Saw It On Social: Flamingo Razors

Jan 21, 2020

Every new brand talks about how it’s here to revolutionize, disrupt, or upend its industry.  Even when the industry in question is dishware, bed sheets, shampoo, or luggage, these startups want you to believe in their game changing powers.  And they’re willing to spend a boatload of money on social media advertising to make sure the world knows just how revolutionary they are.

That’s how it was with Billie.  Last year, I wrote an SioS about the razor brand that infected my feeds like a virus.  I was happy with the razor.  Not wow’ed, but happy.  The shave was smooth, the skin was moisturized, all was well.

But after a few weeks, the replacement blades Billie was auto-shipping to me each month started to pile up.  I paused the shipments.  The pile still grew.  I decreased their frequency.  The pile plateaued, but did not shrink.  Eventually, I cancelled the shipments altogether.  I simply don’t shave often enough to need a fresh blade every two weeks.

Then, the sticky gum that affixes the magnetic pedestal to my shower wall gave up the fight.  The razor fell with a crash, but Billie had kindly sent a second set of sticky gum in the original shipment.  If only I could remember where I stored it.

Unable to reattach the pedestal to the wall, my pretty coral Billie razor was relegated to the side of the tub, the home of so many razors of yore.  But storing the Billie, with its thick moisturizing strip, on the side of the tub proved disastrous.  The razor became coated in slime.  The slime hardened, gluing the razor to the tub.  Freeing it cracked the handle and sliced open my finger.

That was it, Billie and I were done.  Which brings us to our SioS post for today: Flamingo Razors.

When I wrote about Billie back in July, several of you mentioned that you liked the Flamingo razors a bit better.  So I decided to give that brand a try as a replacement.

The Flamingo brand touts the smooth movement of its German-engineered flexible hinge.  The razor also boasts a five-blade cartridge, and has a hydrating aloe strip.

The razor feels heavy in the hand and well-made.  When you use it, the razor-head bends just as effortlessly as advertised.  And the raised grip on the razor gives you more control when the handle is soapy and wet.

For me, the Flamingo fixes everything that was ‘meh’ about the Billie.  The aloe strip is moisturizing without being slimy or gooey.  The razors and blades can be purchased at Target, so I can re-stock easily when I need to and don’t need to rely on auto-ship.  And  the razor is affixed to the wall by a plastic mount with a suction cup on the back, so I never need to worry about being unable to reattach it should it fall down.

But beyond fixing Billie’s faults, the hinge on the blade is fantastic.  Yesterday, I jerked my hand while shaving and I was sure that I’d cut myself.  Even with a brand new blade, I didn’t have so much as a nick.  And my kneeshave never had such a smooth and perfect shave in a single pass.

Bottom line: Flamingo is a quality razor with an innovative design.  After trying both razors, it feels like Flamingo understands how women live, not just how to create a social media ad campaign that will convince them to buy.

They get that I need to be able to pick up new blades at the store near my house, not let them pile up under my sink.  They get that I won’t always remember to put my razor back on the stand.  And they understand that when I do, I need to be able to reattach it to the wall without any special adhesives.  And Flamingo’s flexible hinge is actually pretty bomb.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}

Features, Saw It On Social

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  1. AB says:

    Interesting, I never tried the Billie, but did not like Flamingo at all. I bought several boxes, and I never had anything that resembled an aloe strip. Every shave, even with shave cream, felt like dragging a dull, un-lubricated razor across my skin. I got a decent, not great, shave, only if I went incredibly slowly. And who has time for that. I guess I am forever going to pay the pink tax for the Schick Hydro Silk.

  2. Claire says:

    Thanks for this – I’ve been using a Harry’s razor since well before they launched the Flamingo line and LOVE it, and I’m finally nearing the end of the blade stockpile I acquired before cancelling the refills. It looks like the Flamingo blades are compatible with the Harry’s handles and a bit more knee/ankle friendly, so I’ll make the switch.

  3. T says:

    I was excited to try Flamingo because The Harry’s razor heads always make me nervous with the straight blade on the back! However, I prefer the OG Harry’s blades to their new line Flamingo. The Flamingo cartridges are a bit large, making it hard to get a close shave at certain angles. Im used to the regular Harry’s heads that are lower profile. Also, the amount of plastic used in the Flamingo packaging felt wasteful.There are several (unnecessary) pieces of cheap plastic to encase the razors. The Harry’s razors have more streamlined packaging, focused on reducing waste and come with reusable cases that are great for travel.

  4. Except for the cut finger (ouch! sorry!) I had exactly the same experience with Billie! They kept sending more and more razors I didn’t ask for until finally I had to ask them to stop, and I had to replace the wall mount as well. The shave is so-so and they get gooey and rusty quickly. I’m looking forward to trying Flamingo!

  5. Sarah says:

    I bought a Flamingo and it rusted in my shower after the first use.

    • MXJ says:

      I had the exact same experience! With every single replacement cartridge. I also didn’t find the shave to be anything special, so I will definitely not buy them anymore. But, it was cute as far as razors go.

  6. RP says:

    I’m not sure why I feel so passionately about this but the “fanciest” dollar shave club razor is on amazon as the Dorco Pace 6 Pro — the best I’ve used and CHEAP.

    • pompom says:

      My DH does the same.

      I find that I need a “lady” razor for the wider, rounder head to get all those fat spots behind knees, under arms, etc., so these don’t work for me well.

  7. Kathryn says:

    I’ve been using Dollar Shave club since 2014 without complaint. While it is an auto-ship subscription service, it’s incredibly easy to skip a month and reschedule a shipment for a future date. You get a reminder about a week before each box ships, so I don’t have a stockpile of blades. I really like the quality of the blades and handles–would recommend.

    • Em says:

      Same here! The flamingo looks a little more aesthetically appealing than my DSC, but I feel like I need to stick w/ DSC on the principle of unisex-razors-for-all.

  8. LS says:

    I switched to a safety razor a few years ago and haven’t looked back. They’re beautiful to look at, provide a great shave, and refill blades are easy to find and dirt cheap. Highly recommend!

    • ShellY says:

      Yes! Me too. So much better for the environment. And I found a pretty rose gold safety razor too.

    • StepH says:

      Same! I was hoping I’d come across another safety razor fan in the comments.

      They take a bit of practice, but they end up being a much better shave, and cheaper in the long run! Though when I do cut myself (not often) it’s like I’m going to entirely exsanguinate in the shower.

  9. Becky says:

    I second your recommendation. I buy my flamingo razor and blades at Target and have been really happy. The razors feel really well built and the blades last a while before they need to be changed.

  10. DIana says:

    I tried Flamingo – after a couple months I had a terrible rash in both my armpits. Then an abscess developed in one armpit I had to go to urgent care to get it drained.
    Tried to save a little money and ended up with a huge doctors bill instead.

  11. Heather M says:

    So interesting–I had the exact opposite experience. I was “influenced” to try the Flamingo and didn’t like it. Similar to a previous commenter, it did not glide smoothly across my skin and the shave wasn’t impressive. I’m really pleased with the Billie (which I was also influenced to buy). I too have a stockpile of extra blades–which I assume are my own fault for not pausing or changing the frequency sooner. I did just pause them for a bit, so I’m curious to see if they keep showing up unwanted. That would definitely sour my experience. As a mom who doesn’t always have time to run to Target when I’m running low on something (or wait until I have enough items for a Target Restock order), this is a great solution for me–if I can get the timing of the blades right!

  12. SC says:

    I like the Billie but the blades are definitely piling up. I think I just need one blade per month in the winter. My other gripe about the Billie is their slippery handle — I need grippy bits to hang onto, especially when doing my underarms! I’m happy with it otherwise though.

    I am scared to death of safety razors — I have metal parts in both of my ankles and I can’t imagine the murder scene that would ensue after running a safety razor over those nubs. *shudder*

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