every other day - and I'll just need my Philips Epilator for any random hairs that pop up - that should be easy!

Check out the original post here for pricing and availability for both products.

Hair removal has to be my least favourite personal grooming task - it's boring, tedious and never ending so when I heard that there were a couple of products I could use to dramatically cut down, if not cut out the whole process altogether, I was in!

Philips SatinPerfect Epilator - $139.99 - a rechargeable unit with two speed settings that can be used wet or dry that has an extra wide head to help make the job quick along with hypoallergenic, ceramic textured discs that gently remove even the finest hair. Includes an active hair lift and massage attachment to remove flat-lying hair and soothe the skin and a shaving head with comb ideal for the underarms and the bikini line. What I like best about this model in the running light which makes it very easy to see the hairs you are trying to nab - even the fine ones you would normally miss!

Available at Amazon.ca, Bed Bath & Beyond, Personal Edge, Sears, The Bay and Walmart.

Followed up by...


Inhibitif Advanced Hair-Free Body Serum - 240ml - $29.99 - with the highest concentration of proven hair retarding actives than any other product in the world making it super effective and a spray applicator so it's easy to use - just apply twice a day on shaved, waxed or epilated skin for 2 months or until body hair appears nearly invisible at which time, apply every other day to maintain results.

Available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.

I'll check back in 60 days and let you know how it's going!

If you think that a perfect makeup application all comes down to having good quality cosmetics and brushes, you'd be wrong, they help but when it comes down to it - what looked great in your bathroom mirror can look like crap once you get out into natural daylight - when it comes to applying makeup, artificial light isn't our friend! Most of us aren't lucky enough to have natural light where we apply our makeup but it's easy enough to get with:

Philips LED Daylight Bulb - $19.99 - insert into any compatible light fixture for instant natural light that will last through 25,000 hours and save on energy!

Natural light makeup is especially important for foundation application - if you've ever tried on a foundation at the store only to get outside and discover that it is entirely the wrong shade, you know exactly what I mean - now I can put on foundation at home and never have to be worry that I didn't apply it evenly or blend it properly - the mirror now shows me exactly what I am going to see everywhere!

Available at selected retailers across Canada including Home Depot, Home Hardware and London Drugs.

Dealing with the bikini line has got to be the trickiest part of home hair removal so anything that can make it faster, easier and smoother is a winner in my books like the:

Philips Bikini Genie - $19.99 - offers ease, convenience and affordability for those looking to bikini trim at home. This little number’s small shape and compact design are ideal for taking on-the-go – making it a great option for beach vacations.

Product features include: a unique shape and ergonomic handle that allows for precision trimming; and safe rounded tips on the trimmer head that provide extra comfort and are also detachable to allow for easy cleaning and are fully washable. It even comes with a battery included so you can start using it right away!

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Personal Edge, Amazon.ca and Jean Coutu


Nair Brazilian Spa Clay PerfectTemp Easy to Use Wax Strips for Face & Bikini - 40 double sided wax strips in 2 sizes and 4 after-use moisturizing towelettes - $9.99 - with innovative Heat-Advanced Technology to ensure the wax is at the perfect temperature so even an idiot like me can figure out when to use - when warming the strip by hand, the Nair logo fades away when the strip is warm, signaling that the strip is now ready to use!

Effective even on short hair with long lasting results for up to 4 weeks.

Available at drug and mass merchandisers.
Or go traditional with:

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Razor - with 2 refills - $15.99 - offers an easy, close shave thanks to built-in shave gel bars that flex - simply wet the razor for light lather - with an easy to grip handle that won't get away from you in the shower. And even though you don't have to use a separate shave cream, I don't find there is enough lather for my taste so I like to use:

eos 24-Hour Moisturizing Shave Cream - 207ml - $3.99 - in Pomegranate Raspberry, Vanilla Bliss and Fragrance Free Sensitive - in a paraben-free formula packed with natural conditioning oils, shea butter and vitamins C & E for soothes and soften your skin while shaving and afterwards for a full 24 hours. I especially like the bottle is plastic making it rust-free!

Available at Rexall, London Drugs, Loblaws, Jean Coutu and Uniprix.
No matter what you use the downside to de-furring such a delicate area is that you are bound to end up with razor bumps and ingrown hairs - go check the boy's medicine cabinet and steal his:

Tend Skin - 118ml - $20 - for unsightly razor bumps, burn and ingrown hair - what used to be used on the boy's face and neck also works great on our legs, underarms and bikini lines! Apply it morning and night on dry skin until the problem clears up - it feels soothing so the affected area will feel better right away - and then daily to maintain. Outside of hair removal, it's also great on skin irritated for any reason, I've been using it on mosquito bites this summer and it takes the sting right away!

You can grab some when you are perusing the new fall nail colours - Nail Polish Canada is now carrying it - www.nailpolishcanada.com.

Everybody has that person on their list - you know, the one that is impossible to buy for but because you are married to their son/are related to them by blood/ran over their cat - can't get out of buying a thoughtful gift for them which sadly, doesn't include a gift card to the LCBO or a box of chocolates from the gas station. Here are a few tried and true gifting ideas for your hard to buys:

(Almost) everybody has teeth and if you have somebody on your list still using a manual brush - they will love you for this one. Manual brush people are either too cheap to buy an electric brush or have no idea how much better electric cleans - either way, it will be a hit! A great choice:

Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargable Sonic Toothbrush - $229.99 - with an advanced new handle and high density, diamond-shaped bristles that remove up to 100% more plaque from hard-to-reach areas, improve gum health in only 2 weeks and whiten teeth in just 1 week. It offers 5 cleaning modes and dual charging options including this very cool charging glass!

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Centre du Rasoir, Personal Edge and Bed, Bath and Beyond.


The beauty lover in your life will be thrilled with a  beauty subscription which will send a box of beauty samples to their mailbox every month! There are several subscription services to choose from and I'm a fan of:
Glossybox - with a couple of gifting options of sending 1 box for $21 or 3 months worth for $60 or you can sign them up for a monthly subscription at $21/month recurring which you can cancel at any time; 6 months for $115 or a year for $220 - whatever you choose, they are sure to love it!

Check out www.glossybox.ca for more details and to subscribe!
The coffee addict in your life would be thrilled with a: Bosch Tassimo T55 Home Brewing System - $129.99 - has intelligent barcode technology for a perfect beverage every time with an innovative flow-through water heater delivers your beverage in under a minute and a mild/strong feature so you can have it exactly how you want it. The cup stand is height adjustable and removable so that any sized cup will fit. Especially awesome, it features automatic cleaning, because let's face it, if you're too lazy to make coffee, you're too lazy to clean up too!

Best of all thanks to this present - you now have the perfect gift to get them on every occasion from now until the end of time - Tassimo T Discs!

Available in black, white, red and blue and you'll find it at: The Bay, Best Buy, Sears, Future Shop, Canadian Tire, Home Outfitters, London Drugs, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Walmart - and shop around a bit, I saw it as low as $119 and as high as $149!
And when all else fails there is always bacon (not recommended for vegetarians) - who wouldn't love monthly bacon...? Bacon Freak Monthly Bacon Club - $49.95/month - as well as every other bacon product you ever hoped to see!

Check it out at www.baconfreak.com.

Greetings minions - I am back once again to point out another folly you humans insist on partaking in - fur removal.

I can't even pretend to understand it, my human spends copious amounts of time petting my fur and telling me how beautiful it is and then an equal amount of time behind closed doors using sticky stuff to rip her fur off, smelly stuff to dissolve it and flashing lights to kill it. Not that it would ever look as nice as mine no matter how much she let it grow, but it still seems like a waste. Be that as it may, my human has been using something lately that doesn't make her yell "ouch", smell nasty or make weird beeping noises:
Philips Satinelle Soft Sensitive Total Body Epilator  - $69.99 - perfectly removes hair (as short as 0.5mm) with hypo-allergenic discs making it great for sensitive skin, lasts longer and leaves your skin irritation free and ready to go. With 2 speed settings that offer extra gentle or extra efficient epilation. As well, the Satinelle Soft is equipped with a double waved massage roller that minimizes the pulling sensation and an ice glove that soothes skin after epilation. Prep skin for epilation with the exfoliating glove and trim the bikini line with the comb attachment. The shaving head attachment perfectly follows the contours of the bikini line and underarms for a smooth, close shave on sensitive skin.

It has occurred to me that many of things in life that I hate to do: exercise, floss, eat vegetables etc. are things that are good for me - funny that! Thankfully (or not) Philips wants me to live longer and has come up with a nifty new device to solve my dislike of flossing problem - you see, what I hate about flossing is sticking my fingers in my mouth, it totally skeeves me out. I need skeeve no more thanks to:

Philips Sonicare AirFloss - $99.99 - is a breakthrough interproximal cleaning device that uses advanced air and microdroplet technology for an easier way to clean between teeth.

It's very easy to use, you just push a button and it sends a quick burst of air and micro-water droplets between teeth for a powerful yet gentle cleaning action. It takes less than a teaspoon of water to do your entire mouth, and better yet, you can use mouthwash instead of water for a super fresh feeling and it takes less than 2 minutes to clean between all your teeth.


While it does remove up to 99 percent more plaque between teeth than brushing with a manual toothbrush alone it is not as good as actually flossing - so if you are a flosser, this isn't meant for you - it's for people (like me) who with a choice between flossing or nothing would choose nothing. Take it from me, this is super easy way for a former non-flosser to become an everyday airflosser!

And you can't beat the guaranteed results - they promise noticeable results and a better check-up in 28 days or you will receive a full refund!

Available in the new year at Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Bed Bath & Beyond and Amazon.ca

Here's to Philips, my gums thank you (but not my dentist now that you've delayed his plans for a Maserati at my expense)!

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and epilators were first introduced, my friend bought one which she kindly lent to me so I could try it out before buying myself one - hair removal without razors or messy creams sounded heavenly! A big NOT on that one, it was one of the most painful things I ever experienced and I only made it through half a leg before I gave it back to her and vowed never to use one of those torture devices again!

Time marched on and advances in technology were made and I broke my vow and have been using a Braun epilator for many years now.  I thought it was doing a pretty good job so when I was given the opportunity to test out the new Philips SatinPerfect model I figured I was a good person to give an opinion on it.

I tried the Luxury for Legs model and they also carry a model that can be used all over your body including your face and bikini area.

Like I said, I have used a Braun one for years which I thought was good but the Philips one actually has some features that I didn't know Braun lacked or that I was missing out on until I tried it.  For starters the Philips model has a wide, slightly curved head, so not only does it cover more area in one pass making the whole process quicker, it also follows the curve of your leg better.  Philips has also done something brilliant - they added a light so you can see the hairs, even the tiny light ones, like a headlight for your epilator!  It also comes with a couple of detachable caps that lift the hairs and  massage, a cleaning brush and a pouch to store it all in.

Now I know for every newbie the concern is the pain factor - and I figured my legs were pretty immune to how much it may or may not hurt considering how long I have been using one.  On my legs it's the faintest of stings but of course the longer you use one of these, the less the pain gets as you kill off the hair root.  So I tried it on my arms which is not a place I normally remove hair from so they are not immune!  There was a light sting but nothing I would call painful - and I'm a total wimp so someone who has gone through childbirth probably wouldn't feel anything at all!

So overall, I would totally recommend the Philips Epilator - it was quick, it was easy, it was fairly painless and of course the best part with using a epilator, the results last for a couple of weeks, not a couple of days like shaving and the like.  I'm even thinking I will upgrade myself to the all over model!

The Philips Luxury for Legs Epilator is available at Zellers, The Bay, Jean Coutu and Personal Edge among others for $89.99 - you can get more details at www.philips.ca.