BoomerGirl Diary

The trifecta of perfectly done-up eyes: mascara, eyeliner and an eyelash curler. We gals are willing to go to any length to make our eyes brighter, lashes longer. Three testers tried three new curlers - an improved version of the No. 1 selling brand, a newfangled one that curls sections at a time and a drugstore brand that sells for a bargain basement price. Did the gals bat newly lush lashes, or was the tryout a poke in the eye?

Shu Uemura

New eyelash curler, $18, Sephora, Nordstrom, shuuemura-usa.com.

Lash flash: "I can't live without my Shu Uemura curler so I was all over this new, allegedly improved, upgraded version."

Curl whirl: "I immediately compared it to my old one: The pad is definitely fuller, fatter. The metal curler looks slightly different, but not enough to make me panic that it won't work."

Eye like? "Wow. My stubby, straight lashes are given a more natural curve! It's also more comfortable to use. I'm a convert."

Sephora

detail lash curler, $14, Sephora stores and sephora.com.

Lash flash: "What the heck? The pincher part is flat and thin. Who has flat, thin eyeballs? Plus, it only grabs lashes in little clumps, so the job takes twice as long."

Curl whirl: "I couldn't get the hang of this thing. If you get it close enough to clamp down on lashes, it bumps other lashes and makes you blink."

Eye like? "I feared I would gouge out my eye with this teeny torture device. I'll stick with the eyelash curler that is actually curved to the eye."

E.L.F. (eyes lips face)

mechanical eyelash curler, $1, drugstore.com.

Lash flash: "This crazy curler looks space-age next to my trusty, rusty Revlon curler. The handles are more ergonomic and easier to use."

Curl whirl: "When I go through the trouble of curling my lashes, I'd like them to curl, not crimp. The curler bent my lashes in half, when it didn't miss them completely."

Eye like? "Maybe I need to spring for that fancy Shu Uemura curler. This one beats my Revlon, but not by much."