Seeing all the ads for this new Venus Embrace razor by Gillette makes me wonder: How many razor blades do you need in your razor in order to achieve that ever-elusive perfect, nick-free shave? Is there really a direct correlation between the number of razor blades you take to your stubble and the smoothness of the resulting shave, as the good people of Gillette would have you believe?
I can see the value of adding an additional blade or two onto a razor, of course (I currently shave with 3 blades). If one blade doesn’t catch a hair, surely the others will, right? But five?! Can this really be necessary, or is it just a marketing gimmick? And where will the madness end?! Will we be seeing razors with 8 blades, 10 blades? How many is too many? Personally, I’ve found that the key to smooth, hairless legs lies in 3 easy steps:
1. Use a new razor. Dull blades just won’t "cut" it…literally. Har har.
2. Use a shaving cream that’s really creamy - I prefer to use a cheap hair conditioner as opposed to foam from a can. My legs get far less irritated this way.
3. Apply a thick, preferably unscented lotion right after you shave. I recommend my favorite Curel lotion, or hydrocortisone cream, which is formulated to combat itchiness and redness.
That’s it! I really haven’t found that my 3-blade razor is leaving behind tufts of unwanted hair, so I’m finding it difficult to believe that 5 blades can elevate my legs to a new level of loveliness. But what do you think? Do you prefer to shave your legs with as many blades as possible, or do you find that 1 or 2 work just fine?
