This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

I Started Shaving With A Men's Razor, And Here's What I Learned

Toodle-loo, lady blades! 🙋
Caucasian woman shaving her legs at bathtub
Janet Kimber via Getty Images
Caucasian woman shaving her legs at bathtub

Ok, ladies. Time to get real here. Unless you’re a hairless wonder, you’re already painfully familiar with the shaving struggle.

You’ve had to replace countless dull razor blades in an attempt to get the closest possible shave and you’ve experienced the dreaded 5 o’clock shadow in areas that you just went over that very morning.

It ain’t easy trying to get silky-smooth, hairless skin, especially when you’re shaving with the ultimate lady blade in the game, the Venus razor. You know the one. We all do. We’ve all shaved with this thing.

Gillette Venus

Well, as cute as this razor is (seriously, it’s SO cute), it just doesn’t cut it when compared to a men’s razor.

I officially made the switch after I stayed at a friend’s house and forgot my trusty Venus razor and the only alternative I could find was this Gillette Fusion men’s razor.

Gillette

I shaved my sad, stubbly legs with this bad boy and I had smooth skin for days. DAYS. This never happens to me. So it only made sense to part ways with Venus and start a beautiful new relationship with the Fusion. And honestly I’ve never been happier. We’ve been going strong for almost a year.

The main difference I noticed when I switched was how incredibly close of a shave I get with the men’s blade and how much longer that freshly shaved feeling lasts before any stubble comes in. I also don’t need to replace the blade as often since it somehow doesn’t get dull as quickly as my Venus blade did.

A possible explanation for this closer shave could be because men’s razors have more tightly-packed blades, as seen in the side-by-side photograph below. This blade placement is precisely designed to cut and groom coarse, thick facial hair.

The Gillette Fusion blade (left) compared to the Venus blade (right)

Another major upside to using a men’s razor is the impressively accurate swivel head of the razor, which really comes in handy around the knees and ankles. Because men’s razors are made to navigate around the chin, neck, nose, and cheekbones, they tend to be more sensitive to the curvature of your body so every hair can be easily reached. It’s also worth noting that the comfort guard built into the men’s razor (featured in the breakdown image above) did a much better job at getting hairs into the optimal position to be shaved successfully, without having to go over the same spot multiple times.

The most ironic part of all is that the men’s razor that actually changed my life is made by the same company as the Venus razor. Seriously, Gillette, what gives?!

So, ladies, give this a shot. I promise you won’t regret it. Not to mention, men’s razors are generally cheaper than women’s razors. So you’ll save a few bucks and feel fabulous, too.

You can thank me later.