A Lash Artist’s Retrospective: The Rise and Fall of Sky Glue (2013–2018)

Published as a retrospective on 01 July 2025

Remember the buzz when every artist was raving about Sky Glue’s lightning-fast curing speed? Flash forward to 2018, and you’d struggle to find a bottle on any shelf.

What happened? In this post, we unpack the Sky Glue saga -from its meteoric rise in the lash world to its quiet disappearance - and share the lessons every artist should know.

1. The Sky Glue Phenomenon (2013–2015)

2013: Sky Glue launches in Russia with ultra-fast drying time (under 0.5 seconds curing time) and a paste-like viscosity that made it an instant hit on Salon Geek and in Facebook groups.

2014: International distributors pick it up. Workshops advertise “zero-fail” classic sets using only Sky Glue. Artists praise its beginner-friendly feel that it helps avoids glue dipping mistakes.

2015: Social media is flooded with #SkyGlueChallenge videos - lash artists racing to apply full sets before the glue cures completely.

2. Early Warning Signs (Late 2015–2016)

• Moisture Sensitivity & Premature Gelation
  Sky Glue lacked adequate moisture scavengers. Even tiny amounts of humidity inside a poorly sealed Sky Glue and Lady Black bottle triggered premature polymerization - leading to cured glue clogging nozzles and ruining lash sets.

• Inconsistent Monomer Purity
  Third-party lab tests (finally) found fluctuating levels of ethyl cyanoacrylate purity -some batches dipped below 85%, introducing unreacted impurities that caused yellowing and tack loss.

• Missing or Inaccurate Stabilizers
  SDS documents claimed a six-month shelf life, but many bottles gelled or turned cloudy after just 4–6 weeks. The advertised antioxidant package was either absent or insufficient, so free radicals formed polymers too quickly.

• High, Unlisted VOC Emissions
  You remember what the headaches and eye irritation was like.
  Formaldehyde and other volatile by products were off-gassing at levels two to three times higher than labelled - yet the SDS never quantified VOC percentages.

• Allergy & Sensitization Spikes
  Lash artists began experiencing skin-sensitisation reactions (H317) far more frequently than with other brands - tracing back to unlisted accelerators in the formula that weren’t disclosed on the SDS.

3. The Quiet Pullback (2016–2018)

• Distributor Drops: By mid-2016, major suppliers quietly stopped reordering Sky Glue and its sister brand Lady Black - and although Lashology never stocked them, we continued to sound the alarm industry-wide in 2019 (hello if you've been with us since then!)

• Regulatory Murmurs: Regulators in Australia and Europe began checking ingredient disclosures. Ingredient lists omitted key accelerators and didn’t disclose VOC content or batch-to-batch variation.

• Community Exodus: Educators and top artists began swapping out ultra-fast tack for glues with reliable cure windows (1–3 seconds) and certified low-VOC formulations. The narrative shifted to “safety-first performance” rather than pure speed.

4. Lessons Learned for Today’s Lash Suppliers and Artist's

• Don’t Chase the Hype Alone
  Always test new glues across your own studio conditions before committing.

• Trust But Verify Your SDS
  Ingredient transparency isn’t optional. If an adhesive’s Safety Data Sheet lacks clear VOC percentages, shelf-life data or allergy warnings, ask for proof from your supplier - or look elsewhere.

• Prioritise Consistency Over Speed
  Sometimes slightly slower cure time that’s reliable at 20–80 % humidity will save more time (and headaches) than a glue that only shines in perfect lab conditions.

• Store and Rotate Smartly
  Even the best glues degrade. Keep stock cold, use the oldest batch first and discard anything past its recommended shelf life.

Sky Glue’s rapid rise and sudden fall remind us that no adhesive formula is bullet-proof. As today’s industry embraces low-VOC, humidity-stable glues, carry forward these hard-won lessons: test rigorously, read every SDS in full and never sacrifice client comfort or safety for a few extra milliseconds of speed

Ready for a safer, more reliable glue experience?
Explore our curated adhesives that are AICIS registered, low VOC and compliance aware.

Be sure to visit our Compliance and Health Hub and download your free Adhesive Ingredient Breakdown one-pager to make informed choices every time.