Gillette Venus Divine

Bottom line

Most women say the Gillette Venus Divine gives a close, nick- and burn-free shave. Its large, pivoting head is a high point, housing three blades and three moisture strips. Complaints that the blades dull quickly and the handle breaks easily are the only things keeping the Venus Divine from being a unanimous favorite.

Performance

Great for sensitive skin. Although we found a few outlying complaints that the Gillette Venus Divine pulls at leg hair, most users say its pivoting head and three blades give a close, nick-free shave. Also, we didn't find a single complaint about razor rash or bumps -- that's noteworthy in and of itself.

"I have very sensitive skin and have suffered from razor burn/irritation since I started shaving. I find using this razor my legs are less irritated with any other razor," writes one Drugstore.com reviewer. "It's so light, it's hard to get nicks and cuts with this," writes another woman at Amazon.com. The Venus Divine has three moisture strips, but most women still use it with shaving cream anyway.

Ease of use

Can't shave with a broken razor. Almost every aspect of the Venus Divine is a hit: Reviewers say it's easy to grip and hold, and that the suction-cup wall mount keeps it ready to hand, but safely out of the way, in the shower.

That said, we found some troubling complaints about its durability. For example, a man posting to Amazon.com says the Venus Divine he purchased for his girlfriend broke in the middle of the handle when she dropped it. He bought her another one that broke as well.

Reviewers also complain that the Venus Divine's shaving cartridges now go dull after just a few shaves, whereas in years past they still felt sharp as new after a month or more. Expect to spend $6.25 or more per month ($75 per year) on refill cartridges if you replace the cartridges twice a month. If you shave every day and replace them weekly, that cost could balloon to $150 per year.