Lash Retention 101

Have you been struggling with lash retention?


Give this article a read to make sure you are doing all the right things to ensure you are getting the best retention you can!

A new client comes to see you. Whether it’s a full set or a fill, we recommend that you always WASH your client’s lashes with an eyelash cleanser before you begin! Tinyyy Bubbles contains ingredients that aid in removing your client’s stubborn makeup and is pH balanced so it is gentle on the eyes.


So how do you cleanse your client’s lashes? Dispense a few pumps of Tinyyy Bubbles into the lid of its container. Next, use a small fluffy brush and scoop the cleanser out of the lid and gently massage it into your client’s lash line where the extensions adhere to the natural lash.

Then, use Re-Nu which is a contact solution and tip your client’s head to the left and to the right and pour the solution over each eye to rinse all the cleanser off. Make sure you are holding a facecloth to your client’s outer eye region so that the Re-Nu can run over the eye and on to the cloth! Pat the lashes dry following.


Re-Nu contact solution can be purchased at any superstore or pharmacy and functions as a PRIMER for the lashes. The thing about adhesives is… they love to bond to a humid base. By rinsing/ saturating the lashes with Re-Nu prior to application, you add humidity to the lashes, which Black Magic just LOVES to bond on to! This creates a strong ionic bond and will assist in giving your client great retention!

Be aware of companies trying to sell you fancy eyelash primers. Many of these primers have ingredients containing alcohol which will DRY out the natural lash. Adhesives like moisture remember? So using a drying primer will not do your retention any good…

Now that we are ready to lash, make sure that your environment is optimal. Do NOT ever do lashes with a ceiling fan running over your workspace. This overhead circulation of air will only work against you as it will dry the adhesive at the end of each of your extension fans prior to their application on the natural lash. Unfortunately, the extension WILL usually still adhere to the natural lash (giving you a false sense of hope!), but the bond will be very weak and your extensions will likely fall off within a week or two.

Be aware of any other circulation of air in your lash room as well. If it is very hot in your room, consider having a fan or air-con that is positioned in such a way that you can not actually feel the flow of air at your work station.

Also, try to control the humidity in your lash room. The smaller the room, the easier it will be to control your environment. The most optimal lashing humidity level is ~45-65% when using Black Magic. if your environment is outside of those parameters, consider using a HUMIDIFIER or DEHUMIDIFIER. Black Magic has been trialed personally by us in environments as low as 25% in Canada and as high as 68% in Australia. In lower humidity levels, you may find that the lashes want to stick to each other, so it is important to keep checking and ensure all are perfectly isolated at all times until they have time to cure.

In order to keep your Black Magic working as optimally as possible, make sure that you are placing a new drop-in your adhesive tray bubbles every 10-15 minutes. You will be required to place a new drop more often the higher the humidity levels are in your lash room as humidity CURES the adhesive faster. An UNOPENED bottle of Black Magic is good in the Fridge for 1 year and opened at room temperature for 4-7 weeks! Make sure that you always put the original LID back on your Black Magic that it came with on- the little orange cap in your box is only meant to de-clog the opening of your adhesive but should NEVER be used as a lid!


Now that you are prepared to start lashing, make sure that you have isolated your chosen natural lash BEFORE dipping the lash extension in your Black Magic lash adhesive. This way, your lash fan will not have time to cure prematurely prior to placing it on the natural lash, given that it’s cure time is 0.5-1 second.

Hold the extension fan so that it dips straight into the adhesive drop perpendicularly. Dip the extension in 1-2mm and lift straight out with an even motion so that no BEAD forms at the end of the extension. If you end up with a bead, dip your fan into the adhesive again and withdraw it slower so that the bead slides off.

Do not SWIPE your extension on anything prior to placement on the natural lash- place it on the natural lash straight away! (which should already be isolated and ready). For example, do not do the common (and incorrect) practice of swiping the extension on your client’s under-eye pads (microfoam tape) prior to placement. By swiping the extension, the adhesive will be drawn off the fan in an uneven motion, leaving small (and not visible) areas of patchy dryness. This will also cause your fans to appear adhered to the natural lash but cause them to fall off within a week or two because of this weak (and UNEVEN) bond.


Once you have placed your extension fan on the natural lash… DO NOT MOVE IT! Do not slide or wiggle or move that lash fan anywhere. By manipulating the lash fan after placement, the movement is actually breaking down the bond that the adhesive was going to have with the natural lash! Again- it will seem like your fan is stuck on there because superficially it will be… but your retention will only be a week or two as these fans will prematurely fall off 🙁

Be cautious about nano-misters following lash application! If held too close to the freshly placed lashes, it can cure the adhesive TOO fast and weaken the bond of the extension with the natural lash. We don’t use nano-misters following application as we don’t find it to really benefit retention at all so it seems to be an unnecessary step that can only damage your retention if used incorrectly.

Now that you are done lashing, we suggest as aftercare for their lashes that they WASH their own lashes daily with their regular face-wash routine. Instruct them to use an OIL FREE makeup remover if they have had makeup on.

Follow these simple lash application rules and along with the help of Black Magic… you too could have retention as fabulous as the photos you see below!