Review: my quest for the best eyelash curler on Earth...
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free skin care · Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:28 pm

I guess you could call me something of an eyelash curler connoisseur: After finally having cultivated the long, lush eyelashes of my dreams after testing out nearly every eyelash growth serum on available on the market and finally discovering the one that truly delivers obvious results (see my MUA review for Jan Marini Age Intervention EyeLash), rather than results that can be attributed more to wishful-thinking rather than any sort of noticeable improvements, and after tinting my now completely bat-worthy lashes at home to a stunning and glossy midnight blue/black shade with my beloved 1000 Hours DIY lash tinting kit, I no longer need to wear mascara at all anymore.

Unfortunately, after a HORRIFIC experience the first and only time I was brave enough to get my eyelashes permed which left the little lash hairs either burnt or kinked like some bizarre pubic-hair sprouting from my lashline, I break out in a cold sweat at the thought of offering up my now long and lush lashes as a sort of sacrificial lamb upon the alter of my vanity by contemplating the possibility of giving eyelash perming a 2nd chance, which leaves only a single alternative: manually curling my own lashes with a traditional clamp-style or new-fangled wand-style heated eyelash curler, which is where the whole connoisseur-thing comes in to play.

I have tried just about every single brand and type of eyelash curler listed in MakeupAlley's Productville, as well as some that you've probably never heard of. You will find the EDS forum peppered with my prior reviews over the past couple years for various lash curlers that I was briefly, yet intensely, infatuated with but have since discarded.

I've tested out the much ballyhooed Shiseido and Shu Uemura curlers and was completely underwhelmed -- they didn't suck, but they didn't blow me away, either. I've tested every different variety of lash curler offered by Tweezerman, Japonesque, Revlon, Sephora and LaCross. I actually compiled a list of every eyelash curler that I've tried out in the past year or so and -- at last count -- it numbered over 30!! If that is not dedication to the pursuit of the perfectly curled lash, I don't know what is!!

Now, let me confess straight away that I will always prefer heated eyelash curlers over the traditional clamp-style type -- in fact, I would go so far as to say that I think “eyelash curler” is a complete misnomer in terms of the old-fashioned curlers because they don’t actually *curl* one’s lashes, instead they crimp them – no, wait: they BEND them, at an unnatural, 90-degree angle. But the heated lash curlers, designed in the style of a mascara wand actually give your lashes a completely natural, gentle, sweeping upward c-u-r-v-e that just gives your eyes a look that is completely different than being crimped so they stand straight up.

BEST TRADITIONAL EYELASH CURLER:

Way am I blathering on about heated eyelash curlers when this is supposed to be a review of the best traditional eyelash curler? Because the Tarte Picture Perfect EyeLash Curler is absolutely the very first traditional, clamp-style eyelash curler that I have ever tried because it provides the aforementioned gentle, sweeping curve to my lashes with just a single squeeze of the clamp! No more curling each set of lashes in three separate places (base, middle, tips) in order to achieve the desired result -- instead, one squeeze is all I need!! I love this curler so much that I think I'm going to get a 2nd one to keep in my desk at work for those late-afternoon touch ups before heading out for a night on the tiles.

As I confessed earlier, I no longer wear any type of traditional mascara because I no longer need any false length, thickness or color. Instead, I used to wear Ardell Lash and Brow Growth Accelerator every day to give my lashes a little natural definition, but now I make my own homemade Lash Gloss to give a bit of shine and definition instead (note: recipe can be found in the DIY skincare recipes sticky thread).

These days, my routine is to pre-curl my lashes with the Tarte curler, then apply a coat of my Lash Gloss, then use my (beloved Panasonic) heated eyelash curler to "lock" in the curl so it stays most of the day.

Sometimes, on long days when I know my lashes will need a little extra oomph and holding power, I will use my blow-dryer to heat my Tarte curler for a couple of seconds before curling. Unlike with the Shu Umera and/or Shiseido -- which can become dangerously overheated if you blast it for too many seconds with the blowdryer and leave you with a nasty burn on your eyelid if you were foolish enough not to test it before applying it like I have done a couple of times -- the purple plastic hand grips on Tarte curler actually seem to prevent overheating and possible burn injuries, I guess b/c the all-metal design of the Japanese models act as "heat conductors" that cause the curlers to become dangerously hot.

I've already returned the disappointing Shu Uemura to Sephora but I can't find the packaging and/or receipt for my Shiseido so I'll most likely end up putting it on my swap list. As for the other 28 eyelash curlers that have been cluttering up my makeup drawer: I've already tossed all those puppies in the garbage! I got my Tarte Picture Perfect EyeLash Curler from Sephora for $15, but I'm told that QVC also carries them....

For the record, here's the complete list of all the traditional curlers I have tried and tossed since my quest for the perfect eyelashes began:

Covergirl - Eyelash Curler
Japonesque - Double Pad Eyelash Curler
Japonesque - GoCurl Eyelash Curler
Japonesque - Precision Eyelash Curler
LaCross - Eyelash Curler
LaCross - Professional Eyelash Curler
Lash Pro - Lashpro Eyelash Curler
Luxor - mini-GoCurl Eyelash Curler
Maybelline - Eyelash Curler
Preo - Curl Up Pro Eyelash Curler
Revlon - Cushion Grip Eyelash Curler
Revlon - Expert Effect Eyelash Curler
Revlon - Revlon Pro Eyelash Curler
Sephora - GoCurl Eyelash Curler
Shiseido - Eyelash Curler
Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler
Sonia Kashuk - Eyelash Curler
Tarte - Picture Perfect EyeLash Curler
Tweezerman - Super Curler Eyelash Curler
Tweezerman - Deluxe Eyelash Curler
Tweezerman - Eyelash Curler
Tweezerman - Corner Eyelash Curler

So now you know that the Tarte Picture Perfect EyeLash Curler gets my vote as the best traditional, clamp-style curler and now here's my vote for best heated lash curler:

BEST HEATED EYELASH CURLER:

I've tried just about every heated eyelash curler on the market (see below for list of brands) and this is my all-time favorite. The thing I love most about it is that you can slide the little lash "comb" off the heating elements so you can hold the heating elements directly against your lashline to give mega-curl that will stay for at least 8 hours. Slide the comb back into place and complete grooming the lashes into a gorgeous, sweeping curved fan that look just like false lashes!

Remember that the key to this and every other heated lash curler is that they should be used AFTER applying your mascara and allowing it to dry. One thing: if you use one of those new-fangled wax-based mascaras that create the "lash tubes" (i.e.: Kiss Me, Kanebo, Miranesse) around each hair, do NOT use a heated lash curler unless you want to by a new one every few weeks. The reason: the waxy formula melts onto the heating elements of the lash curler and become all but impossible to remove or clean off.

I also love the fact that the Panasonic uses one AA battery, as opposed to all the others using a AAA battery.Because of the stronger battery, you don't need to put a fresh battery in the Panasonic curler as often as you have to with all the others....Anyway, I keep my Panasonic heated curler in my makeup bag but I'm thinking of buying a spare to keep on my makeup vanity at home. I found this at Ulta for $14.99.

For the sake of being thorough in my quest for the greatest eyelash curler, here's the list of all the heated versions that I can remember having tested out:

Avon - Heated Eyelash Curler
EyeCurl - Heated Eyelash Curler
Japonesque - mini heated Eyelash Curler
Lashwand - Heated Eyelash Curler
ModelCo - Heated Eyelash Curler
Panasonic - Heated Eyelash Curler
Sephora - Heated Eyelash Curler
Talika - Heated Eyelash Curler

Please keep in mind that the curlers listed above are just the ones that I can remember, there are probably at least a half-dozen whose names I can't recall that are not included on these lists!!

free skin care · Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:33 pm

wow!! that was quite intense Very Happy

thanks for the info..my personal favourites are shu uemura & shiseido and i haven't had any luck with heated curlers..
maybe i'm just old skool Razz

free skin care · Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:55 pm

Thank you for that very detailed review! I looked on the Ulta site but couldn't see it listed. I googled it and amazon have one but it takes a AAA battery and not an AA battery so I guess it's not the same one. Do you have a model no or product code for yours? I'm in the UK by the way.

free skin care · Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:00 pm

Thanks Carekate. I appreciate your review!

Do you know if Tarte makes replacement pads for their curler? I have a tendancy to go through them quickly... I have a bad habit of pressing too hard and I end up cutting through the pad! Embarassed

I can't buy any curlers that don't offer some kind of replacement I can purchase... And the only thing I can easily find locally is from Maybelline, and those don't really thrill me.

free skin care · Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:11 pm

I'm asian, and so far, the best eye lasher curler I've used is Shu Uemura.

I've also tried Revlon and Maybelline, but the shape of the curler just doesn't work for my eyes. It's very odd. The lashes in the centre will curl, but the ones in the ends are left out.

I'm just HYPOTHESIZING.. but since both Shisedo and Shu are Japanese brands, maybe asians will find the shape of their eye curler a better 'fit' for our eyes?

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:07 am

Carekate

Thanks for the very thorough review. I don't think the Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler is available where I live. I don't think Sephora sends products overseas Confused

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:56 am

Rachael wrote:

I looked on the Ulta site but couldn't see it listed. I googled it and amazon have one but it takes a AAA battery and not an AA battery so I guess it's not the same one. Do you have a model no or product code for yours? I'm in the UK by the way.

I did some searching and found the following websites offer my fave heated curler (for the record, here are its 'vital statistics' - Panasonic Heated EyeLash Curler, model EH2351AC) for sale:

• http://www.drugstore.com/qxp143232_332828_sespider/panasonic/eyelash_curler.htm
• http://www.nextag.com/74046561p/zz2zB4z23/prices-html
• http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-EH2351AC-Heated-Eyelash-Curler/dp/B0009DT39W

Looks like Amazon has it for the cheapest price.

Here is a link that shows my fave traditional lash curler, the Tarte Picture Perfect curler: http://tartecosmetics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=eyelashcurler&Category_Code=E I got mine at my local Sephora, but I've been told that it is also available on QVC.

chevycamarolvr wrote:

Do you know if Tarte makes replacement pads for their curler? I have a tendancy to go through them quickly... I have a bad habit of pressing too hard and I end up cutting through the pad! Embarassed

I can't buy any curlers that don't offer some kind of replacement I can purchase...

I have just emailed Tarte Cosmetics customer service to find out about replacement pads -- I will let you know what they say. I *can* tell you that this curler comes with an extra pad AND these pads are made of non-stick silicone rather than the typical el-cheapo rubber pads so they are much more durable and long-lasting. I also have a tendency to squeeze to hard on the clamp-style curlers and have found that it's much more difficult to "mangle" one of the silicone pads.

Ninetynine wrote:

I don't think the Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler is available where I live. I don't think Sephora sends products overseas

As always -- for those EDS members living outside the U.S. who otherwise cannot get their hands on one of these curlers without having to pay some outrageous international shipping charge -- I offer my services as "American personal shopper" so PM me to work out the details for a custom purchase. This goes for any and all of the products that I recommend and/or start a lemming-buying frenzy over! Wink

amaska wrote:

I'm just HYPOTHESIZING.. but since both Shisedo and Shu are Japanese brands, maybe asians will find the shape of their eye curler a better 'fit' for our eyes?

That's no hypothesis, that is a cold, hard fact! I didn't notate this in my original post, but my 2nd fave traditional lash curler is a Japanese number that our wonderful TigerTim tracked down for me in Tokyo. The brand is Preo and the curler is called "Curl Up Pro" (click here: http://www.preo.net/ then select "Products | Curl Up Pro" to view the lash curler in question). I actually discovered this curler by accident by searching reviews on MUA and fell in love with the design because it was a metal version (and, therefore, more sturdy) of my previous fave lash curler from Tweezerman that was made from plastic and broke after three months. I loved the "open" design of this curler so when I saw that Preo had a similar metal version, I just HAD TO HAVE IT!! I immediately set about trying to figure out how to get my hands on one and was eternally gratefully that TigerTim was willing to purchase and send one to me in order to put an end to my lemming-misery.

Unfortunately, I received the Preo curler nearly on the same day as I got the Tarte curler from Sephora, which was actually an after-thought purchase for me that I figured I'd be returning for a refund the second after I tried it so you can imagine my shock when the Tarte curler turned out to be my holy grail clamp-style curler! Anyway, I still think that this Preo is pretty great but the price is a bit outrageous (it was around $30USD, not including S&H) and it has a minor design flaw in the fact that the "groove" that the curling pad fits into is open on either side so that the pad has a tendency to slip sideways for users like me and CamaroLover who have a tendency to squeeze the clamp too hard.

(O/T: I used to have a '78 Camaro with a custom-made V-8 409 engine in it -- man, I LOVED that car; I inherited it from my mom who had bought brand-new as a "happy divorce" present to herself. That Camaro had over 475K miles on her at the time of her untimely death when she was "murdered" by an illegal immigrant in a stolen pickup truck!)

Back to the point, for our Asian members who have a difficult time finding a lash curler that fits your eye-shape, please keep the Preo in mind as a brand you should try out in addition to the usual Shiseido and Shu Uemura versions. The Preo Curl Up Pro even offers a choice between a "shallow curve" and a "deep curve" to fit both Asian and Caucasian eyes!

One other reason that I prefer my Tarte curler to my Preo is because the Preo is smaller in size than every other lash curler that I've used so I can only fit half of my lashes in the curling "cage" at a time. This could very well be attributable to the fact that the Preo *was* originally designed for Asian eye-shapes, but I couldn't testify to that in a court of law because I don't remember having this difficulty with the Shiseido and Shu Uemura that I tried....

I *can* say with certainty that the Preo is the only other clamp-style curler that I have used, in addition to my Tarte curler, that gives me that gentle, sweeping curve to my lashes rather than bending them upward at a 90-degree angle. I guess the point I am trying to make is that if I had never discovered the Tarte Picture Perfect curler, I could have spend the rest of my life in a happy, monogomous eyelash-curling relationship with my Preo Curl Up Pro curler! Very Happy

Unfortunately, if you want a Preo curler, don't look to me as a possible source because -- to the best of my knowledge -- you can't get them in the U.S. so this is one potential lemming-purchase where you're on your own in terms of getting hold of one!! Smile

One final thought regarding those with hard to curl lashes, or those whose lashes don't hold a curler for very long:

While I *still* recommend heated lash curlers as your best bet -- everybody sing the chorus along with me: heated lash curlers should always be used AFTER applying your mascara for best results!! -- I just found this lash curling tip this morning, although I haven't had a chance to try it out myself so can't testify whether or not it works:

When using a traditional clamp-style lash curler, blast the curling pad with your blow dryer for a few seconds to heat it then spritz the pad with a firm-hold hair spray (!) and curl lashes as usual.

As I said, I haven't tried this yet but it certainly makes sense to me that it would work because the theory is based on the same principal of why heated lash curlers are so effective (i.e.: the mascara on your lashes acts as a "setting lotion" that locks in the curl on your lashes the same way that your fave hair styling products holds your style in place). I'll definitely be testing this hair-spray-on-the-lash-curler tip out tomorrow morning and I'll report back on the results.

One word of caution that I would like to offer those who are thinking about trying this, I would use a hair spray that doesn't contain alcohol A) because it might cause eye irritation and B) because it is more drying to our delicate lash hairs which already get enough abuse from wearing mascara everyday, rubbing and tugging to remove it (especically if it's waterproof), and/or from tinting our lashes with the beloved 1000 Hours DIY Lash Tint kit!

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:23 pm

carekate wrote:

I have just emailed Tarte Cosmetics customer service to find out about replacement pads -- I will let you know what they say. I *can* tell you that this curler comes with an extra pad AND these pads are made of non-stick silicone rather than the typical el-cheapo rubber pads so they are much more durable and long-lasting. I also have a tendency to squeeze to hard on the clamp-style curlers and have found that it's much more difficult to "mangle" one of the silicone pads.

Thanks... I emailed their customer service (after seeing the Tarte curler on MUA) on 9/9 and haven't received a response. Let me know if you manage to get a reply... I was just hoping that you would know off hand. I just hate the thought of having to either replace the pads with those cheap rubber ones or buying a new curler every time my pads go bad!

I should post pictures of just how bad I destroy the things... Stupid cheap eyelash curlers.

(PS - I'm jealous about the Camaro... '78. Niiiice. There's rumors of Chevy starting production on 'em again in '08. I'm saving up just in case! Very Happy

)

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:12 am

chevycamarolvr wrote:

carekate wrote:

I have just emailed Tarte Cosmetics customer service to find out about replacement pads -- I will let you know what they say.

...I emailed their customer service (after seeing the Tarte curler on MUA) on 9/9 and haven't received a response. Let me know if you manage to get a reply...

Here is their reply:

"I am sorry but unfortunately we do not sell replacement pads for the eyelash curlers. You could try lightly washing the pads with soap and water. They are made from a silicone-rubber material so it won't ruin them. Please let me know if you have any other questions or comments. Thank you!"

Again, I *can* say with confidence that the type of pads used on the Tarte curler appear to be MUCH more durable then the flimsy rubber pads on the cheapo-drugstore eyelash curlers....

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:41 am

Well, I’ll be damned – the hair-spray-on-the-lash-curler-pad actually works!! One word of caution though: to prevent making your curler a sticky mess, I would spritz a bit of hair spray on my forefinger and then swipe it across the pad. Also, it’s probably best if you use a hair spray that comes in a pump bottle rather than an aerosol version because you have more control on how much you spray/disperse from the bottle – I used Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine spray and it worked like a champ (i.e.: provided great hold plus a bit of glossy shine)!

You’ll still have to remember to wipe down your curler afterwards with a cotton pad or paper towel moistened with a bit of ACV to remove/prevent buildup of the hair spray on the lash curler’s components (just like ACV is a great clarifier to remove styling product buildup from your hair, it works great on silicone lash curling pads, too!).

For the record, here’s my newly updated eyelash curling routine:

Step 1: Comb thru my lashes with a metal-toothed eyelash comb –
the versions from Tweezerman, LaCross (cheapo drugstore brand) or Sonia Kushik (sp? Target stores “house brand” cosmetics line) are ideal as I’ve found the plastic lash combs are a complete waste of time. I *have* to comb my lashes now because they’re so long and dense that they actually become tangled and snarled!

Step 2: “Pre-curl” my lashes with my trusty Tarte Picture Perfect Lash Curler; then

Step 3: Apply a coat of my homemade Lash Gloss – remember, I don’t need to wear colored mascara any longer because I tint my lashes with the 1000 Hours DIY kit so all I need is a bit of natural definition and shine to my lashes. I used to use a clear mascara or my Ardell Lash and Brow Growth Accelerator for this, but my Lash Gloss is 100 times better (IMHO, of course!), the recipe is posted in the DIY Recipes sticky thread.

Step 4: Wait a few minutes for my lashes to dry (I usually blow-dry my hair while I’m waiting) and then heat up my Tarte curler with the blow dryer for about 20 seconds. Yes, this gets it super-hot but by the time I spritz my finger with hair spray and swipe it across the curling pad, it’s cooled down enough to safely curl one set of lashes without accidentally burning my eyelid or anything; then

Step 5: Repeat step 4 on other set of lashes;

Step 6: Wait a few minutes for my slightly hair-sprayed lashes to dry/set – I usually spend this time getting dressed. Simultaneously, I flick the switch on my Panasonic heated lash curler to warm up.

Please note: I forgot to include this in my orig review above, but the Panasonic curler takes about 2-3 minutes to completely heat up which is significantly more time than most other heated curlers at 30-45 seconds, but this might also be the reason that the Panasonic provides a better results. There is an “optimal heat indicator” on the Panasonic that changes from purple to pink to indicate when it’s fully heated and ready to go.

Step 7: Curl my upper lashes with the Panasonic curler by holding it against the base of my lashes for a count of 7-10 seconds and then moving it up to the middle of the lashes for another 7-10 seconds and then to the tip of the lashes for 7-10 seconds. Then repeat with other set of lashes.

I realize this sounds like a lot of work, but it actually only takes me about 5-7 minutes total time and it’s definitely worth the effort as I go through my entire day with perfectly groomed and curled lashes that are the envy of nearly all of my female friends and coworkers!

Perhaps those of you who only use a traditional eyelash curler would like to try the hair spray-on-the-blowdryer-heated-curling-pad trick and let us know how long your lashes stay curled without the reinforcing benefit of using a heated lash curler afterwards and report your findings with us...?

HTH,
Carrie

P.S. How sad am I to be expending this amount of effort and research into something as trivial as achieving the most perfectly curled lashes? And how much sadder is it that I spend so much time and energy documenting it?! Confused

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:04 am

It's not sad! It's very helpful to the rest of us! Just wanted to let you know that I found the Panasonic curler on Amazon UK, and am preparing to order!

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:03 am

Whaow, that was cool!
"my Lash Gloss is 100 times better (IMHO, of course!), the recipe is posted in the DIY Recipes sticky thread. " I couldn't find it. Maybe the thread hasn't been updated yet?

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:45 am

Thanks for all the info Carrie, you are all what is opposite from sad! The Panasonic one sounds fab!

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:12 pm

Agent OO-CAT wrote:

I couldn't find it. Maybe the thread hasn't been updated yet?

Probably. Here’s the link – scroll down toward the bottom of page 21: http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=5981&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=500

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:41 pm

Things that make you go “hmmmm”....

This must be my week for eyelash discoveries – I just got the new issue of InStyle (Scarlet Johanson on cover) where some makeup artist gave the following tip:

“When applying mascara, put a coat on the top-side of your lashes as well as underneath like you normally do. ‘While the product dries, it will contract, pulling the lashes up into a curl.’”

I’m not sure if this would work for me and my Lash Gloss but hell, I’m game to try anything! Even if it doesn’t work for me, I wanted to pass the hint along to real mascara-wearers because every little trick helps....

Actually, I’m especially curious to know if this would be beneficial to our Asian members because I invariably see Asian members here and on MUA describe their lashes as “straight as a poker” and – in some cases – they’ve reported that their lashes even point straight downwards!

Those same Asian ladies also say it is next to impossible to get their lashes to hold any sort of curl for a decent period of time. Perhaps the mascara-on-the-topside and hair-spray-on-the-lash-curling-pad tricks (for clamp-style curlers) would be enough to wrestle their recalcitrant Asian lashes into submission...? Of course, if you can combine those two curling techniques with a heated lash curler, as well, would tame even the most stubborn set of eyelashes!

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:54 pm

Thanks Kate for all the tips.

I PM'd you relating to the curler.

I going shopping tonight and see if I have any luck with Panasonic heated curler.

It's great that someone has spent such a lot of time researching curlers as I wouldn't have a clue which is the best product.

free skin care · Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:09 pm

Wow, the Preo looks very nice, but if it's 30USD then it's even more expensive than the Shu.

Carrie: I was wondering now that your lashes have grown from JM and ur homemade lash serum, so you find it's easier for lash curlers to work? I find I have to use my tweezerman corner lash curler because the curlers just don't reach particular lashes mainly because they're either too much in the corner or too stubby.

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:15 am

For me it seems like any curler would do. I've tried Red Earth's and I'm currently using a cheap Japanese store brand curler.
Haven't tried any heated curlers before, but definately wanna try.

Will heated curlers dry out the lashes like blow dryers do to hair? Embarassed

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:38 am

pink_planet wrote:

Will heated curlers dry out the lashes like blow dryers do to hair? Embarassed

Perhaps negligibly -- the difference is your not exposing your lashes to prolonged exposure to the heat as you do when blowdrying your hair. Also, if you used a lash conditioning serum (i.e.: Ardell) as a "primer" under your regular mascara, or at least used it regularly to condition your lashes, this would cancel out any possible damage that the heated curlers might cause because it would act like a leave-in conditioner or thermal protectant like you'd use before blowdrying/flat-ironing your hair.

Let me put it this way: even before I began using a lash conditioning or growth serum regularly, my lashes never got brittle or started breaking off/splitting even when using my heated lash curlers every day -- they were just extremely short and stubby!! In fact, the only reason I use a lash serum is to make them grow longer and lusher.

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 4:00 am

sormuimui wrote:

Carrie: I was wondering now that your lashes have grown from JM and ur homemade lash serum, so you find it's easier for lash curlers to work?

Absolutely!! Of course, I have to use the lash comb first to untangle, as I previously mentioned, but once I do that ALL of my lashes -- including those pesky corners -- are now long enough to fit in the "cage" at one time. Of course, when using a heated, comb-style curler like my Panasonic, it's not a probably getting the ones in the corners (regardless of lash length)....

Wow, I'm thoroughly impressed that you were able to master the Tweezerman Corner Lash Curler because everytime I tried to use it, I got horrible results: my lashes were kinked and pointing every which way!! Even when I followed all of the expert tips that were posted by reviewers here and on MUA, it still was disasterous...I finally became despondent with it and threw in the towel -- it's currently up for swap on MUA!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:24 am

Okay, I’m TOTALLY digging on the hair-spray-on-the-blowdryer-heated-curling-pad trick because this morning I got sidetracked getting ready for work this morning when I discovered one of my cats had yarked up a hairball inside one of my brand new $240 vintage-looking Fluevog boots (aren’t they cool?! [img]http://www.zappos.com/n/multi_view.cgi?product_id=7254386&color_id=252&view=multi[/img]) upon slipping my foot inside so I sorta forgot all about using my Panasonic curler for the heated curl “reinforcement” step on my lash curling regimen and didn’t recall this until about 3 hours later when I happened to look in the mirror and notice that my hair spray-coated lashes were almost as curly as they usually are when I *do* do the Panasonic step so I seriously urge you guys to try it....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** WARNING: this is the portion of CareKate’s post when she meanders hopelessly off-topic: **

If killing up cat vomit from between my toes and out of my shoes wasn’t excitement enough for me this morning, when I pulled into the parking lot at work at 4:45am this morning, I nearly got the most unpleasant surprise of my life. Thank GOD I hadn’t killed my headlights as I was pulling into my parking slot as I normally do, otherwise I never would have known it was there until I had walked right upon it. “Upon what,” you ask? Pepe-freakin-LePew! That’s right: a genuine, bonafide, black and white skunk!! My headlights picked up his silhouette as he snuffled along the edge of the building, behind the air conditioner compressors, where the concrete met the grass, looking for worms and grubs. He was as cute as he could be, but I wasn’t ABOUT to get out of the relative safety of my car until he had put as much distance between himself and me as possible.

Most people in North America are probably familiar with the unmistakable aroma of Eau de Skunk from when these little critters become victims of roadkill, but for those of you that are unfamiliar with these vermin, if someone or something comes across a skunk and startles or frightens it, it will turn around and show you his ass. “Big deal,” you say? Skunks have a rather unusual defense mechanism to ward off predators: a “stink gland” at the base (?) of the back of their tails from which the skunk can release a powerful stream of liquidy juice that is one of the most foul-smelling scents on this earth (can you believe that they actually call it a “musk”?!?!).

If a person or an animal is unfortunate enough to be skunk-sprayed, the scent is nearly impossible to remove completely. Folklore suggests that one can bathe in a bathtub full of tomato juice which somehow helps neutralize part of the stench, but nothing can really complete get rid of it until it fades away on its own which can take days and sometimes weeks.

Now maybe you understand why I elected to sit tight in my car until Pepe completed his early morning repast and melted back into the wooded lot next to our office building from which he came. You know, my stepsister actually had a de-scented skunk for a pet back when we were about 14. He liked to eat cheese puffs which invariably gave him gas that was almost as fragrant as actual skunk musk itself! You know how in the cartoons when lovesick Pepe LePew is chasing after Jeannette LaChat how he HOPS after her in pursuit? Real skunks actually do the same thing, except they hop BACKWARDS and they do it when they are playing with other skunks or – in my sister’s pet’s case – playing with Sherwood-the-Panty-Perv Dog!!

I seem to be some sort of human nexus for weird or bizarre happenings at work because last spring I had another similar wildlife encounter: I was walking down the hallway toward the ladies room, still half-asleep because my get-up-and-go was still back home tucked up in bed, when I happened to spy what I THOUGHT was a piece of rope on the carpet in front of the water fountain. As I got closer to it, I realized that it was actually a baby rattlesnake that had somehow gotten into the building. Now CareKate is no fool and she wasn’t about to try to evict or execute the offending reptile herself so she proceeded up front to the security desk to notify one of the big, manly security guards (the only other people who are in the building with me at that ungodly hour) to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, both FEMALE guards were working that shift so you should have seen these three helpless females standing upwind of it in the hallway, arguing about who was going to have to try to chop its head off with the only available weapon we could find with a long enough reach (the sharpened edge of a broken broom handle). In the end, I come up with the brainstorm of getting an empty plastic trashcan from one of the supply rooms and putting it over the snake until some manly man finally arrived to work to rescue us....

After the snake but before the skunk incident, I found a giant black, hairy spider that bore a striking resemblance to a tarantula slowly creeping it’s way down the aisle directly outside my cubicle/cell. Fortunately there WAS a male guard working that day to deal with it, but it was just my luck he turned out to be one of those creepy dudes that actually LIKES freaky insects – I’m sure you know the type: when he was a little boy, he was probably the one who tried to drop a frog or a lizard down the back of your collar when he seat behind your desk in 2nd grade. THIS nutcase takes the spider and puts it in the mason jar he kept on his desk with the 14-inch long centipede inside in order to watch them fight to the death (for the record, I understand that the centipede won).

For those of you who tuned into this post in order to read about eyelash curlers, I apologize for the above-mindless rant but I was absolutely COMPELLED to share my morning’s adventures but I will now return you to our regularly scheduled programming....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, for those with hard-to-curl lashes I URGE you to try the hair spray trick because it really works! Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:48 am

carekate wrote:

when I pulled into the parking lot at work at 4:45am this morning,

Totally sidetracked here...
but girl what time do you usually get up to start your daily beauty routine?? I'm not a morning person and if I ever had to go to work that early, I'd probably just roll out of bed and show up as is.

Laughing

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:55 am

amaska wrote:

carekate wrote:

when I pulled into the parking lot at work at 4:45am this morning,

Totally sidetracked here...
but girl what time do you usually get up to start your daily beauty routine?? I'm not a morning person and if I ever had to go to work that early, I'd probably just roll out of bed and show up as is.

Laughing

I wake up at 3am, leave the house at 3:45 and usually arrive by 5am (long commute!).

Actually, I *do* roll out of bed and come as is! I take a shower and blow dry my hair but I don't actually "put on my face" until I get to work...I mean, who's gonna know I spent 10 minutes applying my makeup instead of reviewing last night's batch reports, right? Ain't nobody in the building 'cept'n me and the spiders & snakes!

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:35 pm

I only use my Tweezerman for my corner lashes and I line it up with my lash line so my lashes end up curling in the direction that it is naturally pointing to. I've never tried it on any other part of my lashes because my Shu takes care of the other ones, but I find I have to get super close to my lash line w/my Shu or else I have the problem of lashes pointing every which way.

Question abt the hair spray trick - would it end up making your lashes brittle? Since hair spray tends to make normal hair brittle and dry. And would it sting your eyes (I'm sure it hasn't stung for you) but it worries me because I don't think I want hair spray in my eyes (I'm assuming you put it on your lashes immediately after you spray so the hair spray is still effective).

free skin care · Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:10 pm

sormuimui wrote:

I'm assuming you put it on your lashes immediately after you spray so the hair spray is still effective.

No, no, no!

Here’s how you do it:

CareKate previously wrote:

Makeup Expert in InStyle magazine wrote:

When using a traditional clamp-style lash curler, blast the curling pad with your blow dryer for a few seconds to heat it then spritz the pad with a firm-hold hair spray (!) and curl lashes as usual.

One word of caution that I would like to offer those who are thinking about trying this, I would use a hair spray that doesn't contain alcohol A) because it might cause eye irritation and B) because it is more drying to our delicate lash hairs which already get enough abuse from wearing mascara everyday, rubbing and tugging to remove it (especically if it's waterproof), and/or from tinting our lashes with the beloved 1000 Hours DIY Lash Tint kit!

And here is how *I* do it:

CareKate, paraphrased from a previous post wrote:

Step 1: Comb through lashes with metal-toothed lash comb to remove any tangles and snarls; then

Step 2: Blast my eyelash curler with the blow dryer for about 20 seconds. (Yes, this gets it super-hot but by the time I spritz my finger with hair spray and swipe it across the curling pad, it’s cooled down enough to safely curl one set of lashes without accidentally burning my eyelid or anything); then

Step 3: Spritz a bit of hairspray on forefinger and swipe it across the rubber/silicone pad of eyelash curler then curl lashes as usual. (Note: if curler cooled down too much during time it took to spritz hair spray, give it another quick blast with the blow dryer.)

Step 4: Repeat steps 2-3 on other set of lashes.

One word of caution though: it’s probably best if you use a hair spray that comes in a pump bottle rather than an aerosol version because you have more control on how much you spray/disperse from the bottle – I used Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine spray and it worked like a champ (i.e.: provided great hold plus a bit of glossy shine)!

You’ll still have to remember to wipe down your curler afterwards with a cotton pad or paper towel moistened with a bit of ACV to remove/prevent buildup of the hair spray on the lash curler’s components (just like ACV is a great clarifier to remove styling product buildup from your hair, it works great on silicone lash curling pads, too!).

sormuimui wrote:

Question abt the hair spray trick - would it end up making your lashes brittle? Since hair spray tends to make normal hair brittle and dry.

No, there is no brittleness because you’re using just the tiniest bit of hair spray.

sormuimui wrote:

And would it sting your eyes (I'm sure it hasn't stung for you) but it worries me because I don't think I want hair spray in my eyes.

Because you don’t actually spray hair spray directly onto your lashes, it’s not going to sting unless you put way too much hair spray on the curling pad and the excess runs over your lashes and down into your eyes – again, you only need a tiny bit of hair spray on your finger when you swipe it onto the curling pad!

HTH,
Carrie

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