Shaving is expensive. Razors can also often cost more for women compared to similar products geared toward men. A new startup called Billie plans to capitalize on the demand for cheaper razors with a subscription service that’s basically the Dollar Shave Club, but for women.
“We’ve sort of seen women as being an afterthought in the shaving category,” Billie co-founder Georgina Gooley told The Verge’s sister site Racked. “If you look at the big brands that started ages ago to the more recent start-up brands, everyone is very focused on improving the shaving experience for men. For women, it’s kind of like they just slap a bit of pink on it and think it’ll be fine. We wanted to make sure we weren’t just taking a men’s blade and making it for women.” Billie claims its razors are sharper and smoother (they’re encased in aloe soap), while its line of shaving creams and body lotions are vegan, gluten free, and GMO-free.
“Everyone is very focused on improving the shaving experience for men.”
The Verge’s internal Slack got into a debate about different razors, and most female staffers said they actually use men’s razors, because they’re typically cheaper and do not have any discernible quality differences from versions made for women. Still, Billie is probably a welcome service for those who do struggle to find decent razors, particularly ones with a built-in soap, for a relatively cheap price. The starter kit is $9, and contains a razor handle, a magnetic holder, and two five-blade razor cartridges. The subscription delivers four replacement blade cartridges for $9, and you can choose how often they’re sent. Customers can skip, adjust, or cancel the subscription at any time. For reference, Gillette’s razor refills costs around $20 a pack.