GiGi Brazilian Body Hard Wax for Hair Removal, Non-Strip for Coarse Hair, Ideal for Bikini, Face & Sensitive Areas, 14 oz, 1 Pack

Overall, I like this product. I've been getting Brazilians and my underarms done for several years, so I knew the general gist of how to use the product. I still watched several YouTube video's beforehand, since I've never actually done it myself before. I would really suggest not piling it on too thick. It can get kind of taffy-like when you pile it on too thick and then doesn't pull off as it should. It's a fine art though, because if its too thin you get a lot of leftover flaky wax which is a pain in the butt to get rid of. But too much and it's not as effective and hard to pull off. So I would say apply thin-ish layer but don't dab it on, cause thats when it gets flaky and obnoxious. I would also recommend showering before you use this especially if you have used deodorant that day and are planning on doing your underarms, cause it needs to be washed off for the wax to be most effective. My routine consists of first turning the machine on high at least an hour before you want to start waxing to melt the wax, and then after its all melted I alternate between low and turning it off for a few minutes, otherwise it gets too hot. Then I apply some baby powder to the region to get rid of any excess moisture, and then I apply the wax in a moderate amount in the direction of the hair growth, trying not to spread it out too thin. If you can get it applied in a solid line, that is optimal. DO NOT PAT IT ON with the stick around the edges of the initial spread of wax, that's when you get it flaky and it's a pain in the ass to get off. If you have to apply more wax I found it best to just apply it directly on top of the initial layer and then trying to evenly spread it out. Then let it sit for around 30 seconds or until its hard and no longer warm. Then pull it off in the opposite direction of hair growth. It can be tricky when you can't exactly see the direction of hair growth, and you may unfortunately have to wax twice (this wax is gentle enough where it shouldn't be a problem-it wasn't for me, and I have fairly sensitive skin that is prone to irritation). I think most problems that come with this are from user error, and it's a really good wax. It also smells good in my opinion (like beeswax), and I noticed a lot less irritation with this vs. whatever they used in the salons and a LOT less irritation than with sugaring, and far less pain in my case than when I paid to get it done. You are not a sissy for popping a few advil half an hour before use though, that's what I did and it seemed to help a lot. For anyone who loves being waxed but hates paying the price I would invest in the Gigi machine and the hard wax. It's super worth it. I would say this is as good of a wax as any and at an extremely reasonable price. I would not recommend trying this without getting it done professionally at least once though, so you know what to expect. Part of the reason it was so easy for me to use was because I had a lot done before I decided to do it myself, and I like doing it myself more than getting it done. The whole process (brazillian and underarms) took me around an hour and a half to two hours, but I took my time and was distracted by watching some Netflix. Don't rush it or you will for sure mess it up and will have some regret.

I've tried giving myself a Brazilian wax several times and could never really get the job FULLY done...until I tried GiGi Brazilian Hard Wax. I have used other kinds of waxes: GiGi honey wax, a green wax of which its brand I don't even remember, lemon and sugar wax. All these waxes were ultimately either ineffective in removing all my course hair or they were just too sticky. I would end up still hairy and with residue wax all over my body and wax all over my floors. Clean up used to be a nightmare!Now this hard wax was perfect! The fact that you don't need any strips reduces the hassle and the mess, and also allows you to focus on small little bits and pieces at a time, which for me was absolutely necessary. I didn't buy any of the pre-wax products-- I soaked a little isopropyl alcohol in a cotton ball to clean the areas to be waxed, pat dried them with a paper towel and then applied baby powder pretty much everywhere. Make sure you don't forget the baby-powder! If you forget to powder up the wax will stick to your skin and remove it along with your hair (Ouch!). Because no trips are used, I was actually able to wax parts that I have never been able to before. In the past, whenever I used honey wax and strips on these specific areas, I would pull slowly and the strip would come off but the wax would stay on my body. I would spend anywhere between half an hour to an hour trying to oil rub the wax off my skin, and then I would just give up waxing altogether. Now this did not happen with the hard wax. When I pulled slowly the wax did break, but the hair did come off with the wax. I did find myself having to pinch little bits and pieces of wax (along with hair) at a time, which was excruciatingly painful, but this is my own fault for not being able to pull fast enough. I was able to wax everything off with some trial and error. Once you learn to use the wax, and to pull fast, you will absolutely love it! I feel like it hurt me less to wax myself than to have the job done professionally, but it did take me much much longer to get it done (approximately 2 hours!). The wax did leave some stray hairs, but it was nothing my tweezers couldn't fix. Cleanup was also very easy. I used my nails to chip off hardened wax that fell on my floor (a butter knife would also be useful if you don't want to risk damaging your nails). Rub on any type of oil (baby, almond, olive, coconut oil, etc.,) to remove any wax residue from your skin.Here are some tips for waxing:- Taken an advil or two (if you are not allergic of course) thirty minutes prior to waxing. This really helps with the pain.- Clean and pat dry areas that are going to be waxed.- Powder up!- Make sure your skin is taut. Use one hand to pull the skin and the other hand to pull the wax. Some areas are more difficult to make taut than others. Experiment pulling different directions until you find one that is sufficiently taut. It really reduces the pain when your skin is not being pulled and dragged along with the wax!- Pull fast! The faster, the less it will hurt.- If you are like me at all, mind over matter is easier said than done. I tell myself "fast" but end up chickening out and pulling really slowly. If you pull slow the strip might break (not to mention it will hurt like hell). For those areas which you know you might chicken out because they are extremely painful, try waxing very small portions (nickel or quarter sizes worked for me).- A thicker wax layer is not necessarily better. For me it was actually worse. Just make sure the wax layer is not TOO thin on very painful areas as a slower pull combined with thin layer or wax will cause the wax to break.- I found it helpful to wax from outside to inside. Start with your bikini area (thigh) and then continue moving towards the center.- Don't forget to bring a hand mirror to the bathroom!- Play some soothing music to distract you from the pain.Good luck!