Are there enough shaving brands that cater to women? The answer is a big fat, no.
Flamingo was launched to tackle that problem.
Flamingo is a sister brand of Harry’s – a popular men’s shaving subscription. They offer shaving kits geared toward women.
Table of Contents
How does Flamingo work?
So, why are shaving kits important in the first place?
It’s because you can hardly ever gauge how many cartridges you’ll need for a particular month, and when you (inevitably) run out, you have to resort to shaving with a dull, maybe rusty, razor.
Secondly, razors aren’t cheap, and you don’t want to drop north of 30 bucks a month on cartridges.
For just $16, you get a whole shaving bundle, or if you’d like to purchase only the razor and cartridges, it’ll cost you $9. Pretty affordable.
Although the kit won’t be delivered in your mail automatically, you can still order it online once you run out.
That’s because it’s not a subscription service.
But before you commit to the purchase, why do you need women-focused shaving products anyway?
What’s the difference? Women have more body parts to shave.
There are more contours, more curves, more angles (ankles, anyone?), and more hair. It means more room for getting nicks and burns.
If you go with a male razor, it won’t necessarily have enough space between the blades to keep it from getting clogged, which essentially means shaving will take more time, and you’ll have to revisit the same area more than once.
A razor geared towards women, such as Flamingo’s, won’t get clogged that often, won’t nick you, all while ensuring a smooth and clean shave.
Plus, you get free shipping within the US.
Types of products available
You’ll find that your shave set arrives in a translucent purplish pouch with a snap-on button – which I’ll admit is a fresh take on the packaging. It’s also environment-friendly because you don’t have to throw it away.
You can use it to store other stuff.
Undo the button, and you’ll be greeted with a card with a message from the brand.
Aside from the card, you’ll find other contents neatly arranged within the pouch. The main attraction, of course, the razor is packed in another box — nothing out of the ordinary here.
The packaging deserves a special mention because the look is amazing. It’s a white brand logo, and nothing else. No fancy illustrations or crowded taglines—and the pouch is reusable and portable too. So, if you travel often, this bag will make a nice travel companion. Excellent work, Flamingo.
Slide open the box, and you’ll be met with a plain yet elegant looking razor. The handle comes in three different colors. All of them understated and muted – which look great. There’s Toro accented with Rose Gold, Mint with Gold, and Pomelo with Silver.
Of course, a good-looking razor would be of little value if its performance doesn’t impress. Fortunately, it doesn’t disappoint.
The handle is fully rubberized – save for the metal accents, which makes for terrific grip.
It’s my understanding that they added the metal bits to add some more weight to it. Towards the bottom, there’s also an impression stamped on the handle to provide a more secure grip when you’re in the shower (which is where most ladies perform their shaving ritual).
Since Flamingo is partners with Harry’s, a company which owns a German blade manufacturing company, it gets a share of their resources too. What it means in plain English is that Flamingo’s blades are ultra-sharp and come at a fraction of the price.
The head has five blades and an aloe strip to accompany them. I have to admit, I’m a fan of built-in gel heads.
The kind with a 360-degree soap surrounding, because they save you some money on additional shaving foam. That said, this kit comes with shaving gel – more on that in a few, so this point is mostly moot.
The blades are sharp, and they will stay sharp for quite some time. When a cartridge does get dull, you can swap it for a new one, since the kit ships with two of them. As for how well they do their job, they glide on your skin to give you a flawlessly close and smooth shave.
You also get a sleek holder which you can stick to your bathroom wall, and it’ll keep your razor nice and dry.
The shaving gel you might have to ration though. There’s only an ounce of it in their trial kit, but of course, you can order a full size if you opt for their service. The smell is pleasing too. It has a flowery fragrance with a hint of a fruity scent – subtle and not overpowering at all.
The body lotion does what it’s supposed to do. It moisturizes your dry skin, and it does it well. It’ll leave your skin feeling soft and smooth.
Pricing
To combat the Pink Tax, Flamingo costs the same as Harry’s subscription, which is a welcome move.
Since it’s not a subscription, you can choose which products you’d like to purchase as part of your kit.
The shave set with shaving gel and body lotion will cost you $16. If you’d only like the razor, you can get the set for $9.
For replacement cartridges, you’ll be charged $1.88 each.
Company history
Launched in October 2018 by Harry’s employees Allie Melnick and Brittania Boey, Flamingo was the answer to their customers’ most requested line of shaving products – shaving bundles meant for women.
Years of planning and thought went into this line of products, and it was a conscious choice not to make it a subscription service like Harry’s because women’s shaving patterns are different.
Same as Harry’s, Flamingo is also a subsidiary of Edgewell Personal Care.
Alternatives
Flamingo is far from the only shaving club around, so you have a few alternatives if you’d like to compare your options:
- Dollar Shave Club gets you the same razors with a subscription box.
- The Personal Barber sells single-blade safety blade kits.
- Bevel offers razors designed for coarse, thick, curly hair.
Pros
- Affordable shave kit
- Excellent quality razor
- Sample body lotion and shaving gel in the trial kit
- German-engineered ultra-sharp blades
- Beautiful design
Cons
- The cartridges might not last that long because the aloe strip wears out pretty quick
