Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Walmart Joy refill cartridges, pink razor, and shave mousse.
- Joy, a Walmart-exclusive shaving brand by Gillette, is bringing quality products to and a dose of irreverence to the shaving aisle.
- Joy offers a simple set of women's shaving necessities: the Razor ($9), Glee Shave Mousse ($7), Glee Shave Gel($7), and refill cartridges ($9-$6).
- We incorporated the products into our own routines and were impressed by their quality, particularly the extra-sharp blades. We also enjoyed the brand's messaging; namely its self-awareness in recognizing that shaving can be annoying, but good razors make it less so.
I've embraced many aspects of my personal care routine to the point where they're almost ritualized. My post-shower time is when I lather on a really hydrating moisturizer, wrap up in a cozy robe, and read a new book. I've found there's no better occasion to throw on a face mask than during a Netflix marathon, and I genuinely like setting aside some extra time in the morning to do a personalized skincare routine.
These personal care practices are more than just for hygiene. Most of us spend so much time of our day putting energy into work, school, other projects, and other people, that it's really nice to slow down and have a moment to actually check in with ourselves. And for that, these health and beauty practices are rituals I am actually excited about.
But the one personal care practice I wouldn't miss? Shaving.
Shaving kind of sucks, and I'm sure many other women would agree. At best, shaving is annoying. At worst, it's actually kind of dangerous - who ever thought trying to go at your legs with a sharp razor while also balancing on a slippery shower floor was a good idea?
For most girls, we're taught from a young age that our body hair is something we should be ashamed of. At the first sight of leg fuzz, we freeze with embarrassment and beg our parents to let us shave it all off. When I finally got my hands on a razor come my early teenage years, I realized how frustrating the whole shaving thing was. But, I did and still do like having smooth legs, so I've continued do it. Like vacuuming, it's more of a chore than anything else.
Joy, Walmart's new and exclusive women's shaving brand from Gillette, seems to get that. The brand is making affordable but high quality razors, shaving gels and shaving creams, without the excessive "pink tax" or overzealous messaging we've become accustomed to.
Walmart Joy's ads show off the brand's light-hearted messaging.
In the wake of direct-to-consumer shaving startups like Flamingo and Billie, Joy is the latest player that's getting real about women's body hair - and making the products we actually want to use to deal with it (if we choose to do anything at all).
Where many women's shaving brands want to convince you that shaving is an experience you should savor, Joy knows shaving is not anyone's favorite pastime. Instead, Joy gets real, discussing shaving in a way that's frank and irreverent - probably similar to how you would talk about shaving with your friends. Joy's tagline begins, "This razor won't change the world. But it will change your body hair situation."
But of course, messaging is just a small part of what makes a brand worth looking into. To succeed, its product has to be really good too. And, while Joy does boast the cute and colorful packaging I've trained myself to walk right past in the shaving aisle, Joy's products are actually good quality at a good pricepoint.
As a shaving line, the most important product is probably the razor, which comes in a light pink or teal . Joy's version has five sharp Gillette blades and a Lubrastrip, which work together to give you a clean shave sans irritation. The non-slip grip handle makes it easy to hold, so you don't have to worry about dropping your razor. I was impressed at the close shave, which I credit to the extra sharp blades - my colleague Mara Leighton agreed.
For $8.97 you get the razor handle and two blade refills. A set of four refill blades costs $8.97, while a set of eight refill blades costs even less per blade at $15.97.
The shaving cream options are the Glee Mousse, a rich consistency in a Summer Lily scent, or the Glee Gel, a lighter, but still thick lather with a fresh Cucumber Aloe fragrance. I've been using the Glee Gel and it definitely is an upgrade from my usual smattering of body lotion, conditioner, or whatever other shower gel I have laying around. At $6.94 for two bottles, these won't set you back much.
Looking at the costs across all of the rest of the shaving products at Walmart, Joy is pretty reasonably priced. And, if you're looking for affordable personal care products anyways, why not go for the ones that look good in your shower if they're at no extra cost to you?
Joy is right - this razor won't change the world, but it will give you a great shave and maybe make you laugh when you read the packaging, which is probably more than you could ever ask for from a razor.
Shop Joy shaving products at Walmart
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.