Gillette Disposable Razors. Srsly wtf.

In a world where the icecaps are melting, the ocean has a giant garbage pit in it, birds are disappearing and we pay $0.05 for plastic grocery bags, I think it’s a safe bet to say that most people are fairly eco-conscious. Politicians use the environment to help them win elections, celebs are proudly carrying canvas sacs that state “I am not a plastic bag” and even biking seems to be totally cool to do.

In an age where being eco-chic is the new Black, why the hell did they create this?

The Gillette Venus disposable razors.

Let me state this first: I love my Gillette Embrace razor. I got a free sample at a street festival two years ago and never looked back. I’m not a girl that spends money on beauty products, so for me to shell out more than $10 on a pack of razors is a big deal, and these damn replacement blades cost me around $20 (sometimes more, depending on where I go). Five blades really do make a difference. They’re awesome. I love them and recommend the Venus Embrace to everyone that asks.

This disposable razor, though, is a total crock. They say it’s just as good as a normal razor, and once you’re done with it, you can throw the entire thing out! But what’s the point? The disposable is the exact same size and shape as the normal one. It’s the same weight, has the same grips, has the same blade…the only difference seems to be that the disposable one has a tropical scent. Which I find really weird, but whatever.

Here, from the website, are the great product points listed for both razors:

Embrace:
- 5 blades for a dramatically smooth shave
- Ribbon of Moisture for a smooth glide
- Interchangeable Blade Refill Cartridges
- ShowerPod convenient in-shower storage
- SoftGrip handle for no-slip control

Disposable razor:
- 5 blades for a curve-hugging smooth shave
- Ribbon of Moisture for a smooth glide
- No blade chagne required; just use and toss!
- Pivoting head adjusts to your curves
- New SoftGrip handle for great control

So the only real difference is that the non-disposable ones come with a ShowerPod…but the ShowerPod doesn’t suction to the wall, so you have to find another big space in the tub to put your ShowerPod down, and it’s bigger than the razor so it takes up more space, and then it gets all soap scummy…it’s pretty useless. I’ll also mention that the Embrace has a pivoting head that adjusts to your curves too, but they didn’t put it as one of the points on the site (and, as I’m srsly professional, I didn’t want to put something up there that wasn’t directly taken from the site). They are the exact same razor.

I’m all for cheap disposable razors (like those pink Bic razors) as they’re truly crap and it’s okay if you lose one while you’re at the beach, but to spend more than $5 on something like this is just absurd. So why do we need a fancy scented disposable razor? It’s not about saving money, as a pack of them costs about the same as buying a refill pack. It can’t be about not wanting to bring your normal razor on a trip with you in case you lose it, because buying one of the razors (that come with a few replacement blades) is, again, about the same amount as a pack of disposables. It can’t be about always wanting to have a smooth shave, because as soon as your blades go dull on the normal one you can just eject them into the trash and throw another one on. So why go to all the trouble to create this? Do people really buy them?

Like “Lite” Cheese Whiz and avocado slicers, Gillette has created something totally useless and impractical, but is marketing it like you Can’t Live Without It. I was on board with the Diamond Shreddies campaign, but this I just can’t stand behind.