Why Glow Up partnered with BL Lashes over LashBoxLA for adhesive

Recently we have received some questions about the adhesive we use. Examples include:

Who do you use for adhesive?
Is the adhesive we use high quality?
You used to use LashBoxLA adhesive, why did you stop?
Will you be getting LashBoxLA adhesive back?
How well tested is it? Is it professionally tested?

Decisions around adhesives are not taken lightly at Glow Up (formerly Lash Lovers). We are a busy studio with many long term guests and it is essential we maintain our strong retention rates. However, there was a need to make a shift about a year ago and this change has proved a positive one.

History of adhesive at the studio

For those who know the history of the studio, the business (Lash Lovers) was closed down under city order during the COVID pandemic in 2020. It was then rebuilt from the ground up for the next few years with every element of business and service operations being assessed and improved. (Before ultimately rebranding and remodeling to become Glow Up recently with the introduction of COSMEDIX Facials).

Originally the studio used to use 6 different adhesives from at least 4 different brands. Having this many glues in rotation made it very difficult to track trends in retention and react accordingly. Due to the significant challenges at the time of reopening there wasn’t the time to do in-depth research on adhesive. Out of necessity therefore, we made the decision to order LashBoxLA based on the advice from our new Master Stylist. Luckily, the decision worked out well for us, at least until the end of 2021.

Supply chain problems

For the last 18-24 months we have had problems with LashBox LA.

Numerous bottles came without glue or with glue that would not pour.
Normal orders became problematic. Supply chain issues were extending shipments to a point that it was becoming very difficult to source the volumes we needed. The pictures below are on LashBoxLA home page right now. Omega was our primary glue and as you can see they have clearly been having issues supplying anyone, let alone a busy salon with 12 stylists that needs new adhesive every 30-days.

As a busy studio needing to supply 8 stations every 30 days with adhesive, it became clear that we could not rely on LashBoxLA any longer as our primary supplier.

Choosing a new adhesive supplier

One of the competitive advantages we have over the franchise Lash salons is as an independent, we have full control of our supply chain. We do not have to purchase the branded and often poor quality adhesive from the franchisor. With staff with history at all the major franchises, we had first hand knowledge of their quality of products and we knew we could do better.

With the business in a much more stable position, just as when we developed our own lashes and lash brand, we were able to complete much more research. We physically tested numerous adhesives internally from many brands and manufacturers.

We knew though that it was essential we switched to a supplier with a deeper background in the industry than LashBoxLA and a brand that had much more control of their supply chain. In fact, we really wanted to work directly with a manufacturer as we do with our amazing lash extensions.

Why did BL Lashes tick all the boxes?

The testing of the BL Lashes range of adhesive was very successful, but ultimately they were chosen for 5 very important reasons:

BL is 19 yrs old, founded in 2004. They have some of the most experience in the lash and adhesive industry. In comparison, LashBox LA was founded in 2018. They are only 5 yrs old.
BL MANUFACTURES adhesive and lash supplies in Korea. In comparison, LashBoxLA PRIVATE LABELS adhesive and supplies from many suppliers.
BL Lashes CONTROLS their supply chain. In comparison, LashBoxLA has NO CONTROL of their supply chain as they are beholden to many manufacturers.
BL Lashes are RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY as thought leaders and innovators in the industry and is found in more than 3,500 retailers in over 70 countries in the world’s top lash salons, as well as beauty schools both in Korea and worldwide. LashBoxLA is are predominantly an online retailer who operates in the USA supplying product to independent artists to use and sell.
BL Lashes professionally test their products to meet the very stringent regulations of the Korean Ministry of Environment in addition to all specific country requirements. We are confident LashBoxLA perform similar testing with their formulations.

Are we going to switch back to LashBoxLA?

As a studio we are proud that we have worked hard to have one of the best retention and reaction rates in the business. Making the decision to partner with BL Lashes was the right one. However, just as with LashBoxLA we continue to monitor the performance of the BL adhesive we use and will make improvements and changes if required. Overall though, BL Lashes have exceeded our expectations and we will therefore not be switching back to LashBoxLA.

Introducing a new adhesive for the inbetweeners

Historically we have focused on a one regular fast drying adhesive and a one sensitive clear slower drying adhesive. Operating with two adhesive options just as we did with LashBoxLA has worked very well for the most part.

However, based on some recent feedback, from guests and staff, we feel there is a need to introduce a third option. This adhesive would be for guests who may not be seeing either the best performance with our primary option from a retention standpoint, or have been having minor reactions but do not feel they need to use the sensitive option.

Essentially we needed an adhesive that sits somewhere in between, one that can be fast drying AND be more sensitive. In the coming weeks therefore we will be introducing OPTIMO PLUS by BL Lashes for our inbetweeners!.

Optimo Plus will become our 3rd option and we will be advising our Estheticians to recommend it as an option for those who they feel it would be ideal for based on their experience and history with the guest. However, you are free to ask your Esthetician too if you would like to use it.

Benefits of Optimo Plus:

MMA* Free, Toluene Free, Latex Free, U.S. FDA-certified carbon black
Fast drying time, 1-2-second
Low fumes and irritation
Low Viscosity
Perfect for Classic & Volume lash extensions
Complies with the safety standards of the Korean Ministry of Environment

*What is MMA? - For a typical glue. PMMA or Poly Methyl Methacrylate is added to cyanoacrylate to adjust viscosity and improve adhesion. When PMMA melts and becomes liquid it becomes Methyl Methacrylate (MMA)

Importance of reporting concerns, no matter how small

We encourage all our guests and staff to report any reactions and concerns to our Studio Director, Stephanie or her Guest Relations Team. If reactions or excessive fall-out occur, please whenever possible contact us immediately and share photos to our normal text/phone number (214-357-5274). It is essential that we are able to assess the situation and track if the incident was isolated or part of a pattern. After all, each of us can have slightly different reactions to adhesive based on skin type, skin condition, lifestyle etc. We want to ensure we continue offering our guests the best service possible and feedback like this is essential.