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Leg shaving has only really become popular since World War II. Stockings were few and far between and women resorted to shaving their legs so they could then dye them with gravy and draw a black line down the back. Yummy!
You have to admire the ingenuity they showed. But you can also feel free to curse the trend they started for hair free legs.
Yes I know you’ve been shaving your legs for years. Maybe not since WW2. But there is an actual proper way to do it. And let’s face it, nothing beats shaving for silky smooth pins. So unless you want legs cut to ribbons and missed bits here’s how to go about it.
- Lather up. The easiest way to cut your legs to bits is to shave dry skin.
- Shaving oil is great – but foam is easier. Why? Because you can actually see what you’re doing – and this means you’re less likely to miss any bits. Unlike a friend of mine who, glancing down at her freshly shaved legs one sunny day at a barbeque, noticed that she’d left an unflattering hairy ankle bracelet on each leg.
- Exfoliate before you shave. This raises the hairs and leaves the ground prepared as it were.
- Pick a nice sharp razor and change the blades regularly. A blunt one will do you no favours.
- Anyone who’s ever shaved their legs with a man’s razor knows – these things are the business. Why do you think he goes so mad when you nick his Mach Fusion Power Ten Blade yoke? He knows summat you don’t. And his manly shaving foam is just as good for shaving your legs as yours – it’s just not a pink colour and doesn’t smell of sweets.
- Those cheap aul disposable things are crapola – avoid unless you like pain and blood.
- If you run out of foam or oil use hair conditioner. It’s only brilliant.
- Shave upwards from your ankle, against the way hair grows, towards your knee.
- Lash on the moisturiser afterwards and you’re done. Don’t forget to check for the hairy bracelet!
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I use my hair masque for shaving- find it brilliant!!
Recently been using my b/f’s boots botanics shaving gel and thats nice too..
mens razors are amazing, it’s so true. I am still adoring my venus breeze, which is hands-down, the best womens shaver out there.
Totally agree about boy razors, they are the shizz! And I bought Himself his Gilette Fusion Power and his last lot of blades so it’s ok for me to sneakily use it, right?
With ya on the boy’s shavers. My other half used to use Wilkinson Sword Quattro when we first met and being a Gillette Mach 3 gal I had to try it out- I discovered that the Quattro suuuucks. It gets gunked up immediately and can’t be cleaned out. So now we’re a Mach 3 household.
Does anyone know if the tax paid on lady’s shaving razors and foams is still higher than men’s because women’s ones are viewed as “luxury items”. I know that used to be the case and I still won’t buy dedicated women’s shaving products on account of shaving my legs is the least luxurious part of my beauty routine, thank you very much!
I never use shaving foam or oil, just pop my leg under the shower head and the water lubricates (excuse the choice of word) my legs and I get a really close shave. My bfriend also just uses water and his face is soooo soft after shaving, no cuts or rashes, loads of moisturiser after!!
grr i shaved my legs last night could of done with this post yesterday, still good post though i’ll know next time
Come on Girls let your fellas do it for you , it’s the one thing we KNOW how to do, and it can be quite sexy!
Also STOP USING MY F##KING BLADES!
I use disposable razors and find them perfect. There’s a great choice out there now and it’s not just the bright orange bic ones anymore! I find them just as good as any of the fancy ones and never get cuts either…
I’m with Zee on the Mach 3 love. WAY better than any girls shavers out there. Always get a close, longlasting shave with them. Mind, i’ve very pale hairs on my legs anyway, so can get away with not doing them for quite some time!
im hopeless at this, always have a patch left over somewhere, and hairy knees. yummy!!
I have the hariest most sensitive legs ever! I get them waxed but they are stubbly still. And my hair is v dark so i dont get too long out of the wax. But when I shave I get a lovely rash unless take aages and really hot water. Tried everything. Now im using a shaving out i got in boots and the wilkenson sword intuition with the saopy stuff. BUt one use and im done with that,they are practically disposible for me, cos i take so long!
Ive tried everything! exfoliating before, moisturising after with tea tree, aloe vera. Too poor for laser and too impatient for waxing!
Anyone else with nightmare legs? Any tips??
i dunno tish, i was housesitting a couple of weeks ago and forgot my venus. i bought some disposable ones in boots to make do with – world of blood and pain! i made a shockin mess of one leg. When i got back to my venus i nearly hugged it!
Tend skin is fab for ingrown hairs and the rash u get after shaving. I swear by it!! never put in on spots [face] though – lesson learned with that one
I LOVE tendskin on spots! It’s the best! What happened to you Clio?
love my venus breeze but agree with Mach 3…my brother hides his blades cause I sneakily help myself when I run out…
ooh i have a tip, i forget where i heard it but i find it really helps to avoid those horrible “shaving bumps” (goosepimply looking legs)
Like Aphrodite says, always shave in an upwards direction (ie from the ankle to knee) to remove hair – and then go back over the same strip of skin a downwards direction. Not sure how it works but it definitely makes skin less bumpy.
Shaving is a biaatch to have to do every day ! What happens when you shave your legs in the morning and stay over in your fellas gaff ? He has a bit of stubble going on in the morning and it’s hot . . . we have stubble on our legs and it’s just gross
RE using your man’s razor, a read about shaving from a dermatologists point of view, she said that 4 or more blades is too harsh on your skin as each blade is cutting off more and more skin . . .
L’Occitance En Provence Almond Shower Oil is the business for shaving. I tried everything and nothing beats it. Also it doubles as a shower gel and is great with exfoliating gloves. Expensive, but lasts for ages.
On a regular basis I just use the pink Daisy disposable razor, but I found out the power of mens razors at a young age. I can’t count the number of times my father used to yell at me for using his razor.
My boyfriend got so fed up with me using his face razor for my legs, he bought me my own man razor to keep at his house. I use the Gillette Fusion 5-blade razor. It is beyond AMAZING! I love it so much
i have thich hair and i only have dispensable razor and just recently got a razor thatkeeps my legs smooth for 1 night but then grows back in the morning so i need a razor that keeps my legs smooth a shaven for long periods of time> HELP!!!!