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