Shoppers Say This $8 Lash Curler Is so Effective, They Can Skip Mascara and Lash Lifts

There are a million and one iconic moments in The Devil Wears Prada, but one of my favorites is the "Are you wearing the Chanel boots?" scene. I love that they casually had Gisele in for the bit part, because her delivery of the following line is inimitable: "The other day we were in the beauty department, and she held up a Shu Uemura eyelash curler and said, 'What is this?'" Their giggles are a testament to the curler's legendary status; its eye-opening effect is so impressive, the $23 tool is known across the globe. Yet according to scores of shoppers, one $8 option is just as good.

Brilliant Beauty's eyelash curler rakes in a square 21,700 five-star ratings from Amazon customers, along with over 8,000 reviews speaking to its greatness. Eyelash curlers generally aren't something you want to play around with, thanks to the unpleasant risks of pinched lids and lost lashes — but going by the accounts of those users, Brilliant Beauty's curler nails all the details that make for great lashes and wide-awake-seeming eyes (emphasis on "seeming").

"I have tried many, MANY eyelash curlers. I'm 42 and have been curling [my lashes] since I was 13," wrote one shopper of the effect on their "completely straight, very thick" lashes. "I am between lash lift perms and wanted something to give me a good, strong curl, and this has been great. I would easily compare it to curlers that are double the price." On that note, a different shopper said that Brilliant Beauty's curler is "1,000 times better" than their last one from Shu Uemura.

Shop now: $8; amazon.com

A few fine-tuned features set the curler apart. It easily sneaks in close to your eyelid, where the "soft, yet firm" pad lifts and curls lashes within seconds, so you're not left pumping your curler for minutes while trying to get a curl to stick. One person who's been curling their lashes for 30 years said it's the first curler they've ever truly liked — helped by the fact that it comes with two replacement pads.

"I have extremely straight hair, and consequently extremely straight eyelashes. Like they basically point-downward-, look-half-their-length-, a-little-bit-obstruct my-vision-straight," wrote another fan. "So you can imagine I've been through a lot of curlers. To look at this one, you wouldn't think it was any different from the thousands of other clamp curlers, but it feels completely different to use. It must be something about the arc of the clamp."

They, too, emphasized the uniquely efficient pads that the curler comes with, and noted that unlike with other curlers, you can email the seller and they'll send you replacement pads. "I genuinely never post reviews, but this product is life-changing," added a last customer. "If you're considering buying it, just DO IT. My lashes look like I got a lash lift. The curl holds decently all day, unlike other curlers I've tried in the past. Never wearing mascara again."

To hear these people tell it, this curler might be the best $8 you'll spend all year. Get one to try for yourself on Amazon.