His and Hers Valentine's Gifts from Braun

Apologies for my hiatus of late! Wedding planning and work coincided with the beginning of the year being spent on jury service, leaving me quite time poor and pretty exhausted! I was lucky enough not to be involved in some of the more well publicised trials currently on at Southwark Crown Court, but nevertheless it was a very emotional and draining few weeks. However, I have lots of things to update you on so look out for a little flurry of posts…

Today I wanted to do a little feature on some cool new gadgets from Braun that I was sent to trial before Christmas - a ‘His and Hers’ grooming duo featuring the Braun CoolTEC shaver and the SkinSpa epilator.

My fiancé, who despite my best efforts is only interested in grooming under duress, has been dutifully putting the new Braun CoolTEC shaver (£199.99) to the test. Braun’s CoolTec is a revolutionary new dry shaver that has been designed to minimise irritation, making it perfect for sensitive skin and since Luke has eczema I thought he would be the perfect candidate for trials. It’s innovative feature is an aluminium cooling bar built into the head to remove the heat created during shaving, thereby cooling the skin, minimizing redness, burning and itching sensations, and leaving skin refreshed. It also has an adaptable 3 stage cutting system to adjust to the contours of the face and a SensoBlade, which has been specifically designed to target and capture hairs growing in different directions.

In essence, all these fancy specs mean that this shaver works really well, giving a smooth, comfortable shave with minimal irritation. My fiancé is a sceptic when it comes to electric shavers, having broken various models due to his coarse stubble, but the CoolTec has been going strong! He has explained that it does take him a little longer to shave in the morning, when compared to a traditional razor, but the fact that he can use it in the shower (it is waterproof up to 5m) still saves him time overall (and makes me happy as there are no messy hairs left in the sink). Overall the best testament I can give is that he has actually started using it quite independently, so much so that the last time I unplugged the CoolTec charger to charge my toothbrush the CoolTec had quickly taken its place! High praise indeed ;p.

For my part I have been using the Braun Silk-epil Skin Spa (£169.99) over the last month, which is an epilator and sonic exfoliator in one convenient gadget. As you may have read in my previous reviews I am a huge wimp when it comes to any forms of pain, so I am always very cautious when it comes to epilation. However, every time I try a new epilator from Braun I am impressed by the progress that has been made, and this was no exception.

This epilator can be used wet or dry, which I find super convenient not only with regards to saving time, but also clean up. The fact that this epilator is so good at picking up short hairs was also a welcome feature. In fact, it can remove hairs 4 times shorter (0.5mm) than waxing and some as small as a grain of sand! The exfoliation brush is a great addition as it works hard to make your newly smooth skin even softer. The brush refines the skin 4 times better than a manual scrub with more than 3000 micro-vibrations per minute. I especially love to use it before applying fake tan as it leaves no oily residues, like some scrubs can, and makes sure my skin is perfectly primed.

More info on both of these grooming gizmos can be found on the Braun website here or on the Boots website - CoolTec and SkinSpa


Have you guys tried the Braun CoolTec or SkinSpa? What do you think of them? Perhaps it’s time to treat yourself (or your partner) to a little preening this Valentine's Day! xxx

Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator Review

Hair removal is not the most glamorous of topics, but for us girlies it is an unfortunate necessity.  I am pretty fickle when it comes to hair removal, if I'm going on holiday I book a waxing appointment, if I'm at home with some free time on my hands I epilate and if I'm in a rush (ie. most of the time) I reach for the razor. I was therefore really excited when I first heard about the new Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator, which is an epilator and razor in one, giving you the long lasting effects of an epilator with the smoothness of a razor!

I was kindly sent this to review a few weeks ago, and have been using it once or twice a week since. I really like the fact that I can use it wet in the shower in the same way as a razor (with shaving cream). This not only makes the whole process faster, but also saves time cleaning up.  

On first use I was a little apprehensive as the smoothing head is much bigger than a razor, so I was worried that it could be a little awkward to use in areas such as the ankles and knees. Luckily I haven't had any cuts so far as the pivoting head works well to navigate these tricky areas, while the non-slip ridges on the side make it feel pretty secure, even with soapy hands. The automatic light also helps to find any stubborn hairs you may have missed. The dual head glides smoothly while its 40 tweezers claim to remove even the smallest hairs (0.5mm) from the root, while the shorter hairs are shaved with the Gillette Venus blade. It really does work in just one stroke! 

Now I'm not going to lie - I am the biggest wuss and have a very low pain threshold. I have always found epilating painful, and though this epilator is not especially painful it's still not an experience I look forward to. What does help is that unlike traditional epilators you don't have to make multiple passes over the same area. Even if a hair is not picked up on the first swipe by the epilator the blade shaves it off, so there is no need to repeat. 

The Braun Silk-épil 7 also comes with multiple heads so it  can be used dry in the same way as traditional epilators. When used dry, although it does pick up most hairs on the first swipe, there are a few left behind so if you want a smoother finish you will need to repeat.

Overall I'm really impressed with the Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator and am going to continue using it as my preferred method of hair removal - it works quickly and gives a smooth finish that lasts longer than regular shaving. Although it is pretty pricey (around £100) I do think it's worth investing in a good epilator, which will be more efficient and less painful, ensuring you will get more use out of it. The biggest advantage of the dual dpilator for me is that it can be used in the shower, which saves a lot of time (I usually use it while I'm waiting for my conditioner to do its magic). 

What is your preferred method of hair removal? Do you epilate regularly? Have you tried the new Braun Silk-épil 7 dual epilator? xxx