LASH ADHESIVE CLEAR VS. BLACK

Being a lash artist we have many options when it comes to the products we use and the many brands that we can pick from!

My favorite clears are in the pic! You can get them at; @lashorder @llashartistry & @ebllashes

When it comes to adhesive - which is the MOST important piece of our work next to the lashes themselves - we have two main options. CLEAR & BLACK adhesive. 

First I highly recommend that every artist try BOTH to see how it works for you. Personally I am a Clear lover through and through and I will never go back to black if I can help it! But let’s talk about both so we are all on the same page!

BLACK ADHESIVE; has been around the longest. There are different viscosities, dry times, and each company has their own recommendations on how to use and take care of it. There are 4 main ingredients to Black Adhesive and I recommend to stay clear of any adhesives that have more than these or have something funny in it. Definitely read the MSDS sheet and look up what each of the ingredients do in the adhesive so you know what you are working with!

First we have Cyanoacrylate - this is the sticky part. It is literally in anything that is non-organically sticky. Tape, stickers, elmer's glue, literally anything that sticks!

Second there is PMMA (poly-methyl-methacrylate) - this is the flexibility! You can brush your lashes and they won't just pop right off. 

Third is Hydroquinone - this is the ingredient that changes how fast or slow the adhesive drys and cures. The more there is the slower it goes, the less there is the faster. 

Fourth and last is Black Carbon - this gives it the black color. Also this is the ingredient that most people are sensitive to (me included). 

PROS - It has been around the longest so we have worked out most of the kinks. There are countless options for you to choose from. Most last companies carry black adhesive. And this is the most well known on the market. 

CONS - It can potentially have more fumes from the ingredients - wearing a mask for your protection is a MUST. There are many options and finding the perfect one for you can take some trial and error and sometimes a lot of money. 

CLEAR ADHESIVE; is “newer” in the mainstream of lash artists but it has had a long life span of existence. Back 8 years ago the only reason why clear existed (if at all) was for colored lashes, so that they don’t have a black base from the adhesive. There are a few different clear adhesives on the market but they are all pretty similar and each company has their own recommendations on how to use and take care of it. Definitely for sure once again read the MSDS sheet and look up what each of the ingredients do in the adhesive so you know what you are working with! 

Instead of having 4 ingredients - most clear adhesive only has 2. Cyanoacrylate and PMMA. Having not Hydroquinone is the reason why it cures so fast and obviously it being clear it will have no black carbon in it. 

PROS - Clear adhesive has less fumes right off the bat, for a lasher this is huge, no more nasal headaches for me! I have better retention with clear personally (some volume clients go 6 weeks with still 50% lashes left). It cures a little faster so that you have less stickies! Less irritation on the clients end because of the lesser ingredients.

CONS - You have to have good lighting to make sure you can see how much adhesive you are picking up. Usually they come in bigger bottles and you won't use the whole thing before having to replace it. It does dry a little faster, it may take a minute to get used to working it into your timing.

Here is the Video for all more info!

Watch the video here!

So there you have it! My thoughts, pros and cons, and need to know basic science behind the adhesive options that we have! If ever in doubt make sure to look at the MSDS sheet before using and see if there are good reviews about it. I DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL getting adhesive not directly from a company (like amazon or ebay). Let’s keep this industry strong and in the Luxury category where it belongs! Stay up to date with education (you can tune in here) and make sure to use good quality products. We are all in this together!! 

If you have questions shoot me an email! asiakaybeauty@gmail.com

MUAH! 

<3 Asia