If you asked me to decide upon my favourite beauty accessory, it’d probably be false lashes. Today I’m going to review three different styles of false lashes by the brand Shu Uemura.
The three styles I own are Smoky Layers, Natural Volume 01 and Short Individuals. An overall review at the end of this post, but a picture is worth a thousand words so…
Left: Smoky Layers
Right: Natural Volume 01
(handy hint- when trimming the lashes, stick the trimmed sector on the outer corner for extra flutter)
Here are two photos of the Smoky Layers in action…
And one photo of my eyes adorned with Natural Volume 01.
Finally, a picture of the Shu Short Individuals.
My thoughts:
Overall, I found Shu false lashes to be of impeccable quality (kindly reflected in the price). The difference in craftsmanship when compared to Ardell and drugstore lashes is clear, the Shu counterparts are fluffier and have a feathery quality that can be attributed to the tapered fibres (if you look in the first picture, you can see the tips of the lashes are much finer than the base).
On the other hand, Shu lash bands are thicker than Ardell/Drugstore alternatives, which means they tend to be less flexible and always require eyeliner to obscure the black band. If you’re a lash pro, this probably won’t bother you but if you’re a novice- definitely check out Ardell first as they tend to be easier to apply.
Natural Volume are said to be the subtle sister of Smoky Layers and I agree with that statement. You can see in the first comparison photo that both have a criss cross texture. However, it is stronger in the Smoky Layers which gives them a much fuller appearance. Out of the two, I probably favour the Smoky Layers because DAMMIT, they’re just so bushy yet wispy. That being said, Natural Volume lend a far more natural look and can be worn for most occasions.
The Shu Short Individuals are lovely, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t run rings around the Ardell/drugstore versions. These have knotted bases, in case you avoid those. I have Ardell and MAC individuals that perform in much the same way, so I won’t rave on and on about these.
If you have any questions about any of the false lashes I reviewed today, pop it in the comment section below!
Does anyone else own Shu False Lashes? If so, which? I’m definitely looking to try other styles 🙂
xxkarima
So beautiful, it is amazing how natural these look.
Thanks Sylv!
How many times can you wear the Shu’s? I’ve heard with proper care they can last a few months.
If you’re careful with them and apply mascara before application, I hear 20-30 uses! I’ll have to give it a go and report back 😉
xxkarima
Thanks! Can’t wait to hear!
My pleasure!
With my drugstore lashes (ardell, red cherry), I always applied mascara afterwards. With my Shu lashes, I’m applying mascara before and doing a *very* careful curl afterwards to blend them into my natural lashes.
That being said, my ardell lashes would last me 4 or so wears and I’ve worn my Shu 4 times and they’re still looking perfect. I’ll have to get back to on how many wears I can squeeze out of my Shu (since they’re still new) but I’ve heard about 20-30 wears, if you treat them nicely.
For a wedding, I’d recommend individuals, they’re perfect for that occasion! Congratulations, by the way!
xxkarima
I found individuals SO hard to apply, then I watched this Lisa Eldridge video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IKO10VdtLFU
And now I find it super easy!
xxkarima
Oh I am obsessed with Shu lashes. I think my favourite is the partial cross lashes just on the outer corners. I do love the smoky layers as well though!
Hey Cindy!
You and I share an obsession 😉 I’ll look into the partial cross, are they accent lashes?
xxkarima
those are seriously the most fabulous false lashes I have ever seen… I have a lot of eyelure and ardell lashes that just feel like plastic on my eyes and look unnatural.. for all the money I spent on those I’d rather get 2 pairs on shu lashes because omg those are amazing… going straight on my want list!
Hi Jen!
I can relate- Ardell lashes feel flimsy and plasticy after my dabbling with Shu Lashes. I’m glad to have enabled a wishlist item 😉
xxkarima
This review is fantastic! Thank you so much for making this post.
The photos are really helpful; the makeup really shows off their potential.
Question: Have you tried the “Black Slant” ones yet? Would be super grateful if you did an updated version 🙂
Hey there! My pleasure, I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂
I have tried the black slant, I used them in this tutorial (pictures and whatnot here also):
https://shamelessfripperies.com/video/glitter-party-gold-eyeshadow-tutorial/
You can click the picture and zoom in. I should do another comparison post though, thanks for the idea 🙂
xxkarima
Nothing is as effective as falsies in beautifying the eye IMO, and these Shu lashes, judging from your review, appear to be the cream of the crop in that department. I am definitely interested in buying some. My I ask how much they retail for at DJs? Cheers.
Hi Karima! Which product are you currently using to remove your false eyelashes? Thanks!
Initially, I loosen the glue by saturating a cotton pad in Bioderma and holding it over the eye for 30 seconds. I peel off the lashes and remove the rest of my makeup with cleansing oil. Hope this helps 🙂 xx
Does anyone else have trouble getting all the lash glue out from between their lashes? I find that even using Bioderma and cleansing oil I still have annoying, persistent little globs of glue lurking amongst the lash roots. And no, I dont use a ton of glue. Less of a problem with the House of Lashes glue than with Duo, but still happens. Grrrrrr!
Funny you should say that, I sometimes have this issue with the House of Lashes glue but never had the problem with Duo. I sometimes double cleanse with an oil, or rub the excess with a qtip.
xx
Hi! Where can I buy this lashes?
Shu Umeura stockists, which vary by country so I suggest a google 🙂 x