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I’d Be Lost Without Shu, But Sonia Kashuk’s Curl Up Lash Curler Would Ease My Pain

by 44 Comments

I still have no proof that Tabs was involved in the disappearance of my Shu Uemura lash curler earlier this year, but he’s still the number one suspect.

Every time I ask him about it, he gets all evasive, all nonchalant like, “doopdadoo. Weather’s nice.”

Yeah…well I’m on to you, Tabs. I’ll figure it out.

The day it disappeared, I nearly lost my mind. I was crushed. It took me 20 years and probably a dozen different brands to find a curler as great as Shu, and no device had ever curled my lashes that well.

That is, no device until now. 🙂

Ever since Shu Uemura pulled out of U.S. stores, the line has gotten tougher to find. Sure, there’s still their website, but if/when the replacement Shu lash curler I picked up after its predecessor’s disappearance ever mysteriously vanishes, too (I know it was you, Tabs!), at least I now know of a worthy replacement.

And it lives at Target stores.

New for fall, the $12.99 limited edition Sonia Kashuk Curl Up Eyelash Curler has a few great traits in common with my beloved $19 Shu.

Like Shu’s curler, Sonia’s fits the shape of my eye like a glove, and it doesn’t pinch the outer edges of my fringe (something that many other lash curlers do).



But that’s not what I love about it most. That distinction goes to the tension, which is downright perfect. I barely have to squeeze the handles to get a great lash crimp every time — just like the Shu!

Don’t me wrong. I still got mad lurve for my Shu, but it’s nice to know that a great alternative is only a Target trip away.

Fellow procrastinators, please note. This lash loving Lothario is limited edition, so if it interests you at all, you might not want to wait too long before bringing it home.

PRICE: $12.99
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Target stores and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

I missed Missoni…

Speaking of Target, did you end up getting anything from their limited edition Missoni line? I’d planned to check it out back on Tuesday, but then time got away from me and I just sorta forgot. Then, when I swung by the store yesterday on a Fancy Feast run for Tabs, there was virtually nothing left. It was like a fashion hurricane tore through the store and only left a handful of size 10 brown suede pumps and a couple of baby ponchos behind (and an ugly blanket that I came THIS CLOSE to bringing home anyway just because…).

No Missoni for this girl, le sigh.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. My current eyelash curler is an ancient PoS that I inherited from my mom, so I should stop by Target and get this one. Plus, I’ve loved Sonia Kashuk’s tools ever since you turned me on to the bent eyeliner brush. That thing is amazing!
    Jessi recently posted … Supernova Goes POP!

    Reply

  2. This sounds hopeful. Been looking for a replacement for my Shu Uemura and seriously considering Kevyn Aucoin’s because I heard somewhere that he helped to develop Shu curler. The other one is Chanel but can’t get over the sticker shock. Have you seen or tried Chanel curler?
    As for Missoni, I was able to get a few things to kick off bday celebration. Shoes, black and white infinity scarf and the long cardigan. Sorry you missed it. But it’s suppose to run til October.

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    • Happy birthday, Windie! Glad you were able to grab some cute Missoni things. I’ve been checking the website for the past few days and it’s all out of stock. Hopefully they’ll restock soon.

      Anywho, I’ve seen the Chanel curler and contemplated it but still have yet to break down. I might… we’ll see how long I hold out. 🙂

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      • Thanks, very kind of you.
        I hope restock happens soon too coz Filipino girls can definitely rock crazy patterns from Missoni along with everyone.
        If I break down before you do for Chanel curler, I’ll be neighborly and share thoughts. ;).
        Thanks again for bday shout out.

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  5. i bought kashuk one when i thought i lost my shu and i honestly think the kashuk works a tad better. if only there was a perfect mascara

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  7. I don’t use lash curlers. My lashes are naturally as curly on the hair as my head… which actually happens to be pretty curly. Great to know that this is a good curler, though; I have a friend whose been looking for one!
    Vijaya recently posted … Walking on Eggshells

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  8. Me too! I went through many many eyelash curlers to finally go back to my very first one, the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. But why was it pulled out of the stores? It’s readily available at all Shu Uemura counters here (Singapore) though. But you guys can always buy it from Amazon right?

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  9. I know for a fact Tabs didn’t do it because he and I were out for a night on a town the time it went missing. 😀

    I didn’t get anything at Target during the mad rush. There isn’t a Target in Manhattan anyway, and I didn’t want to travel to the Bronx or Brooklyn for an empty store anyway. :/

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  10. Everything was gone from my Target the day after the release and on-line in a matter of hours when I checked – hopefully they’ll release more at some point. I can’t believe you saw the size 10 pumps b/c I had my eyes on those. Did you check the website, they have a ton of swimwear in the release which is ironic b/c I already hauled out the super big comforter, it’s getting chilly up here.

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  11. I’ve been using a Shiseido curler for the past few months now, but I think I’ll have to check out this SK one when I go to Target this afternoon. The Shiseido doesn’t quite reach all my lashes and I get daily use out of my SK eyeshadow brushes, so I figure it’s worth a shot!

    I find the style of Missoni to be really gaudy, so I was surprised when I heard about the whirlwinds of shopping striking Targets. But then again I know minimal things about designer fashion.

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  12. That’s awesome that you found a back-up! I have a Shu and actually just went through testing dozens and dozens of curlers for our 2012 model. I think eye shape plays a big part because I always find a few, much cheaper styles, that work better for me than the Shu. That said, you don’t get a following like Shu has without pleasing a lot of people. Hopefully the SK will be a hit for many too! 🙂

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  13. i totally forgot about Missoni too …. and when I went yesterday for some nailpolish remover, there were no clothes, no shoes, no household items, no children’s clothes. i did find 2 of the travel carry on bags, but didnt buy them. iono — after reading all the crazy news stories, i got kinda turned off.

    but … in better news — im going to hunt down that eyelash curler. i currenly use and love shiseido’s (fits my small eyes better), but its always good to have a backup. and at that price, whyevernot???? 😀

    Reply

  14. I just added this to my ‘wish list’ for my NH Shopping trip in Nov… 🙂 (may order on line b4 hand though.. lol).. Do you have any other MUST have’s? lol..

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  15. why oh why couldn’t you have wrote this on monday? LOL!!! I stepped on my Shiseido and bent it in HALF!!!! THE HORROR!!!! I was so angry and sad because i knew that i would have to buy a new one and find something to use until my new one came in. I asked MUA and the ones that were suggested (japonesque, ulta, and nyc) just didn’t feel right to me. The Japonesque cost the same as the Shiseido so there was no point in getting that when i already have my shiseido on its way. The Ulta one seemed cheap and didn’t have the right tension. I looked at others and finally bought a Sally Hansen one. It’s okay for being $5 and does the job, but not as well as my Shiseido. The SH one takes me about 5-6 minutes to get a good curl whereas my Shiseido only about a minute and a half. Next time I do something to my curler (which hopefully will be never) I will buy this one. Heck, maybe i’ll buy it anyways just so i have it.

    BTW, do you watch The Vampire Diaries? It helps me get my vampire fix (DAMON=YUM!!) while True Blood is off.

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    • Tiffany,

      I am SO with you about Vampire Diaries… definitely eases the grief of TB off-season.

      Karen, I highly recommend it! 🙂

      Reply

  16. Hi Karen! Sally Hansen Flirty Lash is a great curler, too! I think it’s like $6.99? I totally missed the Missoni thing… I saw some e-bay poaching is already going on in the news, blehhh. If I want to pay higher prices, I’ll buy non-Target Missoni fer realz!

    Reply

  17. awesome! I might have to pick one up for my mom. When we were growing up, an eyelash curler was the only thing she’d really use to “beautify” herself. We called it her “eye machine.” 🙂

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  18. It probably was Tabs. I had to start putting my makeup brushes in a cabinet, because if they were out in plain view my cat would steal them and “groom” them.

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  19. Karen, I hit up Target after work on Tuesday (around 3:30) and the clothes were almost entirely wiped out. I did manage to score a cute pair of acrylic headbands, a journal, and the black suede zig zag pumps. I had my eye on a sweater that I’d seen online, but that was long gone. I am pleased with my accessories.

    I’m glad to hear about the sonia lash curler because the rubber pad on my shu is getting a little busted. I’ll be checking it out on my next trip to target.

    Reply

  20. It’s good to know you found a backup for the Shu. I can def get a Sonia faster from Target than waiting for one to ship from Sephora.com from Shu if mine ever broke (please don’t break!) As far as Missoni, I was kinda PSYCHED when I saw the Target commercial for the collection. I managed to get a sweater – but the sweater dress I wanted for my fall wardrobe was gone 🙁 I think it’s mean that they keep saying things are limited and they aren’t making more.

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  21. I better get to target! The one I’m using now is a Mac one but it pinches my eyelids, so I hardly use it. Im thinking of trying this one out!! I wasn’t able to snag anything from this line but I’m thinking about stopping by payless for the Christian siriano line they have 🙂 have a good weekend

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  23. I love love the pics of your cat~!
    And Thanks for your wonderful post~! I love all articles about Eyelashes, mascara, as I have really straight lashes and when properly curled makes my eyes look Hugh.

    The best heated eyelash curler I have ever found is the Hot Lashes eyelash curler, makeup Artist kit.

    I read the reviews on Amazon and was impressed. They also have a site of the same name Hot Lashes. I love sharing with others about great products.

    This curler is exactly like the Shu Uemura curler with a 24k gold plated curler and this small heater base. Keeps my lashes curling till the next day. Try that one~

    Reply

  26. BTW- I think the reason Tabs doesn’t like that Russian Blue from down the street is b/c he’s really the one who took your eyelash curler. Tabs was just onto him.

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  27. hey, there’s a site (http://www.feelunique.com) that sells the shiseido eyelash curler.. they have free delivery too.. 🙂

    btw, would you believe it? i dont have an eyelash curler in my possession. my eyelashes are naturally curled up and open. 🙂 but I would love to try out a lash curler to see if there is much of a difference 🙂

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  28. I can’t decide if you’re naively letting Tabs play with your SK curler or if you caught him red handed with it. He looks like he might be crafting some plans for world-domination, plans that involve hostile takeover by curler. Can’t you see him wielding a curler with each front paw?

    Personally, I found that the Shu was too curved for my eye shape. Try as I might, I couldn’t get the technique down and always pinched my delicate eyelid skin. I gave it away and now I’m much happier with my Shishedo one. ahhhh…. HG.

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  29. Woohoo!! I hate curlers that pinch my corners. Not only do they hurt, 90% of the time pinching means its taking off much needed lashes. So glad you did this review. I’m in need of a good curler and have put off the purchase for awhile after being disappointed by a few brands that were suppose to be good. Thanks K-Dogg! or should I say Tabs? 😉

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  31. I am SOO happy that I found this website. I LOVEEEEEEEE my Shy eye lash curler… . I was absolutely devastated when I found out that they were leaving U.S. I order 3 at a time from their website so I get free shipping. My car was broken into 3 days ago and they stole my purse along with all of my makeup in it and MY SHU!!! I was more upset about my Shu missing than all my money and other important things (ipods, cell, camera, ect.) I am so excited that there is possibly a comparison and it’s only at Target.. I’m going to buy it today!!!! My new years isn’t ruined anymore!!

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  32. Hi there, first time reading your blog, totally awesome!!! Thank you for your adventurous spirit and thorough accounts! I can’t wait to raid my local drugstore for your recs!

    Thought I’d let you know that le métier de beaute (available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman) either bought the patent or copied or something of the shu uemura curler upon the company’s exit from the u.s. market. This info from a le metier rep at my store. Anyway, their eyelash curler is the replica of the shu uemura that also uses the same cushy spring technology to curl but not crimp your lashes. I’ve tried it with identical results to the famed shu curler.

    But another OUT OF THIS WORLD curler you might wanna check out is the Laura Mercier eyelash curler. It’s the size of a box of matches and the curved curling “blade” is super thin so you can get the the root of the lashes and it catches every single lash. I’ve got pin straight Asian lashes and this is by far the best curler I’ve ever used (yes, even better than shu uemura) I pump at the base of the lashes with the curler perpendicular to the floor and as I go out I slowly pivot the curler so by the time I’m at the tip of my lashes, the curler is horizontal to the ground…not sure if I’m being clear, sounds strange I know. And because of the thin blade, you can even do a little pump-and-drag action to get a super natural curve (kinda like how you’d pull a piece of ribbon across scissor blades to get the curl), not nearly as draconian as it sounds, I promise.

    Anyway, just thought I’d share in case Tabs doesn’t fess up the your missing curler! And thank you again for a fantastic blog, newest bookmark addition!

    Reply

  33. im looking through reviews on the shu uemura eyelash curler and saw yours. i feel bummed that we dont have sonia kashuk locally but we do have shu. yey! 😀 is it really de bumb?

    Reply

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