If Michael Jackson were to write a song about this razor, it would be called “Bad.” If this razor were a woman, it would be Roseanne Barr. If this razor were a space shuttle, it would be the Challenger. If this razor were a car, it would be a Ford Festiva. If this razor were a Band-Aid, it would be the kind that doesn’t have enough adhesive to stick.

The Xtreme3 is loaded with three blades as the name would suggest. It’s called the Fitstyle Refresh because it has a strip below the razor with both a mysterious “pre-shave oil” and Vitamin E, meant to coat your skin as you glide along the rest of your face. Though marketed as having a “new refreshing scented handle for an invigorating shave,” I didn’t find that to be the case.

While I was shaving with it, I didn’t notice any additional scent, so I placed it directly under my nose to take a whiff and still couldn’t detect a scent other than a plastic handle. I smelled all four razors in the package and none of them smelled like anything.

According to the packaging the razor came in, the Fitstyle Refresh is the “#1 flexible blade disposable razor.” But I wouldn’t agree it all; I don’t even think it’s the #1 disposable razor in its own family, sort of like Emilio Estevez. There is no way it is better than the Schick Xtreme3 (Martin Sheen) or the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select (Charlie Sheen).

Compared to several of Schick’s other offerings, I wasn’t very impressed with the Xtreme3 Fitstyle Refresh. I found it to be incredibly stiff, like Newt Gingrich at a Wham reunion concert, because it didn’t move with the contours of my face at all. I know it’s a disposable razor, but there was no weight to it whatsoever, which I think was a problem in terms of effectiveness.

Several times during the shave, I had to re-shave an area more than once, particularly the area where my mustache would be if I could grow one. Which is pretty bad, because if you can grow a mustache, plan on shaving that area about five times. And getting way more chicks than me; congrats. Somehow, it took more skin off of my face than hair.

I was extremely disappointed with the lack of effectiveness exhibited by the Fitstyle Refresh. Ff you want a good disposable razor from Schick, check out the Schick Xtreme3 or the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select instead.

The Schick Xtreme 3 Eco is a temporary/disposable razor, but it works with the effectiveness and feel of any full-time blade. Made from recycled plastic hangers and available in a four pack via packaging of 100% post-consumer recycled paper, the Xtreme 3 is light and straightforward.

It’s a disposable razor, but it’s a long way from what you normally expect from a disposable razor. The main thing I expect whenever I hear the term “disposable razor” is a certain level of cheapness, something similar to this – just a stiff piece of lightweight plastic with a shard of metal used to scrape the whiskers off your face when you’re in a hurry visiting the in-laws or on that business trip. Expecting anything but agony from a disposable blade is foolhardy.

The Xtreme 3 Eco’s handle is contoured to fit your hand, so you can actually negotiate the terrain of your face comfortably, rather than a non-contoured handle that makes you adjust your shaving style to it. Another surprising feature was the fact that the triple blade set up flex and pivot based on the amount of pressure you apply to it. Generally speaking, that type of a blade isn’t available in disposable form.

I really couldn’t get over how it didn’t just bend, but the whole surface of the blades adjusted themselves when in use. I sat there like an idiot for several minutes pressing the blades with my finger from different angles; I was mesmerized.

Located just above the triple blade setup is the Comfort Strip. The Comfort Strip delivers the ingredients Vitamin E and Aloe to your skin immediately after being gone over by the triple blades, which seriously reduces irritation.

One small thing I liked in particular was the razor cover. Most disposable blades that I have encountered usually have a cheap plastic slidey thing to cover the blade when not in use. But the Extreme 3 had a cover that could only be removed if you pinched both ends at the same time – it was almost like a clamp, which is great if you’ve got this in the bottom of a loosely fitting gym bag, or if you have a curious four-year-old.

The Schick Xtreme 3 Eco is a great disposable razor. Based on your amount of beardage, and if you’re only using it at irregular intervals, you can get at least 25 quality shaves out of it.

For ordering information, click here.

I’m not going to screw around here, guys. The Schick Hydro 5 Power Select razor is the best razor I have ever used. I could seriously just end the review right there.

Was it the battery-powered, multi-speed vibration that gently eased and spread the whiskers from my face during the shave? Was it the LED Digital Interface that lit up to show the multi-speed vibration between three different settings? Was it the “Fliptrimmer” razor with the flip-top back that allowed me to flip back and shave to the contours of my face and precisely trim any area I desired?

It could have been any one of those aforementioned features, but there were a few more in particular that caught my attention.

How about five blades, hence the name Hydro 5? For years, I have been using the Gillette Mach 3, with nary a negative thing to say about it. But I had never used a razor with five blades before; I immediately realized that three were inferior. Yes, five is more than three, wisenheimer. But I mean in terms of feel. And not just on the relatively contour free, non-sensitive areas like your neck or sideburns.

For me, the most sensitive area is where my mustache would be if I could grow one (if I were a man), i.e. the area right below my nose, above my upper lip. I anticipate this will be a painful exercise literally every time because it has been for about 15 years; the only way to numb the pain was to load up on high quality shaving cream (or whiskey) and have at it.

But with the Hydro 5, I glided over that area with absolutely no problem, and almost no friction — I couldn’t believe how well it worked. The combination of slight vibration of the razor with the ridiculous amount of blade-age left me with mouth agape in amazement. Almost on cue after I finished my shave, a neighbor came over to my house and used the bathroom. He came out holding the Hydro 5 in hand (which I had left on the sink), accompanied with a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Five blades! Five fucking blades, man?” he sputtered. “That is why you have such a clean shave — those grimy hairs don’t stand a chance!”

What aided those five blades was the Hydrating Gel Reservoir at the tip (which is water activated), just preceding the five razors. If there was ever a gimmick, I swore this was it as I perused the package prior to opening the Hydro 5. As men, how many times have we heard about “cooling gel” or some other “lubrication strip” that proves to be nothing but slick marketing?

Not only could I feel the effects of the gel, but I could see the gel coming out of the razor as I pressed it against my skin. The gel is comprised of vitamin E and aloe, which is even more soothing in use than it sounds in print.

The most amazing thing about the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select is that it retails for only $12.99. Even though it’s priced along the lines of a disposable razor, just holding it in your hand and feeling the weight of it proves that it is anything but and can hang with any of the overpriced razors on the market.

The following day I had two separate people comment on how smooth my skin looked, with one person asking me if I had “gotten a haircut or something because I looked different.”

Buy the Hydro 5 Power Select from Schick. It is the best money you will ever spend on a razor. For more information, click on this link.

Schick partnered with iTunes this holiday season to bring our readers a fantastic deal: pick up any two specially-marked Schick iTunes razor packs and redeem the included iTunes codes by visiting http://www.schicktunes.com/ to claim a $10 iTunes download card. We received the his and her gift pack including the Xtreme3 Refresh, which is the first men’s razor with a fresh clean scented handle designed to help fully refresh and invigorate guys for the day ahead. The scent is inspired by products that embody the essence of morning refreshment like rosemary and peppermint. For your girlfriends and brides, Schick included the Xtreme3 Hawaiian Tropic Scented razor that offers a luxurious and indulgent shave from a high quality disposable razor. With three blades that flex and pivot and conditioning strips packed with Aloe, Vitamin E and Joloba, this razor delivers a close, comfortable and convenient shave! For more information check out www.shaving.com