Review: Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil in Stone Gray

The day has come where I have decided to splurge on an eyebrow pencil! I have been in an eyebrow rut for sometime now- I have been trying to find the perfect brow products but I just never seemed to find anything that worked. My Essence Eyebrow Designer in Brown was a complete wrong colour match, and this the problem with every other drugstore brow pencil you can name- all the brown shades had a red undertone which looked odd with my hair. A stint with the MUA Brow Kit was also a wrong colour match, as much as I wanted to like the kit. After all this, I decided to look around for more higher end brands- Shiseido was an option but I found their pencils too soft, and Clarins had a great formula but didn't have a colour that worked for me. However when I heard about the Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil, I just couldn't resist and now it is in my hands!

Shu Uemura Hard Formula H9 Eyebrow Pencil in Stone Gray

The Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil is unique- the first thing you notice is the strange tip! It is carved into the shape of a Japanese sword, and because of this shape, it makes it so easy and simple to use. The angle is perfect and follows the shape of the brows very well. The only qualm is that it is difficult to sharpen at home (especially because of its hard lead), but the great thing is you can take it into any Shu Uemura counter and they can sharpen it for you free of charge.

Shaped like a Japanese sword

Even though going to a store to get the pencil sharpened may sound like a hassle, the Hard Formula H9 is what it is called- a hard formula. This makes it last so long and it doesn't wear down fast. I have read reviews where people have had their pencil sharpened every 2-3 months, and that is with using it everyday- so it definitely lasts. Just to add as well, this pencil has so much product, and the length of it is 17.5cm which is definitely longer than your regular brow pencils. Another advantage of a hard formula is that you will have a natural looking brow that isn't too dark looking. The special thing about the Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil is that it only releases the colour pigment when it interacts with the oils in the brow hairs, so trying to swatch it on bare skin proves to be difficult.

Multiple strokes of the pencil shows up very faint, the formula needs to react with the oils in the brow hairs to work

Bare eyebrows

Filled in with Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil

The results are amazing! The Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil gives such a natural look and Stone Gray 05 is a perfect match for my dark asian hair. Many people find that Seal Brown 02 works for them, but seeing as I don't plan to dye my hair any time soon, I decided that going for the grey shade would suit me better. The brow pencil is smudgeproof and long-lasting unlike all other brow products I have used! I am so pleased with this purchase and even though the initial investment of $34 was a little high, I can see this pencil lasting for more than a year and being a great staple in my makeup collection and I have no need for any other brow product!

What brow products do you use? What do you think of the Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil? 

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Review: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Ah the famous Shu Uemura eyelash curler. It has a huge amount of amazing reviews and a reputation for being a fantastic eyelash curler, as well as being a cult classic. After having my eyelids pinched by cheap eyelash curlers (eek $2 ones), probably about more than a year ago I decided to purchase the Shu Uemura eyelash curler! I got it off eBay but I can't remember how much for- but it was a bargain. Did I have qualms about it being fake? Definitely. But the performance has been excellent and my doubts subsided. I'm not too sure how much the curler retails for in Australia though (maybe around $30?), if someone can enlighten me then I can include it here in the post!

 Anyone read Japanese? :P Designed and made in Japan!

Oops the rubber is a little dirty!

The Shu Uemura eyelash curler is designed best for Asian eyelids but this does not mean that it won't suit anyone else! The curler is curved more than conventional eyelash curlers and this is what minimises and prevents any pinching.

Curved

Let's talk about the cheap eyelash curlers I have used before. Pinching was awful, and the curve definitely did not suit my eyes. When you attempt to "curl" the lashes, you have to apply pressure and the eyelashes  become kinky and very unnatural looking- it is obvious where the lashes have been curled at, shown by the kinks. Not only that- they had the tendency to pull out lashes, definitely not ideal! I got sick and tired of using a subpar curler, and after reading many amazing reviews for the Shu Uemura, I really wondered if it lived up to the hype. Here is what the website says it offers:

The emblematic, best-selling and award-winning shu uemura eyelash curler featuring enhanced design and upgraded features for ultimate precision that delivers the perfect curl.

• upgraded silicone pad in a new "mushroom" shape provides a protective, stay-put edge for improved safety and optimum curl.
• upgraded patented hinge with precise engineering applies perfect amount of pressure on eyelashes
• curved angle suits all eye shapes
• calculated shape and size of frame length and ergonomic handles ensure stability and control

What I like to do before using eyelash curlers is to heat them up a little by using my hairdryer. Before I curled my lashes I blasted the curler for about 4-5 seconds, tested the temperature on my hand then used it on the lashes. PLEASE don't immediately put the curler to your eyes without checking the temperature first as you might burn yourself! So here is a before and after shot (excuse the messy eyebrows- I got to do something about them....and the blurry shots, my phone isn't too good at close ups)

Before

After

The photos speak for themselves. WOW! Such a dramatic difference in my eyelashes. It was such a pleasure to use the curler- absolutely no pinching as the shape was perfect and I did not have to apply pressure at all, which I did with the cheaper curlers. The curl was smooth with no sign of kinkage (haha is that even a word?!). How well did the curl hold? Very very well. I actually took several attempts to take photos of my eye but they turned out super blurry- so instead of using the other eye (I don't know why) I decided to flatten out my eyelashes again to take a before shot but they were very stubborn! The curl held very well (I ended up curling my other eye's lashes in the end haha).

After using the curler for more than a year, it is still in excellent condition! And if I ever need to replace the pad, the curler comes with one replacement one. Overall, a delightful eyelash curler to use with wonderful results.

Who's tried the Shu Uemura curler? If not, which curlers do you use?

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