Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers

A continuation of the "Shu week" (overflowing into the second week!) and we're looking at the Shu Uemura lash curlers;  a truly iconic piece of kit.  And there's a reason why they're so lauded (and so good)...

I have had many different eyelash curlers down through the years.  The Shu are universally likely one of the best sets around for a number of simple reasons:

• The handles are slim, which means smaller or bigger fingers & hands can grip it easily
• The grip is comfortable to hold - cheaper offerings can pinch fingers
• The pads are made of silicone - cheaper offerings have rubber pads.  Super-cheap offerings have hard rubber pads, which can cause at worst the dreaded skin pinching (a major ouch-factor at this very sensitive area of the face) or at best, crimped lashes
• The curler is wide enough to fit longer lashes - cheaper offerings are very often not long enough for larger eyes
• The curler is curved gently - cheaper options are generally more of an obvious U shape and less of a gentle curve; this can cause pinching at the outer edges
• The spring is well-balanced, and it hasn't (in two years' usage) lost any tension (like some cheaper ones I've had, which were thrown out after a few uses)
• It gives a nice, natural curl, it doesn't crimp my lashes as cheaper ones have

How to use a lash curler

These look scarier than they are in actuality!

• Just make sure that you're close enough to a mirror to see what you're doing (you may find that looking down into a mirror is easier)
• With the curler open, manoeuvre the underneath pad underneath your upper lashes - as close to the lid as possible
• Clamp it shut, hold-n-squeeze for about ten seconds, then unclamp
• For shorter lashes, you're done
• For longer lashes, "walk" the curler a little bit along your lashes and repeat another one-two times as necessary.

Simple!

Tips - mascara

• Always use your lashes before mascara, if you plan on using a lot of it
• If you are a "teeny tiny" bit of mascara kinda gal, then you can use it after your mascara (in general it's a bad idea though, as you can (a) kink your lashes instead of curling and (b) yank 'em out as the mascara sticks to the pad)

The Shu Uemura curler comes with one replacement pad, each lasts about a year of "decent" usage.  For more information, look here.

These currently cost €24.40 in Brown Thomas Dublin.