Shaving Product Review: Gillette Venus Breeze

I was given the Venus Breeze, by Proctor & Gamble's Gillette as a gift. You see, though I've tried a bunch of women's shavers, I've always found Gillette's Mach 3 to be my favorite shaver out there. I've tried competitor's products, and even other Venus shavers, and still fall back to my reliable men's version. I really don't expect this to win me over, but I'll give it a shot.

I last shaved with an Intuition, while on a trip, last week. So the shaver plus lubricant model is fresh in my mind for comparison.

The package of this Venus Breeze reads, "Makes Shaving So Easy! No Need for Separate Shave Cream or Soap," we'll see about that.

Upon opening the package, I discover a refreshing fruity tropical scent.

The handle and gel are a pleasing bright translucent purple. The handle is slightly wider than the Mach 3, as are the other Venus handles. This also has a grip enhanced with a non-slip texture, which would help prevent it slipping from one's hand while shaving in the shower.

With an examination of the handle, I wonder if the Breeze would take on my trusty Mach 3 shaver heads. I open my drawer, pop the head off of my Mach 3, and discover with a grin that the pretty purple handle does take my old heads, with a bit of an edge of the handle sticking out. I am pleased with the discovery anyway. The directions on the package of the Gillette Venus Breeze indicate that all "Venus blade refills fit all Venus razor handles," which could come in handy, should someone have an allergy to something in the shave gel bars.

The simple instructions do not insult my intelligence by directing me on how to shave, merely indicates to wet the razor "for light lather and smooth glide."

I do as the package says and am greeted with even more of the pleasing fruity scent. It does glide on very easy and effortlessly. The Venus Breeze shaves as close, and without nicks, as outstandingly as I've come to expect from Gillette.

The edges are thicker than with other shavers I've tried, so getting into a pattern of overlapping strokes will be necessary. But overall there was no hair missed due to poor design, only my own unfamiliarity with the edges of the shaver.

I took a bit of time to wash the gel off, afterward. I'm not sure if this was due to me shaving at the sink, rather than in the shower, or if the gel retains it's sticky nature, after the shave. Even now that my skin is dry, I can still feel the leftover gel stickiness. I'd like to see that worked out of future versions.

Overall, I think the Gillette Venus Breeze would be a good shaver to take on a trip. No bulky can of shave gel to make the TSA agents frown about as they throw it out of your carry on. Pair that with a smooth, close shave, it's almost enough to make a woman want to show off her legs in a bikini.

After I drop that last few pounds.