Common Lash Adhesive Mistakes Ruining Your Retention

Stop Blaming Clients and Start Fixing Retention

Lash artists work hard on every set, so it feels awful when clients say their lashes started falling out after only a few days. Late summer in Australia can be hot, sticky, and unpredictable, and that makes retention feel even harder to control. Many artists blame clients for bad aftercare or think their products are failing, but most of the time the real problem is small adhesive mistakes that build up over each appointment.

When we understand how professional lash adhesive actually works, things start to change. Glue is affected by science, environment, and technique all at once. If even one of those is off, retention drops. When they are in sync, your sets last longer, feel lighter, and you get fewer complaints.

In this article we walk through the most common lash glue mistakes, why they ruin retention, and how to fix them with simple, repeatable steps. As an Australian online lash supply brand, we design our professional-grade adhesives and tools with local conditions in mind, so we see these issues every day and know they can be fixed.

Choosing the Wrong Lash Adhesive for Your Climate

Not every professional lash adhesive suits every room or climate. Australian summers can swing from dry heat to muggy humidity, sometimes in the same week. That shift changes how quickly your glue cures and how strong the bond becomes.

Common mismatch mistakes include:

• Using ultra-fast adhesive in hot, humid rooms, which can lead to shock curing and brittle bonds  
• Working with slow-drying adhesive in very dry, air-conditioned salons, which can cause stickies and weak attachment  
• Picking glue based on online hype or what someone else likes, instead of your own room conditions  

When humidity is high, glue cures faster. If it cures too fast, it can harden on the outside before it wraps properly around the natural lash. That bond looks okay at first, but it pops off early. In very dry rooms, the opposite happens, and glue stays wet for too long. Lashes move around, stick together and create clumps that shed quickly.

A simple guide to choosing better:

• Use a hygrometer to track humidity and temperature every day  
• Know the curing range of your adhesive, like 40 to 70 percent humidity
• Match adhesive speed to your skill level and placement speed  
• Keep at least two professional lash adhesive options in your kit so you can swap as seasons or room conditions change  

This way you are not guessing. You are choosing glue that fits the actual climate you work in, not just what looks good on social media.

Ignoring Room Conditions and Cure Speed Control

Even with the right adhesive, your room can undo your hard work. Late summer and early autumn in Australia often bring big swings between hot afternoons and cooler evenings. That means your glue might feel perfect in the morning, then suddenly too fast or too slow after lunch.

Typical room mistakes include:

• No hygrometer to measure humidity and temperature  
• Lash bed placed right under AC vents or heaters  
• Blasting a nano mister for too long and shocking the glue  

Your goal is a sweet spot where the bond sets within about 1 to two seconds. You should see a clean wrap, no sliding, and very few stickies when you brush. If the glue cures too fast, you will feel the extension grab instantly, but it will not wiggle into place. If it cures too slow, the lash will keep moving and can attach to neighbours.

To gain more control, try:

• Repositioning the lash bed away from vents, windows and direct sun  
• Using a humidifier on very dry days and a dehumidifier when the room feels sticky  
• Adjusting drop size and refreshing your glue dot every 10 to 20 minutes, or sooner if it starts to string  
• Rechecking room conditions every few hours on busy days  

Even the best professional lash adhesive will not stay consistent if the salon environment is always out of range or changing too much during the day.

Poor Prep and Incorrect Adhesive Amount

Retention often fails before you place a single lash. If prep is rushed, the glue never has a clean surface to grip. Primer alone cannot fix dirty or oily lashes.

Common prep mistakes are:

• Skipping a proper lash shampoo altogether  
• Not rinsing cleanser fully, leaving residue on the lashes  
• Using oil-based removers or heavy skincare too close to the eye area  
• Touching cleaned lashes with bare fingers and re-adding oil from the skin  

Lashes should be squeaky clean, oil-free and fully dry before you pick up any adhesive. When the surface is clean, your glue can form a smooth, even bond that wraps the natural lash instead of sitting on top of film or residue.

Adhesive amount also plays a huge role. Too much glue creates bulky, stiff bonds that can pop off like little sleeves. Too little glue leads to weak, patchy bonds that shed quickly.

Use these simple visual cues:

• For classic lashes, aim for a tiny, smooth micro bead, not a blob  
• For premade fans and wet lashes, use a touch more, but still keep it neat and slim  
• The glue should coat the base, not climb halfway up the extension  
• There should be no visible ball of glue once the lash is placed  

Good prep, paired with a reliable professional lash adhesive and tweezers that give you control, makes it much easier to pick up the right amount every time.

Bad Application Habits That Break the Bond Early

Even when prep and glue choice are solid, technique can still ruin retention. Small habits during application can disturb the curing process and lead to early shedding.

Some common habits that hurt your bonds:

• Not fully isolating the natural lash before placing the extension  
• Attaching at the wrong angle so the base does not sit flush  
• Brushing too soon or too hard and breaking fresh bonds  
• Dipping the extension in and out of the glue drop like paint, which can trap air and create messy bases  

Micro movements while the adhesive is setting are a big problem. If the extension keeps sliding around or being adjusted, the bond never has a chance to form a clean, strong wrap. This becomes very clear when clients sleep on their side or rub their eyes, and the weakest bonds let go first.

Weight choice matters too. Using extensions that are too long or thick for the natural lash adds stress. Even if your adhesive is perfect, the natural lash can shed early under extra weight.

To fix these habits, focus on:

• Clean, one-motion placement with the base sitting snugly against the natural lash  
• Holding the extension in place for about one second so the glue can grab  
• Checking bonds from different angles to make sure there are no gaps  
• Brushing gently only after the adhesive has mostly cured, instead of after every few lashes  

Working with the same professional lash adhesive often helps you build muscle memory. You get a feel for exactly how long you have before it sets, so placement becomes smooth and repeatable.

Stop Guessing and Start Mastering Your Adhesive

Strong, reliable retention is not random luck. It comes from understanding how your adhesive behaves, then matching your climate, prep and technique to that behaviour. A quick “adhesive audit” of your current routine can show you where things are going wrong.

You might review:

• Climate control and room layout  
• Glue choice for your common temperature and humidity range  
• Prep steps and tools  
• Application habits, such as isolation, amount of glue and brushing timing  

Change only one thing at a time and track client feedback over a few weeks. For example, adjust room humidity first, then work on drop refresh rate, then test a different adhesive. This slow, steady approach makes it clear which tweak actually improves retention.

At Devyani Lashes, we focus on professional lash adhesive, prep products and tools that suit Australian conditions, so lash artists and salons can build consistent, long-lasting sets. When we respect the science behind our glue and keep refining our technique, every set becomes an opportunity to master retention, not a guessing game we hope to win.

Elevate Every Set With Reliable, Long-Lasting Retention

Achieve consistent, salon-quality results with our professional lash adhesive carefully formulated for Australian lash artists. At Devyani Lashes, we rigorously test each product so you can work with confidence on every client. If you are unsure which adhesive is best for your room conditions or skill level, simply contact us and we will help you choose the right fit.