Hugh initially reached out to me regarding a partnership. After a Zoom in which we discussed the profile and a review, he and his lovely wife and co-founder/visionary, EM, sent me nail polish to try out.
So, without further ado, here is my review of MOXIE Nail Varnish’s polish!
MOXIE Nail Varnish: The Full Review
EM and Hugh gifted me multiple colors, which I shared with my team and mother. However, I kept MOXIE’s grey and red to myself to review; they’re extremely gorgeous AND have names I need to channel: WARRIOR! (grey) and TRUTH! (scarlet).
The bottles are cute, and the white blocks come off to reveal your standard circular tops.
One thing I noticed right off the bat: the tops have ridges, and if they’re screwed on tight, it can be a little painful to twist off the caps. If you have to use only two fingers to unscrew (me after painting two nails, oops), slipping is likely; make sure to undo all caps first!
However, the ridges do have a benefit: grip. I was able to hold onto the applicators – a little shorter than most due to a smaller polish bottle. I prefer this for control, as my tardive dyskinesia can create a mess the farther away the applicator is from where I’m applying the makeup (same goes for eyeliner, mascara, etc.).
The greatest thing about this nail polish: its pigment. Holy. Shit. I painted one coat on, and I was done. MOXIE’s liquid doesn’t seem thicker or thinner than other polishes’, but more than one coat isn’t necessary. Just look: this photo was taken with only one coat. Insane!
I blew on my nails for about 30 seconds, hoping it would hurry up the drying process. I expected them to be a little tacky, but to hold up… so imagine my surprise when they were completely dry after those 30 seconds of blowing cold air. The pigment didn’t fade when drying, either – it stayed just as bright!
A Christmas miracle, I swear.
Final Thoughts
MOXIE Nail Varnish’s polish gets a 9/10-star review from me! I only downgraded due to the cap – my cold fingers definitely felt the ridges’ burn as I attempted to open a bottle with wet nail polish on (not my brightest moment, admittedly).
EM, Hugh, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to review MOXIE’s nail polish! I’ll be ordering even more the second these run out – and most likely in neon orange. Can’t beat the brights here!
I hope my review of MOXIE Nail Varnish’s nail polish has convinced you to try out the brand! What colors will you be rocking? Tell us in the comments.
With my years of medications for cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, and bipolar disorder, I have unfortunately developed tardive dyskinesia. In other words, my hands shake like no other; so, holding makeup and applying my essentials can be real f*cking difficult. Enter: Guide Beauty and their products made for people with disabilities – like my own tardive dyskinesia.
I stumbled across Guide Beauty when looking for disability-friendly makeup products. The brand was one of the first to pop up, and I was immediately taken by how universal its design is. It solves so many struggles when it comes to applying the basics.
I added to cart, tagged them in my order, and two weeks later: my own kit of products came in.
Guide Beauty was founded when superstar makeup artist and beauty educator Terri Bryant was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She began living what her friends and clients had said – that application was hard, especially when dealing with shaking hands and a lack of precision.
Guide was Bryant’s solution: a beauty brand that made makeup accessible to everyone.
Listening to the most pressing issues, Bryant and her team worked hard to come up with an ergonomic design for holding, making application a breeze. At the same time, she and her team worked tirelessly to create cruelty-free, vegan, and clean formulas. None of that harsh, toxic s*it on an ableist wand – just accessible beauty at its finest.
The result of active listening: a mascara wand that has grips and a jet-black formula; a brow gel that fills in and shapes effortlessly with an easy-to-hold handle; and an eyeliner combo, consisting of gel in a pot and an ergonomic applicator. (Hard to describe, I’ll show you below!)
My Review of Guide Beauty
Hey, what up, I’m Tess, and my body sucks.
Therefore, this is my brutally honest review of Guide Beauty and its products. I ordered every single product, even though I really only needed the eyeliner applicator. You know, for science, definitely not because I’m obsessed with supporting brands that believe in accessibility.
The packaging is GORGEOUS, and it comes with a cute note from Terri!
I love the look of each product. The color is rich, and the hardware is a gorgeous complement. It doesn’t feel gaudy, instead looking chic and sleek.
The first thing I tried: the Guide Beauty Eyeliner Duo.
The pot is cute, and the black is super pigmented. However, it catches the light, so I know it won’t be oddly matte against my lids. The applicator is a little odd and almost intimidating, but Guide is thorough in their instructions.
So, I glided my applicator through the gel, grasped it, and drew a line… with ease? As if my hands didn’t shake??
The result: a highly-pigmented, jet-black, strong line and cute wing. And no awkward irritation or build-up! It’s just a perfect line without excess gel or mistakes you can’t fix.
Happy with the result, I moved on to my brows.
I have pretty iffy brows, ruined by years of filling in, yanking, rinsing and repeating every day. They’re fairly strong closest to my nose, but they taper out weakly at the ends. Because of this, I’m always looking for good brow gels.
The handle for Guide Beauty’s brow gel has a protruding handle, giving you a natural space to rest your fingers and grip the applicator.
I like how I don’t have to awkwardly twist my wrist in order to fill in both brows (I’m not ambidextrous). The handle makes it easy to grasp the brush and give yourself an even coat.
I can’t think of the last time a brow gel looked this good on me, but I’m obsessed. I have arches! I have strong eyebrows from nose to temples! I have color, so you don’t see peeks of skin! The formula is soft and easy to wipe should you get a little too crazy with the filling.
Finally: Guide’s mascara!
The color is pitch black, which I love, because my lashes are so light. I’m always wanting a doe-eyed look courtesy of my mascara, and few succeed. Guide, however? Their mascara is flawless. I have fairly sensitive eyes, and this mascara didn’t bother me one bit – even when I accidentally blinked some into my eyes.
Put it all together, and this is the final look!
My Summary of Guide
Even if you’re perfectly able, you will love Guide Beauty’s products. Like I said, I didn’t need them for my lashes or brows, yet I don’t think I’ll ever find a more comfortable brand. The products are convenient, the formula is solid, and you’re supporting an amazing cause.
I can’t refrain: I give Guide Beauty’s kit a 10/10, because the price tag is absolutely worth it. Can’t recommend enough. I love it, and you will too. Thanks, Terri, for creating a product that makes my eyelids look flawless again. Beyond grateful.
I hope you liked my review of Guide Beauty! Have you tried Guide? What are your thoughts? Share below!
“Try this,” read the note attached to my Amazon package. I would have been more baffled had this not become a routine. Tess, the QUILL Editor-in-Chief (and my best friend), is known to send random care packages… and beauty products for reviews to share with QUILL readers. I’m not complaining though — she knows exactly what I need when I need it. This is why I was thrilled to unbox Amika’s Soulfood, Flash, and The Kure hair masks, which would (hopefully) help my very sad strands.
Living on a sailboat can take a toll on your hair, from wind tangling it to the sun bleaching it. I love my life afloat, but my hair definitely needed a little extra love to keep it looking fab.
So, after I unboxed my goodies, I went straight to the shower to try out the biggest one: the Soulfood Nourishing Mask.
This ultra-luxurious hair mask is rich and creamy, yet doesn’t weigh hair down. It is packed with vitamins and nutrients to condition the hair making it soft, silky, and smoother than ever (thus its Soulfood name!) According to Amika’s website, Soulfood is “perfect for all hair types, especially those in need of deep hydration,” aka: me. Oh, and not only does it feel good but it smells good too! Keeping your locks smelling lovely all day long. Big win.
In addition to the Soulfood mask, Tess sent me the Flash Instant Shine Mask, which gives brilliant shine, softens, and hydrates hair in just 60 seconds… or so it says.
Honestly, I was more impressed with the Superfood, which definitely deeply hydrated my hair. The Flash mask was more liquid-like, and it worked better as a leave in product rather than a mask. I personally did not notice any extra “shine,” but I did appreciate another nice smelling product, especially when the wind ruffled my hair.
As mentioned, my hair dwells in a rough environment which unfortunately leads to a lot of dryness and breakage. I was really excited to give The Kure a shot, especially with Amika’s clinically proven promise to strengthen hair, reduce breakage, and prevent future damage. Made for people like me that have damaged hair due to everyday heat, environmental stressors, and chemical treatments, I was all about it!
On top of its clinically-proven benefits, it swears to be relatively fast acting. This rinse-out treatment doubles as a leave-in to strengthen your strands and repair damage in a mere 60 seconds. Multi-tasking has never been so easy, and I definitely recommend The Kure.
My review’s bottom line: I was impressed with this product line and look forward to keeping Amika in my hair care routine, no matter where in the world I sail!
We hope my review of Amika’s hair masks with convince you to save your strands! Have you tried these masks? Did they help your hair? Sound off in the comments!
No matter how many times I wash my face, drink water, and use clean face-friendly-products (like non-comedogenic sunscreen – I live on a boat, after all!), it seems like I am still prone to zits. So, I’ve done plenty of research and read tons of reviews on products that not only cover the problem spots, but also heal them – which is when I came across this little gold mine of a product: Hero Cosmetics’ Mighty Patch.
To be honest, I was skeptical of this highly-reviewed product: how could something so simple be so good? Hero’s Mighty Patch was relatively inexpensive, so I loaded a pack into my cart to give them a try and, at the very least, write a review for QUILL.
There is nothing “wow” about this packaging; it is very straightforward. But as always, it is what is on the inside that counts. So, I ripped open the package and peeled off a patch to place on one of my problem spots and let it do its magic.
The patch was well-hidden against my very pale complexion (like one scoop away from being vanilla-ice-cream white) and was quick to start absorbing all the “yuck” in my skin. The Mighty Patch uses medical-grade hydrocolloid to gently absorb pimple gunk throughout the day or night.
It was kind of satisfying to peel away the sticker and see the white spot where all the “ick” went!
My problem spot was a problem no more, and there was no popping necessary. I was really impressed by the product’s ability to deliver what it had promised and bought a new pack as well as their larger patches for the bigger problem areas. However, the acid in the patches do make the areas I put them on dry (hello, that’s the whole point), so I make sure to use a very heavy moisturizer after the fact.
Additionally, I will note that the patches blended well into my skin for a great low-key-camouflaged-blemish moment, but I was severely disappointed to see that there are no shades to accommodate for darker skin tones. There are clear options, but even those are obvious and fail to blend in.
Humans are incredibly creative and resourceful when it comes to finding skin care products. We make use of mushrooms, jade, salt water… basically, whatever we can get our hands on. And that resourcefulness is exactly what came in handy when Revlon’s Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller came into the picture.
This product is made of volcanic stone — yup, that burning hot lava that comes out from volcanoes is taken once it’s cooled and hardened, and then it’s shaped into a little tool that can help with your oily skin. So, none other than the lovely Tess sent me the Revlon Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller to review.
What Is Revlon’s Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller?
The Revlon Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller is a skincare tool that helps control the amount of oil on your face. An oil roller is a perfect way to get rid of that excess of oil on your face, especially for those of us who have an oilier skin type or just need to freshen up on the go.
This oil control product went viral on TikTok, as do most things these days, and we’re here to see if this volcanic oil roller lives up to the hype.
How Does An Oil Absorber Work?
Oil absorbing volcanic rollers are made of volcanic stone (or lava rock, whatever you want to call them really), which is known to be very porous. A rock being porous means it has these really tiny holes and spaces, known as pores, that can trap oils from your face, leaving your skin matte, oil-free, and looking refreshed.
Since it is also a rolling product, it is also a good way to work in a little facial massage to get that blood pumping throughout your face. If you read my recent gua sha article, you’ll know why getting that blood flowing to your face through a facial massage is a good thing.
Using Revlon’s Oil Absorber For The First Time
When I first opened Revlon’s package, I was very confused with what it was, because I’d never seen anything like it before (but that could just be because I am out of touch with the fancy products the kids these days are using).
I used the product immediately after opening it. Let me tell you, I had just finished six straight hours of classes and studying, and I was looking ROUGH. Skin oily and ready to go, I went and rolled the oil absorber on my face.
It was like magic. My skin looked almost like I had just washed it and there was no greasy shine, definitely ready for the next half of my day where I had to do even more studying and homework.
After Three Weeks Of The Oil Roller
Pre-Roller – long day.
Post-Roller – bye, oil!
I used the oil absorber nearly every day for the last three weeks, and it is safe to say that I am very pleased with the results. Without fail I got that unpleasant shine down and looked refreshed when I needed to.
Here’s a side-by-side of the oil roller results. This day in particular consisted of working, eating, shopping, walking through a park, and… honestly I kind of forget BUT I was definitely busy. And after using the roller, I definitely looked less shiny and more refreshed!
One thing of note is that you should wash this every night, or at least at the end of every day that you use it. If not washed, there will be an oil build up on the product and it will not absorb face oils as much as it should, thus lessening efficacy. To wash the oil roller, I would just use a small little pump of my regular face wash to get my face oils out of the stone.
The tool itself felt somewhat cheap, with the volcanic stone being held together by various pieces of plastic. I feel like the roll of the stone wasn’t as smooth as it could have been because of said plastic material — the stone would occasionally get stuck and would be hard to move around, but generally would move well enough to where it got the job done.
Now, these don’t last forever, so you’ll want to get a new facial roller about once every six months, or whenever you see fit. The point is, you want clean, properly working skin care tools to give your skin the best possible treatment and care.
A Note: Volcanic Oil Rollers vs. Oil Absorbing Sheets
The Revlon Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller is an ideal on the go option when it comes to getting off any excess oil. It is a great alternative to oil blotting sheets, as they tend to create a lot of waste since they are single use.
Having used both oil absorbing sheet and oil rollers, I can say that oil sheets do have significantly more coverage than oil rollers, but I feel so much better using oil rollers knowing that I have a more sustainable and reusable product.
In the long run, oil absorbing rollers will be a lot more affordable as well, making this product one of the best choices when it comes to removing excess face oils on the fly.
Overall Review Of Revlon’s Oil Absorbing Volcanic Roller
This is a great product and I absolutely recommend it if you can get your hands on it. It absorbs my face oils so I don’t look like a grease trap — it is a great addition to my arsenal of skin care tools and products, and it will always be in my bag.
While reading through one of QUILL’s reviews by Mermaid Marissa (ahem, me), the “clean” beauty brand Honest caught my eye. I was in the market for a new mascara for my sensitive eyes and wanted to try something new (and a little more budget friendly) than my usual Clinique mascara. I clicked the link and added Honest Beauty’s 2-in-1 Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer to my cart for arrival the next day, beginning my ~honest~ review ASAP.
Honest is an inclusive and ethical beauty brand founded in 2011 by American actress Jessica Alba.
The company states it is dedicated to “leaving the world better than [they] found it,” and although the ingredients in their products reflect that, I am a bit disappointed the packaging is not very eco friendly. For $17 I thought there would be a little bit more attention to detail to the packaging, too.
While getting ready for my day, I pulled out my brand new mascara and lash primer, and prayed to the makeup gods that it would be a good makeup day. I was a bit skeptical of the very small, soft bristle applicator brushes as I gently applied the primer, but once the mascara was on, I was amazed! Small but mighty, the ability to layer the product for more volume was a definite selling point for me.
After a full day of wear there was not a sign of smudging or eye irritation — a major win. However, I did go sailing that afternoon, and I received a nice salty shower courtesy of the ocean… which the mascara did not take kindly to. It ran like a sieve, and although it was easy to wipe off, it did not fare well when mixed with water — I looked eerily similar to gremlins, or the Wicked Witch of the West.
Even though this mascara became my daily wearer, if I know there is potential to get wet, I use Maybelline’s waterproof mascara as a top coat to help hold everything in place. Now, is this why my eyelashes are stubby and refuse to grow? Potentially. We will research that later.
Honest Beauty’s Mascara: The Verdict
So should you buy this mascara? Absolutely. Should you wear it if you are a mermaid? Probably not, unless you are going for a sea witch look which – truth be told – could be super rad so you do you boo! No matter how you use this product, we hope you share the photos with us! Tag #quillmedia for a chance to be featured!
I hope this review helped you decide if Honest Beauty’s 2-in-1 Extreme Length Mascara and Lash Primer is for you! Have you tried it? Tell us what you thought below!
My irreshine Crystal Hair Eraser arrived in a beat-up Amazon box – the imperfect start to a hopefully-positive review.
Ew, I thought. Has this been used before?
As if the inside would bite me, I peeled open the poorly-sealed (yet still-sealed, for the record) box. Inside was an even smaller, even more beaten-up box, reading “Crystal Hair Removal.”
On the front is a drawing of one hairy leg labeled “before,” and one smooth leg labeled “after.”
The rest of the box was… well, beaten up. Not torn, but… “Loved,” we’ll say. Accepting my fate, I opened the little bag, which came inside the box, which came inside the other box, which is very not-sustainable if you think about it, and pulled out the little crystal-infused hair hacker to begin.
Well, I kind of began. Because I’m me, I decided to do an experiment.
The box says to soak in hot water first, so your skin and hair are softer to work with. I am a rebel, however, and said “nah.” I lifted my very hairy, very not-smoothed-over hair, and began rubbing in circles as directed.
To say I was disappointed by this “Magic” Crystal Hair Eraser is an understatement.
Then I grew up and put a little elbow grease in, because of course something without needles is going to take awhile to cut through my thick leg hairs… especially when the aforementioned cutting is done via “Nanocrystal Technology,” aka tech that clumps and breaks hair at the surface.
It worked a liiiiitle better, but not by much. So, I gave up and got in the shower, letting the hot water soften my legs and leg hair. It was tempting to just shave – I was already in the shower, wet, with my favorite razor and shaving cream right next to me.
But no, I practiced self control, exited the shower, dried off, and tried again.
I needed elbow grease yet again, but this time, my hair was shedding! After about two minutes of solid circles up and down one part of my leg, I was hairless. Plus, the Nanocrystal tech exfoliates away dead skin cells, so my leg also looked alive – but not irritated. The blood flow was there, yes, but the scratch marks were not.a
To do my lower legs, it took about 20 minutes. So, yeah, longer than if I’d shaved. But irreshine’s Crystal Hair Eraser promises to keep hair from growing back as quickly. We’ll see if this is true (I’m skeptical, because science), but if there IS somehow a win there, I’ll take those 20 minutes over repeated 10 minutes and occasional cuts.
Many brands are selling Crystal Hair Erasers, and I simply chose mine because it had good reviews on Amazon. I’d be interested to see if the same Nanocrystal tech works the same on every other, and if not, why?
At the end of my session, I rinsed my Crystal Eraser back into its beat up box and stored it in my medicine cabinet. I know I’ll be getting more use – maybe five years, if it’s/I’m lucky – out of it in the semi-near future. After all, you can only use it every 2-3 weeks… so here’s hoping it actually lasts.
Finding the perfect perfume is a lifelong journey that I don’t think will ever end. I’ve spent way too many hours browsing the aisles at Nordstrom in search of the perfect bottle that will satisfy me, and I think, at this point, I’m sick of the smell of coffee beans to reset my nostrils (but not really).
It could be the part of me that tends to over-plan, or just absolute, raw excitement, but I’m already in search of a prime Fall perfume. We’re going to ignore that I’m currently experiencing the blistering heat of Southern California weather… but I digress. If I don’t find a perfume that smells exactly like autumn, I’ll die.
Luckily for me, our prime Editor-in-Chief, Tess, answered my dying wishes and sent over Maison Margiela’s REPLICA Autumn Vibes for me to review! Upon opening the bottle, I took a whiff, and yeah, all of it is in the title already. Autumn? Check. Vibes? You bet.
The Deets About Maison Margiela’s Autumn Vibes
Maison Margiela’s website describes the scent to be reminiscent of taking a stroll in the forest during the Fall season. The top notes include: pink peppercorn, cardamom, and coriander. The middle notes have carrot seed essence, nutmeg, and olibanum. Finally, as the scent wears down to its core, the base notes leave you with cedarwood, moss accord, fir balsam, and labdanum. Quite the complicated scent!
I was a little shocked to see the current reviews; they were overwhelmingly average, and many said it just smelled of a boring kind of earthy dirt. Naturally, I was skeptical, so I put it to the test.
And I mean a true test. I decided to wear Autumn Vibes out to a concert last week in this humid, summer air. Before heading off, I heeded the website’s directions and applied the perfume as I was told; applying it after my shower, directly on my pulse points, and to not rub my wrists together. Mind you, I also had several errands to run, so I had this perfume on for a total of 9 hours.
Autumn Vibes: How It Went
I’ll cut to the chase –- it did not disappoint!
I can see what other reviewers meant by the scent smelling like dirt, but to me, it’s giving sexy dirt. I feel like anyone could wear this and achieve that mysterious air to them that wouldn’t have overpowering sillage. It’s not too strong, yet not too light. Also, as it wore down through the night, I found it to be smelling quite sweet, almost creamy in a way. Like me, my boyfriend was a huge fan.
But that’s not all. Autumn Vibes’ true talent, I must say, is its staying power.
Earlier, I mentioned I had it on for 9 hours, and every time I checked in on my wrists to smell them, it would be slightly different each time in the most pleasant way. Although different, it was still nearly just as strong as it was in the beginning, which is honestly a huge accomplishment for me.
I’ll lay it straight; I’m a very sweaty person, so the fact that this scent stayed on me after dancing, jumping, and screaming my lungs out at this concert… I’m honestly super impressed. It even stayed with me when I woke up the next morning!
The verdict: buy this perfume! I know Maison Margiela has a ton of popular scents in their REPLICA line, but if you’re like me and have a dire need to be different from everybody else, go for this. Take this underdog of a perfume, and you won’t regret it!
I hope my review of Maison Margiela’s REPLICA Autumn Vibes was helpful! Have you tried Autumn Vibes, or do you prefer another fall perfume? Tell us in the comments!
What do you use 365 days of the year, rely on more than your BFF, and surprisingly accumulate half a pint of sweat from every single day? Well, your feet of course! In a world where your dawgs aren’t always airing out, it is easy to forget that those suckers need TLC too. This in mind, I thought I’d treat mine to love, respect, and Dr. Scholl’s Ultra Hydrating Foot Peel Mask (and review it for QUILL, ofc).
Similar to that of a face mask, a foot peel mask contains deeply moisturizing lotions and oils that penetrate the skin to soothe and purify your feet’s skin. Who cares about soft hands when you can have soft feet? … 🥵
Hearing about this newfound trend piqued my interest, as I’ve been aware of the rise of the foot care industry (feet pics or gtfo). Keeping in mind that I’m a college student (if you catch my drift), I knew it was time to submerge my feet in a bath of lotion.
Coming in a pack of three, this product features two disposable booties infused most notably with urea. Urea is a skincare agent that targets stale calloused skin, aiming to make it soft and supple. Known for its success with my psoriasis and eczema, I was excited to see how my calloused feet would take to the lather.
First Impressions
Coming in a pack of three, this product features two disposable booties infused most notably with urea. Urea is a skincare agent that targets stale calloused skin, aiming to make it soft and supple. Known for its success with my psoriasis and eczema beauties, I was excited to see how my calloused feet would take to the lather.
Upon opening the package, my nose was hit with a whiff of lavender, which instantly put me in the spa day mood. As I removed the booties I let out a giggle, these things were HUGE — reminding me of a clown shoe (then again, I am 5’2″). Here’s me holding these wacky looking things.
Recovering from my shock, I unsealed the large sock and slipped my feet right on in. Smoothing the excess with my hands, I was instructed (via directions) to fasten the sock tightly with the glue tab. And just like that, I let my dawgs sit for 30 minutes.
The Experience
Wiggling my toes and rubbing my feet through the bootie, I was remarkably… underwhelmed.
I had expected a tingling sensation, or something transformational. However, I was met with the feeling of wearing a rain-soaked sock. Totally not relaxing. This may be due to the inclusion of glycerin and hyaluronic acid in the product, both hydrating agents.
This being said, when the 30 minutes were up, I removed both boots and observed my incredibly lotion-y feet. Rubbing in the lotion that did not absorb while wearing the mask I concluded that there was nothing different about my feet. No peeling, no exfoliation, just wet.
Later that day, I realized my feet were indeed soft and supple, but not without their gnarly callouses. A disappointment indeed, and not one I would want to experience again. Sorry, dawgs, and it’s a no from me.
Did you find this review of Dr. Scholl’s foot peel mask helpful? Do you want to give Dr. Scholl’s a piece of your mind too? Let us know below, kweens!
No, I’m not going to tell you my pubic hair grooming habits. Let’s get that straight. But when the internet won’t stop mentioning the Venus Pubic Hair and Skin razor, you’ve gotta be brave and give a firsthand review.
So, mom, dad, I’m sorry for putting this on the internet: here’s how it went shaving my pubes with Venus’ trending razor.
The razor looks standard: it has two blades and an ergonomic handle. But look closely, and you’ll see the trimmer on the back for hard-to-reach areas – very convenient, imo. And then there’s the Patented Irritation Defense Bar, which puts space between the blades and skin to lessen irritation. Neat!
The 2-in-1 Cleanser + Shave Gel is just that: a gel that doesn’t foam up, but gets kinda sudsy – think more like soap than foam. However, the formula is totally soap-free, and it’s dermatologist- and gynecologist-tested plus pH-balanced. Ingredients include ultra-nourishing olive, coconut, and jojoba oils, treating your skin as you slide a sharp piece of metal up and down it.
Venus’ Softening Oil reminds me of fur’s Fur Oil – they have the same point, to soften your fur and make it easier to cut through the madness. However, their ingredients lists are fairly different. While they both have grape seed and jojoba oils, that’s about where the similarities end. Venus uses more fatty components and emollients to help protect the skin, while fur uses less emollients and more antibacterials/antimicrobials.
Both use fragrance, which is odd to me, though the fragrance DOES come with benefits; for example, coconut oil nourishes in Venus’ option, while tea tree oil is soothing in fur’s.
And finally, to ease the pain (slash razor burn and bumps), the Daily Soothing Serum works to calm skin by using ingredients like panthenol and allantoin to calm, olive oil to nourish, lactic acid to gently exfoliate away dead skin and stop clogged pores, and glycerin to hydrate.
Basically, they thought this shit through. But how does it actually go when you’re shaving your pubes? I was about to find out.
The Shaving Process
I’m gonna admit it now: I think I fucked up by not putting the Softening Oil on before, but I won’t fully say I did, because the ingredients didn’t specifically say to put it on before – instead, they said to apply it to towel-dried skin.
This doesn’t make sense, looking back. But I’m going to blame the bottle. I was following instructions, dammit!
So, instead, I exfoliated with fur’s little finger mitt. And then it was time to lather up with the Shave Gel and begin my journey.
Maybe it’s better for those who have some fine hair, or who shave the second they start feeling prickly, but my hair wasn’t having it. It took so. many. swipes. to get through one full line of hair. I appreciated the lack of burn and cuts, but, damn, there was bound to be irritation after attempting to shave the same line 12 times (I counted). And after the 12th time, I gave up on the stray hairs. It was time to leave the area and move on.
I will admit that the smaller razor head allowed for fitting into spots that other razors def struggle to reach, or spots that usually require serious contortion. And the Precision Trimmer was a godsend in those areas that needed more care – think more inner than outer thigh, if you catch my drift.
Finally, after about half an hour, the job was done… er, “done enough.” It was imperfect. There were strays. But like I said: my back ached and I was tired and frustrated from going over the same spot multiple times, only to see nothing removed.
I WILL give it this, though – I experienced no irritation afterward when I used the Softening Oil and Soothing Serum. No razor bumps, no burn, no cuts, nothing. And it wasn’t even sensitive to the touch!
The final test: waking up the next few mornings with underwear on, going to bed after a day with pants, and seeing if that would make me itch and squirm each day.
Nope!
The serum worked! It was a miracle. I nearly cried from knowing I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable all day and only irritate my skin – my very-susceptible-to-bacteria-skin – with my nails when I inevitably scratched for relief. I applied the Soothing Serum that night, woke up the next day, and same thing: nothing.
However, “my” poor job was showing, with hairs sprouting up in random places already. Not cute. However, after rubbing in the Softening Oil, my hairs felt softer and less prickly. A win!
My Final Thoughts
If you have fine hair or shave every other day, this razor is absolutely for you. But if you have coarse hair or give yourself weeks in between shaves, it’s worth it to skip out on the Pubic Hair and Skin razor and invest in a better, more aggressive one. There are plenty out there that do a damn good job – you just might need some TLC after.
As for the 2-in-1 Cleanser & Shave Gel, it’s just like any other shave gel. I personally loved it… but I also love my other shave gel that doesn’t cost this much, so I’ll be skipping out. Use it up on your pits and legs though – it’s not just for your bikini area!
I will be investing in the Daily Serum and the Softening Oil for sure. Not only are the ingredients luxe, the products work. The Daily Serum stopped irritation from my leggings, jeans, and underwear – things that would normally irritate the sh*t out of me if/when/should I shave. (Still not gonna tell you my shaving habits, sorry. Do I have coarse hair? Do I have fine hair and just wait to shave every six months? Do I shave at all? You’ll never know.)
My overall thoughts on Venus’ Pubic Hair and Skin collection: skip the gel, buy the razor if you have fine hair/shave regularly, and invest in the Daily Serum and Softening Oil. Your pubes will thank you for getting rid of next-day discomfort.
We hope this review gave you more insight on Venus’ Pubic Hair and Skin Razor kit! Have you tried it already? Tell us below!
Moxie visionary EM Kilgore
