Hey Silky Skin review - *spoiler alert* DO NOT BUY

tl;dr - Product doesn't work. "100% money back guarantee" not as simple as advertised on home page. Customer service brushes me off. Won't publish my 1 star verified buyer review.


I got suckered in by Facebook ads, what can I say? I also very much expected this to be a positive review, and yet here we are.

Background:
I've been half considering laser hair removal treatments for a while (like from high school 10 years ago when I first heard about it), but never seriously enough to sit down and spend time researching a good local salon for it. Lo and behold, after mentioning it to my bf, Facebook "reads my mind" and I start getting tons of ads for "Hey Silky Skin" which is advertised as at home handheld laser hair removal device.

I read a ton of the Facebook comments (and noticed that the Hey Silky Skin facebook page seemed to be very responsive which I liked), hesitated for weeks and then finally bit the bullet around Mothers Day. The original retail price is $229, but there was a coupon/special and I was able to get it for $179 with free express shipping.

Hey Silky Skin had great communication from time of purchase. I got order confirmation, shipping notification and then also out-for-delivery and delivered updates by email as well. Since this is a somewhat pricey product, I liked that there was a lot of information about when to expect it to arrive. It came in a padded USPS envelope that seemed to secure and protect the product well enough.

The packaging is simple but sturdy and seems thoughtful and indicative of a product that the company cares about displaying nicely. There's just 2 components to it - the handheld laser device and a power cord which make it extremely simple to use.

Using the product:
I read and followed the simple instructions and warnings in the small pamphlet and, after shaving, I was ready to use it.
I started on May 14 with just a few areas on my body to test it out - stomach and left leg (wanted to leave my right leg for comparison) and underarms. On this first day of using it, I tried only Level 1. There is a small heating sensation during the laser blink but it's nowhere near a burning feeling. It took a little while to get adjusted to it, but is not painful.

To use the product, simply plug it on, turn it on (button on the back), adjust the intensity level and then it's essentially ready to use. The big button on the front triggers the light and it will only flash if the entire front area is covered as a safety feature. This is a little problematic for areas like my knee but super easy for flat areas. You need to press the button and move the handset along your body, pressing the button as you go. It's not a continuous laser. As such, it can take a little while to get your entire leg from thigh to ankle compared to shaving.

Feeling a little more comfortable, I decided to try it on my bikini area next on May 15.

I've been shaving in between the weekly treatments and always directly before. I also started increasing the intensity level depending on the area to be between Level 3 for more sensitive areas and Level 4-5 for less sensitive areas although no where does the product mandate that it must be used on the highest level in order to be effective. In fact, it's typically advertised to be "pain free" and that customers should be using the product at whatever level is comfortable for them.

To be clear, I have a skin tone that is acceptable for the laser treatments according to the instructions (equal to or lighter than "Clay 2-3") and the hair that I'm targeting is black, so I'm not trying to use it on blonde or light brown hairs.

Discontent:
After my 7th treatment (week 7), I realized I wasn't seeing any of the results I saw discussed on the thousands of comments on their sponsored Facebook ads - most of which mentioned seeing results in as early as 2-3 sessions. Remembering the "90 day 100% money back guarantee" logo on the website, I went back to check for it and just saw the "shop now" button at the bottom of the page.

Since the initial order email from the company said "Feel free to send an email to us at Hey@HeySilkySkin.com if you have any questions at all or just want to say hey :)" I figured I would do just that since the website wasn't giving me the answers I wanted.

Their reply was simply that they don't accept returns on used products for sanitary reasons (completely understandable) and that the 90 day money back guarantee could only be processed if their guidelines are followed in full, directing me to the Hey Silky Skin homepage (http://www.heysilkyskin.com/) which I had already visited. 
I figured there must be something I missed there, but scrolled down the homepage and saw only the message that if you're "not happy? no problem". Looking around more, I found the the side menu which is hidden by default, and there was the Money Back Guarantee page which had a list of guidelines you had to follow including emailing them on the day your order arrives.

Of all of these guidelines, of course I missed this and would never typically email a large company after receiving an order on my own.

I reread through the home page to see how I could have made this mistake since I'm usually very cautious about making large $ amount purchases. It seems like there's no obvious link to the money back guarantee page despite numerous mentions of it when "shopping" for the product. 

I emailed customer service again just for clarification. They confirmed that nothing could be done and they just encouraged me to continue to use the product as I may not see "complete results" for 12 weeks based on the 4 stages of hair growth. 

Let me tell you. It's now been 13 WEEKS of consistent use of the product and I have still yet to see ANY, even minor results, much less "complete results" on any of the body parts I tried (leg, bikini area, underarms, stomach). I know this for a fact because I used my right leg as a control and the hair on my left leg (which received the treatment) is in exactly the same state. I would have thought maybe at least the fine hair on my stomach would have been affected, but even that is still stubbornly growing in as usual. 

Please believe me, especially after hearing that I was not eligible to get my money back, I desperately wanted this product to work so I've been extremely diligent in following the instructions and staying on the schedule. And yet, here I am, still needing to shave every couple of days and basically just flashing light on my body for no reason.

Bottom line: Long story short, this product does NOT WORK and the Money Back Guarantee is not automatically built into your purchase! Please learn from my mistake and do not purchase this item. Or if you do, at the very least, please go to the Money Back Guarantee link (<-- here, I'll directly link you since it seems the company won't go out of their way to ensure you can access it easily) and follow the instructions to opt in. 

Note: I did try to leave this product a 1 star review using the email they sent me as a customer, but it doesn't seem to have been published (yet). When I try to submit again (in case it did not process correctly), I get a "Review has already been submitted" message so I know it was received. I have DM'd the company on Facebook (claims to respond within 2 hours but haven't heard back in over a day).
I don't usually like to write blog posts to complain about bad products, but since it seems they won't accept my direct review of the product, I figured this was my only way to share my piece.

UPDATE (March 2020) - After publishing this blog post, I ended up continuing to use the product weekly (once a week which is the recommended interval) until the 25th week. That's 25 treatments total and I saw absolutely no results. In fact, I can say now, months later, that the hair in some of the areas I treated (like my stomach) has increased from what I started with which is super annoying.
Since I had paid for the product through PayPal, I tried to file a claim as a comment had recommended but, in the end, PayPal ended up siding with the vendor and I did not receive any of my money back. To reiterate, I really gave this product a fair shot and it DOES NOT WORK.

July 2019 - Midi dresses, Liz Lisa black items, Pokemon shirt & Sunflowers at sunset

I don't have much in the way of an introduction paragraph for this month. Some same old stuff about how the year is passing so quickly, blah blah blah. But yes, in reality, 2019 is over halfway through and that does seem a bit crazy. Since July is a prime summer sales month, I made a number of purchases I have been waiting for and also finally received some items that I had preordered months ago!

Purchases
Liz Lisa Sheer check top in black (193-1020-0)
シアーチェックトップス

I've had my eye on this top for a while, specifically in black. I thought it would be really cute paired with my fitted black skirts and I liked the neckline detail. Although I'm happy with the sale price, I've so far found this top to be super itchy because of the material and I'm not sure how much I will enjoy wearing it. It's possible that a wash will help, but so far I'm just glad I didn't pay full price for it. (Sorry not very good try on photos. I'm still brainstorming how exactly I want to wear this top since the waist sits a little high for me and I want to get the proportions right.)

Liz Lisa Fishtail long dress in black (191-6023-2)
フィッシュテールワンピース

I have previously purchased this dress first in white during the initial release, then again in deep pink during the rearrival. When I saw that they were releasing it in black, I was definitely interested. This dress doesn't typically make it to sales, so I didn't hesitate very much before grabbing the last one in stock online. It definitely has a bit of a different vibe than the other two colors, but still really elegant. I'm glad that they chose to do another version like this. My main problem was that I didn't feel like I already had the right type of shoes to pair with it, but I eventually remedied that!

Liz Lisa Back lace up check OP in blue (193-6029-0)
バックレースアップチェックワンピース

For as long as I can remember, I have never been overly fond of long dresses (anything past a couple of inches above the knee). Clearly that's been changing but I mostly gravitated towards maxi length dresses in my initial forray into longer lengths. This was my first purchase of a midi-type length dress. I was mostly sold by the off shoulder neckline/sleeves and the super cute back lace up design. If this bodice had an above the knee (but not super mini) length skirt, I'd probably have considered buying it at full price tbh. All that being said, I really am quite looking forward to adding more items like this to my closet. There's something very casual feeling about the length and silhouette - moreso than a maxi length skirt. But also the print and material make it seem like it's better for a daytime or brunch outing.

Liz Lisa cork ribbon sandals in black (193-9612-0) & Liz Lisa heart lace up purse in black (191-9401-0)

コルクリボンサンダル & レースアップバッグ

More black Liz Lisa items! I've been looking for a "sweeter" black sandal and wasn't super sold on these initially, but once I saw more staff photos with the fishtail OP specifically, I knew I wanted them to pair with it. I bought them in a different order than the dress because they were sold out in my size initially. Similar story for the black bag - I already have a black purse in this size from Kate Spade but I wanted one that was a little sweeter. After seeing @miemuu post hers, I decided to just go for it during the free shipping promotion since I needed to meet the minimum purchase to be eligible.

I received these at the end of the month, so I haven't had a chance to do a full try on, but 100% expect to these these items in outfits in August! I certainly plan to use the shoes with the Liz Lisa fishtail OP above and the Ank Rouge OP below. 

Ank Rouge shirring maxi cami OP in black (gingham)
シャーリングマキシキャミOP -

I ordered this from FashionWalker since (afaik) Ailand still isn't allowing forwarding service addresses and I didn't feel like using an SS for something so simple. This is my first time ordering from FashionWalker and I used the LINE coupon for 500yen off + free domestic shipping as part of a promotion. I really fell in love with the look of this OP when I first saw the photos on Ank Rouge's social media but forgot about it for awhile. When I was just casually browsing, I noticed it again and had to have it. Again, this length is not something I typically go for (and yet I get 2 within the same month suddenly) but I had a somewhat similar print dress years ago that I loved and I really wanted to try it again. I'm extremely in love with this dress and can't believe I almost let myself miss it.

DreamV choker lace top in black, side drape tight skirt in black, big lace ribbon barrette in pink solid, organza ribbon barrette in grey -

   

DreamV started their sale and at these prices, I couldn't resist getting a few items. I'm most pleased with the black choker top and I think it'll incorporate well into my wardrobe. The bows are probably the most frivolous because they're a bit large and ridiculous but I was really enticed by the sale and thought they would be worthwhile accessories. I wore most of these items to work during the month, so look for them in the Work Outfits section!

Jessica Simpson Dany sandals in black

While looking for a new, chunkier black shoe, I came across this while online shopping. Since it was on sale and in stock at a Macys that wasn't too out of the way, I decided to check it out on the weekend. This isn't exactly what I was looking for during my initial search, but I love the super high heel and the secure but not overly designed strap. I really questioned whether I needed both this and the Liz Lisa cork ribbon sandals, but after looking at my non-Jfashion wardrobe, I felt like it would be versatile enough. I wore this pair of shoes to work for a whole work week, so check out the examples below!


Work outfits
Continuing the work outfits from my Instagram stories! I didn't stick with it as well as I initially anticipated, but still a good chunk of content if I do say so myself. If anything, it encourages me to put more effort into my outfits and help me not to repeat items too often.

Forever21 ribbon tie sleeveless blouse, Liz Lisa cardigan, Forever21 tight skirt, DreamV lace up pumps

EATME garter off shoulder OP, EATME ribbon choker, DreamV lace up pumps

DaTuRa scallop pearl blouse, DreamV side drape skirt, DreamV lace up pumps

Liz Lisa sleeping beauty OP, Liz Lisa sweet latte cardigan, DreamV lace up pumps

Juge Etta resort floral OP, Liz Lisa cardigan, DreamV lace up pumps

Liz Lisa off shoulder blouse, Liz Lisa bijou cardigan, Liz Lisa sweet confiture skirt, Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals

Liz Lisa sunflower parfait OP, Liz Lisa gingham ribbon cardigan, Liz Lisa strawberry ribbon barrette, DreamV lace up pumps

Liz Lisa mermaid sweets parlor OP, DreamV big ribbon barrette, Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals, Liz Lisa seashell pouchette

Liz Lisa off shoulder sailor collar denim OP, Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals, Liz Lisa big ribbon woven purse

Liz Lisa floral panel OP, Liz Lisa cardigan, FlagJ sandals, Liz Lisa big ribbon woven purse

DreamV choker lace top, Bebe tight skirt, Jessica Simpson Dany sandals

Liz Lisa fishtail OP, Jessica Simpson Dany sandals

Material Girl cut out fitted dress, Jessica Simpson Dany sandals, Betsey Johnson necklace

Michael Kors belted jumpsuit, Jessica Simpson Dany sandals, Betsey Johnson necklace

 Material Girl heart dot hi-low dress, Jessica Simpson Dany sandals

 Liz Lisa strawberry gingham OP, Liz Lisa strawberry ribbon barrette, DreamV lace up pumps

 Liz Lisa merry go round jumperskirt, Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals, Samantha Vega passcase purse

 Liz Lisa strawberry jam OP, Liz Lisa strawberry ribbon barrette, Liz Lisa lace wedge pumps

Miscellaneous updates
Trying stuff on at Zara again lol

My friend got me a pair of jeans that I ended up exchanging for these ones that I tried on a couple months ago (they somehow restocked them in store in my size to my surprise). I'm still not super sure how I want to style them, so I wanted to take advantage of being in store to understand how certain lengths of blouses looked with it!

4th of July

The 4th of July fell on a Thursday this year and my bf had his regular day off on the following Friday, so I decided to take off as well and turn it into a fun, relaxing 4-day weekend! We went out to dinner in Koolina with a view of the fireworks on the actual holiday for my bf's sister's birthday. The next day, we decided to go to the beach! Woke up early and went to Waimea Bay. I wore my new red polka dot bikini that I found on sale at Macys. I forgot my phone at home that day so I don't have very many other photos, but we also had lunch at Pupukea Grill and got ice cream in Haleiwa as well!

Work trip to Kauai

I had to go to Kauai again for work, this time mostly by myself instead of with a team. Oddly enough, I've actually never traveled solo like this before (flying to renting a car to checking in completely alone) but luckily I'm super familiar with getting into Lihue now and getting to my destination, so it's not a big deal. I actually had a pretty good time driving around by myself but only because I felt pretty comfortable since it seemed kind of hard to get lost. I even stopped by the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge after I had made a pit stop for taro chips!

Gifts for other people!

Original Stitch has been creating "custom" Pokemon collaboration shirts for both men and women for months now. [check out the IG account here.] They have most, if not all(?) of the original 150 Pokemon incorporated into some kind of repetitive print and they're all unique and different! The biggest catch is that they were only shipping the shirts within Japan and even had a pop-up location in Harajuku. They later expanded to a couple other countries (Hong Kong, Taiwan & Singapore). This seemed like something my bf would be interested in, so we poured over all the different prints and option and settled for this  Oddish one! It's reasonably discreet for a themed shirt and definitely still wearable for work while still being fun. I placed the order in the first week of May and it was finally ready in the first week of July (so it took about 2 months to create). The sizing isn't exactly ideal for my bf - a bit too tight in the shoulders but good everywhere else. I think if we get another in the future, we'll definitely have to size up!
Apparently US and Europe sales will start soon if you're interested and don't want the hassle of using Tenso!

I fell for another Facebook ad and preordered this bubble tea light for my coworker who loves to drink it. It was supposed to ship in mid June and I was really hoping to get it in time for her birthday, but it didn't arrive until late July. First 10 times I tried the power button, it didn't work but after all that, it seems okay now. Pretty much a novelty item, but cute in concept, I think.

Du Pont Pioneer Sunflower field

There's a sunflower field in Waialua (on the North Shore) that apparently only opens to the public for about 2 weeks annually. I had seen people post photos in the past, but never really investigated further until this year. Coincidentally, the day that I checked was the only day the field was open after my work day was done for a special 2-hour sunset viewing period. Also coincidentally, I had been wearing my Liz Lisa sunflower print OP that day. Bf agreed to go with me and we made our way over. There were SO MANY other people and the sun was SO BRIGHT, even at 18:00. It took us awhile to figure out the lighting since the sunflowers are arranged so they're all facing the same way (the opposite way that's ideal at sunset for lighting), but my bf's camera and his patience really pulled through to get what I think are some really amazing shots! I had such a good time.

Shopping was clearly a highlight this month. I still have a few things that I'm keeping an eye on and a side budget for, but I guess that'll have to wait until August (unless they sell out while I'm waiting and being indecisive!).
And although earlier this year I vowed that I wouldn't be asking other people to help me take photos specifically for social media anymore, I think that these sunflower pictures were really worth it. Any beyond that, I think they will make for great memories even beyond posting on Instagram!

Next month, I'm mostly looking forward to autumn fashion. Even though it'll still be hot as heck here, for some reason, August always triggers the start of fall to me (could be the August --> autumn alliteration, idk it doesn't really make sense but does it have to?), so I definitely want to start busting out the bordeaux pieces that usually sit dormant in my closet for most of the year. If I start wearing them in August, I'll probably have at least 2-3 opportunities total to get some use out of them during the rest of the year without it seeming to repetitive lol.