This $20 Heated Eyelash Curler from Amazon Works Better Than Any Eyelash Curler I've Tried

Getty Images/Ada Summer

My mother always says: If you're going to do it, don't mess around. In other words, do it all the way. So, whenever I'm choosing to spend time on applying eye makeup—these days, that's a special occasion in its own right—I'm going to try to make my lashes look their very best. Like they could stop traffic with a single flutter. That means, despite how annoying it can be to add another step into your makeup routine, using an eyelash curler is essential.

Like many others, I've always sworn by the cult-fave Shiseido Eyelash Curler (my mother gave me her old trusty one when I was in high school, and I only recently had to invest in a new one), but I was feeling like trying something new in celebration of hopefully having more occasions to wear mascara throughout 2021: a heated eyelash curler. I've always imagined these are like regular lash curlers, but with a little extra curl-boosting zing—and that's exactly the case. I immediately noticed that the curl was even more pronounced and lasted longer than on my best day with a regular lash curler, making it one of my favorite spontaneous $20 spends on Amazon.

Heated eyelash curlers can be used either on your bare lashes or after you've applied mascara. While I started by testing it only on my bare lashes—the effect is a whole bunch of instant curl—I've found that if you also use it on your lashes after applying mascara, it makes the curl hold much longer and helps coax the stubborn lashes on the outer corner of my eye to appear more lifted and awake. This is because it warms up the mascara as it bends your lashes, which then dries to a longer-lasting hold. When I'm really trying to outdo myself, I'll use my Shiseido curler on my bare lashes, apply mascara, and then follow with the heated eyelash curler. It's simply genius—and there have been no burns or singed lashes acquired in the process. (I'd imagine you just don't need to push the time limit on how long you're holding the tool on your lashes.)

I'd recommend a heated eyelash curler for anyone who deals with hard-to-curl lashes or those who desire a more dramatic result from your eyelash curler. Shop my handy $20 Amazon heated eyelash curler, plus a couple other of my favorite lash-boosting tools and products, below.

BeMyLady Heated Eyelash Curler

This heated eyelash curler comes with a USB charger and offers three different heat levels, so I'd recommend starting low and working your way up to find your ideal temperature. For best results, simply hold the curler on the roots of your lashes for about 10 seconds, then repeat for the middle section, and finally repeat on the tip-tops of your lashes. Use before or after mascara—or both!

BUY IT: $19.99; amazon.com

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

In a world where it seems all eyelash curlers would be the same, this one always seems to come out on top as the best. Like I mentioned earlier, it'll last you a long, long time.

BUY IT: $22; sephora.com

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara

There's a reason that this mascara went viral on TikTok, and that's because it gives you the longest, most defined, spidery lashes ever. Do one coat when you're going subtle, and two coats when you're looking to really go for it.

BUY IT: $11.49; ulta.com