Real Women Say These Are the Best Hair Removal Products on Amazon

by LINDSEY METRUS

Pricey waxing appointments, frequent passes with a razor, and tweezing with abandon all make the hair removal process more of a burden than just a usual step in your beauty routine. No matter your goals, whether slight maintenance or total clean-up, removing stubble and peach fuzz should be as painlessly ritualistic as applying your skincare.

This editor is a huge fan of this battery-operated mini hair removal device, perfect for discretely removing upper-lip hair without ever touching a blade directly to the skin. Sonic technology targets the hair and wicks it away while a protective blade cover keeps your skin from getting nicked.

Standout review: “I should have ordered initially instead of going with another brand. I love this. it performs exactly as it says.”

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These Are the Best Black Friday Beauty and Wellness Deals (So Far)

Black Friday isn’t just a day. Here at Byrdie HQ, we see it as a challenge, a marathon, an opportunity to grasp glory in our very hands. Yes, we realize we’re being dramatic, but we can’t help but take it rather seriously. How could we refrain? It’s magical.

Have you been coveting a particularly expensive palette, looking to experiment with a new brand, or trying to stock up on your favorite limited-edition products? Black Friday is your day. With Cyber Monday following close after, it might even be your week.

With that being said, so many brands offer specials that it’s slightly overwhelming to try to navigate the best deals on your own. If you’re like us, you have some serious pre-sale FOMO. Even if it’s impossible to partake in every deal out there, remember to have fun and revel in the kickoff to the holidays. Keep reading to see a roundup of amazing beauty brands and their Black Friday deals so you can spend less time researching and more time with family, turkey, and dessert!

Luminess: All products are on sale up to 84% off at Luminesscosmetics.com. Enjoy free shipping on any order of $50 or more.

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Facial Hair Removal Guide: How to Remove Every Unwanted Hair From Your Face

Hair removal—and whether or not to remove hair at all—is a very personal choice. And when it comes to hair on your face, it’s a pretty sensitive one, too. We mean that literally. The skin on your face is more delicate than the skin on your legs, say, so it’s important to be thoughtful and careful about the hair-removal methods you choose.

While removing hair on most parts of your body is no biggie, removing it from your face takes extra TLC. As Shay Moinuddin, R.N., aesthetic nurse specialist and practice manager of the Few Institute (fewinstitute.com), tells SELF, scars from waxing, electrolysis or lasers can happen very easily when things go wrong during a treatment and they are much harder to camouflage on the face versus the body. And some methods are better for certain types of hair growth than others.

No matter the type of hair removal (self.com/topic/hair-removal) you’re considering, it’s important that you pay attention to your skin. “If you are noticing bumps, ingrown hairs or sensitivity, then your hair-removal method might not be the right fit for your skin,” says Dendy Engelman, M.D., a dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in New York. She recommends always starting with well moisturized skin, as the more pliable the skin, the less likely it will be inflamed or irritated with the pressure of the tool. Exfoliating once or twice a week to remove any dead skin cells on the surface will help prevent ingrown hairs (self.com/story/ingrown-hair-treatment), and finishing with lotion or oil will keep skin hydrated and protected.

Mustache

How to get rid of hair in this above-the-lip region is a very personal decision, says Dr. Engelman. She likes the Luminess Silk & Smooth Hair Remover, $30, which cuts the hair on the surface of the skin and leads to less irritation since it is not pulling hair from the follicle.

For individuals with darker facial hair and lighter skin, laser hair removal (self.com/story/the-pros-cons-of-laser-hair-re) is a good option. “Since the laser picks up darker pigment, it renders the best results,” she says. “Lighter hair, which has less pigment, can be much less effective.” Hair loss can be seen after as little as three sessions and full results may be achieved in up to six or eight sessions. “Caution should be taken when having laser hair removal on the face because of the proximity of the treatment to the eyes,” Moinuddin adds. “Proper goggles designed for the specific laser being used must be worn during treatment to protect the eyes from permanent damage.”

Derms don’t recommend waxing the upper lip, as that commonly leads to ingrown hairs

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Beyonce’s Makeup Artist Teaches How to Contour with Luminess

Watch Beyoncé’s Makeup Artist Sir John Teach Us the Real Way to Contour

There are “makeovers” and then there are “slayovers”… and that’s exactly what our very own Gwen Flamberg got when she joined makeup artist Sir John on a trip to Luminess Cosmetics’ Houston offices.

You see, Sir John isn’t just any makeup pro; he’s the man behind the brushes that paint Beyoncé and he and Gwen (along with a few other lucky beauty editors) flew down to Texas on a private jet the day after the Formation singer’s second Coachella performance. What did they do to pass the time? Makeup at 48,000 feet, of course!

Sir John is known for his “teflon” technique, which keeps a look fresh for hours on end (he even joined Us on our podcast Get Tressed with Us to explain, in detail, how he got Beyoncé’s glow to last through dancing in the desert heat — hint: it involves layering) and his killer contouring skills.

After Gwen explained that she was completely intimidated by contouring and hated the extreme looks she’d seen in youtube tutorials, the makeup pro (who also counts Priyanka ChopraSerena Williams and Mary J. Blige as clients, NBD) explained that the key to “contouring for real life” is to “simply sculpt” the face with color by softly stroking matte bronzer or a powder foundation a shade darker than your skin tone. Also, he recommended an overall neutral makeup palette with accent shades of terracotta to make the sculpting look super authentic.

After perfecting foundation, Sir John used the Luminess taupe brow pencil to maximize Gwen’s arches, concentrating strokes at the highest points. Next up, eyes: Shades from the Nude Eye Shadow Palette were used to create definition. Sir John relied on the burgundy and rose shades, then dusted a bit of beige in the inner corners. He stroked the red shade in Luminess’ cool Tarot Series Strength Eye Shadow Palette in the center. Coco Eye Liner was smudged along lashlines and two coats of mascara finished the look.

The final touch? A rosy nude liquid lipcolor was slicked on to the pout (Gwen is still obsessed with Luminess’ Forever Reign Lip Stain in Tame.) Lesson learned: stick with a universally flattering pumped-up neutral palette and use a light hand and you’ll look uber-polished every time. Blending well with brushes (especially those that had last touched Beyoncé’s face) doesn’t hurt either!

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Luminess and Sir John Give a Group of Editors a Fun Makeover, 45,000 feet in the Air

Sir John and Luminess team up to give a select number of editors an in-flight makeover session, flying through 3 cities in less than 24 hours. Sir John shares his best makeup tips and favorite Luminess products

 

This Is What It’s Like Getting Your Makeup Done by Sir John on a Private Jet

I never truly knew what a pinch-me moment felt like until I found myself 45,000 feet up in the air on a private jet (one of the world’s fastest—nbd) getting my makeup done by Sir John, a celebrity makeup artist whose star-studded roster of clients includes Queen Bey herself. (In fact, only 24 hours earlier, Sir John had been backstage with Beyoncé at Coachella, using the very same brushes that were about to touch my face. Casual.)

 

Thanks to Luminess Cosmetics, a lucky group of editors and I received the ultimate in-flight beauty experience, jet-setting through three cities in less than 24 hours. I’d imagine this is how Beyoncé feels all the time, and who wouldn’t want to live like her for a day? I’m still replaying the moment in my head when Sir John created the most gorgeous, warm, bronze-y makeup look on me in under 10 minutes. Staying calm throughout the experience took some extra effort, as you can probably imagine.

 

I did my best to soak it all in and really enjoy the experience, but I did manage to jot down a few insider tricks to share. Ahead, see Sir John’s best makeup tips for those of us who don’t have all day to spend on their makeup but still want to look good on the fly. (I mean, wasting a bunch of time on your makeup can really get in the way of living your best life, no?)

 

Tip #1: Keep Things Simple

 

“It’s similar to the idea of doing your makeup between 125th and 59th streets on the express in New York,” says Sir John. “If you have a quick seven minutes, you can give yourself a cool face. The way you can do it is by not using a lot of products. So for you, we rehashed the monochromatic trend.”

 

Tip #2: Let One Product Do Most of the Work

 

It was hard for me to believe that Sir John used a single lipstick liquid to create my entire makeup look. “For your complexion, I wanted to go with something really warm, amber, and bronze-y,” he told me. “I wanted something that would naturally look like your complexion. If you take a liquid matte lip color, you can use that same color on the cheeks, eyes, and lips. With a liquid matte texture, you can use it on your lips, and you don’t necessarily need lip liner. You can also turn it into a cream blush on your cheeks. Do this by using your ring finger—it’s the weakest finger and uses the least amount of product while blending really well.”

 

The final step? “Last but not least, I took this fluffy eye shadow brush, the #217 blending brush from MAC, and put a little bit on the back on my hand,” Sir John explained. “Starting at the lash line, we swiped that all over the lid and a tiny bit underneath the lash lines as well. Then I used the brush to blend. These liquid matte lipsticks are really gorgeous as eye shadows. They stay all day and are great as a base for underneath shadow if you decide to do that. They’re going to anchor to your complexion but not dry out on your eyelids.”

 

Tip #3: Transform Your Look With Statement Lipstick

 

“If you’re coming from work and you’re on your way out, the quickest way to make a really nice statement is with a lip,” says Sir John. “Since everything about your makeup was corresponding and so simple and subtle already, I like how we turned the look upside down with an inky violet-blue.

 

“It had a beautiful, creamy satin finish,” Sir John says. “Since this color is so in the middle of being a creamy satin, you can change the texture from matte to gloss too.”

 

Tip #4: Use a Beautyblender to Apply Your Foundation

 

“I like to apply foundation with a wet Beautyblender,” says Sir John. “It’s quick, and you don’t have to blend as much. Just be sure keep it in a clean container when you’re on the move.”

 

Tip #5: Cigarette Rolling Papers Make Great Blotting Films

 

Sir John’s secret? “I like to use cigarette rolling papers as blotting films for the nose, eyes, and forehead if it gets too oily.”

 

Tip #6: Bring the Heat Around Your Eyes

 

“I’m a big fan of bringing heat around the eyes,” Sir John told me. “This might sound crazy, but red eye shadows are really popular right now around the eyes. No matter what complexion or eye color you are, it works. Try wearing Currant lip liner as eyeliner and smudging that around the eyes, and then wearing the same thing on the lip. Old-school makeup artists will say this is going to make someone look sick or like they’re tired, but we’re in a different day makeup-wise. Stick to waterproof formulas and deep, Merlot, and wine-colored shades. It looks very alluring and hot on everyone. It’s super-modern makeup for summer nights.”

 

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