July 26, 2011

Sonia Kashuk Curl Up Eyelash Curler Review

The Sonia Kashuk Curl Up Eyelash Curler has the true potential for greatness my friends. This little piece of beauty gadgetry is part of Sonia Kashuk’s Fall 2011 Collection and is available now at Target.

I’ve never really paid attention but I do believe there has been a curler or two available from the brand before but as of now they only have a smaller travel curler which addresses individual lashes rather than a full fringe of lashes plus a travel curler which looks like a heated curler.

Outside of these I’m not sure if I’ve ever really noticed the brand having a full size curler available outside of an LE one during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Now the Sonia Kashuk Curl Up Eyelash Curler could prove to be solid gold awesomeness in the curler world but it has a few hiccups that are hard to overlook!

Jump!

Let me start by saying I’m a hard judge of character when it comes to Lash Curlers and most fail in a big way. Out side of my trusty Shu Lash Curler nothing else has lived up to the power of curling my lashes so well.

Until now…

Count me surprised that this actually works out so well. I do believe the power is in the pad people. Most Lash Curlers have a dense, plastic, less than soft lash pad which actually causes the major fail in my opinion versus Shu’s lash pad that’s soft and sort of rubbery almost. In this case, the Curl Up Eyelash Curler gets the pad right! The pad is quite soft and cushions lashes nicely as you squeeze.

In regards to shape, size, etc…I find the handles are a very comfortable fit and the actual cage of the curler seems an ickle larger than Shu’s version which could account for the fact that it doesn’t pinch AT ALL. Occasionally I get a little pinch from my Shu if I go a little too close to my lash line…after several uses with this I failed at even pinching myself a single time! Joy! The larger size seems to hold the bars further away from my skin resulting in a pinch-free experience! Quite fabulous!

Now I do notice that the effect of the cage being larger and pushing further away from skin also results in less of a curl than I’d get with my Shu but nothing too dramatic. It curls yes but it doesn’t produce as dramatic a curl as I’d get from my Shu but nothing that you’d notice unless you’re really examining your lashes.

Now I’ll tell you, for the most part, the curler is a gem but…

I hate the $15.99 price tag. Absurd as far as I am concerned. Shu’s curler is $19 bucks so if I’m going to indulge might as well go for the higher end here…! I’d have liked to see this shaved down to say $9.99-$12.99 after all I am shopping it at Target.

Secondly, it’s limited edition. That’s ok I guess…BUT….they include NO lash pad refills.

Seriously? $15.99 and no refills? The lash pad is part of what makes the curler awesome if I can’t get refills than it proves pointless?

I’d use it for a year and basically resort to tossing it out because I can’t refill it?

That’s crazy.

Granted, Shu offers no way to purchase refills either but they still give two pads with a purchase so you can get at least two years out of it before tossing it.

Sonia, I absolutely heart this curler and I’d love to recommend it to the beauty world but the price and the lack of refills deeply disturbs me. How about offering it as part of your regular collection, get us some refills, and shave a little off the price tag and we can totally discuss Muse Approval for purchase because you have a seriously nice curler here that needs a little work to reach greatness (it’s almost there).

Anyone see it?

Want to buy it?

Share it!

Available now at Target.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Ashley

    I was this close to hopping across the border to pick this up until I read “no lash pad refills”. For $15.99, you definitely need lash pad refills. Even if it were sold separately I wouldn’t mind!

    • Agatha Tefora

      For a curler, I would say this is quite affordable. If a lash pad is made available, I will definitely buy this. It looks stirdy – can be used for years to come.

  • Dana

    Wow. It looks like such a nicely designed curler, but not even one refill?! So yep, that did it, no refill no purchase.
    Question then about the Urban Decay’s pad. I reread your review, but is their pad hard or soft? It looks softer and since you said you had a bit of a problem with it popping out I’ll assume soft again. Thanks.

    • the Muse

      dana…ud’s is soft but not as soft as shu’s or sonia’s. It had a rubbery texture with a bit of give, good pad overall, poorly executed design though without the cage, as I swear I nearly poked an eye out using that thing ;D

  • Ana

    Hi! you should try Laura mercier eyelash curler…it’s the best. It definitely holds my lashes curl (my lashes grow straight)

    • the Muse

      thanks for the rec ana I’ll give it a whirl ;-D do they sell refills?! ;D

      • Ana

        Hey! Yes it comes with a refill on the bottom of the actual eyelash curler. It’s an interesting lash curler it’s small but definitely gets the job done… I prefer it of she uemera :0)

  • Laura

    Sonia does have a permanent, regular lash curler. Its a basic silver color and comes with a refill attached to it and is only 9.99. They only jack up the price for the LE ones, but usually if you wait around you can find them marked down later on. Just thought I should let you know!

    • the Muse

      I’ve only seen the smaller curler is that the one you are talking about Laura?

  • Sonia Kashuk Beauty

    Hi Muse,

    We came across your post and just want to start off by saying thank you so much for all your support of past products and we appreciate your ability to fairly judge all products you review. We are so glad you feel the Curl Up Eyelash Curler is a great product, our mission has always been to bring our customers high quality products at a low cost. So when we saw the price listing as $15.99 we had to contact you and clarify. This Limited Edition curler is priced at $12.99 and should be priced as such in all Target stores. We also wanted to let you know we do have a full sized curler, very similar to this one that comes with one refill pad, in our regular product line. Hope this information helps and if you ever have any questions feel free to contact customer service at [email protected]!

    Thanks!

    Sonia Kashuk Beauty

    • the Muse

      Hi,

      I really appreciate the team commenting here about the curler however I def paid $15.99 and have the receipt from my Target showing that so not sure why it is listed as $15.99 in store. Perhaps it is an error on the part of the store. Thanks so much for letting me know about the full sized curler. Does you offer refills for it as part of the regular line?

      Thanks again for the info!

  • Libby

    Hi Muse!

    I just stopped by my Target store in NY today and wanted to give you a heads up that the eye lash curler is now on clearance 😀 I bought two for $9 each!

  • Cris

    I just picked it up for $3.29 at my local Target!!! They are on clearance, if you live in Miami they have it at the Hammocks Target