Spend or Save - Eyelash Curlers

Eyelash curlers. You either use them or you don't. If you are a pro make-up artist then you should use them, should have them in your kit and it really is worth having a good pair. You can stop reading here.

If you are not a pro make-up artist then is it really worth spending money on something you can get for a couple of quid in your local chemist? Well as with everything there's no straight forward answer.

The problem with recommending eyelash curlers is that they are all slightly different shapes and eyes are all slightly different shapes. It may be that your eye shape exactly fits and suits the cheapest curler on the market. If so, and you have them, then there's no point rushing out and buying a more expensive pair just because I, or someone else, says so. The problem with a lot of curlers is they are too rounded which makes them uncomfortable to use - if you look at the more expensive (and popular) brands they are often less curved which makes them more likely to fit any eye shape and more comfortable to use.

If you use an eyelash curler every day or a couple of times a week then yes I would say that getting a good quality pair is worth the spend - if you look after them then they will last a loooong time and most of them come with replaceable rubber pads so if you are nice to them you should have them for years and years.

I use any old ones on my lashes and they are never comfortable to use and often one set of lashes (the left hand side) gets curled better than the right - if I didn't mind a fairly slap-dash dig-myself-in-the-eye approach then I would definitely get a better pair, but I don't and I'd rather spend £17-20 on a new foundation. In my make-up kit I have the famed ones from Shu Uemura which are £20 and they are really fantastic for fitting every eye shape and giving good curl. When I am feeling naughty I pinch them from my kit and use them on myself. Kevin Aucoin also do lovely ones. I would really only consider having these two in my kit though I do have some MAC ones I got when I started out - very nice but sometimes to curved for comfort.

However, as you will see if you read reviews on websites such as Space NK, not everyone loves them and that is mostly down to the eye shape/size reasons I've explained above. The best thing to do is to try before you buy. If you go to a big department store (Selfridges, John Lewis etc) they should have them there on the counter and ask to use them yourself. If the make-up artist at the counter does it then of course they are going to work - you need to make sure that you are happy with them before you buy. 

I honestly think that if you are a regular curler of the lashes then spending and getting the Shu Uemura ones is the way forward - they will be comfortable, last a long time and do a great job.

What to Spend On

• Shu Uemura - £20, available from Space NK, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols

• Kevin Aucoin - £17, available from Space NK, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty