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I’m notoriously bad about remembering to switch out my razor in the shower, so the idea of a mail delivery that will remind me it’s time to make the change was awfully appealing. That combined with the near constant ads for the brand showing up in my Instagram feed, made me decide it was time to give Billie a try to see if the razor brand is worth the subscription price.

All About Billie

How Billie Works

Billie is a shaving supply company that sends women disposable razor blades on a subscription basis as often as they need them. The Billie razor handle is made to be used over and over again, with refill blade cartridges arriving in the mail, so you can mark “shaving supplies” off of your grocery list.

When you sign up for Billie, your first shipment will be a starter kit complete with all the fundamentals you’re going to use for hair removal moving forward, from the razor handle to a nifty magnetic hanger for your shower (they say this thing is magic, and they’re not kidding). The kit also includes two blades — your first blade plus one refill.

The subscription comes in the form of a “shave plan” from Billie – you tell the company how often you shave, and they tell you how often they recommend you get blade deliveries. You can also add on shaving and skincare products, such as Billie’s shaving cream or the brand’s Wonder Wipes.

What’s in the Billie Starter Kit and how much does it cost?

Priced at $9 with free shipping, the Billie Starter Kit includes a Billie razor handle, magnetic razor holder, plus two blades. You get the option of five pretty colors for your handle:

• DreamPop (a purple and pink handle with a Blue Billie button on the back)
• Coral
• Blush
• Cool Blue
• Blush Periwinkle

Add-ons to your Starter Kit are available too, including any of the following:

• Billie Shave Cream — $8
• Razor Travel Case — $5
• Wonder Wipes (for make-up removal) — $9
• Billie Dry Bye Body Lotion — $12

ACTIVE DEAL: 10% off your order of $20+
CODE: MSA10

How does the Billie Shave Plan work?

When choosing your Starter Kit, Billie will also ask you questions about your shaving habits to help determine how often to send you refill blade cartridges. Billie sends out four refill blades in every on-going shipment, and you get to pick the frequency.

• Shave every day? Billie suggests you get a monthly delivery.
• Shave only a few times a week? They suggest you get a delivery every two months
• Shave once a week? Billie suggests you opt for a shave plan that delivers new blades every three months.

Timing can be adjusted as you go along, so you can extend the time between shipments — you know, for those winter months when you may not be shaving as much — or speed things up a bit.

Where does Billie ship and how much does it cost?

Shipping is free to all 50 U.S. states on all razor and wipes subscriptions, or if you prefer to buy as you go, on a purchase order of $15 or more. For all other orders, shipping is $4. Billie does not yet ship to Canada, but it seems this could be available at some point in the future.

Is Billie vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free?

Yes! Billie is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. The brand is committed to cruelty-free practices at every level of production, and attests that they do not work with any  manufacturers or labs that don’t uphold cruelty-free practices as well.

Are Billie products suitable for all skin types?

Yes, all Billie products are formulated to be suitable for varying skin types, and are specifically designed for sensitive skin.

How often do Billie blades need to be replaced?

Billie recommends that you replace the blade after 7 shaves for a consistently tip-top shave every time, but depending on your usage and shave coverage area, you can use your judgment to determine when it's time to pop on a new one.

My Billie Review

I don’t think I really expected to “love” my new razor as much as I did. Would it be convenient? I assumed it would be. A good thing to add to my routine in the summer when I save every day? Most definitely. But we’re still talking about a razor here … not the most “fun” product out there.

And yet, I’m not only hooked on the subscription, but I’ve already put in an order for a subscription for my teenage daughter so they will stop stealing my new razor!

Unboxing My Order

Billie sends out its starter kits in a small white box with the brand’s name emblazoned across the top. The white is a nice change from your average boring old cardboard box, and because the box top opens upward, similar to a bakery box, it feels like you’re opening a special treat.

Inside, my Billie Starter Kit was packed in a smaller foil-lined bag. I appreciated that this helped keep everything in the box from rolling around too much.

The razor handle itself was enclosed in a small cardboard box. Tip: Hold onto this box! You can use it to store the extra blade and the extra sticky square for the magnetic razor holder so they don’t get lost in a drawer or the linen closet.

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1 DreamPop razor handle

The Billie razor handle is made to be used over and over again, unlike the disposable brands I’m used to, and it shows. While it’s not heavy to lift or run over my legs, the handle feels more substantial in your hand — you can tell it’s made to last. While I’ve admittedly only had it a few weeks, I’ve dropped it in the shower with no apparent wear or tear.

2 razor blade refills

The blade refills were simple to snap on and off the handle, and the charcoal-based soap around the blades had a pleasant smell. Best of all, the razor blades really felt like they were rolling across the skin — even when I tried a Billie shave without shaving cream on the notoriously more nick-prone areas (like my knees and back of ankle or the more sensitive bikini line). My only gripe (and it's a small one) would be that the soap residue does tend to gum up at the bottom when you hang it.

1 magnetic holder

Each Billie starter kit comes with this small orange triangle and a small sticky square made for sticking the triangle to the side of the shower. The package says it’s magic, and so far, well … it is! I’ve bought several hooks and hangers over the years specifically for holding razors, and they never seem to work quite right, falling to the floor when you so much as look at them wrong.

What makes the Billie holder different? It’s magnetized, and the razor handle sticks directly to it, so there’s a firm (but not too firm) grip that keeps your razor in place while you’re going through the rest of your shower routine. I even tried slamming the bathroom door a few times to see if it would jostle the razor loose, and the holder held up.

2 sticky squares for the magnetic holder

Worried the sticky square won’t last forever, or concerned you might need to move your Billie to another bathroom? The starter kit includes an extra sticky square as a back-up. It’s small, and I pondered a bit on where to store it exactly, but in the end I opted to pop it into the small box the razor handle came in, along with my extra blade, before storing in the closet.

1 bottle of Billie shaving cream (this is an add-on to the typical Billie Starter Kit)

I suffer from a pretty hefty amount of skin allergies, which means I’m very limited in the types of products I can use, avoiding not just the usual parabens and phthalates, but also having to steer clear of any chemical fragrances and a number of chemicals that show up in even organic soaps and shampoos.

Fortunately the Billie shaving cream uses only natural fragrances from sage and aloe vera, and I was able to slather it on without breaking out (if only this were true of half the soaps on the market, shower time would be so much easier!). The cream even gets a 1 on the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” scale — the best you can get from the non-profit that rates the safety of skincare products.

What I Loved

The Billie Starter Kit is a true starter kit in every sense of the words — I was able to immediately head to the bathroom and start using my new razor, and straight away I could tell it was more deluxe than other brands I grab from the grocery store every month or so. The razor is sleek and sturdy, and with a host of fun colors, I've already ordered a second handle for my teenage daughter so mine will stop being "borrowed."

The magnetic holder is also worth its weight in gold (which I guess isn't saying much when something is as tiny and lightweight as this, but let's go with the metaphor, shall we?). I'm truly impressed that the holder hasn't fallen off the wall of the shower — even when it's been bumped by my husband or while cleaning the wall — the razor has yet to fall off of it! This was clearly made by someone who 'gets' the experience of hanging the razor in a shower and having to pick it up off the floor nonstop!

I was also pleased to find out the brand's "clean" motto was more than just a marketing label they slapped on there to get you to buy. With my skin allergies, I waited a few days and had never had a breakout — which is saying a lot from a woman who is allergic to paper straws (yes, sigh...), and the thumbs up from the Environmental Working Group is a big deal!

This has nothing to do with the razor itself, but I was definitely swayed by the company’s mission, which is to put a stop to the pink tax — the gender-based pricing that ends making many products intended for women more expensive, including razors.

What I Didn't Like

The Gunky Residue

Admittedly, this is a pretty minor gripe, but I could see this being something to be aware of: shave soap building up on the magnetic holder.

Like most razor blades, Billie’s comes lined with a shave soap so it will glide better over the skin. I found the soap worked well; even after a week of shaving, I felt like I could use the razor without adding shaving cream if I really wanted to. Although, due to the way the razor nestles against the little orange triangle of the holder, some soapy residue naturally leaks down onto the holder.

Again, it’s a pretty minor gripe, and it’s nothing that can’t be dealt with when you’re doing your typical shower cleaning.

My Verdict - Is Billie Worth It?

Overall Appeal

Trying this subscription in the summer when I'm shaving a lot more has meant a lot of use, and I think it's pretty safe to say Billie has me hooked. It's well made, great for those of us with sensitive skin, and there's a lot to be said for not having to remember to put yet another thing on the grocery list ... or make a run out for that one thing you forgot.

Bonus: Even my teenage daughter is on board with the brand and found a handle color they love.

Price and Value

Billie’s shaving starter kit costs $9, and every set of 4 refill blade cartridges costs $9 too. Both the Billie Starter Kit and the Shave Plan refills ship for free.

This is on par with some competitors — Athena’s razor subscription has the exact same price point — but it’s significantly cheaper than other razor subscriptions out there. Hanni’s razor starter set, for example, comes with a $58 price tag!

What about the razors you’ve been picking up at the grocery store all these years? It depends on your brand, of course, but refills for most of the popular brands started at $13 when I checked at my local Target. And of course, you have to figure in the gas to drive to Target, plus the time and energy to actually remember to pick up new razor blades.

Convenience

Speaking of Target, when was the last time you made a run to the store? If you’ve cut way back since the pandemic started, you’re not exactly alone. That’s part of what made checking out a shave plan appealing to me — one less thing I have to remember when I do make it to the grocery store.

I found Billie’s suggestion that its blades only be used for 7 uses a tad on the extreme side. I could easily see using mine extending about double that, but this really depends on individual use and area you're covering. Having the option to pick one of several different delivery cadences, and the flexibility to change things up mid-stream, makes their Shave Plan super convenient. One thing to note: because you have to use Billie razor blades with the handle, you do need to pick a delivery window that will work for you. There's no running to the store for extras if you run out too quickly.

Sustainability

Yes, you are still throwing something away when you’re replacing your razor blade cartridge every week (or two, or … however often works for you). But it does feel good to know I’m using that much less waste by reusing my handle over and over again.

You can try Billie for yourself here:

ACTIVE DEAL: 10% off your order of $20+
CODE: MSA10

Have you tried Billie? Head to the comments section and let us know!