thoughts on Shu Uemura & Fanny Serrano lash curler

A curled lash is a must for me. So a good tool is must in doing the job. Not only the mascara, but the lash curler plays a big role in such a hard job because my lashes are short & it tends to uncurl easily.

I started out with cheap lash curler before...the type that tugs your lashes every time you use it which will result in falling lashes (-__-")
When i had the chance to try out my friends' Shu Uemura, i fell in love with it because it is able to curl my hard-to-tame lashes. But of course, it comes with a price....*sigh*

I was able to keep mine for a year (or two,i think) until i decided to throw it away because Shu doesn't sell an individual silicone pad, unlike Shiseido. Sis Gracie told me later on that the Jemma Kidd refill pad works just as fine as Shu does. (-__-") talking about a waste...anyway, we don't have Jemma Kidd here, do we? So i was saved a little from the feeling of utter remorse.
*reminds myself to try & see if i can find Jemma Kidd refill somewhere*

So, i was down to being 'curler-less' so i just decided to buy something that i can easily buy here locally which is Nichido lash curler. I try not to use this as much as possible because it tugs my lashes. I only use it during emergency situations back then. It's just an ordinary lash curler...It has a white pad.

Then when Fanny Serrano Lash Curler was awarded a Cosmo award, i made sure that i bought myself one to see if it really deserved to be awarded & i have to say that it deserved the award, & so much more! I'll tell you why later...

2 weeks ago i purchased Shu Uemura again because i just missed using it (although im perfectly satisfied with FS-Fanny Serrano). Shu Uemura is Shu Uemura...Fanny Serrano is Fanny Serrano. I wanted to see for myself what is the main difference between the two, because when i bought the FS curler, i threw the Shu back then.

Okay, here is the side by side comparison of the 3 curlers that i have in my stash

Shu Uemura, Fanny Serrano & Nichido (btw, i changed the pad of Nichido to FS pad)

Basing on the size (im not sure if you can actually see it clearly), Shu is the smallest, followed by FS then the biggest is Nichido. But the latch of Shu is bigger than FS...

Now here is how they looked like when they're opened & ready for crimping

The way Shu opens up is not like how FS & Nichido does. It just tilts slightly, while Nichido really slides down. FS tilts a little bit more than Shu.

Let's compare the head & the upper edge of it

Shu & FS has curved edge which doesn't leave a mark on your lids even when you crimp for a few minutes. Whereas Nichido has a straight edge which can leave a mark on your upper lid area if you crimp your lashes too long..a big Na-ah!

One thing that i notice too is that even if i switch the Shu pad to FS pad, the Shu curler, curled my lashes better than the FS. I guess the frame of the curler does matter!

Did you get confused with all the stuff that i put at the top?
Well, here is another one...it's about the silicone pad.

Based on my limited experience when it comes to pad, the silicone pad is way better than the foam pad. Silicone pad is firmer so when you crimp your lashes, it doesn't tug at your lashes. I'll describe the pad first before i give my opinion about it.

Shu said:

Upgraded silicone pad in a new "mushroom" shape provides a protective, stay-put edge for improved safety and optimum curl.

See the so-called mushroom design?
When we think about it, it will make curling the lashes easier because it has wider area & sort of 'cradle' the lashes, therefore won't ever tug the lashes. Compare it to the FS refill, it's not as wide.

Of course, the Shu pad is fuller than the FS. The shape is more intact too. See it?

The back pad is also full & it's non-slippery. It's kinda rubbery, so it won't ever slip (although there's no chance of that since it fits perfectly). It also has it's name on the back side..pretty cool! FS pad is nothing special, as you can see, it got that 2 holes on it..though it doesn't affect the performance.

-Now on to my thoughts about the refill pads
Again, i put the FS rad on my Nichido curler & it works better than when i was using the white pad. It's a lot firmer than the original pad & doesn't tug my lashes, therefore no lashes being pulled out because of my curler.

The FS pad is softer than the Shu pad. The Shu is actually quite firm so you don't need to crimp as much as you can compare to FS. In my case, I can fully curl my lashes with just 3 crimps using Shu, but with the FS, it would take me 6 or more. It still works the same though.

How's that possible?

It's because if you take a closer look at the shape of the pad, FS pad is rounder than the Shu pad & the rounder the pad, the better it can curl your lashes. The more you squeeze it, the better it can frame it giving you a fully curled lash (this is just my opinion though).

I love my Shu Uemura, but i also like FS. It's just takes quite a while to curl my lash, but it does the job. I put Shu on my cosmetic kit, FS is on my table & just within my reach. But i still reach my Shu every now & then...

These are my added notes....

• If you have a lash curler at home & would want to change the pad, buy the FS refill. It's just Php 45 ($1) & you'll get 3 pcs...it's really cheap!It's way better than those white foam pads.
  
• Shu Uemura has a lifespan. If you had already used the extra refill pad, you have to buy a new one...not practical. If so, it's better to go for Shiseido because Shiseido sells individual pads. When it comes to practicality go for Shiseido. (but Shu works better for me)
  
• Im not sure if FS has an international distributor, but if you would want to try FS curler, ask someone here in the Philippines to buy it for you. Anyway, its pretty cheap..it's just Php 150 ($3.5 approx)

Well, that would be it.
I hope that Shu can also sell individual silicone pads for their curler
(-_-')

Hope y'all have a nice weekend,ladies!

Jaa ne~!
^_^