Women’s Shaving Razors: Gillette Venus Versus Schick Quattro

When it comes to women and shaving, most women have to have the absolute best there is out there on today’s growing market. Two of the most popular selling razors out there for women are the Schick Quattro and the Gillette Venus. While there are several versions of each razor on the market, I will be concentrating on the originals of each.

First, I will begin with the Quattro. The handle is very comfortable to hold and is made from a soft rubber. It comes in a few different colors including pink and purple. The razor is attractive and looks very sleek with the silver accents. The starter kit costs around $14.00 and comes with one replacement cartridge. The cartridges come in packs of four or eight and have four blades on each. There is also a quite large pink moisture strip on top. I did like the fact that this was probably one of the closest shaves I’d ever had and it was done with very little irritation. However, I did not like that the entire razor could feel a bit bulky or heavy at times and was very hard to get into tight corner areas. Another negative thing that I really did not like on the Quattro was that if you dropped it, the blades tend to fall off quite easily. So be careful. I could definitely see that aspect being a potential safety hazard if someone were to unknowingly step on it.

Next, I tried the Gillette Venus. This razor has an extremely feminine look to it. Their slogan “Reveal the Inner Goddess in You” definitely pertained to the appearance of this razor. It comes in feminine colors including pink, purple and light blue. I actually felt that the design was more in the look of the razor than it was in the comfort of holding it. While it was comfortable to hold, it was made almost entirely of plastic with the exception of rubber “fins” on the underside that I did not understand the purpose of. It also felt a bit flimsy at times. The starter kit will run you about $10.00 and like the Quattro, comes complete with one replacement cartridge. These cartridges can also be purchased in packages of either four or eight and cost around $8.00 for a pack of four, which is less than the Schick Quattro cartridges at around $10.00 for a four-pack.. The Venus also delivered a close shave, however did it with only three blades instead of four and with quite a bit of irritation. The Venus, however, was easier to maneuver around areas like the knees where there is odd angles. Like the Quattro, there was also a moisture strip on the razor, but this one was quite thin and easily peeled off. The package indicated that the cartridge should be replaced when the blue of the moister strip begins to fade, which happened after only one shaving. If you were going to follow those instructions, replacement cartridges could get quite costly.

When compared to the Gillette Venus, the Schick Quattro did a much better job. While the Venus was great at pivoting and getting into hard to reach areas and corners, overall, I’d say if you want a razor that will give you a real nice smooth shave, purchase the Schick Quattro. Although it is a bit more pricey, it is well worth it. The four blades and larger moisture strip are great, and it really did seem as though the blades did not go dull as fast as the Venus, thus saving you money on the refill packages. The handle was more sturdy and comfortable as well.