If ignored for too long, my legs would look like Chewbacca’s (love ya, Chewy!) — soft, silky and covered with hair — so to keep my gams smooth and hairless I either wax them or shave with razors like the Gillette Venus Embrace, God’s gift to hairy women everywhere!
What makes the Gillette Venus Embrace special? Two words: five blades! It’s a leg hair annihilator extraordinaire.
In this age of excess, you’d think someone in marketing would have said, “Is five blades going too far?” Thankfully, Venus went ahead with their quintuple-bladed monster because there’s a noticeable difference between the performance of the Venus Embrace and its triple-bladed predecessor, the Venus Breeze. Embrace gives a closer shave than any blade razor I’ve ever used before, which means having to shave less often. I credit this razor for giving me more time for things like making crazy cartoons with unicorns.
To test the Venus Embrace I went a month without shaving my legs. I wanted to take a picture but got grossed out by it (my hairy leg does not need to be on the Internets). By the end of the month my legs were all jungly and native, with almost braid-able hairs along my shins and calves.
Venus Embrace made quick work of it, hacking through the overgrowth in just a few swipes. I was back to having smooth legs in less than three minutes.
The product marketing…
- Five blades are positioned closely together and spring-mounted to create a shaving surface that adjusts to natural contours and curves, allowing the blade cartridge to sit flatter on the skin.
- A Protective Ribbon of Moisture fully surrounds the shaving surface for a smooth glide.
- Venus Embrace has an innovative soft grip handle that feels great in the hand and improves control, even when wet.
- The gel handle features an attractive sea foam green and turquoise design.
- For the best in-shower experience, the Venus Embrace shaving system includes a new ShowerPod with suction cup attachments for convenient razor and blade storage.
I’ve used the Embrace a couple more times since then, and my only reservation is that it shaves almost too close, like razor-bump close. With it I didn’t get any cuts or noticeable razor burn, but I did get a few razor bumps whenever I used it on an uneven surface like under my arms. Still, that closeness is nice because it’s been three days since my last shave, and I remain smooth and stubble-free.
Product: Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
Price: $12.49 (1 razor, 2 cartridges & shower pod)
Use: Shaving (legs, armpits and bikini line)
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
With the razor I’ve been using Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel for Women in (LOL!) Alluring Avocado. So long, Chewbacca legs!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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i bought this a month ago cuz i saw it was on special at walmart on one of my trips to the states and it’s been sitting in my cupboard. i think i need to bring it out!
I just used this for the first time a couple of months ago too! While I like it, I think that it’s too many blades. Does one really need 5???
Hope you’re having a great Tueday Karen! 🙂
Lilan’s last blog post..Everyday is a “Sun†Day with Stila Summer
Let’s all get lasered already and do away with this crap! I have one more treatment to go for my legs so halerluyah but yes I do on occassion still have to bust out the razor and I love the previous Venus razors I’ve used so I’m sure this is no different. I’ll have to try it out. Ooh Karen, are you ever gonna start testing out “procedures” for your blog? That would be awesome! Just a thought, I think we’d need to contribute for that right? haha
Hey Breezy! I agree with you on the laser. Yeah you need to shave a little, but it’s less often. With the right laser, it doesn’t hurt. It may be expensive upfront, but I think it’s a time saver and money saver in the long run.
Hey Karen,
Everytime I see that each year they add another blade I find myself imagining a huge razor in 2015 with 25 blades. LoL.
Am I the only one? 😀
Eru’s last blog post..Coat Rack Hunt~~ EOTD
I need me some annihilator! I was using the hub’s Mach 3, to erase the hell outta those pesky yucky leg hairs, now maybe I’ll look for these in the Men’s section at the supermarket 🙂
ilovecheese’s last blog post..The dosa chronicles
Hey Karen,
Have u tried doin it with moisturiser instead of shave gel? I have a feeling u wont have any razor bump problems after that! 🙂
amita’s last blog post..no go’s at work
Wow, Karen. You are quite the trooper – an entire month without shaving! I don’t even want to think about what I’d look like at the end of the month… ewww.
It’s funny because my husband was just saying that he didn’t understand why I insisted on buying/using really cheap razors, while I splurge on just about everything else. He told me to invest in a better razor… so now, I just may do that.
Happy Shaving!
whoa, 5 blades, that’s mind boggling. I wonder if they replacement razors fit on the old venus handle, which i have. but then it’s not the pretty green, LOL. Hope your Monday was good, and that your blue Monday counter-attack plan yesterday helped 🙂 We finally have a sunny, warm day here so I had to really shave as well-it’s like a rite of passage-the first spring shave, along with first sandal day, LOL.
D: I’m still using the normal Venus. CP for razors anyone??? lol
Wow, am I stuck in the stone ages or what? 5 blades!? I’m still rockin’ my BIC razors (with ONE blade) and plain ol’ Barbasol (99 cents a can, what up) to shave!
Tanya’s last blog post..Love at first lip.
Hi Evo,
Bust it out, girl! It’s a pretty fantastic razor. 🙂 I hope shorts weather is around the corner for you!
Hi Lilan,
Does one need five blades? Well, when you’re on hairy girl the answer is “yes”.
My best friend never has to shave, it’s so annoying.
How’s your day been? Is it sunny down there?
Hi Breezy,
Wow! So I never thought about the laser thing but if times get desperate who knows what I’d resort to. Waxing and shaving do for now. Funny that you mention procedures… I dunno! Maybe in a few years ya’ll be subject to endless pontification on Botox, ha ha ha.
Hi Vera,
Thanks for your input! How do you know if it’s the “right” laser?
Hey Eru,
Funny that you mention this, I was thinking the same thing. By that time you’ll just have to move the razor down in one swipe and BAM! Smooth legs. Shoot, by that time we’ll have robots to do it for us, LOL.
Hi Ilovecheese,
If you’re a hairy beast like I am then yes, this kicks the Mach 3’s booty (I used to use that one too, back in le day ha ha ha!).
I used Schick quatro before and it was pretty awesome, smooth as butter. For some reasons, the men razors always do a better job than their counterparts. Plus they’re cheaper hehe 🙂
Hi Amita,
Nope, I haven’t. I used baby oil once before but quit after almost falling down in the shower (seriously, I dunno how I even function sometimes). I do have a bottle of Lubriderm sitting around here somewhere so maybe I’ll try that next time I shave my ‘pits. Thanks for the tip! BTW, do you use a specific type of lotion?
Hi Tuprnut,
LOL, so it was gross for about 5 days, and then I was cool with it. I actually wanted to see how long I could grow those bad boys but then the weather got all warm and I wanted to wear some shorts, ha ha ha!
Funny, El Hub had said the same thing… and then he went on and on about how “the quality of the shave gel makes all the difference.” I buy him this shave cream from the Body Shop that he loves. Now I’m thinking I might have to “borrow” some to see how it works. 🙂
Hope you are having a good Tuesday so far! What’s going on for today?x
Hey Karen..
U may be a klutz but believe me, I was crowned “klutz of the world” the day I was born! 😀
So, I stay well away from bathrooms during my razor adventures, I prefer a well lit room with a bed (lolz!) to sit on, with a mug of water (to shake out the clog hairs), my razor and a biiiiig bottle of cheeeeaaap moisturizer – anything from the dollar shop, Indian brands cant beat their 800 – 900 ml offerings at just 112 bucks 🙂
I know I could be more careful about the ingredients in them cheapos, but what the heck, its only gonna be on my skin for like 10 minutes, and anyway, I have a good scrub bath immediately afterwards :)to wash off any remnants of moisturizer 🙂
Hi Amanda,
LOL, okay, so I have to confess that the only reason why I shaved my legs was cause I wanted to wear shorts/skirts over the warm weather weekend!
The Monday attack totally helped. 🙂 Especially the vitamin C drink … dunno if it was a placebo, but I honestly don’t care. I liked it so much that I even had it again today.
How has your day been so far? Glad to hear you guys are having good weather, yay!
I want to switch to a “real” razor, too, I’m stuck on disposables. But for some reason I’m scared to change the blades…is it hard? And one good razor is cheaper in the long run, right? (I know it’s more enviro-friendly!).
LaurenIvy’s last blog post..Too Close for Comfort
That is funny that your hubby said something so similar to mine!
Today’s been good.. finally a sunny day to break things up a bit! I had a job interview earlier this afternoon that went really well. I should hear next week sometime… gosh, I hate to wait on things like this!
Fie! Get the Venus Embrace ASAP!
🙂
Hi Tanya,
Awww, girl! The five blades will change your life. It’s been four days now (Wow!) and my legs are still smooth. That is something of a minor miracle for me. Chances are you are probably less hairy than me though…
Hope you’re having a good Tuesday!
Hi Dao,
Yah, I used to use the men’s razors too back in the day. I keep the girly ones around now just in case El Hub is tempted to use mine, ha ha ha! Are you wearing your new makeup today? I hope so!
Hi Amita,
I dunno, girl. I’m pretty klutzy!
That’s a really smart idea! I bet you can get a really close shave that way. Genius!
Hi LaurenIvy,
It’s super easy to change the razor heads. You just give the sides a squeeze and then it pops right out and then press in the new one. The only thing is though the replacement packs can be expensive (about $15 for four). They do last a loooooong time though!
Hi Tuprnut,
That’s great! What kind of job was the interview for? (And more importantly, what makeup did you wear?) 🙂 I really hope you get it and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Thank for the extra encouragement. It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed… and I feel my brain has gone to mush since staying home after Grace was born… anyway.
The job is for a local university working to promote/market some new programs. The programs launch this fall and I would pretty much be networking to bring in adult students who are looking to grow in their career field (health care and financal planning, specifically). Anyway, it sounds like lots of fun and I can literally walk from home to work (about 3 minutes), so it would be ideal for our family, too.
And yes, on to more important issues. I kept it really simple since I didn’t know what the department was like. I wore Shroom and Soba with a brown liner; Nars Orgasm on the cheeks and Hug Me and Love Nectar on the lips. Very simple, but I think it turned out well!
Hey Karen…
Been away from the computer for awhile. I had job search overload 🙂 I laughed when you went a month without shaving…your poor hubby!! ha ha I’m sure he was all over you once he knew them legs were SMOOTH!! I’ll occasionally wax but I’m too cheap to get it done at a salon. ha ha Besides I’d need a full body wax from my toes to forehead. ha ha! That gets a bit pricey. I usually can’t stand the stubble so I end up shaving anyway. I occasionally grab the 5 bladed razor when I’m at the store, stare at it, then put it back cuz its so expensive!
Hey Karen,
You do have a point! I guess I fall into the rarely shaves category (don’t hurt me! LOL). I really do think the Embrace does a fab job though and I’m glad I have it. I think it actually makes me want to shave, is that weird??
My day has been good so far. It’s sunny down here but still a little windy. I can’t wait to get my butt home tonight and watch the finale of The Biggest Loser. It’s amazing to see how hard all those people work and the amount of weight they lose in a short amount of time!
Lilan’s last blog post..Everyday is a “Sun†Day with Stila Summer
🙂 Just wanted to mention a fab shave gel-kiss my face! It’s wonderful, both the hubby and I use it. (and he LOVES it, won’t use anything else).
it was a truly, truly beautiful day here today-sunny and almost 80! woo-hoo. but alas, it is supposed to snow tomorrow….so not kidding. I guess that’s just a colorado spring though.
Ugh, how did you go a month without shaving your legs? I think I would have caved after a week!
Yeah Vera how do you know cuz lemme tell you when I have to go in for lasering I wanna punch a puppy!! that stuff HURTS. I don’t think I’m being a wimp about it either. Everytime I wish that I had come in after taking a couple of shots or some vicodin! I even use numbing cream! And no I’m totally not a banshee either so I dunno what is up. yowza!
LOL! Jungly and native! You crack me up!
I’m so there! I want five blades! And BTW, for a shaving cream/gel/whatever try Trader Joe’s Moisturizing Cream Shave in honey mango! It’s cheap and fantastic (smells great too)! Yay TJ’s! 🙂
Hi Tuprnut,
You’re welcome. 🙂 It sounds like a really great opportunity to use your skills and your background education. It’s would be cool cause you’d get to be there at the start of the program launch, too. Plus, the three minute commute (can I say, WOW?!?) is amazing – honestly, you can’t beat that. Would you leave Grace at childcare, or do you have family nearby to take care of her?
Oh! Very pretty and professional look (it’s similar to my default corporate look I rocked every day for years!), I likey!
Hi PeeChee,
I know how job search overload feels so no worries! What kind of gig are you looking for?
What’s funny about the whole leg situation is that I dunno if El Hub really cared; he’s so easy, LOL.
If you can take it you should try waxing at home. Parisa makes these really great waxing kids that you can buy at Long’s that come with everything you need. They’re great and are way cheaper than a salon wax.
Girl, seriously, if you can throw down for some MAC you can throw down for the five blades. It’ll change your life!
Hi Lilian,
You’re so lucky to fall into the category of the barely-needs-to-shave woman! I’m so jealous!
I’ve only seen The Biggest Loser in snippets; it seems like a really emotional show for its contestants (every time I happen to watch it somebody is in tears, awww.) I gotta give them mad props. It’s so hard to lose weight. I had trubs losing 10 pounds!
Enjoy your evening, girlie 🙂
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for the recommendation. If it’s hubby approved then I’ve got to get a tube for El Hub (and then I will have to use it too, heh heh!).
WOW, 80 degrees! I hope you got to take the dogs out for a walk on such a pretty day.
That’s just so wrong that it’s going to snow tomorrow. You are much heartier than I am, cause if it was 80 one day and then snowing the next I’d so be in tears.
Hi Stina,
Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. It’s been cold here so 1.) I haven’t wanted to stay in the shower too long so skipping the shave was no biggie and 2.) I’ve been wearing pants. Granted, all of the pants have been falling off my bum but hey they covered up the hairy legs.
Breezy! I can’t believe it hurts that much! Holy crap! Are you taking painkillers beforehand? Cause it’s all about the Advil…
Karen! Yes! Its off the hook haha. Seriously the first time I did it and they zapped a little part I was like….uh oh. My friend had all her legs done….and her friggen bikini line! Nyope. I was contemplating it but I get full legs done and let me tell you its a total body workout because you tense up like you would not believe. Do you have any tattoos? Because that is what a lot of that feels like. The worst part about it, is that in some spots its fine and in others you just jump up all crazy so I hate the inconsistency of not knowing. Argh, its suuuuch a convenience though. I’m about to start teaching swim lessons again so its worth it.
Hi Karen.
D: It pains me to say that in Malaysia (I think) we only have the plain normal Venus razors. Sucky. I’m going to try to ask a friend to send it back here for me. 🙂
K… seriously funny. I don’t know that I could make it for an entire month… normally by a week and a half I’m feeling like I need to shave. Fortunately I am not uberhairy. One of my friends has to shave like every 3 days or so…I would so lose my mind. I use the old Venus…the 5 blades do sound tempting, but I have a whole thing of refills for the existing one…so I don’t think I can invest now. 🙂
Glad to hear the Emergen-C works for you too. Like I said I don’t think vitamin C is supposed to give you energy…but it so does.
Hey Karen,
I do laser on my face because I’m so hairy. hehe It definitely beats waxing. But I’ve been to 2 different places to do laser, and each place used a different type. The first place I used to go to used a laser that hurt like a b**** even after putting numbing cream on my face. The current place I go to uses a laser that doesn’t hurt and even works better. So the right laser depends on your pain threshold and skin type. But they usually do a patch test first so you get a feel for it.
Hi Breezy,
So, wow. I officially don’t think I’m ever getting my legs lasered. I have a really low tolerance for pain (which is why I don’t have any tattoos!) and this sounds like it would hurt like crazy. I can’t believe your friend got her bikini line done, YOW!
That’s cool that you teach swimming! Do you compete?
Hi Fie,
Have your friend send you some replacement heads too! You’ll really dig this, seriously. It’s been 5 days now and my legs barely have any stubble.
Hi Megan,
You are so lucky to not be in the uber-hairy camp. I am very, very jealous… and I feel your 3-day shave friend’s pain BIG TIME!
I’ve been rockin’ the Emergen-C every day in the morning. 🙂 It makes a difference, me thinks!
Hi Vera,
Girl, I might have to get some on my face someday too. My upper lip hairs are starting to get on my nerves (I wax every week) and I just wish they’d magically disappear. You are such a trooper! I dunno if I could handle the pain, to be honest.
Karen,
Yeah, the responsbilities seem like such a great fit for me and it’s only 20 hours a week which is perfect for my family right now! We are very fortunate – my parents have offered to help in any way they can with Grace and my next-door-neighbor and great friend will watch Grace probably once a week.
LOL that’s what I thought… maybe it’s the B vitamins that are giving the energy boost. Whatever it is it works. I’ve been using it sporadically…but I should probably try to use it every day too. I’m glad it’s working for you.
I heart that unicorn.
Hi Tuprnut,
That’s great! I really hope you get it because the hours coupled with the job description sound like a good fit for you. You are so lucky to have your parents around and your good friend to help with Grace. That support system is priceless. 🙂
Hi Megan,
I had some today just before my gym workout and I swear I had more energy. When I was drinking it beforehand El Hub asked me what I was sippin’ on and I told him it was Vitamin C, and he went on and on about how Vitamin C is a great pre-workout drink because it does affect your energy levels. I really think it does work… so thanks!
Yo J-Money,
That unicorn hearts you back! It’s gonna show up at your wedding just as you say, “I do,” LOLOLZ.
Yeah, she’s a trooper that one. I think I have somewhat of a low threshhold too so I dunno. I use to compete, back in highschool. Now teaching is pretty good money wise and its pretty nice to teach the lil ones how to swim. too cute.
🙂 glad I’ve helped you to get your energy boost! 🙂