4 of the Best Shave Clubs for Women
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The last time we talked about laser hair removal — or any kind of hair removal at all — was years ago, so we thought it was high time to round up the best shave clubs for women. I know a lot of women have been saying that their shaving habit has fallen by the wayside during COVID, but I'm sure there are also a good number of us who are using our trusty razors (or who are waxing, and so on) as frequently — or almost as frequently — as in pre-pandemic times.
In fact, I recently signed up for a shave club for the first time (Billie), which prompted me to suggest to Kat that we do a post to look at some of the many subscription services out there for razors and other shaving products.
If you shave, has your shaving routine changed during quarantine? What are your favorite products — razors, shaving creams/gels, and others?
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Four of the Best Shave Clubs for Women
Billie
Last month when I bought something at Old Navy, a Dollar Shave Club offer popped up after I made my purchase, and I almost signed up. I decided that I wanted something specifically designed for women, however, so after a little research, I went with Billie. I'm very happy with it so far — the razors give a comfortable, smooth, close shave; and the price is reasonable. Their products are so much better than the random name brands I'd been using for years!
Billie's $9 Razor Starter Kit includes a handle, magnetic holder, and two refill blades — and it ships for free. (They recommend replacing the blade every seven uses.) You can choose how often you want to receive $9 shipments of four refill blades each.
I highly recommend Billie! [2022 update: After Billie changed their razors recently, I switched to Athena Club (see below) and I like their razors much better. — Kate]
Other products include: shave cream ($8), dry shampoo ($14), face cleansing wipes ($9), body wash ($9)
Company values: The company donates 1% of their revenue to charity (they recently decided to focus on support for BIPOC women), and their products don't contain undesirable ingredients, including sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, and so on. (I also like how, when they explain that their razor is designed for women, they remark, “Pink Tax not included.”)
Dollar Shave Club
If you're familiar with any shave subscription service, it's probably Dollar Shave Club — it was founded in 2011, so it's been around a lot longer than most of the other choices out there. It's mainly marketed to men, but the company says that all their products are unisex. The website notes that women are especially fond of the Executive Blades ($10 for a 4-pack), Shave Butter ($8), and Repair Serum ($12).
To sign up, you'll answer these questions: (1) What [body parts] do you shave? (2) How often do you shave? (3) Any problems when you shave?, and (4) What other products do you need to complete your routine? (“None” is one of the possible answers.) When you finish, the website offers product recommendations, and you can scroll down to customize quantities — including changing them to zero for anything in the lineup that you don't want.
The site recommended me the Executive Razor Cartridge (4 stainless steel, 6-blade cartridges are $10) and the metal Executive Handle ($0) and noted that new cartridges would be shipped every two months. Shipping is included in the prices shown, and you can cancel anytime.
Other products include: sprayable sunscreen ($13), acne eraser ($9), toothpaste ($5) (Whatever your preference for scents, be aware that you won't find any stereotypically “feminine” ones here.)
Company values: The website has a message from the CEO expressing support for Black Lives Matter and explaining the actions it's taking to address racism and inequality. It claims that the company will contribute $100,000 to BLM and that its leadership team will match every dollar donated by employees (up to $25,000).
Flamingo
Flamingo is the “sister brand” of the men's shave club Harry's (although Harry's notes that women use its products, too). Flamingo isn't technically a subscription service, but it's a great option if you're looking for something beyond typical drugstore brands.
Their razor is $9 and consists of one ergonomic handle and one “German-engineered” five-blade cartridge. (Does anyone else feel like the photo of the woman they use to illustrate the razor being used is a bit male gaze-y?) A 4-pack of cartridges is $9, but the price for each is lower when you buy 8- or 16-packs. The website recommends switching the blade cartridge every six to eight uses. (Note that to get free shipping, you must spend $10.)
The Smooth Start Set, which includes one razor handle, five five-blade cartridges, one 6.7-oz. foaming shave gel, and a shower hook, is $20.
Other products include: Face wax kit ($10), body lotion ($9), and Mons Mist (aka “when alliteration goes too far”; $12)
Company values: Flamingo gives 1% of its sales to nonprofit organizations “working to ensure women build healthy, positive relationships with themselves.” None of the company's products or raw materials are tested on animals.
Athena Club
Athena Club doesn't just focus on shaving products and skincare — for example, they make their own menstrual cup and other period care items — but their shave club is just like other companies' offerings.
For $9 (with free shipping), you can get “The Best Shave Ever” kit: an ergonomic razor handle (made from aluminum and fiberglass, with an “exclusive water-activated serum”), 2 five-blade cartridges, and a magnetic hook. The products are made in the U.S.A. and are nickel-free.
To sign up, you'll answer these questions: (1) How often do you shave? (2) How often would you like to receive your replacement blades? (minimum: 4 blades every month at $3/blade), and (3) Wanna add anything else? (You can skip #3, but Athena Club has a Cloud Shave Foam for $9.) You can choose to receive refill blades every one, two, or three months thereafter — and you can cancel anytime.
Other products: Many — menstrual products, vitamins and probiotics, and skincare.
Company values: None of Athena Club's products are tested on animals. The website says that the company's goal is to “continue to work with organizations locally (and globally) to support women by providing them with essential daily care,” but I couldn't find any specific details.
Have you tried any of the companies above? What do you think is the best shave club for women (or the best shaving products!)
I’d be curious as to how often everyone replaces their razors/blades. I use disposable Venus razors, and just sort of replace them when they seem to feel dull-ish. I shave my legs almost daily, and I doubt I replace them more often then once a month.
With the caveat that I have relatively fine leg hair, I only replace mine every 8-12 weeks or so with no issue. I do shave almost every day. I think I used to replace them every two weeks or so because I felt like I was supposed to, but that seems like a ploy to get people to buy more razors. There’s really no need to replace before you need to!
I’m completely with you. I use disposables and really don’t replace them unless I can feel they aren’t working. I simply couldn’t be bothered with changing razor blades and all the packaging waste of sending new ones through the mail when a pack of disposables is dirt-cheap and lasts for years.
Changing razor blades is ridiculously easy.
So is throwing away a disposable razor.
Yeah, these shave clubs amuse me. Isn’t shaving like a dollar or two a month for most people? If you’re not especially hairy. It seems like the pink tax is joining a subscription service for shaving in the first place
I can see it for men, where the stakes of being well-shaven are higher, but for my legs? Where if I miss a spot or forego it for a bit or use a razor that isn’t at peak sharpness, it’s no big deal whatsoever? The idea of a Shave Club for women strikes me as gimmicky and wasteful, a la the other gimmicks that get featured on here, like the mask-necklaces or the refrigerator-for-your-makeup.
Very elementary shaving how-to question for the daily shavers: How do you do it? My mom didn’t tell me much about how/when to shave my legs (she has very light body hair and is a bit of a hippie), so I was at least out of college before I realized some women shave every day. And I still can’t wrap my head around how you do all that without taking forever to get ready. Do you use shave cream? The suds from the soap you used to wash? How does this work?
I sometimes give my legs a swipe while I’m showering to keep things tamed, but if I want a good smooth shave for when I’m wearing shorts or a skirt, I have to sit on the side of the tub and lather up with shaving cream. It takes at least 10 minutes to do up to my knees. So I just can’t figure out how I’d do this daily.
I use the suds from my body wash and one of those mesh poof things. I lather each leg part (“part” means calf, knee, or thigh here) and shave it in turn, then do the same to the bikini line area. I keep a plastic cup in the shower that I use to rinse the razor every few swipes. I tried to time it once out of curiosity, and it took about a minute, total.
I didn’t have much of a lesson about this, either. It took many years of trial and error to get to this system. :)
Honestly I do while the conditioner is still on my hair so I’m not wasting any time. I use the suds from the shampoo or soap. With the caveat that I’m not very hairy (and I have no underarm hair). I just swipe a few times at it. It’s not important enough to be meticulous about it.
After 20+ years of experience, I can shave both of my legs in around 3 minutes, so it doesn’t take much time. For me, I shave every day because if I don’t I quickly get tons of ingrown hairs and I prefer the look. I’m fairly crunchy (in that I don’t want to produce plastic or non-recyclable waste if I can prevent it), so I use my the bar conditioner I use for my hair to shave my legs (regular conditioner in a bottle also works). I rub it in my wet hands and smooth it over one leg before shaving. Bar soap or body wash can work in a pinch, but I think everyone’s skin is different in what it tolerates. Shave gel provides the smoothest/easiest shaving experience. There’s absolutely NO reason you need to shave every day unless you want to.
I find conditioner works very well, but I like using suds because I can see where I’ve shaved, which makes the whole thing quicker. But when I go to hotels, I often use the low-quality conditioner they provide (which I don’t like for my hair).
I shave about every 3rd day (when I can feel the stubble). Aveeno Positively Smooth shaving cream does seem to reduce the regrowth some. And yeah, after decades of practice, I can shave pretty quickly if needed. Everyone is different so you may have to play experiment with razors and number of blades to find what works best. I’ve heard that razors with fewer blades help reduce ingrown hairs because they don’t cut quite as short.
If you’re shaving every day, there’s very little there. So you don’t necessarily have to do as precise and thorough a job. I find it’s when I’ve skipped days that I have to pay attention and do it right so it’s not patchy. But on a daily basis, I more often just use my hand to feel where it’s not as smooth as I want, and smooth it out till it is. It’s like staying ahead of it.
One thing that’s fascinated me is the waxing trend where I live. The people who remove hair the most thoroughly, also going around with the most hair, so they’ll be ready for their next waxing. To me that’s the opposite end of the spectrum from daily shaving.
I have dark hair and pale skin but I still can’t be bothered to be meticulous about it. I just swipe at my legs quickly in the shower. It takes me a minute tops.
I originally used Angel shave club but am looking to switch to happy legs. I like the heavier metal handle personally. Part of me is wondering too if I should look at straight razor shavers but those scare me. Also I need to shave basically every day and those look dangerous!