I recently joined BzzAgent, a social marketing company. I was able to participate in a Schick Hydro Silk campaign. They sent me a Schick Hydro Silk razor, which came with an extra blade and a suction cup holder for the shower.

handy little suction cup shower hook thing

I was a little skeptical before trying it, because I've always been pretty brand loyal when it comes to razors. I've been using an incarnation of the Gillette Venus for over a decade now: first the original, then the Divine, and finally, the Embrace, which has been my current razor for years. Trying a different razor had never even occurred to me, because I was pretty satisfied with the Venus and figured nothing else would be better.

I was wrong.

First of all, I like the design a lot more. Like most razors, if you leave it face down, the Venus's cartridge sticks to the surface it's on, and it's kind of gross. If you turn it upside down, then it could fall easier, and the blades are up, and (although unlikely) an accident could happen. The Schick Hydro Silk's design keeps this from happening.

see how the handle design keeps the cartridge completely off the sink?

Pretty awesome, huh?

I was also thrilled with the razor's performance. Even without shaving cream, I got a crazy close shave, particularly in my armpits. For some reason, I can never seem to get a good shave there. Am I the only one?  With this razor,though, I did. My armpits have literally never been so smooth.

Everything wasn't entirely smooth (I suspect better results would have been had with shaving cream), but my leg hair is so ridiculous that I wasn't expecting much anyway. Regardless, it was still a way better shave than I'm used to.

I never thought I'd say this, but I like this more than my beloved Venus. Schick, you've made a convert.

As part of my BzzKit, I received eight coupons for $5 off any one Schick Hydro Silk razor. I've already promised one to my friend Becca, so that leaves seven up for grabs! If you'd like one, leave your email in the comments, and I'll contact you :) If you use it for the single pack (razor without an extra blade), you could end up paying less than a dollar!

What are your favorite tips for the smoothest, closest shave? What is your favorite razor?

I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free razor and coupons as part of a BzzAgent campaign for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.