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Billie Razor Review

Marne Orenich
ByMarne OrenichApr 21, 2020 | 37 comments

Billie Review

Billie
4.8 overall rating
14 Ratings | 5 Reviews

Billie is a shaving subscription service that caters to women and allows you to choose the frequency of deliveries and cancel at any time. The outright bash The Pink Tax which is the premium amount that brands charge for “women’s” products or services. NPR’s report on the Pink Tax referenced a study that suggested women pay 13% more than men on equivalent products. Billie seeks to eliminate this unfair practice via their product development and pricing. They also donate to women’s causes around the world (although they don’t specify which ones on their site).

This is a review of Billie's Starter Kit. 

Updated 3/23/20 with newly available products!

Billie February 2019 - Box Open 3

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Billie February 2019 - All Products Review 7

About this Women's Shaving Subscription

The Subscription Box: Billie

The Cost: $9.00 for the starter kit and $9.00 for each 4-pack replacement cartridge delivery. You choose the frequency. 

The Products: The Starter Kit includes a razor handle, mag(net)ic holder, and 2 5-blade razor cartridges. There is also an option to add body care products of your choice.

Good to Know: Billie only has one level of razors, unlike other shaving subscriptions with multiple razor options. The razors are 5-blade and surrounded by aloe shave soap.

Ships to: US for free (including P.O. boxes)

Billie Starter Kit & Shave Cream Review

I've been seeing Billie advertised on Instagram a lot lately and even though I am currently a Dollar Shave Club subscriber, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd be happier with Billie, a brand that is targeted to women specifically, and is very vocal about being anti-pink-tax. They also point out how ridiculous it is that shaving companies never show female body hair as if it's something to hide. Yes, of course, they are in the business of women removing hair, but that doesn't mean you have to go all or nothing, and it's refreshing that they don't ignore the fact that female body hair exists.

The first thing you'll do when signing up is to choose which color you'd like out of 5 rather pleasing hues.

Next, they ask how often you shave to estimate when they think you'll need more razors auto-shipped to you. Since I chose once a week (haha, IF THAT), my replacements will come every three months. You can always change it, too.

 

Everything included in the starter kit comes in the wonderfully designed package. Since I also ordered shave cream to try out, mine came in a box (shown at the top of this post).

 

They include a small booklet to walk you through your new razor. It starts with what comes in your kit, then goes into how they are trying to stop women from overpaying for razors. Their shave products are vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and also free of paraben, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. They also don't test on animals. There's a short how-to on replacing your blade cartridge as well as using your magnetic holder.

Billie February 2019 - All Products Review 9

Billie Starter Kit - Retail Value $9.00

Here's what comes in the starter kit:

  • 1 Billie handle in color of your choice (I chose "Cool Blue")
  • 2 x 5-Blade Razor Cartridges
  • 1 Mag(net)ic Holder

 

Your first complete razor comes in a colorful box, with 1 of 2 cartridges attached to the handle you chose.

 

Handle with 5-Blade Razor Cartridge

The handle is made of lightweight plastic and has a single button you'll use to eject the old razor once it's time to replace. The underside of the handle is coated in a thin rubbery material to help you keep a grip while using.

Billie February 2019 - Razor 24

Each 5-blade razor cartridge comes encased in aloe soap that surrounds it. I remember razors coming with this feature years ago and if I recall, it was so that you could shave without having to use a cream or gel, so I tried it without any. It wasn't bad at all but ended up being a lot nicer with the additional cream I ordered. I thought I'd miss the weight of my heavy rubberized metal handle from Dollar Shave Club, but it was actually kind of nice to have a lighter one in my hand.

UPDATE: Billie used to offer an aloe shave bar, but has updated to charcoal since I got my starter kit. So the bar in the pictures above is a little more white than the current Billie bar, which is a soft gray color.

Billie February 2019 - Razor Blade 25

Additional Razor Cartridge

Here's how the extra cartridge comes, packed safely in a plastic case to wait until needed.

 

Mag(net)ic Holder

The next item seems a little silly at first, but I learned quickly how useful it is. It's a simple plastic triangle with a sticky back that holds your razor to the wall in the shower. It even comes with "back up sticky stuff" if you need it later. This little fella has a magnet inside that keeps your razor snuggly held. I was afraid it wouldn't stick properly because I have stupid porous tiles in my bathroom, but it held like a champ.

Billie February 2019 - Mag(net)ic Powers Holder 30

Here it is with the razor. I ended up really liking this little holder since I normally just have my razor on the edge of the tub, sitting in water, which of course isn't great for the blades. Now it's out of the puddles!

 

Billie Shave Cream, 6.5 oz. - Retail Value $8.00

I think it's important to try the shaving cream a razor brand has to offer since it's something I'm going to need and it's more convenient to have it sent with shipments of blades. This full-size bottle was not included in the starter kit and cost me $8.00 to add. At the time I added it, it also asked me if it was just a one time purchase or if I'd like to have it sent every 3 months with my new 4-pack of blade cartridges. I like that I have options. Their formula is made with aloe vera and sage, and like the booklet mentioned, is free of a lot of nasty stuff. I like the consistency of this cream and it's wonderfully slippery which allows the 5 blades to really effortlessly glide across my stubbly legs. It also smells realllly nice. I think it's... grapefruit? Yes, it is grapefruit-forward. This shave cream is great, but I do think that $8.00 is a little steep and that I could probably get something comparable at Trader Joe's for a better price.

Additional Products from Billie

Recently Billie has come out with a few other non-razor related personal care products. I'll be updating this post as soon as I get my hands on them to review first hand.

Billie Floof Dry Shampoo - Retail Value $14.00

Their dry shampoo comes in two shades: dark and light.

Billie Wonder Wipes - Retail Value $9.00

Get their facial wipes at 25 to a pack. It looks like a subscription is required that ships every month or every other month. You can cancel at anytime.

Super Salve Daily Hydrating Lip Balm - Retail Value $9.00

As a lip product addict, I'm pretty excited about this balm. It comes in five variations: three that are flavored with tint (fig, rhubarb, sorbet) and two that are sheer (classic which is unflavored, and parsley).

The Verdict: As someone who typically is too lazy to shave my legs and even keep my armpits completely smooth, I did really enjoy the shaving experience that Billie extended to me. My legs were so ridiculously soft and smooth after running this razor over them that I wanted to keep touching them throughout the day and even three days later, they're not that bad. I like that this company was co-founded by a woman (Georgina Gooley) and calls out body hair shame and pink-tax BS. Do I need a razor specifically for a woman? No. Is it kind of nice to be catered to and not completely up-charged to take care of the body hair I sometimes want to get rid of? Yes. Billie seems like a solid razor with equally solid shaving products that will just show up at my door so that it's one last thing I have to think about every few months for a reasonable price. Comparing Billie ($2.25/razor) to a similar product like the Bic Soleil Balance ($2.99/razor), I'm saving $0.74 a piece and a trip to the store. 

If you’re curious to see how Billie stacks up to the women's razor, Flamingo, you should check out our Billie vs. Flamingo post!

The Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You sure can. You can order your starter kit any time you'd like!

Value Breakdown: For $9.00 I got a reusable handle, 2 shave cartridges, and a magnetic holder that prolongs the life of my blades by keeping it dry. Each shipment after that costs $9.00 for 4 cartridges, which breaks down to $2.25 a piece. 

Check out all of our Billie reviews and more shaving clubs in the Women’s Subscription Box List!

If you're trying to figure out which razor subscription is right for you, head over to this post where I compare the leading brands!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of Billie?

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Billie is all about creating feel-good body products without the feel-bad body pressures they usually come with. That means they offer an award-winning shave for when or if you feel like going smooth, and ultra-satisfying bodycare that gives your skin what it’s asking for. Less fuss, more fun!read more.

Marne Orenich
Marne Orenich
Marne is a lipstick connoisseur, record collector, and twice over cat mom. She loves discovering new clean beauty brands and has quite the collection of beautifully packaged serums and moisturizers.

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37 comments

Bree

Love my Billie razor and their shaving cream… despise the wipes! They have a horrible smell of burnt plastic/chemical that lingers on my face or anywhere they are used. Anyone else have this experience?

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Emily

Shipping delays (I know it’s a pandemic, but I see others mentioning this from 9 months ago) and lack of response from customer service makes me want to cancel. I am going to give it another week. I reached out to them a month ago when my first box came without an extra blade, but never heard back. Now my refill is almost 2 weeks late. I just wanna shave myself! Cmon Billie!

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Jazmine

Does anyone know of good shaving creams that you can use with the shaver? I have some eos shaving cream, the pomegranate raspberry, and the lavender jasmine scented ones. I use those more often than my Skintimate shaving cream, light pink container. I assume I should use the Billie shaving cream, but I don’t want to spend extra money on that right away.

One more question: Does the Billie refill for $9 get charged to you automatically? I chose every 3 months’. So will I get charged for $9 every 3 months? Is there a way to prevent refills until you need them? If not, I hope Billie will have this option later on.

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Your Friends @MSA

Hey Jazmine! Based on the FAQ on their site, you can adjust, skip, or cancel your plan any time on your Account Page. If you need help with that, they can also be reached at [email protected] or text/call: 888-820-7422.

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Joelle K Brodeur

I’ve been using my Billie razor for a couple of weeks and have not had issues of rusting or the heads gunking up. For one thing, my razor is mounted in the back of the shower to keep water off of it and lots of users have popped the cover back on which you shouldn’t do. The blades are designed not to clog. There’s a bit more space to rinse out hair quickly. That has helped the blades stay clean and more sanitary.

I have had no issues with the blade popping off (don’t shave with your finger on the release button) and I haven’t had irritation or burning since using the razor. So far, I am extremely happy with Billie and so glad it’s affordable to buy refills. It’s the smoothest, most pampered shave. I haven’t used any additional shave cream with it but adding their body products to my next order to try it. The samples I got in my starter kit were surprisinly nice without an overpowering fragrance.

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Nancy

My Bellie got full of gonk after I used it, I thought that maybe the razor was dispensing the soapy substance it was profuse. I had lightly hit my legs with shower wash. Is it suppose to to do this? I spent quite a bit of time trying to remove gunk but never successfully cleaned, also noticed hair was hard to clean off razor??

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M

I really liked these razors and the shave cream. However, I’ve had more than one month out of 4 be late by more than 2 weeks, with little to no notice and insufficient actual shipping afterwards. If the company has grown too big for their shipping, they should fix this problem before taking new subscribers. I canceled.

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Lori

I’m discovering that right now. I suppose the original 2 blades are supposed to last for 6 weeks? I’m annoyed that I had to use an alternative when I set up the subscription to ensure I have extra blades. This is really bad for them as I am a new customer with three subscriptions (my two daughters and myself) and I will be canceling and putting word out.

Here’s their cute little customer reply email (I don’t care if you have higher volume than usual. I’m the customer, one of the many who pay your employees):
“Thanks for reaching out to us! We got your message and we’ll get back to you in 1-2 days. We are busier than usual but typing as fast as we can. We are available 10 am-5 pm EST.

We can’t wait to help you!

xx Team Billie”

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Cyndi

Has anyone else had problems with the Billie razor blade popping off the handle? I have continually had this problem for a year no matter how many new handles they send me. I’ve not had any problems with rusting.

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Rachel

I love the concept behind this company, but I’m really disappointed that the charcoal soap on the razor contains polyethylene glycol, which is known to possibly contain carcinogenic contaminants. I’m really surprised Billie would use this ingredient since it can be harmful. If it wasn’t for that one ingredient I would have given these razors a try since I’ve been on the search for a more natural, effective razor.

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Boxy Fox

We’d be happy to help! Here’s the list of ingredients in our Charcoal Shave Soap:

Charcoal Powder
Aloe Vera Leaf Juice
Shea Butter
Cyclodextrin
Polyethylene Glycol
Maltodextrin
Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Our ingredient list has a top rating on EWG’s Skin Deep database, and all of the ingredients are paraben free, sulfate free, vegan and have been dermatologically approved, so it’s specifically designed for sensitive skin.

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Aileen Williams

While I really like the blades and the shaving cream, for me the handle is too slippery. I end up having to grip it hard when it’s wet. I wish it had some ridges or other texture to help with the slipperiness.

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Mary Walton

I agree. I think the handles are a little to slippery for me. I have to really grip it while shaving. I wish they they were a little heavier.

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Viclor

I love Billie. Saw their cool ads on FB and enjoyed the web experience so ordered a razor. Packaging was beyond pretty. Shaving experience is really smooth and light, leaving skin soft as a baby. Hubby came home from a trip and saw it hanging on the magic sticky and thought it was super cool! Highly recommended!!!

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Maggie

These are the BEST razors! I have major issues with sensitive skin and razor burn and these are the only razors that I have ever been able to shave with with no shaving cream. I recommend them to everyone.

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Tori Wenig

I LOVE Billie! I’ve used Venus and Intuition in the past and I get a better shave and far less razor burn with these. And for half the price!

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Victoria

Has anyone used these and felt they didn’t quite get legs as smooth as Venus razors? I’ve used Venus for a long while but wanted to give these a shot. While I thought they did a decent job, it doesn’t seem to get as close to the skin as the Venus ones, so the hair is noticeable more quickly. Just me?

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Susan

I agree 💯. I love everything this company stands for and I really loved the idea of finding a cheaper alternative to Venus swirl. Venus swirl is still my favorite above all others.

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Rachel

I subscribed to Billie when I found out this past summer I was allergic to Nickel. They were the only razor I could find that outright stated they were nickel free. I truly love them! No alllergic reactions and super smooth shave. I do find I have to switch out the blade quicker than on my old razor though.

I did buy the shave cream a few months ago to try, and I felt like my skin was even too sensitive for that. So I switched back to my normal Tree Hut shave oil, and that and the Billie razor will be my go to for quite some time!!

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Marne Orenich

Great to know, Rachel! Thanks for the info about it being nickel-free!

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SheriH

I bought a starter pack for my daughter and while she loved the razor, they never had the cream or anything else in stock so I canceled.

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Michelle

Does anyone have experience using some other shaving cream/body wash with these razors? I remember my old intuition razor getting kind of Gunked up if I tried to use a separate cream/soap and I wondered if this is the same since it also has the solid built-in soap.

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Meredith

I used to use Dial body washes, and now I use Renpure Tea Tree Mint Body Wash (I have sensitive skin and need something antibacterial to prevent razor burn and irritation). It’s more sudsy than creamy so it works great for shaving, and the razors rinse easily and stay clean. I’ve never gotten the gunky buildup with body washes like I used to get with shaving creams (or the thicker, cream-like “moisturizing” body washes).

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Kristi

I use the cream from Trader Joe’s and it works well

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Rachel

I use Gillette sensitive skin shaving gel and don’t have a problem with it so long as I rinse every couple swipes. I usually get two or three shaves out of it before I feel like it needs to be replaced.

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Jackie

I use Everyman Jack shaving cream or even sometimes conditioner with these and I’ve never had an issue.

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Leslie

How is the shave gel you orderd? Is it gluten free too? I have a friend who is a true celiac disease sufferer and I want to point this company out to her.

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Marne Orenich

I thought it was really moisturizing and it smelled really nice. And yes, it’s Gluten-Free (as well as non-GMO, and vegan)!

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Jackie

I’ve been using mine for almost a year and I’m really happy with it. I have pretty sensitive skin and sometimes my legs will itch after shaving – but not since I started using these razors.

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AmyM

I switched from Dollar Shave to Billie and I’ve been really pleased. I’ll be sticking with them for a while. The razor holder is honestly a game changer in making the blades last.

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Jessica

I would like theses more if they didn’t rust so quickly. I switched back to dollar shave.

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Marne Orenich

Thanks for the insight after prolonged use, Jessica! This is something I wouldn’t have experienced until much later. It’s even rusting when using the holder?

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Tara M

I did also and they got gunky fast. The first shave was awesome but after that I just couldn’t get a good shave. I switched back to dollar.

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Nancy

I had the exact issue? a very sticky gunk? someone explain please

Amy

I cancelled because of the rusting issue also. Honestly, I’d never had that happen with a razor before. I switched to Flamingo and so far, so good.

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M

I haven’t had a rust experience with them. But I did switch from dollar shve club to Billie bc I felt that the razor handle is easier to keep clean since it doesn’t have all the extra rubber.

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M

I haven’t had a rust experience with them. But I did switch from dollar shve club to Billie bc I felt that the razor handle is easier to keep clean since it doesn’t have all the extra rubber.

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