Another cult product happened to fall into my make up drawer (funny how they do that, isn't it :P) when I returned to Japan almost a month ago, and it's the very much talked about Shu Uemura (pronounced
shoe oo-eh-moo-rah) eyelash curlers.
Admittedly these only "fell" into my make up drawer when I realised that many people are being somewhat ripped off, as these sell for £9 here in Japan, and £20 in the UK. Now I had a perfectly good pair of eyelash curlers, but if you could test a hyped-up product for £11 less - who wouldn't go for it? I feel kind of guilty if I'm honest. Needless to say, the severe consumer exploitation does bug me a bit..
To me, Shu curlers have gone down the track of NARS Orgasm, in the sense that it's not the universal 'curler of all curlers' that it has the reputation of being - in my honest opinion, there are people who would really find this helpful (like me), and there are people who are better off saving some dosh and buying cheaper ones - atleast in the UK.
The first thing I asked the sales assistant was this: "What makes your curlers so special?" And she pretty much read what it said on the box to me - the shape of the curved edge, the hinges and the silicone band.
1) They claim that the shape of the curved edge fits various eye shapes and prevents it from pinching the skin - just keep in mind that they don't fit ALL eye shapes before you go and splurge! Mine happened to fit, so these work wonders but it would be a shame if yours didn't. I heard from Sam Chapman on Pixiwoo that the arch on these curlers are relatively flat - these would miss the outer and innermost lashes for anyone with deeper curved eye surfaces.
2) They also claim that the shape of the silicone band prevents the crimped look - I disagree. If I use this just at the roots of my lashes, it does what any curler does - give me L-shaped lashes. I like clamping several times along my lashes towards the ends to give a natural curl - so nothing special here for Shu!
3) The hinges make ALL the difference though - it's 100% true that it regulates how much pressure you apply on your lashes, and I think it's because the metal bars that comes off the silicone part is longer and covers more width than my old ones. It applies just enough pressure and in a way that your curls last all day!
This long-lasting curl is the part that Shu Uemura should
really be selling, in my opinion. How many posts have you read from bloggers who say they have the world's most stubborn lashes that wont keep a curl? Because I'm one of them!
I have short, flat, thin and therefore easily weighed-down-by-mascara lashes, and while the shortness and thickness can be solved by mascara, the curl and lift is really difficult to find. If I curl my lashes with either eyelash curler, they will last the same time. However, the difference shows when the mascara's layered on. One will droop and end up flat, and the other will droop just a little bit, and it'll stay this way for a good few hours.
I think what these curlers have saved me, is the need/want to recurl my lashes during the day. Now I'm not 100% sure that's worth £20 - in a way I suppose they are, especially if you don't own curlers that you think are working for you, or if you never wear eyeshadow and only mascara and so maybe you're really sensitive about your lashes. It's a case by case basis really, I think my point is to ignore the hype, and think logically about spending £20! Me personally - I adore these and look forward to using them everyday :)
If you can rely on a mascara to give you the curls or if you can rely on a cheaper curler to give you curls for hours - then don't submit to the hype, because they're not going to do much more.
Shu tells you to rebuy them every year because the hinges weaken, and he enforces this by not selling the silicone bands separately - a bit far don't you think? As you can probably tell, I'm not very impressed with the brand itself and all of the testers they gave me were absolute rubbish.
So all in all - use common sense, ignore the hype :)! If what works for you now is fine, then don't feel the need to spend the extra dosh just because they're supposed to be amazing - these curlers don't have magical powers, and wont guarantee everyone better lashes - I think you're more likely to get 'better lashes' if you're like me and struggle with the lasting curl. Try it in store and ask to apply your own mascara on top and wait til you get home to see if it's worth the £20 :)
Hope that helps! :)
What is your experience with Shu Uemura?
How do you find the curlers if you own them? :)
You can buy these from
Selfridges for £20 :)
<3yu
EDIT: If you can see in the last photo, the Shu curlers don't open as wide, so this might not be great for people with extremely long or curled lashes as well! Even I have a hard time making sure all my lashes are in, and I have quite short and straight lashes. Thought I'd throw that in :P
