We Asked, They Answered: Real Sephora Employees Tell Us If There Is Actually Any Difference Among Eyelash Curlers

I find that eyelash curlers are an unexpectedly divisive beauty tool, and not in the sense that men think they look like torture devices (though they absolutely do). I mean that some women swear by them, viewing them as a fundamental part of their everyday makeup routine, while others look at me confusedly when I ask what type they use: “Huh? People actually use those? I’ve never used one in my life.” Or at most, they whip it out for weddings and graduations only. I happen to belong to the former category—I have long used an eyelash curler on a daily without even thinking about it. If you haven’t and are open to adding 5-8 seconds to your morning makeup routine, I encourage you to take one out for a test drive. They are not, contrary to popular belief, painful in any way shape, or form, and they do work.

The question of which eyelash curler is best, however, is even trickier. I can only assume that most women who use them buy them for $4 at the drugstore (as I too always have) and would scoff at the idea of spending double-digits on such a basic tool. (And I am not talking about heated eyelash curlers—terrifying and unnecessary).

So in the spirit of this series and the fact that Sephora hasn’t kicked me out for asking too many questions yet, I decided to investigate. Is there actually any difference among different types of eyelash curlers, from drugstore brands to the kind they carry at Sephora? Almost all the Sephora employees I asked said that yes, there is a noticeable difference between the effect of a drugstore brand and that of a slightly more expensive version.

Of course, I didn’t believe them. So I bought a Sephora-brand curler they recommended (you know, for research) and as usual, they were correct. The Sephora-brand tool knocked my old Revlon curler out of the park. My lashes are super curly and I look particularly bright-eyed (not so much bushy-tailed) today if I do say so myself. If you want to step up your eyelash curling game, these are the two that Sephora employees recommended above all others.

1. Sephora Collection Show Curl XL Lash Curler— for Round Eyes ($17.00)

Sorry Revlon, my lashes are with Sephora now. Yes, this is the curler I purchased because the ladies of Sephora told me it was the best and also they inspected my eyes to see which would work best on me. Since my peepers are pretty round, this was the hands-down best choice. Seriously, I kept asking more people to see if I could diversify my responses, but no luck. Everyone recommended the Show Curl. And now I do too.

2. Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($19.00)

This is the only other eyelash curler I got recommendations for, except this one is for those of you with straighter eyes and lashlines. Several Sephora employees said this is the curler they use themselves, and that it does an amazing job at gripping each lash when you have straighter lashlines. So the verdict on this is pretty simple: yes, there is a difference among eyelash curlers, and choose one of these two depending on your eye shape. Case closed.

What makeup product or tool should I ask about next? Leave a comment!