GiGi Student Starter Waxing Kit

Don't be scared or intimidated like I was. It's not that much fun, otherwise it wouldn't cost so much at the salons, but you can do it and get great results. I've been "blessed" by the hairy fairy. I might also be a bit OCD. I used to tweeze every single hair out of the "brazilian" area, it usually took about 2 hrs. and was literally a pain in the neck and I couldn't get all the way to the *ehm* "back". I've paid anywhere from $75 to $85 (without tip) for brazilian waxes at salons and the still had to take tweezers to the area when I got home! Frustrating!!! The more expensive wax was actually a lot worse than the cheaper one. Grrrr. I paid $38.75 for this kit at amazon.com, chose free shipping and after one use, it's paid for itself. I do have a high tolerance for pain. But I was still shocked that this method hardly hurt at all. (I was using Sally Hansen microwaveable hard wax on my upper lip regularly and that hurt, I thought I was in for torture.) I think the trick to less pain is that you pull the skin as tight as you can before yanking the wax off and that you don't let the hair get too long. I've learned this from tweezing too. It may be helpful to practice how to best grab, pull, tighten the skin before you get started. I pull the skin tight even when I apply the wax. It's relatively easy on top of the pubic area and might get a little trickier once you get between the legs, especially the lips. I try to get them as "flat" as I can, usually pulling up will do the trick. I've sat on a bar stool, the hamper, opened and closed bathroom cabinet doors and drawers to put my foot on. LOL All just to get a good clear view of what I was doing and a good "grip" on the wax and on the skin. It does take practice and I'm sure I will figure out the best positions soon. I was really pleased with my first attempt, minimal pain, nice and clean result. It took me about 1.5 hrs. that's with running back & forth, getting paper towels, alcohol wipes, fishing out my good tweezers out of my purse, sanitizing them, re-washing my hands, etc. I know I will get more efficient with practice. I was still not able to do the "back" myself. I think I will attempt that at another time, maybe with a mirror... not sure yet... Watch the video, it has some good tips. Read other reviews, they have some good tips too. Start with the "most helpful" ones as rated by users. If you need more tips/techniques watch videos on youtube, they may be helpful too. Hair cannot be too short; it shouldn't be too long either. With longer nails, you may be able to lift the edge of the wax easier. Ideally, you would have no hair or at least not much hair on the edge of the wax where you're gonna lift it and pull from, but that's not always possible. My hair was too long by the time I got the guts to try to do this myself. Stupidly, I didn't trim it. If you have too much hair/too long hair on the edge you're pulling from, it'll be harder to lift off the wax and get it going. This was actually the only case where I did hurt myself. Do smaller sections. It takes longer but it's easier. I started rushing, wanting to get done quicker by doing larger sections at a time, that's when I started to leave a lot of hair behind. I just don't have the experience for that yet. I didn't buy any numbing spray or any other prep or after products. I have to watch my $ and was able to do just fine with what this kit came with. Getting the wax the about right temperature makes it much easier to work with. However, I was not able to get a nice soft ball on the end of my spatula like the video showed. But I was able to work with what I had anyway. Be careful, use common sense. Don't burn yourself. You want a nice thick layer of wax. If it's too runny, it's too hot and you may not be able to lay it on thick enough, even if you could tolerate the heat. As the wax cools, the surface will dull. When it's no longer sticky, it's ready to be taken off. If any wax residue is left behind, you may be able to lift it off by sticking the "not hairy" side of the wax patch to it and pulling it off. Give yourself time and you will do great!

Prepare yourself for too much sharing. But come on - we are talking about a kit expressly made to wax one's lady parts. Is this really a time for modesty? Let's put it this way. If we lived in the 70's, the "delicate curls" of my nether regions would be appreciatively referred to with such adjectives as "expansive" and "luxurious". Also perhaps "impressive", what with my nether mane's ability to creep halfway down my thighs like a spreading fungus. However, living in the now, the only acceptable place for an expansive and luxurious mane is on one's head. Sucks to be me. As a woman with an "expansive and luxurious" rug, personal care can be difficult and embarrassing. Dark and coarse hair never seems to completely disappear, even directly after shaving. Combine this with the palest skin on earth (finding makeup is difficult because of my light skin) and super sensitive skin (oh look, another razor burn & ingrown hair!). Now what do you have? A hairy ghost-white chick with a red rash at her bikini line. No wonder I never want to go swimming or wear shorts... A few weeks back I happened to pick up some Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit, for Face, Brows & Bikini to take care of some unsightly hair on my face. Somehow, instead of filling me with rage, ripping off that wax strip was wholly satisfying (even though the first time I did it, I took some lip skin along with it). And, I am insane, but something about looking at the strip afterwards was mesmerizing, in the same vein as staring at a Biore strip after you pull all of the gunk out of your nose pores. As I stared entranced at this wax strip and the multitude of tiny hairs, visions began to dance in my head. Visions of me, frolicking through the grass in a pair of tiny white shorts, my legs smooth as a baby's butt (too bad I'm not skinny enough). Me wearing a swimsuit that's not a skirtie because I am not trying to hide my crotch from the world. And, (TMI ALERT), better romantic spontaniety with my spouse because I don't "have to shave first, sorry, ask me tomorrow". So I bit the bullet and ordered this kit. And I waxed, and waxed, and waxed some more. I waxed my bikini line. I waxed my upper thighs. I waxed inward from my bikini line to a landing strip. I waxed my armpits. I waxed my happy trail (did I mention I am hairy?) I waxed my legs... at least halfway. Then I ran out of wax and became sad, so I ordered some more. Don't worry, there is a lot of wax in the kit. You'll get several brazilians if that is your only objective. I was just going crazy with it. In all seriousness - this kit is awesome. It has everything you need to be a waxing superstar. I found the wax perfectly suitable for every area of my body that I tried it (upper & lower legs, armpits, crotch, tummy). It is VERY easy to use. It didn't take me long at all to get the hang of multiple strips at a time (otherwise it doesn't seem time efficient since you sit and wait for it to firm up). I'd apply just as many strips as I needed for the first one to be ready, then go back down the line ripping them off. It's still taking a long time because I am inexperienced and trying to wax off a LOT of hair, but I expect it to become easier as I get more practice and get more into the "maintenance" phase of things. As far as pain, there are some areas I just couldn't get because it hurts. I mean really, you are ripping the hairs out of your body all at once. It is not as comfortable as having a massage, or even stabbing yourself in the eye with a fork. I wouldn't say I am super tolerant of pain however and MOST areas of my body were no issue for me. Just remember, it's pain in the name of beauty and convenience! If you are not comfortable double-dipping into your own wax, you'll need lots more wax sticks. The first time I used the kit I never double dipped and I used almost all of the sticks that it came with and hadn't even accomplished that much. I quickly decided that my personal double-dipping policy is that it's ok as long as I'm outside the bikini line. Remember NO double dipping EVER if you are sharing your wax pot with someone else. Here's a good kit of wax sticks also from Amazon: FantaSea 350 piece Wax Applicator Kit You'll also need: GiGi Clean Collars 14 oz. Here are some tips. Others have said them, but they bear repeating. * Commit an old sheet to the cause and put it down on a hard floor and put your wax warmer on the floor with you. * NEVER EVER forget the pre-epilation oil. Ow :( * If I was getting a hard to reach spot or an area that I can't really move the pull end into a non-waxed area (some areas this seems impossible??) I would roll up a bit of the last strip I pulled off, and stick it to the end of the new strip to make a tab I could grab.

With all the beauty products out there that make big promises and end up delivering mediocre results, the GiGi wax kit was a welcome surprise. I really love the results of salon waxes but just couldn't justify the expense and upkeep. I was hesitant to try an at home kit as I am just a regular girl with no professional experience. This kit comes with everything you need (plenty of it) to get a good start. The 14oz. can of wax is ample enough for multiple sessions, depending on the area of course. But I am very satisfied with the quality, instructions and results of this product. Some things to know if you buy (not criticisms, just FYI) -The dvd is a bit general for my liking so pull up some tutorials on You tube for help. **NOTE if you look for Brazilian or bikini waxes on youtube, BEWARE: they are seriously up close and personal right from the get go. (I know some have to be considering the area to be waxed but geez, no towel or anything). They are helpful for sure, but I didn't know youtube allowed that, so be warned. -make sure your hair is at least 1/4". otherwise you'll be disappointed. Even the best wax can't grab onto anything shorter. By the same token make sure you don't have a vajungle going on either if you are waxing your ladybits. Trim the hair to a manageable length or it will be a painful mess. -If you heat the wax on hi to melt it, turn it to low right away then wait a bit for it to cool down some. I had no idea what the consistency should be when I first tried and it was pretty runny. I waxed my leg as soon as it was melted and it was too hot. Always to a test strip on your leg to check if you can handle the temperature. For me the consistency should be like cold honey: slides down the stick but not so hot that it's liquidy. -Prep the area. This is key. Wipe down w/ alcohol to get rid of any body oils or sweat. Don't be afraid to use the prep oil that is included. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the wax adheres just fine if you first wipe the cleansed area with GiGi oil on a cotton round. It really made a difference in protecting my skin post wax. Some tutorials advise to use powder to dust the area first so the wax can adhere. I tried both methods and both work, but the oil was more beneficial to my skin post wax. -If you've never self waxed before, you will feel like a total klutz. The first time I got wax drippings all over my leg, the towel, etc. Don't panic. Just let it harden for about a half a minute then gently lift off your floor, fingers, whatever. I would recommend putting newspaper or paper towels down as the wax is hard to remove from a towel and you don't want that melting in your clothes dryer when you launder. -Allow plenty of time. This is not something you can rush through, especially if you're a novice. With each successive time I get faster though. I highly recommend this for the home waxer. very reasonable price for products. Enjoy!

This GiGi Brazilian wax kit really does have almost everything you need to do a successful Brazilian on your own. To start with what it comes with: GiGi Brazilian Hard Wax (this is the same stuff they use at the salon) GiGi wood sticks for spreading wax (when these run out, I'll just by popsicle sticks) Gigi Pre-epilation oil Gigi Post-wax cooling gel (this is *not* a wax remover) Gigi Wax Warmer (the true value of the kit, comes with a warmer, plastic cover, and paper ring to put around the wax container so it doesn't drip onto the warmer) Instructional DVD (meant for professionals and not super helpful to me) I have gotten Brazilians in salons several times before and I can't speak enough to the benefits of hard wax over strip wax for that "area." Hard wax adheres to the hair, not the skin, so hurts MUCH less when pulling out (which is not to say it doesn't hurt, you're still pulling the hair out by the root). I once did a Brazilian to myself with those no-heat strip wax sets you can get at Walmart - OUCH. This is definitely better. I don't find the contortion too difficult - I put a towel down on my bed, lie down, put my knees up and do it that way. Definitely use the pre-epilation oil which will ready your skin for the wax. The warmer does keep the wax at a good temperature - you set it to high at first and when the wax melts, move the setting to low. Once the wax melts, apply SMALL strips and make sure the wax is THICK -- this make it easier to remove. Also make sure you've trimmed the hair and make sure you work so that where you're pulling from (the "edge" so to speak) is relatively hair free. I found that if I tried to pull from an area where the wax was already sticking to hair (as opposed to bare skin), it would be much harder to get out and ended up breaking a lot of the hairs, rather than pulling them out. It's tough finding that perfect instant where the wax has cooled enough to pull off quickly and with little pain, but I did it a couple times, and I'm sure I'll get better at it. I tapped the wax with my finger until it was no longer sticky, counted to ten after than, and then pulled. You can get pretty much all the hair this way but it takes a little while - I may get faster once I've gotten the hang of this stuff. The post-wax cooling gel actually burnt a bit, but afterwards I didn't have any redness or soreness. I wish Gigi included the Wax Off wax remover in this kit because that would have been really helpful -- you have to sort of pick the wax off if it cools too much, and wax remover would make things easier. Overall, a great kit, they really do use it in salons (when I went in to get my eyebrows done, I checked!) and it works well. I definitely recommend it.

I have gotten my eyebrows and lip waxed a few times but never had the courage to get a bikini, let alone a Brazilian, wax from the salon. Shaving is a pain and the stubble that comes shortly after is even worse. Very irritating. I was fed up with this so I finally ordered this kit after reading the reviews. I am so happy I did! Wow. Let me tell you something... When the package arrived at the door I grabbed it and immediately tore it open expecting a leaking bottle of pre-epilation oil as many had complained about. To my surprise, my bottle was fine and everything else was too. Yippee! I popped in the DVD and watched. The DVD is helpful, but it shows a technician waxing a customer. I was hoping more for it to show someone doing it themselves so that I could understand exactly what I was getting myself into. The DVD was very professional and informative. While watching the DVD I heated the wax on high for about 15 minutes. I then quickly showered and turned the wax on low. It did not look very melted at all, only the outer margins were melted. I thought maybe I should stir it instead of waiting any longer and that is exactly what needed to be done. One I flipped the hard wax in the center over and mixed it all together I was good to go. I put a towel on my floor and started with my inner thigh. I applied a drop of the oil, and a semi-thick strip of wax to my leg in the direction of the hair growth, let it dry for a minute, and ripped it in the opposite direction of my hair growth while holding my skin taut. Voila! Yes, it hurt for a second, but I expected that. It was nothing unbearable (and I have never gotten this done before). Once I had both leg areas waxed I moved inward and then downward. That hurt a little more because the hair seemed to be thicker and coarser down there. Make sure your hair is 1/4 to 1/2 inch long like it says. There were a few times toward the end, and toward the more sensitive areas that I thought I could just not take this anymore. I walked away, but came back in a few minutes to finish up. Then I applied the cooling gel and I was done! This wax REALLY got off most, if not all of the hair. My skin is smooth and completely hair free now and I don't expect any hair growth for a few weeks so I am very excited! Here are a few tips from my experience: -Make sure you leave a little tab of wax to pull from on an area that has NO hair. This can be tricky and if doing a Brazilian you might need to start at bottom and work your way up since you have to pull in direction of hair growth (assuming your hair grows down). -Do not forget the pre-epilation oil. It makes it much easier to remove the wax. -Don't use too much wax at a time. My friend did this and ended up with something glued together. Hmm. -Make sure you put a pretty thick layer of wax and wait for it dry. This is tricky because it is kind of tacky. You don't want it to pull like gum when you pull it off, but you don't want it to be completely hard either. Timing is everything. I honestly feel that if I could do this to myself, anyone can! It took about an hour to get it all done because I was putting on a strip, letting it dry, and pulling it off...one by one. In time I am sure I will get better at this and it will take less time to do. No burns, no blood, a little pain...but totally worth it. For beauty we must suffer...a little that is! Did I mention the GREAT price as well?

Second Updated Review The wax itself is very good! It pulls almost every single hair on the first application. It typically takes a second application to completely remove every bit. The first pull/tug was the hardest. My...it was painful, despite the oil and pulling the skin tightly. Even after bathing with warm water to open up the pores a little. I've noticed that the pain tolerance may have gone up some toward the end. Keep at it ladies. It does get easier. :) Prep your area by trimming down to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch. Any longer and it may be even more painful. And the worst thing is that the wax may not stick properly. Definitely wear gloves. I had tile floors in the bathroom so it was a breeze to clean up. If you have carpet, use newspaper or a towel to cover the floor. It will get messy. The warmer does take time to melt the wax. Give about 15 mins on high then lower to medium for about 5 mins then lower it to the lowest setting for 10 minutes before applying the wax on your skin. Test it first on the back of your hand. Apply again direction of hair growth. The wax should not be too runny and start to dry almost immediately on your skin. Don't let it harden. It should be soft to the touch but not sticky. Tug on the edge with the stick then pull the strip the opposite direction of the hair growth. UPDATED REVIEW I had to request a replacement. The oil seeped through and ruined everything in the box. The warmer did not light up when plugged in. I waited for the light to turn on, thinking it may take a few minutes, but the red nor the green turned on after 15 minutes. I thought it may be my outlet so I tried two more outlets with the same result. Frustrating. The replacement is expected to arrive Thursday, August 1st. I'm hoping against hope that I will be getting a clean box. *** ORIGINAL REVIEW Very upset! Just like some reviewers, I received an empty bottle of the Pre-Epilating Oil because the cap was not screwed tightly and it was not even pressed down. The oil leaked through the GIGI production box. It also leaked through the Amazon box. Why was it not wrapped or sealed? I have not used the product yet and will not use it until I get a complimentary bottle of the Pre-Epilating Oil. I've sent a message to Amazon regarding the packaging so hopefully they will respond shortly. The rating may change to a max of FOUR Stars should the wax exceeds my expectation. The spillage has deducted a star from the overall rating.

Great product. I'm saving a lot of money on wax service. The kit is super easy to manage.

This Kit is awesome ~ almost painless!!! I've already done a Brazilian wax and waxed my underarms, in the less than the week that i've owned it :D I'm not going to stick to my tips and tricks rather than revisit some of the amazing reviews that are already here. I've never gone to a salon for waxing, I'm always scared i'll have a reaction to the chemicals. So my method of choice (until purchasing this system) was Nair/Veet or shaving. In the past I've tried cold wax strips, microwave waxes etc, but they all left me more bloody and bruised than hair free. This product is the only one I've ever tried that has worked and it worked well. I'm italian and the hair i waxed is pretty course, and thick. This kit took it out pretty painlessly. I'm thrilled with the amazing results BRAZILIAN: this took me like 3.5 hours and i did not do the back. Mainly because i had been doing this for 3 hours and i had stuff to do. That being said, I removed about 95% of the hair, and areas like the front, and my bikini line are perfectly smooth. I think the main reason was wax was too warm (see below for more info). I'm sure then next time it will be way faster. UNDERARMS: This took me a bit less than an hour- again see below. However, I got rid of about 99% of the hair, and the hair i did miss was easily plucked right out. (I did need hubbie for this on a couple of pulls). However the next day, my underarms are smooth and beautiful! A FEW UPDATES TO OTHER POSTERS: 1. They must have updated the video (as of Aug 1) because it was only on the hard wax and not other types as other reviewers said. The video was a nice bonus in the kit. 2. The kit includes 1 collar to help keep your warmer clean. You can purchase a set of 50 for $6 well worth it. There was NO clean up on the warmer when i was done. Plus each collar can be used more than once if you're neat. 3. Test the wax on the inside of your wrist before putting on your bits. 4. I had no problems with the oil or the gel spilling in the container. 5. My kit does NOT look like the one in the photo. I don't know if they recently re-did packaging. Doesn't really matter i guess, my box & products look different but are as described. MY STEPS TO DO WAXING 1. lay down garbage bag under wax warmer and working surface on the bathroom counter, an old sheet on floor & a small bag to put used wax in after. 2. Add collar to the wax pot, set in warmer and turn on 3. Take Advil 4. Shower & exfoliate (I used Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash- its for the face, but it's gentile and I love it). 5. Flip the hard solid wax that's still in the center of the pot 6. Add Pre-Epilating Oil (DON'T FORGET THE OIL IT HURTS 1000 times more if you don't remember the oil) 7. Start waxing 8. Use olive oil to remove any wax residue Honestly, i think the hardest thing in the whole process is figuring out what temperature is the right consistency for the wax. I've done two waxes with it (Brazilian and under arms) and still don't think i have it quite right. I wax wouldn't be sticky to the touch on top but then would have the consistency of gum on shoe (best i can think of to describe it). I ended up with both waxes getting an ice cube, and putting it in a plastic bag and rubbing it over the wax strip. It worked -- YAY!!! Seems counterintuitive but i think maybe i am still having the wax too hot. One reviewer said waiting for the wax to cool was hardest part, and boy oh boy is she right. Those that complained the "Kit doesn't come with strips to remove the wax", really aren't giving the product a fair shake. You don't need strips. That being said, I can understand why they want them. For me, the wax never seemed to get to that perfect not sticky state. Therefore, when i was doing my second underarm i had an idea. i took a used bit of wax and kinda made a wax strip out of it. Then i'd cover the spot to be waxed with fresh wax from the pot, then put the wax strip over the hotter wax cooling on my skin. I then rubbed the strip a little bit, so the wax strip sort of melts into the fresh wax i just applied. Then RIIIIPPPPPPP!!!!! That seemed to give me the best result. It allowed me to really get at the hair with the wax, and the 'wax strip' i added on top was too cool to stick to skin at all, but added enough strength the wax underneath so everything came out nice and clean. I actually can't wait to try this technique during a brazilian, there were a few spots I couldn't get and i think this would be perfect! As an added bonus, because you are re-using wax you need less 'fresh wax' to make the thick hard wax strip. Overall, I didn't find this wax messy (some of the reviewers had me scared). i spilled a little bit on my granite counter, and it cleaned right up. OTHER THOUGHTS: 1. After Wax Cooling Gel (included in the kit)- stung. I don't know if it's supposed to but I've ordered 100% aloe to use next time. 2. GiGi Wax Off Wax Remover (purchased separately)- this stung too, didn't do a great job of cleaning the wax off and it stinks like cheap lotion. I just used olive oil. . Save your money. Do NOT purchase it. 3. GiGi Clean Collars 14 oz.- You get one free one in the kit. You'll want to purchase this (50 collars for $6). If you figure 3 waxes per collar that $6 will last a long long time. Update Years later: I still would have purchased this kit knowing all of this (it was a great starter kit) and gives you everything you need to get started. It's almost 4 years later and the pot still works. However something happened. After about two years, temperature control stopped working. It has like two settings now - off and molten lava. I kept it to heat wax if I wanted to do a soft and hard wax at the same time. On a side note, believe it or not, I still have the original bottle of Pre-Epilating Oil and use it since you only need a couple drops. I ended up purchasing the Satin Smooth Professional Single Wax Warmer Quick - SSW09C as a replacement when my gigi stopped working correctly. It has a bit more temperature control (10 settings verses the few with this one). Gigi and Satin smooth take the same size pots so there's not concern if you want to try a different wax. As far as waxes go, I tried everything (gigi, the blue one, etc etc) and these are my two favorites. They both fit in both the Gigi and the Satin smooth pots): * Satin Smooth Tea Tree Wax 14 oz. - Soft wax for legs (you need strips and sticks when using this) * Satin Smooth Calendula Gold Wax - hard wax for brazilians, underarms face etc As far as time, using the Satin Smooth pot and wax to do a full brazilian (stem to stern so to speak), it takes about an hour including setup. It's not so much the waxing but repositioning my body in contorted yoga positions to get 'stuff'. It doesn't hurt unless I let things grow in too much. Legs take a bit longer using the soft wax because its messier. If i was just doing bikini, face or underarms - that's stupid quick. If you haven't waxed before or in a while, I recommend you go and get things done professionally then maintain monthly with waxing - less hair = less pain. For clean up I still use Olive oil and coconut oil. I have not reaction and I feel better about it since it's less chemicals. To Avoid ingrown hairs use: * PFB Vanish + Chromabright (brazilian area, underarms, face). This works well and I've bought it several times. It's a bit drying so i couldn't use on my legs * Glytone Body Lotion - I use this on my legs and if I don't do the PFB Vanish on the rest of waxed areas I just started using it in the past few weeks but have been very impressed. It's an expensive lotion but a little goes a long long way. It's rather thick (Whatever you do don't mix PFB and Glytone- it burns! eep) I've linked below to things I buy regularly. You'll notice two different Applicators (FantaSea and Jovana). You tend to go through the wider ones since they're used more often so start with the FantaSea and refill with the Jovana. These are links to some of the amazon things I regularly buy: Hard Wax: Satin Smooth Calendula Gold Wax 2 Pack Soft Wax: Satin Smooth TEA TREE WAX 14 oz Satin Smooth Warmer: Satin Smooth TEA TREE WAX 14 oz FantaSea 350 piece Wax Applicator Kit (multiple size sticks) FantaSea 350 piece Wax Applicator Kit JOVANA Large Wide Wood Wax Spatula Applicator: JOVANA Large Wide Wood Wax Spatula Applicator 6" x 3/4" 100 pack Non-woven Hair Removal Waxing Strips, 100 Pack Non-woven Hair Removal Waxing Strips, 100 Pack (3"x9") PFB Vanish + Chromabright PFB Vanish + Chromabright , 93 grams Glytone Body Lotion - Glytone Body Lotion, 8.4-Ounce Package