Meet Flamingo, the New Female Shaving Brand From Harry's

Harry's, the direct-to-consumer shaving startup for men, is debuting its first female-centric brand today. Like Harry's, Flamingo is streamlined, offering all the essentials in sleek packaging. In its shave set, there's a razor (which comes in three color options), two removable blade cartridges, foaming shave gel, body lotion, a suction razor holder that will stick to your shower wall and a travel bag. And as the line is designed for women, Flamingo also addresses the other predominant way women remove hair. The brand has two waxing kits, one for face and one for body, each coming with wax strips and post-wax cloths. (The face kit comes with a calming serum as well.) Creating this women's line was something Harry's had been contemplating for years, practically since the brand launched in 2013. Flamingo gm Allie Melnick said it's been "one of our most requested items since we launched." As Harry's grew, the company learned that its products were being used not only by its target demographic, but by women, too. And while the Harry's line clearly worked for women, Melnick said, the brand believed it could create something that was more closely catered to women's needs. [kickout id="2"] [kickout id="6"] The team at Flamingo did some internal research and found several points that eventually drove product development. Women predominantly shave in the shower, so the razor's handle needed to be easy to grip, even when wet. It also has a sleek metal end and details, which provide some extra weight. Women also shave all over their body, not just their legs or under their arms. So the Flamingo blade cartridges come equipped with extra lubrication, and the handle is designed to make it easier to use, no matter what direction you're reaching it in. [kickout id="1"] [kickout id="3"] Melnick said the team didn't want to mimic what the women's shaving space with its images of a "goddess" and the color pink. Part of Flamingo's purpose, Melnick said, is changing the dialogue around shaving and helping normalize hair removal as something that is simply another part of your shower. "What we didn't want to do is just slap something like pink coloring and call it a day," she said. "I don't feel like a goddess in waterfall when I'm removing hair. It's a real activity and it's in part of my everyday routine." Conscious of the prevalent "pink tax"—women often pay more than men for razors, shampoo and other self-care products—Flamingo's prices are the same or in some cases even less than Harry's. Both brands' razors start at $9, while Flamingo shave gel is $5, compared with $8 for Harry's shave cream. Flamingo is not the only brand in the direct-to-consumer women's shaving space. Billie, a subscription service that bills itself as a "female-first shave and body brand" and sells razors, body lotion, body wash and shave cream, launched in November 2017. However, the two brands differ in several ways. Flamingo is not a subscription service, a conscious decision made by the team after talking to women during the prelaunch process. "Women remove hair at different cadences, different lifestyle or even seasonality," Melnick said. "We felt like it's important for … consumers to have control of when they buy." Billie also does not carry waxing products, and Flamingo has the advantage of being under the Harry's, a company that's already launched a DTC shave brand. [kickout id="4"] [kickout id="5"] Flamingo hopes the female fans Harry's has picked up along the way will flock to its brand now that something designed specifically for them exists. And while women who already use and love their Harry's razors are welcome to stick with that product, Melnick said, Flamingo is educating consumers that the difference between the two brands isn't about a more feminine-looking product. "The differences are really because of different needs," Melnick said. "What's similar is the same quality of the blades and the manufacturing."