About FFS Beauty
The UK's Which? Best Buy women's razor brand
FFS Beauty is a UK women's razor and beauty subscription brand, founded in 2015 and named a Which? Best Buy in August 2025, described by Which? as "the best women's razor we've tested."
The AWARD
Which? Best Buy — August 2025
In August 2025, Which?, the UK's independent consumer champion — named the FFS razor the best women's razor they had ever tested. The award followed rigorous independent testing across the full UK wet-razor market, including competitors such as Gillette Venus, Estrid and Wilkinson Sword.
Which? assessed razors across five criteria, and the FFS razor topped the overall rankings.
- Smoothness of shave
- Comfort on skin
- Ease of use
- Ease of blade changes
- Quality of lubrication strip
"The best women's razor we've tested."
— Which?, August 2025
The Which? Best Buy mark is one of the most trusted consumer endorsements in the UK. It is awarded only to products that achieve the highest scores in independent testing —it cannot be bought, sponsored or applied for.FFS Beauty holds the Which? Best Buy for the best women's wet razor for the period August 2025 to August 2026.
The founder
Why Des McManus started FFS
FFS Beauty was founded in 2015 by Des McManus, who spotted something nobody else had acted on: there was no quality razor subscription built for women in the UK.
Men had long enjoyed premium wet-shaving products and convenient subscription services. Women were left with flimsy disposables, overpriced supermarket cartridges, and no real alternative. Des set out to fix that gap, starting with a simple idea: a razor subscription that took the hassle out of shaving entirely.
The brand launched as Friction Free Shaving, because that was exactly what it was. Over the years it has grown into something bigger: premium shaving at genuinely accessible prices, exceptional customer service, and fuss-free refills delivered whenever you need them.
Today FFS Beauty is proudly female-led. The full range has been designed by women, for women, under the leadership of Managing Director Liz Needham, who has shaped the brand, the product line and the customer experience that 400,000+ UK subscribers trust every month.
Des McManus
Founder & CEO, FFS Beauty
Our Story
Ten years of fuss-free shaving
2015
FFS Beauty (then Friction Free Shaving) is founded by Des McManus, the first women's razor subscription in the UK.
2016
FEBRUARY
First 100 subscribers join. The original razor range launches: Faye, Frankie and Samantha, the three names behind the FFS initials.
2016
JULY
500 more subscribers join within five months, taking the community to 1,000 members.
2016
OCTOBER
The FFS Shave Cream launches, still one of the most-loved products in the range.
2017
August
'Rose' launches, the first metal razor handle designed specifically for women. FFS also introduces the Smooth, Remove and Soothe three-step shaving process, the first of its kind created for female shaving.
2018
JULY
FFS becomes the first razor brand in the world to broadcast real leg and underarm shaving in a TV advert, setting a new standard for authentic beauty advertising.
2019
The Rose razor wins Product of the Year (Women's Razor Category) and the OK! Beauty Awards Best New Personal Care Product. FFS launches its in-house Blade Recycling Scheme.
2020
The brand rebrands from Friction Free Shaving to FFS Beauty. In July 2020, the community reaches 100,000 subscribers. The Rose razor receives a Highly Commended at the ASOS Beauty Awards.
2023
FFS launches the UK's first 100% plastic-free reusable Dermaplaner. A new skincare range follows in November. In December, the three-step shaving bottles are redesigned to be letterbox-friendly and made from 100% recyclable materials.
2024
The Premium Razor Stand launches in March, designed from direct member feedback. FFS Beauty receives an Editor's Choice at the Beauty Shortlist Awards.
2025
AUGUST
FFS Beauty is named a Which? Best Buy, Best Women's Wet Razor, independently tested against Gillette Venus, Estrid, Wilkinson Sword and others. Described as 'the best women's razor we've tested.' FFS wins Best Hair Removal Product at the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2025.
What we stand for
Premium shaving, minus the fuss
FFS Beauty exists to make premium shaving simple, affordable and completely fuss-free, delivered straight to your door. When Des founded the brand, the female shaving market was broken: quality was poor, prices were unfair, and nobody was building products with women in mind. FFS was built to change that, and it still is.
Quality that's actually accessible
Premium products without premium price tags.
Fuss-free by design
Subscriptions you can cancel, skip or swap anytime, with no small print.
Designed by women, for women
Every product in the range developed with female shaving in mind.
Delivered to your door
Letterbox-friendly, so there's no waiting in or signing for parcels.
Honest about sustainability
Recyclable packaging and vegan, cruelty-free products across the range.
Sustainability & ethics
Our commitment to the planet
At FFS Beauty, sustainability isn't a badge, it's a practical commitment built into how we make and ship our products.
- All FFS Beauty products are vegan and cruelty-free.
- Our metal razor handles are built to last, designed to be used for years, not thrown away.
- Our packaging is 100% recyclable.
- Our three-step shaving bottles are letterbox-friendly and made from recyclable materials.
- We run an in-house Blade Recycling Scheme so used cartridges don't go to landfill.
- In 2023 we launched the UK's first 100% plastic-free reusable Dermaplaner.
Independently judged. Repeatedly.
AS SEEN IN
Closer · The Sun · Vogue · GQ · Cosmopolitan · Elle · Grazia · Good Housekeeping · The Independent · OK! · Refinery29 · Sheerluxe · Stylist · The Telegraph · Woman's Own
Frequently asked questions
FFS Beauty is a UK women's razor and beauty subscription brand, founded in 2015. We make premium shaving products, including the UK's Which? Best Buy women's razor, and deliver them directly to your door on a subscription you can cancel, skip or swap anytime.
FFS originally stood for Friction Free Shaving, because we wanted to take the friction out of shaving entirely. When we rebranded in 2020, we kept the initials: they now stand for Fuss-Free Shaving.
In August 2025, Which? independently tested the full UK wet-razor market and rated FFS top across all criteria: smoothness, comfort, ease of use, ease of blade changes and lubrication quality. It is the only Which? Best Buy in the women's wet-razor category for 2025–2026.
FFS Beauty was founded by Des McManus and is led day-to-day by Managing Director Liz Needham. The brand is proudly female-led, with a team and product range designed by women for women.
You choose your razor and how often you want fresh blades delivered. You can cancel, skip or swap your subscription at any time, no contracts, no hidden terms. You're only ever paying for the blades. The metal handle comes free with your first order.
