the Elle next door: THE ONE THING THAT MAKES ME FEEL INSTANTLY READY FOR SUMMER

Out of the many, many things that crosses my mind when the warmer months roll around, it is always hair removal that catches me out at last minute and it is always the thing that crosses my mind the most. For me, having silky smooth legs and fuzz free pits is the single one thing that instantly makes me feel ready for summer but omg ain’t nobody got time for shaving everyday. Today’s post is about a tool that’s made such a huge difference to my body hair, lack of time, confidence and general life. It’s the Philips Lumea Prestige and it basically means that I never have to worry about having 0.434 seconds to get ready before heading out of the door and not having time to shave.

So what is this gorgeous but strange ole rose gold device that makes me not a permanent hairy mary and what does it do? The Philips Lumea is the number 1 leader in IPL hair removal proven to reduce hair growth up to a whopping 92% in as little as 3 bi weekly treatments.

The thing that is sometimes daunting about IPL in general I personally think is that you worry if it’s going to work for your skin tone/hair type/certain body parts etc. and that’s what makes the Lumea Prestige so amazing because it’s been designed to provide a tailored hair removal solution for all body parts, meaning you can keep those pins, pits, bikini line…wherever you wish hair free. It comes with 4 attachments, all suitable for different body parts and curved too which makes it easy to get into all the nooks and crannies - LOL at using potentially the least sexy word to describe a very sassy product - but basically it’s just super easy and effective.

I also love that you can use the device with the cord or cordless. Using it with actually speeds up the frequency of the flashes making the treatment 1.75 times faster (always a huge bonus for us busy bees). Going cordless however is also amazing for getting to all those tricky places with ease. See, I wasn't joking when I said it's all made super easy [insert thumbs up emoji here].

The Body attachment has a large window allowing you to cover bigger surface areas delivering faster treatments (approximately 8.5minutes for both lower legs, isn’t that insane?) whilst the Facial attachment features a flat design and has an integrated light filter for additional protection for more sensitive skin. The Bikini attachment - my personal fave because hello going on holiday and not having to worry about whacking on a bikini every day - is specifically designed for darker, stronger hair which delivers more energy per hair for a more effective treatment, whilst the Underarm attachment features a smaller, more curved window for more precise/consistent results. I just love that it not only makes IPL easy, but it means that every body part is getting the same, super effective treatment.

As an olive skinned, dark haired - sexy TMI times - girl, this works super well for me but it’s actually effective across a wide range of hair colours and skin types. The SmartSkin sensor feature allows women to measure their skin tone by pressing a button to advise which setting would be best for their skin/specific area which I think is absolutely genius as sometimes it’s quite difficult to judge. Once you have the right setting and you're good to go, the Philips Lumea Prestige works by applying gentle pulses of light to the hair root which gradually reduces the amount of hair that your body grows.

OK, so here’s the part you’ve been waiting for. How long have I been using it, what are my results, am I no longer a hairy mary? I’ve now been using the IPL for 6 weeks (3 sessions) and already it’s made a huge difference to my hair. After my second treatment, most of the hair hasn’t grown back yet (it will do as 2 treatments isn’t enough but it’s incredible that already I can go much longer without hair removal in between). It’s finer, less coarse, much lighter too…and bearing in mind that I spent most of April in America in the sun, it has been an absolute godsend knowing that I can just whack on a bikini without worrying that things look wild everywhere [insert upside down smile emoji here].

So in case you couldn't tell, I am completely in love with the Philips Lumea Prestige, not only is it so effective but it's incredible quick and easy to use. 10 minutes once per fortnight (for legs, an additional 5 mins if you're going to do underarms too) and in a few sessions you notice a huge difference in regrowth... it's the one thing that I always make sure to prioritise time for.

I would love to know if you've ever tried IPL before? Is it something you'd consider investing in?

As always, thanks so much for reading!

This post was sponsored by Philips