A shaving gel applicator includes many different embodiments that include an annular brush, a disc-shaped brush, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart disc-shaped brushes, a pair of straight brushes, a single straight brush, and more. Some of the brushes are mounted for rotary motion and some for reciprocation in a linear motion. Heat is applied to the brushes to heat shaving gel deposited on the brushes. The shaving gel is dispensed from a cartridge that is releasably engaged to the applicator. A detector detects the type of cartridge in use and adjusts the amount of heat to be applied and the brush rotation or reciprocation speed that optimizes the performance of the shaving gel in that cartridge. In alternative embodiments, the gel is heated in a gel pack before it is dispensed onto the brushes.