The best hair removers: Shape's intrepid staff unearths the most effective new razors, shaving gels, wax strips and more

Shape, May, 2004 by Jacqui Stafford

For all of you who remove hair regularly on your own (sans professional help), Shape's editors did some legwork--with the occasional "ouch!" We spent months evaluating hundreds of hair-removal products, from razors and shaving creams to hair-minimizing lotions and tweezers to see what works best, so you can easily find what products are right for you (and avoid unnecessary pain and irritation). Here, the latest, greatest products, along with our testers' comments.

FOR BODY

Best overall razor

Gillette For Women Venus Divine ($9; at drugstores) "The oval shape means it maneuvers perfectly around areas like ankles, knees and underarms, making for a very easy shave."

Coolest new shaving innovation

Noxzema Bikini Razor ($3; at drugstores) "The mini blade was the perfect size for my hard-to-reach areas, and the moisturizing pads left me with silky skin."

Tip: Shave in the shower or bath-hair will be softer after soaking in warm water.

Most convenient razor

Schick Intuition All-in-One Skin Conditioning Solid in Cucumber Melon ($8; at drugstores) "No need for shave gel, soap or body wash--just add water and the soap encircling the blade lathers lightly for a smooth shave. I loved the scent!"

Best disposable razor

Bic Soleil ($5; at drugstores) "Four vibrantly colored razors, each with a triple blade and an ideal nonslip handle, which made it easy to grip in the shower or bath."

Best electric razor for the bikini area

Remington Trim & Shape Bikini Trimmer ($25; remington-products.com) "A brilliant invention. It's easy to use, trims hair to the perfect shape, and is portable so you can just throw it in your bag for a weekend away."

Best tweezers for stubborn hairs

Tweezerman Body Tweezer ($20; at drugstores) "This one worked really well. It's heavyweight, which means it will last a long time, and it's sharp enough to grab stray hairs left on your bikini area after waxing."

Most effective shave-minimizing moisturizer

Curel Smooth Legs Shave Minimizing Moisturizer ($7; at drugstores) "It's ultrarich and made my legs look like satin. After four weeks, shaving became noticeably easier as my hair really did get much finer and softer."

Best skin-saving after-shave treatment for legs

Zirh Soothe Post-Shave Solution ($28.50; zirh.com) "With aloe vera to heal irritation and ginseng to soothe, it's the perfect nononsense after-shave lotion for your legs."

Best ultramoisturizing after-shave lotion

Avon Skin-So-Soft Fresh & Smooth Hair-Minimizing Lotion ($8; avon.com) "It feels really silky and luxurious--I slathered it all over my body. It's a double-duty product that moisturizes and helps minimize hair regrowth; it genuinely seemed to make the hair on my legs grow back finer, while keeping my legs ultrasoft and smooth."

Best fragranced shave gel

Skintimate Moisturizing Shave Gel in Raspberry Rain ($2.50; at drugstores) "Just a tiny bit of gel produced a rich, thick lather, and the light, refreshing fragrance is perfect for summer."

Guaranteed to avoid ingrown hairs

Tend Skin ($20; tendskin.com) "It's not fancy, sweet-smelling or luxurious, but it works. (It's like taking your vitamins.) Ingrown hairs and bumps around my bikini area were reduced dramatically with regular use."

Tip: Always use shaving cream and a sharp razor for the smoothest--and safest--shave.

Best they-thought-of-everything-product

The Ultimate Shaving Kit by Hair Care Down There ($59; haircare downthere.com) "The Crystal Clear Shave Gel doesn't lather, so you can actually see what you're doing. And the Soothe Skin Fix gives the skin a cooling sensation after shaving. The kit even has scissors for trimming and a stencil to help create the perfect shape."

Best to toss into an overnight bag

Tweezerman Women's Shaving Brush Set ($20; tweezerman.com) "A perfect, packable kit: The mildly fragranced grape-fruit soap didn't dry out my skin, and the compact brush worked up a great lather. This actually seemed to reduce the bumps I normally get, with no nicks at all."

Cutest retro packaging

Bathina Sweet Satin Shave by Benefit ($24; benefitcosmetics.com) "This is a really luxurious chamomile cream that came with an exfoliating puff that made my shave even smoother."

Best for hard-to-reach areas

Finishing Touch hair trimmer ($10; at Target and Wal-Mart stores) "I used this pen-sized trimmer to get what my bikini waxer missed, then liked it so much, I put it to use everywhere I had extra hair, like my face and even the tops of my toes!"

Best to swipe from your man

Clinique Skin Supplies for Men M Shave Aloe Gel ($11.50; clinique.com) "It has a cooling, menthol fragrance, which was refreshing; it rinsed off easily and made my skin feel suede-soft."

Best shave gel for bikini area

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel ($4; at drugstores) "A rich, creamy gel that helped prevent irritation, nicks and cuts. A bonus: Using it regularly helps to reduce hair regrowth over time [6 weeks]."

Best when you're pressed for time

King of Shaves Woman Blu Express Shaving Spritz ($6; shave.com) "The silky, matte oil meant I was able to get a very smooth, quick shave. It's the most amazing product I've ever used!"