How to Find Beauty Bargains: Is the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler Worth the Cost?

You may have seen in Allure magazine the award winning Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, which is rumored to be used by stars such as Gwen Stefani. It promises an amazing curl with a gentle touch. But at $18, what could make the Shu Uemura eyelash curler better than your standard drugstore brand eyelash curler?

For background, the Shu Uemura line is owned by Shisedio, a brand you may have seen in department stores. Sephora says of Shu Uemura "Internationally renowned makeup artist Shu Uemura is the best kept secret in the beauty industry. Attracting worldwide attention for his keen sensitivity and imaginative approaches to beauty, he is the first makeup artist to produce a comprehensive product line that originated with skincare and evolved into a complete line of cosmetics, cosmetic accessories, and fragrance." In Japan, eyelashes are a big, big deal, so this brand is worth considering, as it is so popular with Japanese ladies seeking beautiful eyelashes.

But $18 is $18, so I needed more than that to consider forking over that kind of money. Also, this curler is not touting the longest lifespan: it comes with a curler pad and a refill, when the refill goes, that is it for the curler. I do not know how often you are supposed to replace the standard drugstore type curlers such as Maybelline or Revlon, but since they sell refill pads in sets of two or three, I doubt it is replaced as often as the Shu Uemura curler.

Putting the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler to the test

I have been using Revlon and drugstore eyelash curlers for years and don't have a problem getting the curler near my eye, but many people have difficulty with this and end up pinching their eyelid. This is especially the case if your eyes are deep set or your eyelids are droopy. But the Shu Uemura curler is specifically designed to accommodate all eye shapes, so it is almost impossible to pinch yourself due to the shape of this curler. I held it in place for a little longer than normal, and got an amazingly curled lash line without a crimp mark. I tried on the other eye to intentionally make a crimp mark and I could not. I curled the first eye again to see if two curls would make it crimp, and that did not crimp either. The curler is very gentle to use. This feature does set this curler apart from many drugstore brands.

My mascara applied well, and my lashes stayed curled the entire day. They even stayed curled after I removed my mascara with baby oil, and much of the time, they are still curled the next morning after I wake up. I have found that instead of applying another coat of mascara during the day, which is what I used to do, I curl them again quickly and it has more impact than using additional mascara without risk of clumping or over applying. Even with mascara already on my eyelashes, it does not leave a telltale crimp mark. I tried a few other department store brand curlers such as Trish McEvoy, and the curl did not have the staying power that my Shu Uemura curler gave. While I have not as of yet tried Kevin Aucoin's curler and a few other high-end curlers, the Shu Uemura seems to consistently be the choice of beauty experts. My favorite part is that this curler seems to give your lashes very lush look from the side. It reminds me of in grammar school, there was this one boy who had the longest, fullest eyelashes that were just beautiful and every girl wished she had eyelashes like those. That is the sort of natural full look this curler gives. If you are cost conscious, I find it better to spend money on this curler and skimp with buying cheaper mascara instead. I would almost never leave the house without wearing mascara, but many days just curling my lashes does the trick.

The curler comes in a special edition gold plated curler and a nickel curler. I heard both were supposed to be better than the standard stainless steel curler, but I discerned no difference and actually considered the gold curler to be a bit weaker in function. Unless you have allergy issues that you cannot use any metals but gold, I personally do not see improved function with the gold or nickel curlers.

Tips on Buying Bargain Shu Uemura Curlers

Shu Uemura is available at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Eluxury.com and a few other high-end retailers. Most of these retailers charge $18 per curler and generally a steep shipping charge of $5.95 - $7.50. Bargain hunters have tried Ebay, which often has numerous Shu Uemura Eyelash curlers at a cheaper price. Buyers should consider when choosing between a seller in your own country and shipping from Hong Kong that the shipping times and postage costs from Hong Kong often mean paying practically as much money to wait two to three weeks for your curler. I have also found that packages from Hong Kong need to be signed for, which requires for me at least, a trip to the post office when I am not home during the day to sign for it. You should also be sure if purchasing from ebay that the curler comes with the spare refill pad to make sure it is a new curler. If you are purchasing from eluxury.com or Sephora, under the gift wrapping options, I would recommend requesting the free gift box instead of drawstring gift bag in order to provide this specially shaped curler the most protection in transit.

Shu Uemura also sells curler carrying cases to protect your curler is storage and transit. I would recommend such a holder or a cheaper alternative might be a hard case such as an old cell phone holder to protect your curler and make it last longer.

In conclusion, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler does live up to the hype. It gives a full, long-lasting curl that appears natural, without leaving a crimp mark. It is gentle to use and practically impossible to pinch the eyelid. Even on a limited budget, I would recommend splurging on a Shu Uemura eyelash curler.