Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips Review

Product Overview

I was a little confused by this product, in that it states on the box that there are 32 wax strips, 16 double-sided.  However, when I opened the box there were 8 sheets of 4 wax strips - so 32 individuals.

​Each rectangular strip measures just 25mm x 7mm and they come ready to use on clear plastic backing sheets.

They are suitable for sensitive skin, and they come complete with a small bottle of Azulene Oil for use after waxing.

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The current retail price is around $10, and as there should be sufficient to last for quite a few months, it would appear that they are pretty cost effective.

What's in the Box?​

Contents of the Box

• 32 Wax strips
• Azulene Oil (8ml bottle)
• Instruction Leaflet

A Look at the Product​

The wax strips are between clear plastic sheets, so that you can easily see exactly where you are placing them.

There are 4 strips to each sheet, for cutting into individual strips as required.​

Each sheet has 4 rectangular strips (25mm x 7mm)

The plastic sheets are pulled carefully apart to give 2 usable wax strips - one on each sheet.

The Azulene Oil is un-perfumed and gentle, and is applied after waxing to soothe and leave feeling soft and moisturized.

Ingredients​

Below is a list of product ingredients, photographed straight from the box:

Ingredients - shot straight from the box

You should always check the ingredients if you have any known allergies, but also make sure to carry out a patch test 24 hours prior to using on an inconspicuous area to ensure no adverse reactions occur.

How Easy is the Product to Use?​

The Parissa brow shaper mini wax strips are very easy to use, with no mess or palaver:

​It really is as simple as that!

There are a few precautions to observe:

​It is a good idea to carry out the treatment at night, before bed, so that if you have any irritation or redness, it has time to settle down over night.

Is it Effective?​

I found these to be pretty effective on my fine, light brows and the pain level was definitely bearable.

There does seem to be some mixed reviews, but perhaps mastering the method is most important to get the best results, and you will need to use tweezers for the odd stray hairs that are left - it is very difficult to be absolutely precise with wax.

You need to pull the wax back across itself as close to the skin as possible in the opposite direction to the hair's growth, as quickly as you can.  Do not pull up and away, as it will be much less effective.

Why Use Wax for Eyebrows?​

The two realistic options for eyebrow shaping at home are waxing or tweezing.

The advantage of waxing is that if you have thick, dense eyebrows it will remove a lot of hair much more quickly than tweezing one hair at a time.  It can also remove the fine hairs that can be difficult to pick up with tweezers.

The downside, of course, is that you cannot achieve the level of precision with wax that you can with a pair of tweezers.​

So, perhaps the best option is to combine the two - using wax to remove most of the hair and then finishing off any strays with the tweezers.​

We have published a separate article to help you decide which are the best tweezers for eyebrows.​

How Painful is it?

Waxing is always painful, as it involves pulling out hair from the root, and it is a more concentrated pain than tweezing as multiple hairs are plucked simultaneously.

Over time, the process becomes less painful as the skin becomes more tolerant.  Also, hair tends to grow back finer and sparser, which also helps.

Do bear in mind that, for this reason, that it is best not to go mad and remove too much hair, as it may not grow back!​  It is always best to err on the side of caution - you can always take a bit more away, but you can't stick it back!

Tips for Eyebrow Shaping

There are aids available to help you achieve the perfect eyebrow shape such as the Billion Dollar Brow Buddy,  which we have recently reviewed.

Alternatively, you can buy eyebrow stencils, which consist of various different options to place over your brows and fill in with a pencil.

The following tips are to help you achieve the correct shape without aids:​

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1 - Start Point

Using a straight edge e.g. a pencil or similar, line it up from the edge of your nose to the inner corner of your eye and mark the point where it meets your brow with a brow pencil.

2 - Highest Point​

Line up the pencil from the edge of your nose to the outer edge of your iris and mark where it meets the brow.

3 - Finish Point​

Repeat the process, lining up from edge of the nose to the outer edge of your eye.​

You can now join the marks in a smooth arch in the shape that you require.

Do the same for the other side of your face, making sure that they match perfectly.  Fill in exactly how you want the brows to look, after which it is a simple case of removing all the hair that falls outside of the pencil lines.

​If you have difficulty, or it all seems a bit too complicated then we would advise that you have your brows shaped professionally for the first time, and then just maintain them at home yourself.

Product Q & A's

Does it need to be warmed?

No - it is ready to use straight away

Does is come with an application stick?

No - you don't need an application stick - the product is used straight from the plastic backing sheet

Is it easy to use for first time users?

Yes - it is simple, the only tricky part is making sure you achieve the shape you desire. Make sure that you don't remove too much hair at once, and think about visiting a salon for the first time, to have the shape done professionally for you - then you will just need to maintain it.

Are there any side effects?

Not really, you may experience a mild stinging and redness ​or little spots, but this should wear off pretty quickly, within a couple of hours.  Do make sure that you carry out a patch test prior to use, and wax the brows at night before going to bed, so that there is time for the effects to wear off before you need to go out in public!

Conclusion

For the removal of multiple hairs, and hair between brows, this is a good and effective product at a reasonable price.

Overall, I was quite impressed with how easy they are to use, and would definitely recommend them.​