July 19, 2011

Urban Decay The Revolution High Performance Lash Curler Review

I’ve always loved all things makeup and beauty but I think my love has definitely run a little cooler in the last few years simply because my blog over exposes me to the world of beauty.

The thing is if you love to eat something…I dunno..say grilled chicken or anything…and you eat it every single day for a few years, chances are you’ll grow incredibly tired of it. You might still like it but your love for it will grow cooler.

I feel that way about beauty sometimes. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it gets a little boring and repetitive.

Which is why innovative, unique beauty finds are always welcome and that’s exactly what the new Urban Decay The Revolution High Performance Lash Curler has going for it. This is innovative beauty at its best and I was quite excited to try out the first cage free curler! Doing away with the bars on either side of their curler, Urban Decay has set out to make your curling experience a pinch-free one even though it looks like a torture device they promise a pain-free experience using it.

Does it work?

Check it out!

If Shu is the Mercedes Benz of Eyelash Curlers than Urban Decay is surely the Lamborghini. After getting over the initial dismay at the curler looking like some sort of torture device (or da Claw from Toy Story) you’ll easily appreciate the sexy, slick look of the curler. There isn’t any question that this has that special Urban Decay flair. It’s a tiny bit smaller than my Shu curler but it still manages to fit the contour of my hand comfortably and I have no issues with it being too small to use.

It has a spring mechanism which I normally dislike in curlers (if you’ve read my Sana review you’ll totally know what I mean) but isn’t bothersome in the least here. The spring doesn’t snap back when the curler is in use nor does it make any unusual sounds. Urban Decay designed the Revolution to rid itself of the normal cage-like design of a normal curler. The curler isn’t encased in bars and it’s completely free standing with the lash pad on the bottom and a single curved piece of metal towards the top. The curler was also designed in a way that allows you to curl individual lashes or your entire lash line…think Shu’s mini lash curler and you’ll get the point of using it on only parts of your lashes but not all of your lashes.

The curler has a large learning curve and even after using it for several days I am still not using it correctly nor am I even comfortable using it. Those bars that surround your current curler? Those are there for a reason in my opinion and Urban Decay’s lack of bars are what causes some major issues when I use it.

First of all…getting used to not gripping your lower and upper lashes in the curler is difficult. I tried using this several times but I find the lack of bars as a guiding point end up making me pinch my bottom lash line as well as my top one. Basically this results in a really OUCHIE experience!

Once you practice a little bit you’ll be able to avoid pinching both areas however in my case I was scared to crimp too hard because I kept picking up skin as well as lashes, again, causing a bit of a painful curl. In my experience with the curler I end up never truly grasping my entire lash line and end up only getting sections of lashes…the lash pad is a full size but for some reason I feel like it’s smaller than my Shu one since it fails to grasp my entire lash line. I also noticed that the lash pad keeps popping up after each use so I end up having to press it down.

The experience of using the Revolution is difficult to describe and is one you have to try yourself to understand but I find the lack of bars as a guide make the curler very difficult to use and extremely unfriendly. Urban Decay packages this with five refill pads as well which is quite generous.

I think it’ll be a curler that people either really love or really dislike. It really depends on how suave-y you are using it. I also think it’s best suited to those with fuller lashes as those with stubbier ones may experience issues when trying to use this. In my case I guess I was just too clumsy to actually use this one. I’ll stick to my HG curler of choice from Shu and leave this one up to the experts.

Have you tried it?

Love it?

Do share as I’m curious how others are getting along with it!

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

  • Courtney

    Thank you so much for this review and being brave enough to try it! It definitely looks intimidating. I think I may have to purchase one though just to see how it goes. I recently wore out my Shu and bought one from Tarte but it totally doesn’t compare.

    • the Muse

      I think it deserves to be tried Courtney. 😀 it’s something you are going to go gaga over or something you’ll find hard to use…I fall into the hard to use category myself ;-D Shu is golden. I’ve purchased alot of curlers but shu just rocks it ;D

  • xMissxAndristx

    love love love this curler. i actually find it much easier to use than standard curlers. all my friends had to try it out because they’re so fascinated by it. everyone is amazed by it and several of my friends have ordered their own!

    • the Muse

      that’s awesome missandris! I wish I had the same success. I kept poking an eye out ;-D! haha! do you have shorter or fuller lashes?

  • peri

    i just wouldnt be able to bring this thing toward my eyeball lol. the sight of it really does scare me a little lol. looks like it belongs in a horror movie with a hospital and lobotomys lol.

  • Sara

    I worry about pinching my skin, *but* not having the cagey bars means my poor lashes won’t be ripped out. That’s what has kept me from using a curler for the past nine or ten years, they *always* rip out the lashes at the outer corners of my eyes. Once an inner one – OUCH! What’s the point of curling lashes if they’re just gonna be pulled out one by one and leave them looking sparse anyway? :p Granted, I haven’t used the “holy grail” of lash curlers, Shu, yet so maybe it wouldn’t be as problematic.

    Thanks for the review! I’m definitely interested in checking it out. Wonder if Sephora is gonna have these doodads out for touching…?

    • the Muse

      hey sara this one might be for you than! no bars here ;-D! SHU is truly the most awesome curler every ;-D! I imagine yes…I haven’t seen them yet but def expect them soon in stores ;-D!

  • Dana

    I am going to get it and see because I hate trying to get all my lashes inside the bars. But the picture of it against your eye does makes it look a bit small. I have some big eyes so I’ll just have to give it a go and find out . Thanks for the review!!!! I was hoping though you were going to say God himself must have collaborated with UD and it was just the end all of curlers…..thanks again. : )

    • the Muse

      dana I truly think it’s something worth buying to try at least once as it might work for you! It feels smaller to me but it’s actually full size…! weird…! my pleasure! LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! sorry ;-/ I think it’ll prove something peeps will LOVE or just hate….I happen to not like it :-/ too pinchy! feel like I’m about to poke an eye out every time I use it!

  • jeansco

    thanks for the review Muse! a little intimidated..but who knows, it just might be my next shu~

    • the Muse

      jean update me if you get it ;-D curious how it works out for you!

  • JoElla

    OHMYGAWD BWHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!

    I love that part of the movie! I still giggle every time I walk past one of those machines.

    I am scared of lash curlers in general.. so I will not be trying this one at all.

  • Es

    Have you ever tried the Koji wide angle curler? I have the #73, which apparently is ‘wider’ for people who have longer (horizontally) and flatter eyes…
    For me, conventional curlers with bars are frustrating, the lashes from the inner corner or outer corner never fit inside the curler, so i have to use a mini curler after. Then, the mini curler gives a different curl/angle to my lashes, so i end up with 3 sections of lashes that’s been curled separately and do not look uniform. sigh.

    • the Muse

      I haven’t es..but sounds interesting. I normally use my shu and it fits the contour of my eye perfectly. I find the shu one is the perfect angle to contour comfortably to an Asia eye as well! ;-D

      • Maggie

        Hmm…it’s interesting you say that and I suppose it makes sense since shu uemura is a japanese brand after all. However, the shape of it doesn’t work well with my Asian eyes. Still hunting for the right curler.

    • the Muse

      es I don’t know about your lashes but many Asians tend to have smaller, stubbier lashes that are straight and this just feels like it might not grasp lashes comfortably enough in that case. My own lashes are fuller and it hurt…I can imagine those with shorter lashes might not like the feel.

      On that note…the curler is kinda free and out there so it should fit most eye types be it Asian or otherwise comfortably…..I hope this helps!?

  • Tiffany

    Mine is boxed up and ready to be shipped back! I could not get the hang of it at all. I think the side bars on a lash curler are there for a reason. I pinched myself like no other over the last few days.

  • Crystal

    I am dying to try this! I can curl my right eye but not my left, the bars keep me from curling anything other then my inner most eye lashes on my left eye….I don’t think I am a freak but maybe I am blocking it out.

    I currently use an E.L.F curler so I would be impressed with a pencil and some tape..

    • Rachel

      Haha that’s so funny Crystal! I use an E.L.F. curler too and have often thought of upgrading, but when I’ve got a spare $20 in my pocket, I just can’t see spending it on a tool instead of new makeup!

  • Melissa

    This reminds me of a tweezerman “spring curler” that was plastic and no bars. I think I’ll be trying the UD one as my Shu is on its last leg and I did like the old tweezerman one except for the springy issues.

  • Dee

    Stumbled upon your site and i’m glad I did becos it’s a whole cove of fun and surprises!
    That curler looks like a mean machine that just shouts “ouch!”
    P/S: I <3 the aliens too and that pic is so cute!

    <3 Dee

    • the Muse

      aw thanks dee glad you’re enjoying the site ;-D haha! love the aliens too! but damn the curler is major ouch!

  • Let

    Do you think this would be good for someone who have never used full-sized curler before? I only use MUJI’s eyelash curler this whole time (kinda like Laura Mercier’s but way cheaper lol). Thanks 🙂

  • Miss_silk

    This curler reminds me of a Revlon one…..but I always ended up seeing that on sale everywhere after it came out at my drug stores…but maybe i’ll try this out

  • Heather

    I pinch my eyelids with regular standard curlers! arg!!! Maybe this will be the one? I hope so!!!

  • Wendy

    I just picked up this curler and I LOVE IT! I have the Shu and find that I can never get all my lashes in one curl and then I have to end up re-curling, which results in crimped lashes. It did take a few mins to get used to it, but now I am loving the results. I can curl all my thin, short, lashes that point downwards. My end result is perfect wide eyed curled lashes!!! Definitely deserves a try.

  • tara

    I can never all my lashes to fit in a standard curler so i might have to try this. It looks a bit like the creature from Alien.

  • Amanda

    Hey!
    Thanks for your review, it’s the only one about it so far!
    But I ‘m afraid it’s not the first cage-free lash curler… Japonesque and Tweezerman already did it.
    Love your blog, xoxo.

  • MY

    Have you tried Shiseido? I have Asian eyes but found Shu doesn’t fit good but Shiseido fits me perfectly

  • Nia

    Woah, this looks like a medieval torture device. I would be way too scared to even try it.

    My Shu looks like an innocent kitten compared to that. Kudos to you even trying the thing out on your eyes!

  • Girl Hearts Makeup

    The curler will probably cost a bomb here. Will have to get my friend to pick it up in US next time. Since it’s either a hit or miss, I’ll never know unless I try it. 🙂 Have you tried the Anna Sui curler, Muse? That’s my fave curler! 😀

    • the Muse

      no actually that’s one I haven’t tried girl hearts makeup! must give that a whirl! ;-D

  • Wendy

    This curler is terrible. They feature it as “cutting edge” but I didn’t realize it was a literal translation!

    I used it one time and my eye lashes got CHOPPED OFF. I had a large section on both eyelids that were missing eye lashes. Had to run to Walgreens and buy fake eyelashes and wear them for about 1- 1/2 weeks. Embarrassing and terrible.

    Completely awful product.

  • Anne

    It is a shame they discontinued this awesome product. Yes, at first it took time to get accustom to the new design in placing it on the eyelid “correctly”. Practice makes perfect, just as in anything else.
    Do you know where to buy (if available) replacement pads? I honestly have more problems with the standard eyelash curlers with not fitting all my lashes within the cage. I hope UD comes out with this curler again!

  • Luna Henning

    Tweezerman has had one out for years, I have it and love it. Also a lot of Korean companies make these, Kiss also has one out now for about 5$.