A Brutally Honest Review Of Leaf's Twig Razor

As you read this intro to my review of Leaf’s Twig razor, I want you to picture this: me, raising my arms at the dinner table to cheer, and my brother going, “ohmygod, you really are letting it all grow” in complete ~~disgust~~ horror.

Obviously, you are allowed to do whatever you want with your body hair. It’s 2022! I didn’t mind letting it grow in COVID, but I generally kept it shaved when going out in public. Was I mad that he’d pointed it out? Yes, because it was a reflection of society’s expectations. Was I embarrassed? No. But was I aware that it might be time to shave? … Yeah.

Yes, it was time.

I’m not going to lie: I’ve been using a plastic razor for the past six months. Nope, no interchangeable heads… the blade has just been wearing down. So far down that it was barely shaving any hairs off, and that was part of my I avoided shaving. But I knew: I had to invest in a good one.

I did my research. Single blades, double blades – is a single blade better than five? Yes? Wait, have I been lied to my whole life? — safety, unsafe(?). And then there was sustainability; I wanted one that wouldn’t destroy the environment. One that I could either recycle when it was worn down, or one I could keep forever, or one from a brand with its own recycling company.

After much research, I landed on Leaf Razors – specifically, their Twig razor.

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I was immediately drawn to the Twig razor’s rose gold coloring… just like a basic bish (I also knew I could write a review solely on how pretty it was, just in case Leaf’s sucked). I quickly added the affordable-yet-slightly-sticker-shocking razor to my cart (affordable being $59 for this magic, not $7 for a plastic razor that came with no other blades and, apparently, was doing more harm than good).

When it finally arrived, I was in the middle of testing my Hanni kit, so I placed the Twig test on hold. Then Hanni’s razor worked super well, so I put the Twig test on hold some more. And some more. And some more… until I almost ran out of blades for my Hanni razor and decided that, okay, it was time to try out Leaf’s baby, Twig. Worst case, I hated Leaf’s Twig and switched back to Hanni for two more shave cycles; best case, I had another razor and 10 more blades.

So I shaved. And let me tell you: I’m mad.

First Impressions

I had just woke up but couldn’t wait!

Pulling this heavy razor out of its box, I noted the shine of the rose gold, compared to the matte of Hanni. Leaf wins when it comes to presentation, but what about ergonomics?

Turns out, loading the razor blades into the handle is basically the same. You twist the bottom of the handle to open up the razor, drop your blade in easily – the shape makes it quick to figure out which way the blade goes in – twist the bottom again, and boom: you have a razor that’s ready to go.

So frickin’ pretty.

In a rush, I decided to apply Hanni’s shave pillow instead of jumping in the shower.

What a let down. Goodness gracious.

The razor clogged up so quickly, barely getting one stroke in along my stupidly-hairy legs. I didn’t give up, rinsing out the razor to clear out short hairs. But then Hanni started to bubble like soap, because it’s meant to be waterless, and I had to switch to my trust Hanni razor to clean up the mess.

I was frustrated. How could this razor have such rave reviews when it was so bad at shaving the hairiest of legs? Was it meant for the women in those razor commercials who have a little stubble, nothing more? I didn’t know, but I was frustrated, so I put it back in its box and forgot about it for a bit.

One More Try

Eventually, I ran out of my final two shaves with Hanni. As I was washing my face, I glanced over toward the sink and saw my Twig razor sitting there, calling out to me: your legs are ridiculously hairy again, please use me! (I hate shaving, could you tell?)

Baby, just one more try…

I went back and forth, eventually deciding on giving it one more try. This time, I used Venus’ 2-in-1 Cleanser and Shave Gel (review on that coming later) after getting my legs nice and damp. I stroked up my leg, ankle to knee, and…

I have never had a better shave in my life. Period.

The hairs came out, my skin wasn’t the slightest bit stubbly, and it was painless – no bleeding included, which often happens with my Hanni. I’d clear out the blades easily after a few long strokes up the leg, which is difficult with Hanni’s razor, and then go back in for the next section.

I’m not kidding when I say my legs were shaved within less than six minutes. It’s a record for me, not gonna lie to you, and I’m damn proud of it. Most of the time, I have to clear up stubble to finish, and yet the Twig razor cleared stubble up for me proactively. Smoothest. Shave. Ever.

Leaf’s Twig Razor: My Final Thoughts

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The sticker shock I had? It’s gone, because I now understand that a shave this smooth does not come with a price. (Yes it does, at least for me: $59 plus tax and shipping.) Partnered with the 2-in-1 Cleanser and Shave Gel, I don’t think I will ever be able to successfully shave without this razor. I’m mad I put it off for so long. So mad I put off the sharpest, smoothest, most satisfactory shave of my life.

The bummer about Hanni doesn’t even bother me anymore. I’ve learned personal time management when showering – whoah! – and only use the shave pillow and Hanni razor when I’m seriously short on time. The blood comes with sweat and tears, and it’s not worth it when I have enough time for a luxurious shower and shave. So for emergencies? I’m keeping it. For life in general? Sorry, Hanni, it’s been nice.

Leaf, you did an outstanding job with Twig, and I look forward to using my adorable, rose-gold razor whenever I can; you receive an A-rating for this review. Silky smooth has never been this simple, and my leg hairs have never stayed this short for such a long period of time. Count that as a win, trust me.