I noticed the Fusion ProGlide on sale a little while ago and picked one up, thinking it was a bit of a bargain and always up for trying something new. I used to use Venus razors (that's right, I'm a girl) but since trying out my boyfriend's last year I opted to go for a man's razor. It actually worked more effectively, and even though the ProGlide definitely gets a recommendation for me, I'd still prefer not to have the lubrication strip across the top (hence 4 stars).

Gillette is a P&G product, and across the front of this is a 'Worldwide Partner' logo to show it's sponsoring the Olympics (hence this is a 'special edition' pack). It's a huge brand and one of the most popular when it comes to shaving, so I have faith in their products being effective. I've always used Gillette for razors, but this is now my second guy's razor that I've bought. It seems almost taboo for a woman to buy a man's razor when she can choose a pretty-looking one with a scented strip on it, but I've actually found them to be more effective. I gave this one a try because it was on sale at the bargain price of £3, and compared to buying a new packet of blades for my other razor, thought it would be worth trying this out instead. Just to note, this is the manual razor, not a battery one which can be bought alternatively.

This comes in a dark blue plastic box with clear front that peals back so that you can see the razor inside. It looks masculine but efficient, in the sense that it's quite understated. Opening the pack is made a lot easier by the peal back tab at the top. This was a definite bonus to me to save the initial frustrations of trying to scissor open hard plastic, which is what you usually have to do with razors. Included with the razor handle are two blades. The blade handle has a plastic 'coat' around it and the spare blade it towards the back, kept safe in a neat little razor holder which can also hold the razor itself (I'm a sucker for the little things as I found this quite cute).

The razor is sturdy enough and does look fairly masculine, but it's not the heaviest of guys razors I've come across. It's ergonomic to hold and not too big, even for my little hands. It looks neat enough and popping the razor in / out is very easy to do. The razor is described as providing 'incredible comfort - even if you shave every day'. So what makes this different from the rest? It has thinner, finer blades to reduce pulling of hair, a lubrication strip for more 'lube' and a smidge of mineral oil, and a +1 precision trimmer blade that's been improved along with the 'anticlogging rinse slots'.

When using this, I have actually found it glides very well, probably better than other blades I've used in the past. It feels smooth across the skin and gentle. I go slightly slower as this is a guy's razor and I don't want to have nicks all over my legs, but I also use Gillette (the female one!) shave gel. This helps to make the glide smoother, but the lube strip definitely does make a difference. The blades do seem to be quite fine as I'm left with smooth legs that are soft and not aggravated by aggressive shaving.

The one downside for me would be, strangely enough, the lube strip. I'm glad it's there as it does seem to provide the 'glide' -like movement over skin, but I prefer the last razor in this sense that offered the option of moving the strip up so you didn't have to use this. I say this because I find the lube strip can often get a bit messy, or start coming out in small clumps, making shaving far more difficult. I haven't noticed too much of a problem with this but already I wish there was the option just to make shaving, and cleaning of the razor, easier without worrying about a gunked up gel strip.

Overall, I would recommend this (for guys and gals alike). It does what it claims by providing a smooth, close shave and leaving skin hair-free and soft. I've given it 4 as I would have liked the option of moving the gel strip out of the way. Replacement blades can be pricey, but then again, they are for most re-fillable razors like this. If you see this on offer it's definitely worth a try because it's effective yet still gentle enough.

Sells for around £11.99 Olympics edition (Boots)
4 replacement blades £11.55 (Boots)