I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have found, in recent years, myself becoming, shall we say, more hirsute than I used to be.

Ok, not quite that.

But definitely more than I was 5 or 10 years ago. Is it from hormones? Post-pregnancy related? Aging? Seems bizarre.

Now, I’m perfectly fine with having body hair; I am an adult woman and it comes with the territory. And I have no problem with going au naturel–in the cooler months, I do so myself. But when it gets hot outside, I find I just feel cooler when I’m a little barer. Less sticky. So I do the shaving ritual for my legs & underarms & bikini area, whenever I have a few extra moments in the shower. I like the smoothness. (Veering toward TMI…)

My face, however, is where the extra fuzz bothers me the most. The peach fuzz seems thicker around my mouth and jawline, softening an already-softened area, adding to a jowliness I am not comfortable with.

So every other week or so, I lather up a tablespoon of Magic.

This stuff is AWESOME. It is super cheap (like, $2) and seems to be in most drugstores and grocery stores. It’s designed for men who have coarse facial hair to prevent irritation, but it works great for the ladies, with a few modifications.

Here’s what I do. I use a little plastic bowl and plastic spoon to scoop out a spoonful (it’s a white powder–careful not to inhale it). Then add a spoonful of cool water and stir until it’s a thin paste. Then apply with the spoon to an unwashed face (I found I get less irritation this way). I let it sit for 2-3 minutes (the can suggests 5-7, but that’s much too long for me), then scrape it off my face with the side of the spoon. Then I rinse with cool water–no soap, too irritating.

I end up with smooth cheeks and lips that last about two weeks. There are a few tougher hairs on me that don’t respond well, so I just pluck them rather than let the product sit too long and make me red and sore. This also works well between the brows, but be careful not to let it drip into your eyes or to take off too much of your brows!

I’ve also tried this around the bikini area with so-so results–it doesn’t get all the hairs before irritation starts.

So if you’d like to try a cheap depilatory, grab some Magic. There are a couple formulas; the green one (skin conditioning) is the one I’ve used with good results.

Let me know if you try it! And ladies who like to get a little hairless, do you have any tricks to share?