The Best Eyelash Curler | Reviews by Wirecutter
Priced at about five bucks, E.L.F. Cosmetics Pro Eyelash Curler was among the most affordable tools we considered. Its metal body and comfortable silicone handles looked sturdy, but testers thought the opening was too rounded, and the spring mechanism was too hair-trigger bouncy. (One tester kept accidentally pinching her cheek when she released her grip.)
We were doubtful (bordering on fearful) of the heated eyelash curlers, but the Grande Lash Lift Heated Eyelash Curler was a pleasant surprise. It delivered noticeable results, but it requires a 30-second wiggling motion that feels like an eternity, so it did not become a pick.
The Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Eyelash Curler was a previous pick, and it still has fans among our testers, who appreciated the red silicone pad that lets you see lashes as you position the jaw and squeeze. Some panelists found it to be too narrow and rounded for their eyes, however, and they preferred the Shiseido curler, which cost about $5 less.
Among the budget-friendlier options, Revlon Extra Curl felt cheap and rickety. Testers lamented its weak hinge, and it kept pinching one round-eyed panelist. Worst of all, it simply didn’t curl lashes very well.
If Barbie had a curling iron, it would be the Riki Loves Riki Heated Eyelash Curler, with its adjustable temperature settings and cute little clamp. We appreciate the attention to detail, but — unlike the Grande curler — this model just felt too hot to use safely, especially considering the clamp was difficult to maneuver.
Sally Hansen Sexy Curls Eyelash Curler springs open and clamps shut with gusto, but the finger holes are small, and the tool sounded creaky and tired after a few weeks of use. Plus, it got caked with mascara far more quickly than other options.
Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler has soft, loopless handles and a nice bouncy mechanism, but (with or without mascara) it didn’t bend or curl lashes as well as other options.
Thrive Causemetics Instant Lash Lift Eyelash Curler seemed to crimp lashes more than curl them. The lash pad also kept popping out of place. For a curler that’s almost $25, we expected more.
We love the look of the cute and compact Tower 28 Make Waves Eyelash Curler, but our hands felt cramped while using it. What’s more, the spring is excessively bouncy, and like the E.L.F. curler, this one tended to snap and pinch our cheeks.
As with our top pick, the Shiseido curler, the Shu Uemura Iconic Eyelash Curler has many long-time fans among our staffers. It was divisive during testing, however: Some panelists got great results, while others found it to be too short and curved.
The Surratt Beauty Relevée costs nearly $40, and it was an upgrade pick in the previous version of this guide. During this round of testing, we considered it to be okay but not great. We especially disliked that the matte-black metal makes it virtually impossible to see your lashes as you’re using the tool.
Our previous budget pick, the Trim Deluxe Eyelash Curler, now costs less than $3 — and we would have loved to still love it! Alas, testers deemed it to be too small, with a jaw that missed a lot of lashes. And it had an “anemic” pad that put lashes too close to the metal edges.
Testers tried three different models of Tweezerman lash curlers. One round-eyed tester thought the Tweezerman ProCurl fit her eye shape well, but it dug into her fingers as she clamped. A tester with almond-shaped eyes gave the Tweezerman ProMaster a spin, and she said it pinched her lids and didn’t capture all of her lashes. The Tweezerman Classic Curl was our favorite option from the brand. But even then it was just “mid,” as one tester put it, and required a fair amount of maneuvering to actually curl lashes. Testers also wished it had some kind of spring or bounce mechanism.
This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer G. Sullivan. Camille Chatterjee wrote an earlier version of this article.
