Love your honesty and grateful you emailed them! I love their products but am disappointed with their professionalism to the point where I’m less inclined to purchase. It’s not just the photo editing, the script around each “coronation” release and sales feel deceptive whereas brands like mooncat do feel genuine when they say something is limited edition or sales are rare. I don’t know what’s happening bts, but I hope cirque will change! I noticed creators like Kelli Marissa stopped featuring them. Sigh.
omggg yeah them bringing back Coronation like 4 times is just ???? 🫠 what happened to it being LE? i know the unicorn pee pigment isn’t available anymore so its just scummy to bring it back in these super small batches over the course of months instead of just doing one rerelease. i felt so bad when they first brought it back last December and it sold out right away that i never shared my mani, but each time after i was just too embarrassed lol 🙈 i do hope they change too! they’re genuinely a good brand with great brand values but these business decisions (like the lucky bag fiasco) are just NOT it
witching hour is gorgeous, and so is the nail art you did with them 😍 re: cirque, don't apologise for appearing unprofessional, they're the ones doing it to themselves by altering and posting misleading pics! i remember your comparison swatch of pina vs mango jelly and them being pretty much dupes, so to see them put up that photoshopped swatch image is just distasteful :/ i so so appreciate your honest opinions (AND THE SASS!) and i have so much respect for you speaking up about these things!! never stop being yourself 🤍🤍
thank you!! its def one of my favorite halloween manis i’ve done 😁🕷️🕸️ and appreciate your reassurance so much 🫶🏼 very true it’s not any of our fault and it really is just them lol i just do not understand how they don’t see the problem with what they’re doing 😵💫 fingers crossed they stop soon and start working on winning back people’s trust
as always, thanks for swatching! commenting mostly for the algo bc I won't be picking these up, lol. both because they're thermals and just bc I have such a bad taste in my mouth about cirque. I think they're clearly really struggling as a brand with their image, marketing, etc. when I first got into polish in 2020, they were one of my absolute favorite brands, but now it feels like everything is either a mess (the lucky bag situation, changing the rewards program, the photo editing) or a re-release. I would love to be excited about one of their launches, but I just haven't been in so long? and honestly, once I feel like a brand doesn't care about me at all as a customer, I lose interest. Mooncat I feel like has such strong aesthetic values - Michelle clearly really cares about the collections having a clear story, and I'll keep buying ILNP because they truly stay in their unproblematic lane and are so affordable. but I just feel like Cirque does not give af about their consumers anymore - they're just re-releasing whatever might get people to make another purchase. (sorry this was a very rambly comment!)
no need to apologize, i totally agree with your sentiments!! they really have been struggling the last couple of years whether its the collections themselves falling flat quality wise (the holo magnetics, the unmixed pigment in their thermals etc) and yeah not to mention all the other scandals with their lucky bags too. its a shame to see how they handled those things as well, like why are they surprised they got so much negative feedback lol. i feel like i genuinely did enjoy some of their releases esp from this year, but yeah the bad marketing etc is so off putting. especially when you compare to other brands on the market!! i think they’ve gotten too comfortable being a boutique thats been around for a decade thinking their strong fanbase will just blindly follow/support them.
@@PolishedYogi "why are they so surprised" -- exactly! like y'all know it costs me literally nothing to not buy nail polish? I love when brands release stuff I don't like, or are unlikeable, it saves me money lol. if your customer service has an attitude I will just happily walk away. I don't have any blood oath to keep buying Cirque polishes. and I realized - even the polishes I liked this year were LE? like every time you swatch 'You Tart' I go to buy it before remembering it's not there anymore. Spoonful of Sugar is also pretty, but I'm not going to pay shipping on a single polish. anyway, I digress. :)
Yess 🙌 absolute agree with you. I love your statement about it costs you nothing to NOT buy nail polish 👏 so true!! Costs a brand everything if no one buys their products, costs us nothing to not support their shenanigans! 👏 😊
I already was reluctant to buy Cirque bc of the price vs the amount of polish you get (especially when you compare it to ILNP) but after seeing just how MUCH they edited piña jelly compared to your swatch of it? Absolutely not. For that reason alone, I really appreciate you continuing to swatch them, since cirque itself doesn’t seem interested in being honest about their product (or in treating their swatchers fairly) Personally, I feel like even when a company is behaving badly (sometimes especially when it is) channels like yours that give honest, unbiased reviews become more important than ever because it can help people make more informed decisions Speaking of glow in the dark polish, I was surprised with not just how patchy the cirque topper was, but also how little light it gave off? For roughly three dollars a bottle, LA colors makes glow in the dark polish in a variety of colors, so while it’s not clear, you can still create a bunch of unique looks pretty easily. Recently I used the blue one to create a glow in the dark spiderweb mani to go see Coraline with my cousin. The girl next to us gasped when the lights went down and my nails lit up! Super fun. If you happen to see them in a walmart, try and pick one up! They’re best done in three coats over white to really make the color pop :)
Yes totally understand that! Compared to other brands they’re just soo pricey. I feel like that SHOULD be the only thing putting people off from buying them, not all these other controversies lol. I really appreciate you sharing that though, as I’ve been feeling uncertain about whether or not I should continue sharing them. Like, I do want to, but since I’m an affiliate I don’t want it to come across as me just being a sell out lol 😵💫 but I thought the same as you, that hopefully my unbiased reviews can be helpful since their content can’t be trusted 😅 And yeah I reallyyy wished they switched the GITD pigment used.. that’s awesome LA Colors has some colorful options for super affordable prices, I’ve only heard of Orly also having different color GITD polishes but haven’t tried those. The blue one you used in that Coraline mani sounds SO cool!!! Hahah I love that someone gasped when they noticed your nails, such a great feeling 😁🤩🩵
I really haven’t been on their website in a good while so didn’t know about all this. This practice of theirs is misleading and should be called out! Speaking honestly is never wrong! I for one, appreciate it!
Afaik it’s actually from their Instagram? They reposted some swatcher’s pics on their Instagram and it’s pretty clear that they photoshopped it….but their swatch pics on their site have always been a little….eh lol
yes to clarify this most recent scandal was on their Instagram though i wouldn’t be surprised if their website photos for Jarritos were also altered.. it’s a shame they did it so hopefully they’re receptive of the feedback.
Thank you for emailing them! I saw that mess; it seemed like they were hoping it would just blow over and be one singular post with negative comments on it. It’s one thing to accidentally take too heavy a hand with retouching, but this really came across to me as though they were hoping people with Mango Jelly would buy Pina thinking it was less of a dupe than it is. Plus their response didn’t account for the fact that it was only a couple select polishes they tuned up, not the whole photo, so seemed a little weaselly. I really appreciate you using your sway for good, especially considering it runs the risk of backlash!! As Jenny Nicholson pointed out in her Starcruiser video, if you have access, it’s important to use it to be honest about stuff for your audience’s sake, instead of ignoring problems. I have two Cirques and I like them, but I’m put off enough that I probably won’t be tempted by them in future. I’ve also just heard little things here or there about their customer service not being very understanding, or the lucky bags thing. Other boutique brands don’t seem to attract controversy so much!
It’s the least I could do! 😅 I know they’ve gotten a lot of feedback on that one post specifically and yeah I’m hoping they don’t just try to sweep it under the rug… and yes definitely agree their response just doesn’t line up with the edited photos lol 😵💫 Truly appreciate your support & reassurance though 🤗 we can only hope Cirque will actually be receptive of all this. They really have dug themselves into a hole I feel, because it’s been like two years now of controversy after controversy and they NEED to start working on improving their brand image 😅 I’ve seen sooo many people say they haven’t even tried cirque but are completely put off bc of everything and I don’t blame them honestly :/
THANK YOU for your openness and candor. You are still so tactful and kind. It is good to feel like I can trust you and your observations. You are a great benefit to the nail polish community.
Good on you for saying what needs to be said, I can only imagine how uncomfortable this makes you feel given you're a brand affiliate. No brand has any right to edit a fan's swatched photos at all. And over-editing their paid Swatcher's photos can be a slippery slope... one that Cirque has fallen down before (hello, Bubbly collection, yes, I'm looking at you). It's a real shame they keep putting themselves in this position, it's totally avoidable, they have a great fan-base that continues to buy from them. They don't NEED the shady amateur business practices. They keep dragging themselves down to the point where I've popped them into the I Scream Nails camp; the one called 'I'm Not Buying It Until I've Eyeballed It On A Trusted Swatcher First'.
thank you so much for this! so well said, it’s really just them taking it way too far, and digging themselves into a hole they won’t be able to get out of eventually and it hurts to see knowing its completelyyy unavoidable lol 😵💫 oof yeah the i scream nails is a great comparison!
Your nail art was adorable! I don’t care for thermals so there’s that. I also don’t care for shady business practices like what Cirque is doing. I’ve never purchased from them and don’t intend to start now. I’m sure they’re good quality but they’re prices are up there with indies so I stick with indie brands I’d rather support. You did a fine job and I appreciate your honesty across the board. No you’re not unprofessional in any way.❤
thank you!! i really loved those looks 🥰 and i hear you, its such a shame they’ve gone down this path and don’t seem to be receptive to feedback.. and yeah even great quality aside, theyre definitely pricey so its better to shop other brands. truly appreciate your support & reassurance! 🤗
I can’t decide if I should get this collection. I like the fun idea of the thermal but not crazy about the company right now. Thank you for sharing your opinions too!
Honestly cirque doesn’t sell out like they used to, so it might be worth seeing if these are around during their next sale! Hopefully by then there will be something~ that shows they’re moving in the right direction too, but we’ll just have to see 😅
I'm actually not surprised they're in scandal since the lucky bag incident of last year. It seems they've been going downhill since then, including not emailing back when their site glitches when i can't use their own rewards system or affiliate codes. It's bizarre.
omg yeah i think the lucky bag fiasco last year was the only thing i didn’t talk about on my channel, but its def another ‘what were you guys thinking?’ moment for sure 🫠 i feel like they need to scale back what they’re doing to address this internal issues. i’d rather them not release monthly if it means better experiences & customer service.
Nothing you mention here undermines Cirque's product: you're providing constructive feedback so they can strengthen their marketing best practices. That is helping a business, not hindering! Thanks to your videos and other swatchers, I have never bought an in accurate color or "bad" formula from them. BUT I have been put off by the overly processed product photos displayed on their website. So there is space for them to address color accuracy / necessary retouching without falling into the "deceiving" category.
Great to hear your thoughts on the matter! I really hope they will do something with their latest practices. Editing, fomo-marketing only to bring the polish or the whole collection like this one back... It feels like things took a very wrong turn in their PR department, and it is a hot time to do something about it.
This is so helpful as always with your comparisons! Also obsessed with your eyeliner. The spiderweb peek-a-boo nail art you did a few years ago is still iconic 🕸️
Love your honesty! Love the cirque polishes I’ve bought over the years, but realistically I’ve only bought shades I’ve seen swatched in videos by swatchers I trust (like you and Kelli Marissa!)
thank you so much! yeah that’s definitely the way to go, it’s a shame to feel like we can’t just rely on a brand’s product images directly though :/ videos are such a huge help!
Meh. I haven’t bought anything from cirque for a while, and probably won’t. I was disappointed with them long before this controversy. They used to be a favorite of mine, but I’m turned off for many reasons. They seem to have lost touch with their customer base, and also to be lacking leadership? Halloween/Fall is one of the most popular holidays, I can’t believe they are missing an opportunity to drop a really awesome Halloween collection 🤷♀️ I have a couple of these polishes already. Thanks for swatching. :) I think it’s great you emailed them. Your explanation of your rationale was spot on, we understand 💯
i totally hear you 😔 i know there’s been so many other controversies too and I never loved how they addressed them either. and lol i think because of how bad last year’s Halloween release was, they would rather play it safe and re release what was a successful collection.. which I think CAN work. i can also see how it might look lazy too, i def would’ve preferred seeing them do something new for Halloween this year. but i’m glad you enjoyed my swatches of these! hopefully Cirque is receptive of the feedback & we see better changes moving forward 🤞🏼
I so appreciate the candor with which you expressed your views. Cirque was one of the first brands that I bought when I got into nail polish last year. And even though I loved all the polishes I got, I was irritated about the price I paid for the polishes as well as the skinny brush and then needing to buy wide brushes to make the painting experience more enjoyable. I racked up a decent amount of points and after some contemplation I decided on one polish I wanted to go back and get only to discover that they'd changed the rewards program so the points can't be used on a single polish and the free shipping threshold was now $60. For me that was it, their prices are high, if I get an older creme I have to change the brush out and I couldn't even use my rewards without buying a bunch of stuff I didn't want which after all that doesn't even feel like a reward anymore. When i heard about the controversy with the swatch images all I could do was shake my head. I hope that next year they make some positive changes that benefit the customer. But I've also discovered so many other brands since then it doesn't matter as much to me.
Cirque has just been living in the shade for at least the past year. Idk what they are doing but the issues are piling up and are serious. ATP I really want to hear from Annie - I think she should fire whoever is running their socials and control the messaging here while apologizing for the photoshopping, lucky bags, etc.
omg yeah I would love to be a fly on the wall in their meetings lol bc I really don’t understand how some of these decisions are getting approved?? 🫠 they really need to get it together lol
Okay so last year around this time Kelli Marissa released a collab with Cirque. & Like several months later, I was like, "hm, it seems like Kelli hasn't reviewed Cirque for a while?" Sure enough, I went back & she reviewed ONE collection after her collab came out & hasn't reviewed them since. So something happened. Based on their behavior lately-- like the Lucky Bag debacle, I wouldn't be surprised if they screwed her over somehow.
aw i’m sorry you also had that experience with Fata Morgana! if you want something like the website photos though, you should check out ILNP Lilac Bridges, I reviewed it in a video called My ILNP Black Friday Haul (or something along those lines haha) and you can see it ends up looking like what Fata Morgana was supposed to look like! 💜
ok wait... i knew thermals died but no way THIS is how i find out NEONS ALSO FADE??? lmao anyway your ending with the "whatever" lmaooo btw the orange with black dots manicure was simple but so cute!! im gonna have to do that
omg nooo how did you not know! 😭 i could’ve sworn i mentioned it in videos before, i hope some of your neons haven’t faded yet 💔 and lmao yeah i felt kinda bad about ending it that way but i was like literally idk what else to say 🤣🤣 i’m glad you loved that little dotticure tho, i def want to recreate it too 🎃🖤
I love thermals, but if it were cooler toned on the darker could state, I would get the purple one, or the black/grey without the sparkle. I'm so picky with colors, both colors have to be something i like.
Thank you for being honest and touching on the brand’s *over* photoshopping issues. I absolutely agree with your statements and opinion on the matter! I too hope they send out an official apology and knock that sheeet off! 😅😂 Just out of respect for swatchers I don’t think I’ll be shopping with the brand again unless they edit their ways. 😊 As for these polishes themselves tho, they’re neat? But I honestly don’t love how dull and muted they all are when warm? Almost looks like just a bunch of tinted grays (when warm) imo 😅 I do love your addition of the nail art you’ve done in the past with these!! I think with some designs on top like yours is the only way I’d wear these. Lol
Cirque became my absolute favorite nail polish brand back in 2021 but with everything thats been happening with them recently has made me reconsider that too many times. Like 1)their shipping threshold used to be $35! Then it became $50 and now it's $60?! 2)They changed their rewards program so that you need to spend $60 in order to use your points. 3)Your rewards tier can decrease if you don't spend "enough" the previous year. 4)Can't use sale codes and rewards at the same time. 5)Reward points expire after 12 months. 6)Too much photo editing! It's just ridiculous
Cast a Spell(😮💨) Enchanted, (especially in the cold state) and Witching Hour (😮💨😮💨) are my favorites. (Delirium over NSFW was a great dupe for Witching Hour!) I do not get why Cirque STILL edits their photos past simple edits, they legit change the color completely! I LOVE that you emailed Cirque! It most definitely not unprofessional that you emailed Cirque voicing your and everyone else’s dismay with their practices! They are misleading and they are doing a bait and switch. It is insane!! Thank you for doing this❤️
so glad you liked the thermals! 🤗💜 and appreciate your reassurance so much, I was really nervous to both email them and then talk about it here lol but i’m desperate for them to change their course bc i feel like the past 2 years has been mainly downhill 😵💫 i do hope they can improve!
Also…wow! I knew that Cirque totally retouches photos. But what they did with Pai’s swatches. I am shook. So ridiculous. I love Cirque so so much. But I never rely on them for swatches. I always look to swatchers to see what the polishes actually look like. But most people don’t know to do that.
i knowww i wish thermals wouldn’t eventually die! they really can be so cool. and ugh yeah the Pai situation was such a shame to see, like so blatant.. and yeah i think a lot of people in the community already knew to not really trust their website swatches lol but its still awful they don’t learn from that? i dont get how they’re aware of the awful perception people have of them but don’t see the problem?? 😵💫
I love cirques jellys but lately the collections feel lazy. Colours too similar, weird colour palettes and nothing innovative. And they are more expensive than others
Yeah I definitely can see that. while I’m generally a fan of re releases I do feel like this was more of the lazy route to take vs putting out something new. Though I’m not entirely surprised considering how awful last years Halloween release was lmao they really said better safe than sorry 🙈
I’ve been happy with Cirque in the past, but I’ve just been thinking, “What the heck are y’all doing??” I’ve been waiting for them to normalize and sort things out, but it seems like they’ve been going through it for a long time at this point… around a year or more?
SAMEEE ugh it just doesn’t make sense !! I feel like it’s been two years, at least that’s when it was the bubbly collection and then the thermals that had unmixed pigment in them.. Idr them having as many issues before that time but I could be wrong about that.
I've tried 6 different glow in the dark toppers, and Cirque's is by far the patchiest/weakest glowing. Cirque was the second brand of nail polish I ever bought and I love a lot of their catalog, but add me to the list of people who have gotten progressively more disappointed in the brand. 💔
ugh yeah its a shame they still used this specific pigment.. i get that its great for just not showing up on the nail the way milkier GITD toppers can, but the whole point is to see them gloww lol. but ugh yeah i’m sorry you’re feeling the disappointment too 😞💔
Cirque has not pissed me off to the point that I wouldn't buy from them if I saw something I liked, but I also haven't bought anything new from them in a long time. I did like the California Dreamin' re-release, but I already owned the polishes. I am wondering how much longer until Cirque starts listening to the feedback they're getting? From what I can tell, a lot of former customers of theirs are opting for other brands. Whether it's because of the controversies they've been getting themselves into, the price of the jellies or the lack of interesting collections. Like, I don't mind that they are re-releasing older collections, but here I am wondering if these thermals were actually that popular? I already don't like thermals, but Cirque is especially unreliable with their formula. For Halloween, they should have rubbed their brain cells together and brought out something exciting to wash away the disappointment of last year's release. A missed opportunity, because nail polish fans LOVE Halloween season..
ugh i totally get that 😣 & yeah same, like how many people exactly need to complain about these issues before they make a change?? i guess it just hasn’t been enough to affect their sales, like once they start to see they’ve been losing sales/customers i’m sure they would reconsider their approach. its just kind of wild to think it hasn’t hit that point already and yes i’m thinking the same about the re-release thing! california dreamin made sense, and if anything i could see Witching Hour being the one fan favorite maybe along with Enchanted, so at the point might as well bring them all back.. i honestly think this was them playing it safe because of last year’s awful release lol like why take a chance on something new when they could rerelease some previous popular colors? 😅 i do agree though it was a missed opportunity
I have been appalled at Cirques treatment of their photos. They don’t seem to be respectful of their customers, affiliates or their integrity. It’s not impossible to recover good will but trust is going to be hard to regain. They are not so special
i know!! so mind boggling they choose to continue to edit their photos to the extent they do, when its clearly been an issue for at least a few years now.. totally agree that i think they can come back from this but it definitely won’t be easy 🫤
I will watch your Cirque videos to support but i stopped shopping from them after the mystery bag fiasco. Their polishes are too expensive for them to do shenanigans like this.
Honestly, I'm not planning on picking these up... For so many reasons. All rereleases, price point, not gonna get my monies worth outta these before they die and that glow in the dark topcoat has been done better by other brands. All this on top of the most recent pic editing scandal. Just disappointing.
totally get that! aside from everything else going on with them, i think this release kinda feels lazy like they were hoping these would be best sellers again lol :/
Yeah, hard pass for me. Too many other great new releases out there for me to spend my $ on. Not thrilled with the drama. I only have 2 Cirque polishes and don't use them much anyway. Thus, it will probably stay that way.
I stopped liking cirque after they torched their relationship with Kelli Marissa. They make some nice polishes but there's just too many counts against them now, e.g. the lucky bag disaster, borderline predatory LE marketing, and now this editing debacle, which as you said is not even the first occurrence of their misleading advertising. To top it all off their polish is EXPENSIVE. I refuse to be a chump and fork out 14.50 for a tiny 11 mL bottle when so many indies offer more interesting finishes and handmade formulas for the same price or less. Mooncat and Cirque have been deeply disappointing me with their recent business decisions. It hurts me even more, as an Asian-American, because they are AAPI-owned, and they always brag about their social justice initiatives on social media. As for your honest opinions about Cirque, it is not unprofessional to give them your constructive criticisms. If your constructive criticisms harm your business relationship, that's unprofessional of THEM, not you.
I love c.color i don t even buy them with their website but by watching your TH-cam videos 😂so I don t really care. It s just a shame for them and their professional image.
I’ve mainly purchased Cirque’s Vice Collections and toppers. They are kinda pricey for the amount of polish you get. Your honesty and authenticity about touchy subjects is appreciated. Integrity is everything…and you have it in spades😊🫶🏼
Yeah they’re one of the most expensive brands on the market when you factor the size! But thank you so much for this comment, I often worry people will mistake my generally positive outlook for glossing over issues lol truly appreciate your words & support ! 🤗
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Love your honesty and grateful you emailed them! I love their products but am disappointed with their professionalism to the point where I’m less inclined to purchase. It’s not just the photo editing, the script around each “coronation” release and sales feel deceptive whereas brands like mooncat do feel genuine when they say something is limited edition or sales are rare. I don’t know what’s happening bts, but I hope cirque will change! I noticed creators like Kelli Marissa stopped featuring them. Sigh.
The coronation re release seemed sketch 💯 it’s like they pull it out when they need a sales boost. It’s not LE.
omggg yeah them bringing back Coronation like 4 times is just ???? 🫠 what happened to it being LE? i know the unicorn pee pigment isn’t available anymore so its just scummy to bring it back in these super small batches over the course of months instead of just doing one rerelease. i felt so bad when they first brought it back last December and it sold out right away that i never shared my mani, but each time after i was just too embarrassed lol 🙈 i do hope they change too! they’re genuinely a good brand with great brand values but these business decisions (like the lucky bag fiasco) are just NOT it
@@PolishedYogi I agree with you 100%. All of this.
witching hour is gorgeous, and so is the nail art you did with them 😍
re: cirque, don't apologise for appearing unprofessional, they're the ones doing it to themselves by altering and posting misleading pics! i remember your comparison swatch of pina vs mango jelly and them being pretty much dupes, so to see them put up that photoshopped swatch image is just distasteful :/
i so so appreciate your honest opinions (AND THE SASS!) and i have so much respect for you speaking up about these things!! never stop being yourself 🤍🤍
thank you!! its def one of my favorite halloween manis i’ve done 😁🕷️🕸️ and appreciate your reassurance so much 🫶🏼 very true it’s not any of our fault and it really is just them lol i just do not understand how they don’t see the problem with what they’re doing 😵💫 fingers crossed they stop soon and start working on winning back people’s trust
as always, thanks for swatching! commenting mostly for the algo bc I won't be picking these up, lol. both because they're thermals and just bc I have such a bad taste in my mouth about cirque. I think they're clearly really struggling as a brand with their image, marketing, etc. when I first got into polish in 2020, they were one of my absolute favorite brands, but now it feels like everything is either a mess (the lucky bag situation, changing the rewards program, the photo editing) or a re-release. I would love to be excited about one of their launches, but I just haven't been in so long? and honestly, once I feel like a brand doesn't care about me at all as a customer, I lose interest. Mooncat I feel like has such strong aesthetic values - Michelle clearly really cares about the collections having a clear story, and I'll keep buying ILNP because they truly stay in their unproblematic lane and are so affordable. but I just feel like Cirque does not give af about their consumers anymore - they're just re-releasing whatever might get people to make another purchase. (sorry this was a very rambly comment!)
no need to apologize, i totally agree with your sentiments!! they really have been struggling the last couple of years whether its the collections themselves falling flat quality wise (the holo magnetics, the unmixed pigment in their thermals etc) and yeah not to mention all the other scandals with their lucky bags too. its a shame to see how they handled those things as well, like why are they surprised they got so much negative feedback lol. i feel like i genuinely did enjoy some of their releases esp from this year, but yeah the bad marketing etc is so off putting. especially when you compare to other brands on the market!! i think they’ve gotten too comfortable being a boutique thats been around for a decade thinking their strong fanbase will just blindly follow/support them.
@@PolishedYogi "why are they so surprised" -- exactly! like y'all know it costs me literally nothing to not buy nail polish? I love when brands release stuff I don't like, or are unlikeable, it saves me money lol. if your customer service has an attitude I will just happily walk away. I don't have any blood oath to keep buying Cirque polishes. and I realized - even the polishes I liked this year were LE? like every time you swatch 'You Tart' I go to buy it before remembering it's not there anymore. Spoonful of Sugar is also pretty, but I'm not going to pay shipping on a single polish. anyway, I digress. :)
Yess 🙌 absolute agree with you. I love your statement about it costs you nothing to NOT buy nail polish 👏 so true!! Costs a brand everything if no one buys their products, costs us nothing to not support their shenanigans! 👏 😊
I already was reluctant to buy Cirque bc of the price vs the amount of polish you get (especially when you compare it to ILNP) but after seeing just how MUCH they edited piña jelly compared to your swatch of it? Absolutely not. For that reason alone, I really appreciate you continuing to swatch them, since cirque itself doesn’t seem interested in being honest about their product (or in treating their swatchers fairly)
Personally, I feel like even when a company is behaving badly (sometimes especially when it is) channels like yours that give honest, unbiased reviews become more important than ever because it can help people make more informed decisions
Speaking of glow in the dark polish, I was surprised with not just how patchy the cirque topper was, but also how little light it gave off? For roughly three dollars a bottle, LA colors makes glow in the dark polish in a variety of colors, so while it’s not clear, you can still create a bunch of unique looks pretty easily. Recently I used the blue one to create a glow in the dark spiderweb mani to go see Coraline with my cousin. The girl next to us gasped when the lights went down and my nails lit up! Super fun. If you happen to see them in a walmart, try and pick one up! They’re best done in three coats over white to really make the color pop :)
Yes totally understand that! Compared to other brands they’re just soo pricey. I feel like that SHOULD be the only thing putting people off from buying them, not all these other controversies lol.
I really appreciate you sharing that though, as I’ve been feeling uncertain about whether or not I should continue sharing them. Like, I do want to, but since I’m an affiliate I don’t want it to come across as me just being a sell out lol 😵💫 but I thought the same as you, that hopefully my unbiased reviews can be helpful since their content can’t be trusted 😅
And yeah I reallyyy wished they switched the GITD pigment used.. that’s awesome LA Colors has some colorful options for super affordable prices, I’ve only heard of Orly also having different color GITD polishes but haven’t tried those. The blue one you used in that Coraline mani sounds SO cool!!! Hahah I love that someone gasped when they noticed your nails, such a great feeling 😁🤩🩵
I really haven’t been on their website in a good while so didn’t know about all this. This practice of theirs is misleading and should be called out! Speaking honestly is never wrong! I for one, appreciate it!
Afaik it’s actually from their Instagram? They reposted some swatcher’s pics on their Instagram and it’s pretty clear that they photoshopped it….but their swatch pics on their site have always been a little….eh lol
yes to clarify this most recent scandal was on their Instagram though i wouldn’t be surprised if their website photos for Jarritos were also altered.. it’s a shame they did it so hopefully they’re receptive of the feedback.
Thank you for emailing them! I saw that mess; it seemed like they were hoping it would just blow over and be one singular post with negative comments on it. It’s one thing to accidentally take too heavy a hand with retouching, but this really came across to me as though they were hoping people with Mango Jelly would buy Pina thinking it was less of a dupe than it is. Plus their response didn’t account for the fact that it was only a couple select polishes they tuned up, not the whole photo, so seemed a little weaselly.
I really appreciate you using your sway for good, especially considering it runs the risk of backlash!! As Jenny Nicholson pointed out in her Starcruiser video, if you have access, it’s important to use it to be honest about stuff for your audience’s sake, instead of ignoring problems.
I have two Cirques and I like them, but I’m put off enough that I probably won’t be tempted by them in future. I’ve also just heard little things here or there about their customer service not being very understanding, or the lucky bags thing. Other boutique brands don’t seem to attract controversy so much!
It’s the least I could do! 😅 I know they’ve gotten a lot of feedback on that one post specifically and yeah I’m hoping they don’t just try to sweep it under the rug… and yes definitely agree their response just doesn’t line up with the edited photos lol 😵💫
Truly appreciate your support & reassurance though 🤗 we can only hope Cirque will actually be receptive of all this. They really have dug themselves into a hole I feel, because it’s been like two years now of controversy after controversy and they NEED to start working on improving their brand image 😅 I’ve seen sooo many people say they haven’t even tried cirque but are completely put off bc of everything and I don’t blame them honestly :/
THANK YOU for your openness and candor. You are still so tactful and kind. It is good to feel like I can trust you and your observations. You are a great benefit to the nail polish community.
thank you so much for this comment!! i truly appreciate that 🥹🫶🏼
Thank you so much for speaking on this, It’s so important! Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts and opinions. I appreciate you!!🫶
and i appreciate you!! tysm for your support 🫶🏼
Good on you for saying what needs to be said, I can only imagine how uncomfortable this makes you feel given you're a brand affiliate. No brand has any right to edit a fan's swatched photos at all. And over-editing their paid Swatcher's photos can be a slippery slope... one that Cirque has fallen down before (hello, Bubbly collection, yes, I'm looking at you). It's a real shame they keep putting themselves in this position, it's totally avoidable, they have a great fan-base that continues to buy from them. They don't NEED the shady amateur business practices. They keep dragging themselves down to the point where I've popped them into the I Scream Nails camp; the one called 'I'm Not Buying It Until I've Eyeballed It On A Trusted Swatcher First'.
thank you so much for this! so well said, it’s really just them taking it way too far, and digging themselves into a hole they won’t be able to get out of eventually and it hurts to see knowing its completelyyy unavoidable lol 😵💫 oof yeah the i scream nails is a great comparison!
I appreciate your honesty!!
I appreciate that 🤗
Your nail art was adorable! I don’t care for thermals so there’s that. I also don’t care for shady business practices like what Cirque is doing. I’ve never purchased from them and don’t intend to start now. I’m sure they’re good quality but they’re prices are up there with indies so I stick with indie brands I’d rather support.
You did a fine job and I appreciate your honesty across the board.
No you’re not unprofessional in any way.❤
thank you!! i really loved those looks 🥰 and i hear you, its such a shame they’ve gone down this path and don’t seem to be receptive to feedback.. and yeah even great quality aside, theyre definitely pricey so its better to shop other brands. truly appreciate your support & reassurance! 🤗
I can’t decide if I should get this collection. I like the fun idea of the thermal but not crazy about the company right now. Thank you for sharing your opinions too!
Honestly cirque doesn’t sell out like they used to, so it might be worth seeing if these are around during their next sale! Hopefully by then there will be something~ that shows they’re moving in the right direction too, but we’ll just have to see 😅
I'm actually not surprised they're in scandal since the lucky bag incident of last year. It seems they've been going downhill since then, including not emailing back when their site glitches when i can't use their own rewards system or affiliate codes. It's bizarre.
omg yeah i think the lucky bag fiasco last year was the only thing i didn’t talk about on my channel, but its def another ‘what were you guys thinking?’ moment for sure 🫠 i feel like they need to scale back what they’re doing to address this internal issues. i’d rather them not release monthly if it means better experiences & customer service.
Oof I have Not been keeping up with cirque lately bc this is all new to me lmaoo sorry for being nosey but what happened with the lucky bags?? 😅
This is why I love your videos! 100% honestly and truth. I appreciate you calling them out when needed. I do love these polishes tho!
thank you so much! 🫶🏼
Nothing you mention here undermines Cirque's product: you're providing constructive feedback so they can strengthen their marketing best practices. That is helping a business, not hindering!
Thanks to your videos and other swatchers, I have never bought an in accurate color or "bad" formula from them. BUT I have been put off by the overly processed product photos displayed on their website. So there is space for them to address color accuracy / necessary retouching without falling into the "deceiving" category.
Great to hear your thoughts on the matter! I really hope they will do something with their latest practices. Editing, fomo-marketing only to bring the polish or the whole collection like this one back... It feels like things took a very wrong turn in their PR department, and it is a hot time to do something about it.
This is so helpful as always with your comparisons! Also obsessed with your eyeliner. The spiderweb peek-a-boo nail art you did a few years ago is still iconic 🕸️
aw i’m so glad you loved that look too! it’s so fun, and one i want to recreate again 🕸️🕷️ thanks caitlin 🥰🤗
Love your honesty! Love the cirque polishes I’ve bought over the years, but realistically I’ve only bought shades I’ve seen swatched in videos by swatchers I trust (like you and Kelli Marissa!)
thank you so much! yeah that’s definitely the way to go, it’s a shame to feel like we can’t just rely on a brand’s product images directly though :/ videos are such a huge help!
Meh. I haven’t bought anything from cirque for a while, and probably won’t. I was disappointed with them long before this controversy. They used to be a favorite of mine, but I’m turned off for many reasons. They seem to have lost touch with their customer base, and also to be lacking leadership? Halloween/Fall is one of the most popular holidays, I can’t believe they are missing an opportunity to drop a really awesome Halloween collection 🤷♀️ I have a couple of these polishes already.
Thanks for swatching. :)
I think it’s great you emailed them. Your explanation of your rationale was spot on, we understand 💯
i totally hear you 😔 i know there’s been so many other controversies too and I never loved how they addressed them either. and lol i think because of how bad last year’s Halloween release was, they would rather play it safe and re release what was a successful collection.. which I think CAN work. i can also see how it might look lazy too, i def would’ve preferred seeing them do something new for Halloween this year. but i’m glad you enjoyed my swatches of these! hopefully Cirque is receptive of the feedback & we see better changes moving forward 🤞🏼
I so appreciate the candor with which you expressed your views. Cirque was one of the first brands that I bought when I got into nail polish last year. And even though I loved all the polishes I got, I was irritated about the price I paid for the polishes as well as the skinny brush and then needing to buy wide brushes to make the painting experience more enjoyable. I racked up a decent amount of points and after some contemplation I decided on one polish I wanted to go back and get only to discover that they'd changed the rewards program so the points can't be used on a single polish and the free shipping threshold was now $60. For me that was it, their prices are high, if I get an older creme I have to change the brush out and I couldn't even use my rewards without buying a bunch of stuff I didn't want which after all that doesn't even feel like a reward anymore.
When i heard about the controversy with the swatch images all I could do was shake my head. I hope that next year they make some positive changes that benefit the customer. But I've also discovered so many other brands since then it doesn't matter as much to me.
I appreciate your reviews and honesty❤
Thanks so much! 🤗
Cirque has just been living in the shade for at least the past year. Idk what they are doing but the issues are piling up and are serious. ATP I really want to hear from Annie - I think she should fire whoever is running their socials and control the messaging here while apologizing for the photoshopping, lucky bags, etc.
omg yeah I would love to be a fly on the wall in their meetings lol bc I really don’t understand how some of these decisions are getting approved?? 🫠 they really need to get it together lol
Okay so last year around this time Kelli Marissa released a collab with Cirque. & Like several months later, I was like, "hm, it seems like Kelli hasn't reviewed Cirque for a while?" Sure enough, I went back & she reviewed ONE collection after her collab came out & hasn't reviewed them since. So something happened. Based on their behavior lately-- like the Lucky Bag debacle, I wouldn't be surprised if they screwed her over somehow.
That’s very intriguing 🧐 I too am now curious about why she stopped reviewing them…
I bought and hated Fata Morgana too! I was sad it wasn't lavender
aw i’m sorry you also had that experience with Fata Morgana! if you want something like the website photos though, you should check out ILNP Lilac Bridges, I reviewed it in a video called My ILNP Black Friday Haul (or something along those lines haha) and you can see it ends up looking like what Fata Morgana was supposed to look like! 💜
ok wait... i knew thermals died but no way THIS is how i find out NEONS ALSO FADE??? lmao anyway your ending with the "whatever" lmaooo btw the orange with black dots manicure was simple but so cute!! im gonna have to do that
omg nooo how did you not know! 😭 i could’ve sworn i mentioned it in videos before, i hope some of your neons haven’t faded yet 💔 and lmao yeah i felt kinda bad about ending it that way but i was like literally idk what else to say 🤣🤣 i’m glad you loved that little dotticure tho, i def want to recreate it too 🎃🖤
@@PolishedYogi you probably have and my goldfish memory probably didn't remember hearing it LOL but so far mine seem to be okay 🤞!
I love thermals, but if it were cooler toned on the darker could state, I would get the purple one, or the black/grey without the sparkle. I'm so picky with colors, both colors have to be something i like.
i totally get you! you realllyyy have to love both/all color transitions for thermals to make them worth it lol.
Thank you for being honest and touching on the brand’s *over* photoshopping issues. I absolutely agree with your statements and opinion on the matter! I too hope they send out an official apology and knock that sheeet off! 😅😂
Just out of respect for swatchers I don’t think I’ll be shopping with the brand again unless they edit their ways. 😊
As for these polishes themselves tho, they’re neat? But I honestly don’t love how dull and muted they all are when warm? Almost looks like just a bunch of tinted grays (when warm) imo 😅 I do love your addition of the nail art you’ve done in the past with these!! I think with some designs on top like yours is the only way I’d wear these. Lol
Cirque became my absolute favorite nail polish brand back in 2021 but with everything thats been happening with them recently has made me reconsider that too many times. Like 1)their shipping threshold used to be $35! Then it became $50 and now it's $60?! 2)They changed their rewards program so that you need to spend $60 in order to use your points. 3)Your rewards tier can decrease if you don't spend "enough" the previous year. 4)Can't use sale codes and rewards at the same time. 5)Reward points expire after 12 months. 6)Too much photo editing! It's just ridiculous
Cast a Spell(😮💨)
Enchanted, (especially in the cold state)
and Witching Hour (😮💨😮💨) are my favorites.
(Delirium over NSFW was a great dupe for Witching Hour!)
I do not get why Cirque STILL edits their photos past simple edits, they legit change the color completely!
I LOVE that you emailed Cirque! It most definitely not unprofessional that you emailed Cirque voicing your and everyone else’s dismay with their practices! They are misleading and they are doing a bait and switch. It is insane!! Thank you for doing this❤️
so glad you liked the thermals! 🤗💜 and appreciate your reassurance so much, I was really nervous to both email them and then talk about it here lol but i’m desperate for them to change their course bc i feel like the past 2 years has been mainly downhill 😵💫 i do hope they can improve!
I appreciate honest videos most of all and stop following creators who only have good things to say. Critique when needed is real.
Thank you for this! 🫶🏼
Skittles mani looks neat. 👍
I’m glad you think so too!
These are so fun! I really love the orange. But man…thermals. 🤷🏼♀️ I have so many polishes I worry they will die before I get to wearing them.😱
Also…wow! I knew that Cirque totally retouches photos. But what they did with Pai’s swatches. I am shook. So ridiculous. I love Cirque so so much. But I never rely on them for swatches. I always look to swatchers to see what the polishes actually look like. But most people don’t know to do that.
i knowww i wish thermals wouldn’t eventually die! they really can be so cool. and ugh yeah the Pai situation was such a shame to see, like so blatant.. and yeah i think a lot of people in the community already knew to not really trust their website swatches lol but its still awful they don’t learn from that? i dont get how they’re aware of the awful perception people have of them but don’t see the problem?? 😵💫
I love cirques jellys but lately the collections feel lazy. Colours too similar, weird colour palettes and nothing innovative. And they are more expensive than others
Yeah I definitely can see that. while I’m generally a fan of re releases I do feel like this was more of the lazy route to take vs putting out something new. Though I’m not entirely surprised considering how awful last years Halloween release was lmao they really said better safe than sorry 🙈
Me encantó ese efecto en degrade ,saludos
🤗🤗
I’ve been happy with Cirque in the past, but I’ve just been thinking, “What the heck are y’all doing??” I’ve been waiting for them to normalize and sort things out, but it seems like they’ve been going through it for a long time at this point… around a year or more?
SAMEEE ugh it just doesn’t make sense !! I feel like it’s been two years, at least that’s when it was the bubbly collection and then the thermals that had unmixed pigment in them.. Idr them having as many issues before that time but I could be wrong about that.
I've tried 6 different glow in the dark toppers, and Cirque's is by far the patchiest/weakest glowing. Cirque was the second brand of nail polish I ever bought and I love a lot of their catalog, but add me to the list of people who have gotten progressively more disappointed in the brand. 💔
ugh yeah its a shame they still used this specific pigment.. i get that its great for just not showing up on the nail the way milkier GITD toppers can, but the whole point is to see them gloww lol. but ugh yeah i’m sorry you’re feeling the disappointment too 😞💔
Cirque has not pissed me off to the point that I wouldn't buy from them if I saw something I liked, but I also haven't bought anything new from them in a long time. I did like the California Dreamin' re-release, but I already owned the polishes.
I am wondering how much longer until Cirque starts listening to the feedback they're getting? From what I can tell, a lot of former customers of theirs are opting for other brands. Whether it's because of the controversies they've been getting themselves into, the price of the jellies or the lack of interesting collections.
Like, I don't mind that they are re-releasing older collections, but here I am wondering if these thermals were actually that popular? I already don't like thermals, but Cirque is especially unreliable with their formula. For Halloween, they should have rubbed their brain cells together and brought out something exciting to wash away the disappointment of last year's release. A missed opportunity, because nail polish fans LOVE Halloween season..
ugh i totally get that 😣 & yeah same, like how many people exactly need to complain about these issues before they make a change?? i guess it just hasn’t been enough to affect their sales, like once they start to see they’ve been losing sales/customers i’m sure they would reconsider their approach. its just kind of wild to think it hasn’t hit that point already
and yes i’m thinking the same about the re-release thing! california dreamin made sense, and if anything i could see Witching Hour being the one fan favorite maybe along with Enchanted, so at the point might as well bring them all back.. i honestly think this was them playing it safe because of last year’s awful release lol like why take a chance on something new when they could rerelease some previous popular colors? 😅 i do agree though it was a missed opportunity
I have been appalled at Cirques treatment of their photos. They don’t seem to be respectful of their customers, affiliates or their integrity. It’s not impossible to recover good will but trust is going to be hard to regain. They are not so special
i know!! so mind boggling they choose to continue to edit their photos to the extent they do, when its clearly been an issue for at least a few years now.. totally agree that i think they can come back from this but it definitely won’t be easy 🫤
I bought them all again, but had to buy one more....Sticky Icky.
i thought Sticky Icky was retired like last year, did they bring it back?
@@PolishedYogi it did. Got it from another site
I will watch your Cirque videos to support but i stopped shopping from them after the mystery bag fiasco. Their polishes are too expensive for them to do shenanigans like this.
i appreciate you still choosing to watch! yeah even shenanigans aside they’re super pricey 🥲
Honestly, I'm not planning on picking these up... For so many reasons. All rereleases, price point, not gonna get my monies worth outta these before they die and that glow in the dark topcoat has been done better by other brands. All this on top of the most recent pic editing scandal. Just disappointing.
totally get that! aside from everything else going on with them, i think this release kinda feels lazy like they were hoping these would be best sellers again lol :/
Yeah, hard pass for me. Too many other great new releases out there for me to spend my $ on. Not thrilled with the drama. I only have 2 Cirque polishes and don't use them much anyway. Thus, it will probably stay that way.
Yeah totally get that! Are you excited for Holo Taco’s release tomorrow? 👀
I stopped liking cirque after they torched their relationship with Kelli Marissa. They make some nice polishes but there's just too many counts against them now, e.g. the lucky bag disaster, borderline predatory LE marketing, and now this editing debacle, which as you said is not even the first occurrence of their misleading advertising. To top it all off their polish is EXPENSIVE. I refuse to be a chump and fork out 14.50 for a tiny 11 mL bottle when so many indies offer more interesting finishes and handmade formulas for the same price or less.
Mooncat and Cirque have been deeply disappointing me with their recent business decisions. It hurts me even more, as an Asian-American, because they are AAPI-owned, and they always brag about their social justice initiatives on social media.
As for your honest opinions about Cirque, it is not unprofessional to give them your constructive criticisms. If your constructive criticisms harm your business relationship, that's unprofessional of THEM, not you.
I love c.color i don t even buy them with their website but by watching your TH-cam videos 😂so I don t really care. It s just a shame for them and their professional image.
yeah its a shame you just can’t trust their own site photos and have to rely on outside sources 😅 i’m glad my videos can be reliable!
I’ve mainly purchased Cirque’s Vice Collections and toppers. They are kinda pricey for the amount of polish you get. Your honesty and authenticity about touchy subjects is appreciated. Integrity is everything…and you have it in spades😊🫶🏼
Yeah they’re one of the most expensive brands on the market when you factor the size! But thank you so much for this comment, I often worry people will mistake my generally positive outlook for glossing over issues lol truly appreciate your words & support ! 🤗