’Stache Stuff: Moustache Removal + Missy Peregrym Parissa Boxes?

I've been thinking about moustache removal. The thought first occurred during an event-packed three days in NYC last week, specifically a presentation re: Kiehl's excellent skincare for men at the Bunker Club in the Meatpacking district. The theme was an underground men's club; we were given stick-on moustaches to wear. (Above: Elle Canada's beauty editor Katherine Flemming and I couldn't resist mugging with moustache toothpicks from a platter of sliders.)

Then, back in Toronto, I glanced at a Pharma-Plus shelf and did a double-take: the model on Parissa's packaging is a teenage Missy Peregrym. The actress plays plucky Andy McNally on the show I like to call "Sam Swarek" but is in reality named "Rookie Blue." (Season three begins tonight -- with guest star William Shatner -- on Global and ABC. And thank you Pharma Plus for letting me snap these Missy Peregrym Parissa boxes right there on the shelf!)

So, upper-lip hair removal. I've actually been pretty lucky. There was one home-wax-strip experience years ago that took a layer of skin off (ow-ow-ow-ouch! -- unfortunately before I discovered my go-to miracle healing salve, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast). Now I need only Tweezerman slant tweezers ($35, select retailers) to snag occasional strays. But if you need more than that, here are some available-now options.

At-Home Laser The Tanda me ($395, The Shopping Channel) has just been approved for use on the face. With ELOS technology -- a combination of intense pulsed light (IPL) and radio frequency (RF) -- plus trimmer and epilator attachments -- this investment device can permanently reduce face and body hair. Via the briefest of pulses -- not even a second --  IPL heats up the hair from root to tip while RF ups the heat a bit more to weaken the follicle further; the Tanda.Me epilator attachment can then remove the hair easily and apparently painlessly. Note: the approvals are so recent that you'll have to contact Tanda Me customer service for a free googgles-and-white-pencil kit. They aren't necessary, nevertheless, they'll be packaged with new shipments.

Epilator The cordless Philips StainPerfect Total Body & Face Epilator ($159.17, Sears.com) can be used, as indicated in its name, on the whole body as well as face and bikini areas. This one comes with tweezers that light up and a mirror, and includes attachments for shaving and trimming. I remember epilators as being quite painful to start; the more you do it, the less sensitive you'll be.

Trimmer I'm not sure how I feel about trimming upper-lip hair. Seems to me that more distinctive stubble will occur. But if you're into it, the Panasonic Precision Facial Hair Trimmer ($39, Future Shop) has an outer shield for skin-safety, and the detachable blades are washable.

Depilatory The two-step Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo ($29.99, drugstores) starts with a protective balm that protects sensitive skin without matting down the hair. The second step to layer over the balm is a removal cream, lightly fragranced so it won't upset your nose.

Waxing Big thing to remember about waxing, as I learned the ow-ow-ow-ouch! way, is that it's probably not your best option if you're using a glycolic-acid toner twice per day. And maybe exercise caution if you're hardcore about retinol or Retin-A. But if you're a-okay with normal skin, try Parissa Hot Wax ($9, drugstores), which you heat, spread on, then peel off when cooled, or Parissa Wax Strips Face & Bikini($9, drugstores).

Threading Okay, not really a DIY. But if you missed the threading post by Cranky Beauty Pants, here it is.

I do not recommend bleaching at all. First, you run the risk of developing brassy tones -- unpretty. Second, a bleached ’stache is rarely invisible. Third, foundation and face powder can be tricky applied over hair. A story to illustrate: Years ago, I had a makeup gig for a magazine. The reader model had rather a lush, slightly brassy bleached ’stache. I was too inexperienced at the time to know that rather than take so long discreetly attempting to camouflage, I should have quietly asked the photog to deal with it in Photoshop later. #liveandlearn

Here, larger images of Missy Peregrym Parissa box photos. Parissa, Peregrym and most of her co-stars, such as Enuka Okuma and Ben Bass, are Canadian, and "Rookie Blue" is set as well as filmed in Toronto.

Have you tried any of the above-mentioned methods of hair removal? What's your go-to solution? Who else watches "Rookie Blue?"