Confession time, folks. This is something I’ve never admitted to anyone before till now. I wouldn’t even admit it to myself up till about a few months ago.
You know that famous eyelash curler by Shu Uemura? The eyelash curler deemed the Holy Grail of eyelash curlers by many women? A must-have?
I don’t like it. I really don’t like it. Yet the funny thing is, I used that popular eyelash curler for over 10 years whilst not liking it at all before I even thought of using another eyelash curler. All because it’s known as the best eyelash curler around and me, I thought I had to have the best.
*insert eye-rolling emoji*
You see, back in the day before beauty blogs came about, women’s magazines were hailing the Shu Uemura eyelash curler as the best thing ever. It’s what the cool kids were using. I was using a cheapie eyelash curler in my early 20s that I got from a local pharmacy in Malaysia and truth be told, it suited me just fine. It was a spring eyelash curler that was very easy to use and didn’t hurt me at all.
After reading so much about the Shu Uemura eyelash curler, I decided to splurge on one. Mind you, it was 10 times the price of my cheapie-but-goodie eyelash curler and for someone who was just starting out on makeup then, it was a hell lot of money to spend on a beauty tool that I didn’t even use often. Still, it must be good since everyone was waxing lyrical about this Holy Grail of eyelash curlers, right?
I didn’t like it at all. The curler didn’t fit me well and it hurts when I accidentally clipped the corners of my eyes (this happened often due to the poor fit). I didn’t understand why it was so popular when it wasn’t even that good (for me, that is). It freakin’ hurt!
Yet, I told no one about it. I continued to use it and repurchased the same eyelash curler for the next 10 years just because it’s the IT eyelash curler. I didn’t want to admit that I wasted so much money on a damn eyelash curler when the original cheapie one I had was so much better. When I was asked what eyelash curler it was that I used, I proudly yet casually said “oh the one by Shu Uemura” like it’s something really cool and special.
Tell me if that’s not the most stupid thing you’ve heard. Really.
Believe it or not, I only finally decided to try another eyelash curler out this year. You’d think a girl could only take clipping of eyelids for that long. This one took 10 years! When I was in Japan in May, I decided to try the Shiseido eyelash curler out. Oh what a change it was! It finally fit my eye shape and better yet, there was absolutely no clipping of skin. I liked it so much that I bought more replacement pads the next day knowing that this eyelash curler will last me a while.
In hindsight, I have to ask myself – what the hell was I thinking using something I found so uncomfortable for so many years just because it’s supposed to be such a fantastic product that didn’t work for me at all?
Don’t get me wrong, the Shu Uemura eyelash curler is a fine one. My first one lasted me almost 7 years before I needed a replacement. It just didn’t suit my eye shape at all. There’s a reason why it’s so popular amongst many. Sadly, it just didn’t work for me.
I’ve learnt my lesson all right. Even though it took me that long to finally wake up after all that painfully clipped skin.
I asked for recommendations for a good eyelash curler few weeks ago and I got about 10 recs from different ladies for the Shu Uemura. I was just about to purchase it two days ago but I haven’t had time. I’m going to wait til I go to the shops and check it out in person first!
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Haha see what I mean? Many would say Shu Uemura. Look it’s not a bad one; in fact, if it fits your eyes, then it’s a very good one. Mine lasted me for years! It just didn’t fit my eyes but I never thought to go back to my cheapie one ‘cos everyone said the Shu Uemura one is the best. Took me a while to learn my lesson, didn’t I?
OMG. I feel exactly the same! I don’t like it at all. It does nothing to curl my straight lashes and yet I’m still using it for 3 years. I’ve been thinking to buy RMK Curler to try but its always sold out 😀
Oooh I want to try the RMK one now. Can’t get it here though. Boo!
See what I mean? OMG so glad to know I’m not the only one using it for years even though it doesn’t fit. Nothing wrong with us, right? Right? 😛
Finally someone who is not all raves about Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler! I bought it for the same reason like you and it hurt my eyelids if I am not careful. I thought maybe the curler did not work because of my skills and I hated this curler but still using it. LOL
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Hahaha nah you’re definitely not the only one clipping the eyelids. I haven’t been very careful with the new Shiseido eyelash curler yet I don’t hurt myself. Can’t do that with the Shu Uemura eyelash curler. That one hurts if I’m holding it a few degrees off.
Ouch! That makes me just cringe thinking about eyelid clipping pain. I’ve never actually found an eyelasher curler that I’ve liked, ever. It seems I will be forever without curled lashes. They either do the horrid pinching thing, or actually don’t give any curling effect at all. Maybe it’s me and I’m doing something wrong ha. I tried a heated on by Model Co a few years back and it was probably the closest I’ve had to success with an eyelash curler… Might have to see if they still make them.
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Oooh I’ve always wondered if heated eyelash curlers are much better now. Many years ago I had one and it made my eyelashes stand at 90 degrees. Looked really weird! Yet I’ve seen some people use it so cleverly that it actually curls their eyelashes, not making them look like right angled hair.
Haha actually from the beginning, eye lash curler fans fall into 2 categories (based on the time I used to spend on makeup forums) Shu Uemura fans or Shiseido fans. I can’t use Shiseido curlers. They’re too curved and they clip my lids. Shu is flatter and suit my eyes better. But my fave is now RMK. Best ever and so much more affordable. Then again, I don’t even wear mascara much less curl my lashes anymore so it’s quite a moot discussion haha 😀
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Oooh really? I had no clue that the debate between the two eyelash curlers started way back when. I’m really interested in trying the RMK one now. Will ask Mum to get one for me before she comes visit in September. 🙂
I spent so much money on cheapie lash curlers that perhaps I should have splurged on one of those instead! The best one I own is the cheapest one from the face shop.
Hey as long as it works, who cares where it comes from, right? In retrospect, if I stuck to my guns and that cheapie eyelash curler that already worked so well for me, I wouldn’t have to endure clipped eyelids for so many years! 😛
Yes, i got the Shu Uemura curler coz everybody say its the one. But it hurts. And like you i keep on using it until i got a free Lancome curler from one of the sets. Try it on and i think my eyelids thank me for it LOL….
See, what is it about that Shu eyelash curler that makes us keep using them even though it hurts? It’s so weird!
I used to think that I needed an expensive eyelash curler but then decided that my $2.80 one from Daiso was making me more than happy so I had no reason to splurge on another! It’s so interesting to read a different perspective on a product that you don’t hear a bad word about 🙂
Hahaha hey if the Daiso one works, you stick with it, y’hear? You stick with it like glue and don’t be swayed when people tell you how fantastic the expensive ones are! 😛
I use the Shiseido one as well! I’ve used the Shu one before and even bought the gold limited edition one at Christmas!! Although I do have small eyes it actually did work for me.. but was just expensive. And then Tina introduced me to the Shiseido one whivh i bought on eBay for a quarter of the price and I’ve been using that since!
I’m glad to say that I don’t use any product/tool that I don’t like! If it doesn’t suit me or is uncomfortable, I stop right away!
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Oh believe you me, I was bloody tempted to get the limited edition gold Shu eyelash curler. Every time I find myself walking towards the Shu Uemura counter, I stopped myself and thought “hang on, if I don’t like the silver one, what makes me think that the gold one would be any better?”. So I didn’t. But damn, that gold one is pretty.
Oh man, Shu Uemura doesn’t work for me at all either. I’m using Shiseido too now, but it’s not perfect either. I think that the best one I’ve used (for me) so far has been the curler from Stage!
That’s great! I’m guessing that Stage one wouldn’t be as expensive either.
You know, I have had the Shu Uemura eye lash curler for probably 10 years and I have to agree with you – every time I used it, my skin gets clip and its painful. I never bothered to change it because I hardly curl my eyelashes and was just too lazy to get source it from another brand. LOL. I think Jyoan from Positively Nicely did a post on Shu Uemura vs Shiseido eye lash curlers sometime back and she preferred Shiseido because she had the same problem that you had. Hahaha. Since I do need a new eye lash curler, I am going to test both the Shiseido and RMK ones at the counter and make a decision on which one to buy 🙂
Right? Right? I don’t know why we continue using something that doesn’t even work for us! I kept using mine for so many years! After using the Shiseido one, it was such an ahhhh moment for me. I don’t have to adjust the eyelash curler carefully each time I use it like I had to for the Shu Uemura curler because the Shiseido one doesn’t hurt me at all. I’m going to check out the RMK one when I’m back in Malaysia for hols. Heard a lot of good things about it.