Does price impact the quality of an eyelash curler? Are more expensive ones better?
No, not really. I’m happiest with my pricier curler, but it’s not like the difference is night and day – I’ve tried some higher-end curlers that I haven’t loved either.
Thanks to Aleeya for today’s question! Have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I use the ELF one that’s a dollar and it works brilliantly for me. Better than some of the more expensive ones I’ve used.
Hm. I’ve heard a lot of people say this but mine broke after two uses. Their studio line ones are nice. I haven’t tried any expensive ones because I don’t feel there’s any point.
Yes, it does. My Shu Uemura lash curler is incredible.
The old ones were. Sadly, L’oreal bought them, and now the curler sells for $20, and it’s just nothing special. (I tried an old one from a friend, and the difference is big.) I actually prefer my Tarte curler that I picked up for $15 with a sample of mascara to the new Shu Uemuras. 🙁
lol! An eyelash curler is just an eyelash curler, doesnt matter if its high end or not they do all the same thing which makes me think why some people would spend so much on one? It puzzles me, the same thing goes for mascara.
I’ve never tried a really expensive one, but the ELF $1 is definitely the exact same quality as the rest of the $7-8 drugstore ones.
interesting question… I can’t wait to see answers, I have always wondered that
I really don’t think it matters that much. I’ve tried all different lash curlers from cheapy to more expensive ones. In the end, my lashes always curl the exact same with each and every single one, so why would I spend more money on something that creates the exact same effect as something less expensive? I don’t have a problem with lash curlers pinching my eyes, unless I’m exceptionally stupid and get it too close. I can get all my lashes in any curler I’ve ever tried. And the curl is always the exact same curl. I’ve heard people say that cheap lash curlers create a 90 degree angle on lashes and more expensive ones give a nice curve/curl, but I’ve never had 90 degree lashes. :/
i love the $1 curler from ELF, but i HATE that they don’t sell replacement pads by themselves. yes, i know it’s just a $1 for a new curler & two new pads. but it’s a waste of a curler to throw it away. plus, i just had to buy a new one because the pad was old & the new curler doesn’t squeeze smooth…it’s all choppy like it needs oiled. so happy i hadn’t tossed my other yet!
I say yes as the shiseido curler is the only one with the right shape for my eye. Other curlers are too curved and wouldnt curl all my eyelashes or would pinch. Im latina with almond shaped eyes and stick straight lashes
Shu Uemura or go home.
I didn’t understand the difference either, until you get your hands on one that works for you. Basically, it doesn’t matter if it’s high end or low end, most of them just don’t work terribly well. Depending on your eye shape, the Shiseido one can be very good, but My eyes are not flat enough for the flatter shape of it. It all depends on the silicone used. I’ve tried very many, and Shu Uemura is the only one that works perfectly on me.
Your observation is absolutely right and I’m surprised more people haven’t mentioned it. It isn’t the cost that matters. It is the shape and type of pads. If the curler doesn’t fit your eye and have good pads, it doesn’t matter how cheap or expensive it is because it’s going to pinch and give an uneven or unnatural curl to the lashes.
I’m happier with my pricier one as well. Some do have a different shape and pads. I think everyone needs to find what works best for them.
If by quality you mean ability to last without breaking…price does play a part. The e.l.f. $1 curler has a great shape but the rubber pads are so soft that they tear/wear out easily.
If you mean ability to curl effectively, I think it’s more a combination of eye shape and craftsmanship…with a heavy lean toward eye shape. For example the e.l.f. curler fit me eyes really well but I found that I had to replace it every few months while I have a Revlon curler that has lasted years but does not fit my eye shape and therefore curls poorly.
As for what I personally use, I have a limited edition Sonia Kashuk curler that was $10 (but I picked it up on clearance for $4) that both works and is made well. If shu uemura was still readily available in the States I might have ventured to a store for test run, but I am incredibly happy with what I use now.
definitely. i picked up one from walmart and it pinched my eyelids so bad i could not use it. so, i bought a Shu Uemura and it works brillantly. i’ve had other cheap ones that i also couldn’t use. Shu Uemura is the first high end eyelash curler i’ve ever had but now i see why ppl are willing to spend the extra cash on them.
I adore my Shiseido curler and it’s my favourite, but I’m sure there are curlers out there that cost less but still work well.
There are only two kinds of eyelash curler: Shu Uemura and not Shu Uemura.
oh never! i have the 6 dollar heating curler from drugstore.com and it works way better than the shu one..
In a way. E.L.F curler does not work for me at all. Sonia Kashuk has good curler, which is 15$. But I’d rather spend 4 more dollars and get Shiseido curler. Its the best I tried (exept of Shue Uemura of course, but it has been discontinued in US).
And Tarte curler (15$) always pinches me…
I don’t use them anymore because I don’t like the stress they put on my lashes. When I did, I owned both Shu Uemura and a $3 NYC pink glitter one. Always felt the NYC one was just as effective, gentler because of the cushion and had a half-decent lash comb attachment. Could not argue with that
I haven’t tried something different but I’m so happy with the one I bought from the nearby super market for nearly half a dollar.
I don’t think so but the price of the mascara does impact the quality!
Threw all eyelash curlers away and let the mascara do the job. Very inexpensive and it works 😉
The price of the eyelash curler doesn’t make any difference to me; I have got two at the moment – one really expensive one and and really cheap one and they are both as good as each other – so long as the rubber strip is clean they both work fine.
No. When it comes to the mechanical metal curlers we all know, the achieved curl depends on the pad, and that’s pretty much it. Some pads are worse than others but you can get the good type (soft, curved) on cheap curlers.
The heated ones are all horrible and plastic curlers are unwieldy.
I keep an ELF curler beside my bed-side table (I curl my lashes after I put on Rapid Lash) and I use a Tweezerman in my make-up case. Hands down my ELF curler is the best curler I have ever had. It is also the cheapest curler I have ever had.
Not really. I was so excited to get the Shu lash curler a few months ago and all I can say is that I am underwhelmed. I was expecting something amazing and, to be honest, I cannot even detect much of a difference and more often than not, the curler seems to angle my lashes inward, toward my nose, no matter how I hold it!
No, but I’d imagine that design does. I don’t use the traditional crimper curler. Mine is smaller and, for me, easier to use. I also have a heated curler for timid clients. Just throw on some waterproof mascara, take the heated curler and run it up the lashes and voila! Curled lashes. There is even self-curling mascara, but I haven’t used it; I got some of the first curling mascaras and it wasn’t pretty. I haven’t gone back.
I’ve tried both cheap and expensive eyelash curlers. I’ve found the cheap ones are WAY more likely to pull out eyelashes. I bought 3 $5 curlers only to have them each pull out eyelashes (threw them away, not risking more pulled lashes!). Bought MAC eyelash curler and it lasted 2 years without a single pulled eyelash.
Currently using a Shiseido curler I bought from Sephora. I rather liked the Tarte one I bought but it pulled out lashes! The Sephora one only lasted about 6 months before the hinge broke on it.
When I first started getting into makeup, I went to the local drugstore to get an eyelash curler just to save some money, and it ended up breaking at least 2-3 lashes every time I used it! Of course I freaked out and threw it away!
I’m using the Shiseido one at the moment. It’s not expensive either, but it curls my lashes properly and never breaks any. I haven’t tried anything more upscale, but for my East Asian eye shape I heard a lot of eyelash curlers out there wouldn’t work very well anyways. If I try one more curler it’ll probably be Shu Uemura, but other than that I’m just fine.
Not always, I love my Shu Uemura lash curler (old gold style) but the ELF on I had worked just as well.
I use a Shiseido curler because it’s the only one I’ve found here that fits my Asian eyes, and even then it’s not perfect. I wish I could use a cheaper curler but none of them work with my eye shape. :/
I do think so, but not really the price so much as that drugstore eyelash curlers just aren’t as good in my opinion. I used to love the old ELF curler (from about 4-5 years back) but then they redesigned it with a sucky pad that would literally break in a week. 🙁 I really need to splurge and buy a Shu or Shiseido curler soon! Funny how I can so easily justify $35 lipstick that I’ll only wear once a month but don’t want to spend the $20 to buy a curler I’ll use everyday!
No way! I love my no-name curler I bought at the dollar store.
i asked myself the same question after my eyelash curler broke, it was a cheap one but it was with me for at least 10 years. So should i buy a new one that’s high end? What can be the difference besides the material that doesn’t change the curling qualities. While makeup products can contain other ingredients an eyelash curler can’t. So no, there can’t be any scientific difference. I think I’ll stick to a cheap one, save me alot of money i can spend on makeup! 😉
For me, it depends more on the curve of their design than the price of the product. I’ve tried higher end ones and drugstore brands, and in the end, I stuck with my Revlon eyelash curler because I found that it didn’t pinch my eyelids compared to others.
I think this varies from person to person, so it’s probably best to try some out yourself to find the perfect one, rather than buying a super expensive one thinking that it’s the best!
i LOVE LOVE my revlon eyelash curler! its the first one ive bought years ago and still works great
Yes, it could. The rubber between the two metal pieces that curls your lashes may be more inferior in a cheaper curler. It could pull out your lashes.
I guess if you are careful when curling then it doesn’t matter.
Short answer: no. What matters is finding one that’s the right shape for your eyes, because the actual curling doesn’t seem to vary much from one to the next. I can’t use the Elf $1 curler, because the top of it’s too wide to fit below my browbone! (deep set eyes) But I’ve used Revlon, and it did a fine job for many years. My favorite so far is a $15 Tarte curler, and I have tried some more expensive ones I don’t like as well.
I’ve never had luck with the cheaper ones! I have the shiseido one that works and feels alot better than my old revlon one!
Everybody raves about the shu uemura´s lash curler, but IMO it sucks, every time I use it I loose a few lashes, no matter how gently I use it….
I have only used the revlon eyelash curler and I am satisfied. I think I will just stick with drugstore eyelash curlers. I would rather spend my money on high end foundations and blushes.
I love this question! I believe there are a couple answers. Above all; I think it’s more important to change your lash pad (don’t know the technical name lol!) frequently. I love my e.l.f Studio line curler. The only other option I would consider to try would be a heated lash curler. I think heat destroys hair – so the likelihood of me trying this is slim to none.