21 July 2014

Dollar Shave Club Review




When I was younger, I went to a private school where we weren't allowed to wear any kind of make-up, or nail polish, or pluck our eyebrows or anything like that. But just because we weren't allowed to do those things doesn't mean that we didn't know about it. As a girl, I'd seen ladies in magazines, TV shows, and on the street walk around with silky smooth legs and armpits. And whenever I looked down at my 12 year old legs all I could see were hairy man-legs. I really wanted them to be smooth when I wore my hideous plaid skirt.



I knew my mother would never let me shave them so young so instead I went the "Don't Ask Permission, Ask for Forgiveness" approach and decided to just go ahead and do it.

My first time looked nothing like this. 

When my mom finally noticed them she was like "Did you shave your legs?!" and I said all nonchalantly, "Yeah," thinking I was a total badass.

I was not a badass. I probably looked like a kid trying to be a grownup. 

My mum didn't get mad or anything. She seemed a bit disappointed but I guess she knew that she'd be getting the last laugh anyway because once you start -- you can't stop. And I've had to shave my hairy man-legs ever since.



I've gone through thousands of razors.

Pink Ones. 


Double bladed ones. 


Triple bladed ones. 

Ones that claimed to be the NEXT BEST THING. 

I've spent hundreds of dollars trying to find cheap ones that wouldn't completely shave off my skin.



Or I'd spend a bit more money for a better one but then have to use the same blades for months because the cartridges were equivalent to a month's rent.


Then I saw this hilarious commercial for Dollar Shave Club.



And I cursed myself for not thinking of this before them. The concept is great. It's genius. It's so simple and yet so completely needed.

Dollar Shave Club works by sending your razor cartridges to you, every month.

When you first sign up, you select which razor & plan you want:


The Humble Twin. 



The 4X

The Executive. 

You can visit their options page to see and compare them side by side: www.dollarshaveclub.com/blades


Then you give them your credit card information & every month you get your new cartridges in the mail. Before they ship your box they will email you, asking if you would like to add anything extra. They sell shave butter, extra handles, an after shave, and butt wipes. You're also able to change your handle, if you wish, at this time.

I selected The 4X razor and plan. After signing up, I received my package in about a week. In the first package I got my handle and a set of four cartridges along with a little sample of their shave butter and a little toilet reading companion.

The reading companion really put them above and beyond in my opinion. It may seem completely arbitrary but it goes well with their humorous brand and I think it just adds a little bit extra to each month's package.



The handle was heavier than I expected. It feels like a Gillette Mach or Fusion handle. I expected it to be a tiny bit heavier than a cheap disposable so I was pleasantly surprised with the heft. It has a few ridges to keep it in your hand while in the shower. The head has a little release for disposing of the blades without having to touch them.

The first time I tried the razor I used their shave butter to see if I would like it.


The butter reminded me of conditioner more than butter. It was smooth and thick enough to stay on your skin without running off, but not too thick that your razor would get clogged dragging it across your skin. It was not greasy and did not have a scent, which was a big plus to me. I didn't want my legs smelling like musk.

If I were a man who had to shave my face I would buy it. You don't need a lot to do the job but as I have to shave my legs, 6oz just isn't worth the price for me.

The razor glided across my skin smoothly. It did not tug, bump, or get stuck on any already grown hairs. The blades were sharp enough to do the job with just one pass. The open back makes it easy to rinse off all the hair from the blades. I was very excited about it since I had only paid 6$. But since I don't wasn't going to buy their shaving butter I wanted to try the razor with just plain soap.

So the next time I shaved I lathered my legs with a loofa and some body wash. The razor didn't seem to have any problems with it. Of course the soap washes off quickly so there was a bit more resistance against my skin but nothing out of the ordinary. The blades were still sharp enough for just one pass.

I think I changed the blade after the 5th or 6th time I used it. I started noticing a few nicks along my knees and ankles but nothing major. No arteries were severed. I just dumped out the old one, clicked in the new one and voila! ready for next time.

I've received four packages from them but haven't even had to start on a new pack. I'm on the last (4th) cartridge from the first box. Obviously, depending on your body hair and your shaving routine, you may need to change out the cartridges sooner. But I think that this has saved me a lot of time, money, and blood.

I love the concept of Dollar Shave Club and I love their razors. I would recommend them to anyone who is tired of buying razors and expensive cartridges, or someone who is using the same blade because the just keep forgetting to get a new one. The process is easy and they make it easy to change, add, or cancel your subscription at any time.


Maybe my mum didn't get the last laugh after all.


*I guess I should say that they did not pay me to write this review.  This review and the opinions in it are completely my own.*


1 comment:

  1. The first time I saw their commercials, I laughed so hard. Then I was jealous that I wasn't a man; however, I guess my own gender stereotypes got in my way on that one. My brother uses the Dollar Shave Club (I know because I found those butt wipes in his bathroom...). Have you tried actually using conditioner as shaving cream? I'm all about dual-purpose products.

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