First Impressions: The Dollar Shave Club

It wasn't exactly planned, but I received my first box from the Dollar Shave Club right as No Shave November began. I've been thinking about trying Dollar Shave Club for months. I think I first heard about it on a podcast, and the idea was intriguing to me. I hate spending money on expensive razors, so this seemed like something I needed to try. (Full disclosure: I was in no way compensated for this! The Dollar Shave Club people have no idea who I am. But I had some people express interest in my opinion of my little experiment, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.)

I remember the first Venus razor I ever had. I was in high school, and it came in a "Cheer Pack". Ok, it may not have been called that. But basically it was a free goodie bag aimed at cheerleaders/dancers/pom squads, and the Venus razor was tucked inside. I think our entire team was hooked after that. I tried a few different kinds over the years, but I always went back to the Venus razor. The first one I had was the original turquoise, but since then I've had a range of colors. My current one is purple. 

Sure, it's a great razor. But the replacement blades are PRICEY. So I don't replace them very often, which pretty much makes the razor no better than any other kind. 

My husband uses some sort of Gillette razor, and his replacement blades are just as pricey. Occasionally I use his old blades to shave my legs, especially when I forget/don't want to buy new blades for my Venus. Which led me to realize that the guy vs girl razor issue is pretty much BS. They are essentially the same thing, except the "girl" razors are pastel and the "boy" razors are stainless steel/orange/blue. 

Enter the Dollar Shave Club. I looked at the options and decided to go with the Executive line. It's the most expensive at $9 a month. (There's also $6/mo and $1/mo plans; the $9 and $6 ship free, the $1 does cost $2 in S&H.) The plan comes with one blade handle, but I added another one for $4 so James and I could both try the product. It arrived less than a week after I ordered in a little box. The box had the two handles, 4 razor blades, and a sample of the shave butter. 

I've tried the razor already, and I really liked it. I mean, it wasn't anything fancy. It's a basic handle and razor blade. But it was easy to use (some razors made it hard to get those tough areas around the ankles) and very effective. I felt it gave me a very close shave; it's been two days and I don't feel like I need to shave again yet. I also just used soap to shave with. I think if I used shaving cream it would be even better!

James hasn't tried it yet, but I'll do a follow-up post when he does to share his thoughts. So far I'm pretty sold on it! 

Have you tried it yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

​Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

When Cutting Expenses Isn't Worth It

Here at Chez Robbins we've been trying to cut back on some expenses. Some of it was a great idea, some not so much. See, I tried to cut back the costs of my beauty routine and it was a disaster!

Ok, maybe you just rolled your eyes. That's ok. But even if you don't believe me, it has been a disaster. I haven't had a breakout like this since junior high. Actually, I don't think I have ever had breakouts this bad!

The problem is that I tried to go back to drugstore brands for face wash, moisturizer, etc. And my skin is NOT HAPPY about it. Apparently my skin was spoiled by the Arbonne products it was used to. For two years I exclusively used Arbonne, specifically the Calm line and the Genius exfoliating pads. And my skin was awesome. Soft, smooth, nary a blemish. Ok, I did have the occasional spot or two. But overall it was fantastic.

So I decided that my skin was ready to go back to drugstore brands. Or at least my wallet was. Arbonne prices are on par with Clinique and department store brands, and I was aiming to keep costs down so I wanted to switch to something I could pick up at Wal-Mart.

I made the switch. And it was not awesome.  Right now I'm using Aveeno Naturals. I don't care for it at all. Well, that's not entirely true. I do like the face wipes (though they are super similar to the Neutrogena wipes) and the facial scrub is alright. But the moisturizer is just awful. It feels heavy and yet not very moisturizing. (If you hate the word moist, I'm sorry for this post!)

While Arbonne products are more expensive than what I'm currently using, I've come to the conclusion that they are worth every penny. And I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of the Calm line to my front door!  I'll find another way to cut expenses - maybe drink beer instead of wine at happy hour for awhile? (#firstworldproblems)

What's your go-to skincare routine? Do you use drugstore brands or department store? Or do you do an Arbonne or Rodan & Fields kinda thing? (Full disclosure: I do still sell Arbonne now and then, so if you're ever interested let me know! Or you can visit my link: http://jenniferbryant.arbonne.com/)

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Birkenstocks in Vegas

Many moons ago I read a blog post the Hollywood Housewife wrote about her Birkenstocks. Now the wonderful HH is not someone that struck me as a Birk person, so I was intrigued. She had the Gizeh style and she swore they were super comfy!

As I prepared for our Vegas Vacay, I decided I needed some comfy sandals. Old Navy flip flops are awesome for the lake, but this nearly 30 year-old needed to invest in some actual footwear. And when you're used to spending approximately $4 for sandals, Birks certainly are an investment!

So I went on search of a good deal. Amazon has some, but the prices vary by color and shoe size. My not-so-delicate size 9.5 feet did not fit in any of the sale sandals, so I moved on to Zappos. No deals there either. I decided to check out Nordstrom Rack (because you can order online now!) just in case they had any deals.

Cue harps and angels singing.

These gold Gizeh Birks were on sale! In my size! I ordered them right then and impatiently waited for them to arrive. Which they did, the night before I was leaving. I couldn't wait to wear them on the Strip!

And then I did. OUCH. Here's the thing people forget to tell you about Birks. They really have to be broken in. I sort of knew that, but since the shoes came in at the last minute I conveniently forgot. And I was in pain after walking a few miles up and down the strip in my Birks. Which isn't the way to start a weekend full of foot pain thanks to the dress code requirement of heels for most clubs! 

I didn't wear the Birkenstocks the rest of the weekend, but I decided to give them another go this week. And success! Maybe it was all the walking in Vegas, but they are finally broken in. And I now LOVE them. They are comfy, cute, and fancy enough to wear to the office. 

I will probably invest in a couple other pairs - a black and a brown, most likely. But I'm happy with my gold pair for now. I've been embracing the mixed metals look so it's working for now. Nordstrom Rack doesn't have gold anymore, but they do have silver and a few other colors if you're interested! Or there's always Amazon :)

​Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...