ShopDiary

Even Eyelash Curlers Have an Expiration Date

I’ve been using shu uemura eyelash curlers for many years but this is something that I just discovered recently: shu uemura does not sell silicone refills and the eyelash curler has to be completely replaced after six months.

I learned this when I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago and my curler’s black silicone rubber pad fell off before my trip. I knew I had a refill at home since this was my second shu eyelash curler but I forgot to pack it with my luggage. So when I arrived at my travel destination, I made calls to all the Nordstrom stores in the area looking for refills and got the same response: “We don’t sell any refills”.

I was on my fourth call when a helfpul SA informed me that shu uemura does not sell refills at all. When I asked why, she told me an eyelash curler comes with a refill. Each silicone pad should last three months with daily use. And since the curler’s metal tends to bend with consistent use, the whole eyelash curler should be replaced after six months.

Here’s what it says on the product’s box:

The shu uemura eyelash curler will perform consistently until the 2 silicone rubber pads wear down. With daily use, one silicone rubber pad will last approximately 3 months. After the accompanying refill is used, please replace the curler with a new one to assure maximum precision and to avoid damage to the eyes or the lashes.

Shock! I had been using mine for years and didn’t notice a difference in “precision” and performance. Just as there are expiration dates for cosmetics, should there be one for eyelash curlers too? Is this a ploy by the beauty company to keep you buying their best-selling cult product? I guess they’re really not saying that you have to replace it but that they’re not guaranteeing optimum results if you don’t.

I ended up buying a new eyelash curler (I now have three!) but going forward, I’ll be trying out Shiseido eyelash curler refills. Now why didn’t I know of this then?