Braun Silk Epil 7 Epilator Xpressive Pro

I've never used an epilator before, so, when it came, I looked at it for a couple of days before trying it out. I don't have a lot of body hair, and what there is is light and fine - except from my knees to my ankles where the hair is coarse, thick and black. I thought this was going to hurt a lot. It didn't. I did take the advice of one lady on youtube who said to put a towel down under my leg as the epilated hair falls everywhere. I did; it did, in an amazing amount. Cleaning the epilator was fast and easy. Changing the heads is easy. Recharging is quick and easy. And, it's not candy pink or lurid green or violent violet, it's white, with sparkles. I like plain white or black appliances, and like this colour combo. It's quiet looking even if it's not that quiet. It's a lot quieter than the other half's beard trimmer, but it's an appliance and sounds like one, very much like an electric shaver.

I bought this as I'm sick of shaving every day; I could shave twice a day to keep absolutely smooth. Love that I have no hair for once. I've waxed and hated it as I had to grow the hair long enough to catch in the wax/cloth. Waxing, even professionally done, left me with a blood spot where every little hair was removed and with almost every hair growing in as an ingrown hair, and it hurt more than this epilator. I also used this under my arms and was overjoyed to find it didn't hurt as much as doing my legs. I'd expected it to be horrible, but it wasn't.

I love this little machine! One thing I would have liked is a cap to cover the tweezer heads when it's not in use as a precaution against possible damage. It's not absolutely necessary, but I'd feel better knowing they were protected.

I've epilated before and it is my main form of hair removal. I don't find it painful at all and would equate it to a prickling sensation when the hairs are plucked out. Previously I've used an Emjoi Gently Gold Caress (my favorite and the best until it's passing), a Remington (would not recommend), and most recently an Emjoi Optima (would not recommend). I was on the lookout for a new epilator, because I had enough of my current Emjoi Optima which cuts off too many hairs. I read some raves about this epilator so I decided to make the switch. I only used it with the EfficiencyPro Cap or without any cap at all to maximize hair removal. Did not try it wet.

PROS
- noise:
The most quiet epilator I've used so far.
- maneuverability:
I find it navigates the bony areas of my knees the best of all the epilators I've used.
- Smartlight:
Useful for low or less than natural light conditions. Unsure of how long the light will last though.
- design:
It has this pretty sparkling overlay that I like. It also fits into my hand comfortably, is comfortable to hold, and super easy and smooth to remove and attach the different caps. This epilator is the best in terms of design.
- pulls hair out by the roots:
In comparison to the Emjoi Optima, which tends to cut off my hairs and still leave me stubbly at the end, this epilator does a much better job. In comparison to my gold standard the Emjoi Gently Gold Caress, I would say it's still a little less efficient.

CONS
- rechargeable:
Wanted a corded epilator so I wouldn't have to worry about charging it before using or it running out of charge, but had trouble finding a well-reviewed corded epilator. When this epilator starts running out of charge, the gears start slowing down and don't pull the hairs out as well and then it just shuts off. Expect at least 1 hour for it to charge up fully and until you can use it again.
- on/off button:
Find it awkward turning it on and off since I can't flick the button with 1 thumb like my previous epilators. I have to use both thumbs to rotate the dial to turn it on, off, or to a higher speed.
- poor removal of short hairs (0.5mm):
Despite its claims I find it doesn't removes all those stubby, short hairs. I'll see them with the SmartLight annoyingly, but even after multiple passes it'll still be there.
- length of hair removal time:
The epilating head is a bit small in comparison to the Gently Gold Caress so it takes more time to remove hair. It wouldn't matter if I could get that perfect hairless result, but as it still has trouble with short hairs I see it as a negative.

OVERALL: A definite improvement over the Optima and a close match to my all-time favorite. I would recommend it.

I love my new epilator, I used one for more than 10 years. The new technology is awesome. It doesn't hurt and leave the skin very soft.