The Billie Razor: Is it worth the hype?
I'm sure by now you've all seen the colorful, vintage-inspired ads all over the internet and social media for Billie advertising beauty products, and most-notably, their razor. If you're a visual person like me, you're a sucker for an attractive marketing campaign. And Billie does it good! They lured me into their product line like a fish to water. I had also seen several influencers I follow talk about the Billie brand, and thought I'd give it a try.
What is Billie? Billie started with a razor. Female-owned and operated, they wanted to raise awareness on the taboo subject amongst women- body hair! And how much women are overpaying for necessities like razors. They have since expanded their line of beauty basics to include shaving cream, lip balms, makeup wipes, cleansers and dry shampoo, to name a few. Ha! That rhymed! In addition to being vegan, their products are paraben, sulfate, and cruelty-free. Containing high-quality ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter and Vitamin C. Sounds good to me... They even have a subscription service for the razors.
I've had sensitive skin since birth- lucky me! Which means I've had countless skin reactions from products. It also means, I'm a product junkie! I love trying new products. And when something doesn't work for me, well, that's another excuse for me to try something new! With that said, I have some products that are holy grail for me including my razor. In addition to my sensitive skin, I have dark, thick hair that grows fast, which means shaving is always fun- not! Over the years, I've found that using men's razors worked better for me. They are far superior to women's, and resulted in a closer, cleaner shave. For years, I've been using Gilette Fusion5 Proshield razors. They worked great! No skin reactions, no nicks. Most would say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it... but, I'm a girl. I like girly stuff. And a men's razor is just NOT cute. So, that was enough for me to try Billie.
I ordered the Razor Starter Kit in 'Blush'. For $9 plus free shipping, the kit includes the handle, Magic Holder (a magnetic holder for your razor) and (2) five-blade razors. Great deal! I was asked how often I shave? Generally, I shave a few times a week. During quarantine, its more like once a week, but whose counting? I selected a 'few times a week' which schedules delivery every two months. *add to cart* They asked if I wanted to 'complete the kit' by adding a bottle of shaving cream ($8) and a razor travel case ($5), sure, why not? To be honest, I typically use body wash or conditioner to shave, but hey, they already lured me in...
Within a few days, the package was at my door. Beautifully packaged- yeah, I'm a sucker for packaging too, they also included a sample of their 'Sudsy Body Wash'. First impression, they nailed packaging and presentation. What else is inside?
The Handle - ergonomic handle with a rubber back to prevent slippage.
The Blades - (2) sets of five-blades, nickle-free, rust-free, Made in America (bonus!), surrounded by 360-degrees of charcoal shave soap, that is supposed to provide a deeper clean while you shave. The blades all come with a clear plastic guard to protect your razor and charcoal layer when you are not using it. I like to keep the plastic guard on even while it is hanging in my shower.
Magic Holder - essentially a magnetic shower-wall mount for your razor, and comes with an extra piece of sticky backing. Thinking long-term, I like that.
Razor Travel Case - is just that, a travel case for your razor. A plastic cover to protect the head of the razor from getting damaged or causing damage.
The Shave Cream - 4oz. bottle; is described as 'smoothing, soothing goodness... designed to feel like shaving with marshmallows'. Okay, that's might be a stretch, and that sounds more sticky than soothing if you ask me.
I've been using this razor and shave cream for the better part of two months, and I absolutely love it! I signed up to have (2) sets of blades delivered every 2 months. Based on my shaving frequency, in theory, I should be changing my blade out every month. Using it over the last two months, the razor is no where near to a point I would typically swap out the replacement. Granted, I have been shaving a little less since we've been in quarantine, but again, who's counting? With Billie, I get a close shave without having to go over certain areas more than once. More specifically, I have one stubborn hair in my underarm-area that I typically have to back-shave in the opposite direction to get. Billie gets it with one swipe!
So, is it worth the hype? Yes! I love everything about this razor. I love the convenience of it being shipped to my home every other month. I love the price! For $9, which is $4.50/month for me, it is extremely affordable. And I love the fact that I will never find myself in the situation where I'm in the shower, its time to change out my razor head and I've forgotten to pick up replacements at the store. Billie is designed for a woman, and I Iove the girly-ness of the razor. That may sound silly, but I enjoy the feminine look and feel.
What about the 360-degrees of charcoal soap? Does it clean deeper? I'm not sure, but in combination with the shave cream, it provides a luxurious lather. And the shave cream is to die for! If you were looking to try another product from Billie, definitely get the shave cream! On their site I do not see a scent description, but it smells delicious! I am not one for food scents, but this one is YUM! It smells like a creamscicle (orange-vanilla) ice cream. And I noticed in the ingredients they list orange flower extract. These two combined result in a pretty awesome shave. And yes, shaving isn't very glamorous, but this is about as close as we'll get.
Will you be trying out Billie? If you have tried it, what are your thoughts? I'd love to hear in the comments below.
Talk soon xo...
Disclaimer: All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. All items were purchased with my own money.