Beauty Product Reviews

Wonderful but use with extreme care!

Boy do I love me some mascara! But what I don’t love is the spidery, clumpy mess that occurs from too many coats. This wicked looking tool helps eliminate that mess for only $3.89. The 19 cm wooden handle is incredibly thin but strong. I’ve had no issue with the ferrule popping off as it’s both glued and crimped to the handle.

The tiny metal teeth comb through delicate lashes separating them while removing excess mascara. The down side is that these metal teeth are incredibly sharp. It really is like combing through your lashes with a row of pins. Do not even try using one of these if you are far sighted. Additionally, this is not a gift I would give to a young person.

It’s not an essential tool for a brush collection. I also wouldn’t advise it for a makeup artist. Personally, I wouldn’t let anyone brandishing this near my eyes. It’s something that a person can only use on themselves.

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an inexpensive version to high priced specialty curlers

hu Uemura, and more recently MAC sell a similar product but I really didn’t want to pay that price for something so specialized. That’s when I found out that e.l.f. sold one for only $3.

If you have long lashes, you can easily position them into that 1.5 cm opening. There isn’t much arc to the curler but you aren’t using it to curl the entire eye. The one down side is the plastic pad. There is one replacement that came with the curler. I’m pretty stumped to where to purchase additional ones. In a pinch (pun intended), I could cut a standard size pad down but that’s an annoyance.

If you ever need to spend a couple of extra dollars in order to get that free shipping, add this to your shopping cart. It’s a delight!

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Meh. Not bad but also not holy grail fantastic

After breaking way too many e.l.f. Essential Eyelash Curlers and losing my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, I picked up the Ardell Pro Lash Curler for only $5.99 at Sally Beauty Supply. It’s quite a reasonable price considering it’s your standard, stainless steel eyelash curler. Like every other curler, it comes with an extra plastic lash pad. That’s great because I’m pretty quick with swapping those out. Old pads are notorious for pulling out and damaging lashes.

The arch of the curler itself is deeper than the Shu Uemura. When nestling it against my eyelid, it subtly flares out one the sides. The e.l.f. Essential Eyelash Curler was deeper than this and fully hugged my eyelash lid. The width of the opening is as narrow as Shu Uemura’s. Thus I have to negotiate it around my longer lashes. For me, it’s not a quick few presses and you’re good to go eyelash curler. I do have to carefully position it before the press. If I don’t I’ll either wind up with a dent in my lashes or pull out a couple. When I’m rushing, I wind up doing a bit of both.

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I preferred the Essential Eyelash curler over the "improved" Mechanical Eyelash Curler

I loved the e.l.f. Essential Eyelash Curler. The handles were easy to grip. The spring gave enough resistance to keep from denting the eyelashes. The curler even opened wide enough to accommodate the biggest lashes. We’re talking Ru Paul sized....double lashes! Sure it frequently broke. But I spent only a dollar. Moreover, I could easily pick it up at my local Target. Looking back, I think I loved it more than my Shu Uemura.

It wasn’t a good sign to find it on sale at my local Big Lots. Less than a dollar? e.l.f.’s “improvements” include removing that glorious plastic black (then white) handle, taking out the spring, and sliming down the opening. So if you want to fiddle getting your lashes into a curler only to give them that lovely dent and ruining your look, then pick this bad boy up.

Can you tell I’m not a fan of this one? I wish they would bring back the Essential Eyelash Curler and simply double or triple the price.

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Similar great formula, brush cleaning mechanism, and bad smell

Like all Voluminous mascaras, this one tends to be on the wet side. It does begin to dry out around the second to third week of use. The stopper does wipes off enough mascara from the wand that I’ve never need to clean off the brush save for the tip. I appreciate that I don’t have to waste product. Although the brush does give me volume, I see not enough length to use it alone. I top this mascara off with another one to give length. There is also a very strong smell. If you are sensitive to scents, steer clear of this mascara. I’ve not experienced flaking and it removes quite easily. I do like this mascara but I have to ask myself why would I regularly purchase this over the standard voluminous formula? I appreciate I don’t have to wipe off of the wand but I can’t write that I love this over the standard form. It’s a nice mascara but I think I would repurchase the standard at a discounted price over this one.

Great price, works great, but not an essential item

This eyelash curler is only $3 (I found it on clearance for $2.50), which is incredibly reasonable. I use this to get in after doing my primary curling with a standard eyelash curler. It opens incredibly wide so anybody can get right to the lash line and give the outside end lashes the best curl ever. I’m taking a star off because it will be next to impossible to find rubber padding after I use up the two that come with the curler. I can cut a standard pad to fit. I think of a mini eyelash curler as something that rounds out a makeup collection but not an essential item.

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Flakes and problematic packaging

I’ve used Spiked for years. Though MAC has fantastic shades, there are several reasons that I’ve given up on it. After around 6 hours, I noticed white flakes in my brow area. I also have a problem with the black packaging. It was very hard to gauge how much product is in the container. I cannot tell you how many times I would try to do one final twist only to realize I was out leaving me one to two days of product left. Then I would go on a scramble to quickly purchase another. I wish there was some way to augment the packaging to see how much was left. In addition, the cost is problematic for some if they run out at an inconvenient time. Times have changed; there are other companies that offer similar products that can offer such a fine point.

Nice length but little volume

This is one massive bristle brush. If you have small eyelashes, this brush is going to be next to impossible to maneuver. Even with my average lashes, I tend to use this mascara on only dark, smoky looks in order to disguise mistakes. In one to two coats, my lashes are noticeably longer. The mascara doesn’t flake and holds a curl all day. I have little problem removing it with just about any eye makeup remover. The problem is that this mascara offers me absolutely no volume. Consider layering it underneath a volumizing mascara.

Nice variety for a nominal price

It’s not the best eyeliner in the world. However, for around $10, you purchase three gel liners. For the hazel eyes set, my favorite is the brown liner. It’s opaque in one pass and lasts all day. The black is just ok. I can make it work for me as long as I give a heavy dose of black eyeshadow to set it in place. The purple is a dud. However, I find most purple gel liners are that way. Like the brown liner, topping each of these off with a coordinating colored eyeshadow will keep them from travelling around the eye and enhance the color. The packaging is quite nice. The three nested liners can either remain snapped together or pulled apart for travel. I also appreciate that the top screws on tightly keeping the product from drying out. If I do lose them during travel, it’s easy to purchase a replacement the product is sold in nearly every big box or drug store. If you are a heavy gel user, you will go through these a bit too quickly. However, for someone who uses them every once in a while, I appreciate the three colors for a small price.

Hard to get but definitely worth it

It’s very hard for me not to give this eyelash curler 5 stars. I truly appreciate the lesser angle as it’s more comfortable against my eye. I have two problems. First, it’s not the easiest to get a hold of. I can’t go to my local Ulta, Sephora, or beauty counter. For example, I would love to purchase the mini lash curler but the website is out of them so I have to wait. My second problem is really for a small subset of people. My lashes, though not as thick as most people, are longer than average. There is a bit more maneuvering to get my lashes into place. I’m talking fraction of seconds but it’s there nonetheless. It’s a fantastic eyelash curler. I really wish they were more available. The quality is worth the price tag.

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