Cirque Colors Treasure Trove Holiday Shop 🔮✨ Swatches, Comparisons + Review!

[@WoWLinry]

When you clean out your fridge and find more UP in the back. When you clean out your car and find more UP under the seat. When you remodel your home and find more UP in the walls.

[@Diametricallyopposed00]

💯 😂

[@PolishedYogi]

Lmao I’m truly so confused about how they’ve brought it back so many times?? Like were they only listing 5 polishes each time???

[@PirateFrodoPotter]

Lmaooo 😂😂

[@cheyenne21577]

🤣 UP in the walls, under the floor boards, in the gutters, and don’t forget the glove box. This pigment must not be as rare as they claim! 😅

[@SarahM_GiveMeSparkles]

🤣🤣🤣

[@JollyDSmoker]

Cirque lost me a while ago. High price to ml ratio, yucky business practises, awful connection with customers. This Coronation re-release for the nth time is just the cherry on top. I paid the 18USD because it thought it would be exclusive. Yeah, right… Thank you for your honesty and being real ❤

[@PolishedYogi]

ugh yeah i know so many others feel the same.. its such a shame they went down this road 😪 i’m still convinced with how fast the previous re releases sold out though it means they only listed like 5-10 bottles lol so yours is still exclusive! at least thats what i’d like to believe 🥲 but of course 🫶🏼

[@PirateFrodoPotter]

Thank you for your honesty Stephanie!! Cirque’s behavior is so oddly stubborn and adamant despite all the evidence we have before our eyes. Between their high prices and these controversies, I sadly don’t plan to buy much (if anything) from them in the future. But, I still appreciate you sharing what you receive, and your continuing efforts to hold them accountable and clarify behind-the-scenes a bit more for us!

[@a.z.p.]

Thank you for holding them accountable! I feel like now I’m so put off by them that I see an intriguing polish of theirs and think, “That looks cool; I wonder where I can get something similar!” But I probably won’t buy from cirque themselves again, especially given their doubling down.

[@PolishedYogi]

i tried at least! 😅 i don’t blame you for being so put off bc same.. its such a shame bc i really loved their products. it was already one thing for them to just be pricier than others on the market lol, so the fact they want to just ignore customer feedback and make their reputation even worse is wild 🥴

[@sunbeamnails]

Coronation is that ex that keeps on texting you when they’re drunk except this ex is pretty lol 😂

[@PolishedYogi]

LOL nooo not the toxic relationship with Coronation! 🥴💀

[@holographically]

I really appreciate you being honest about Cirque, thank you so much!! 💜 I got into them 2 yrs ago and stopped buying from them this past yr after several egregious issues that I emailed them about, only for them to reply with typical corporate jargon filled with excuses and zero accountability or ownership of said issues. I've no interest in supporting a company that skirts responsibility, tells loyal customers that they're the one in the wrong, and that there's no issue with a polish being a completely different colour in person than advertised

[@PolishedYogi]

ugh yeah i hate to say their email was verrrry much filled with corporate jargon lol i’m like, do they think i’m gonna share their email and thats why they’re responding this way?? 🤣 but it just seems like regular practice for them to completely disregard anyones concerns/reasons for emailing in the first place 🙄😒

[@kate_and_colors]

No words about their reply to you and yet another coronation re-re-re-re-re-release. But thank you for sharing all the polishes and your thoughts and for holding them accountable as well even if they won't accept any feedback from the community!

[@PolishedYogi]

lmao the re-re-re-re-re-release is too good 🤣😭 thank you for watching despite the disappointment 🥹🫶🏼

[@heidiheaux7007]

Cirque irritated me a while back when they cancelled my ENTIRE order with no explanation…later found out it was because ONE of the colors was sold out. Who does that??? Later saw online that I wasn’t the only one who had this issue. I do love some of their magnetics I have, but come on! It makes me appreciate ILNP so much more! No exploding bottles, no limited edition hysteria, reasonable prices, and outstanding customer service!

[@AnaMiel4324]

I love that ILNP isn’t into the FOMO and LE game.

[@PolishedYogi]

omg my jaw dropped, thats insane they just canceled your whole order with no notice!! and the fact that it happened to other people too?? 🫣 omg yeah ILNP is great lol dare i say the best on the market at least for boutiques!

[@arisunohana]

Your super non-sugarcoated opinions 👏❤‍🔥

[@RunningNotStopping]

Idk she's pretty sugary to me 😂

[@PolishedYogi]

hehe i appreciate you 😌

[@PolishedYogi]

i know you’re not talking about this video right lol? 🤨

[@RunningNotStopping]

@@PolishedYogi ??? What?

[@arisunohana]

@@PolishedYogi wait, what 😂

[@Mirandathedragon]

I feel similarly that I'm glad you get their stuff because you are so transparent with your reviews. Thanks for bringing this up and talking about it here and in the other video too. ❤

[@PolishedYogi]

thank you so much for trusting me! 🥹 & of course, i definitely have a responsibility to talk about these things! 💗

[@Violet_in_Wonderland]

Cirque creates beautiful things, but they do not have beautiful behavior. There are so many other choices for indies -- you can still make a good choice as a consumer and support a better brand

[@PolishedYogi]

Definitely! I just wish more brands had more jellies lol 😭

[@holographically]

@@PolishedYogi seconding this!! 🙏

[@AnaMiel4324]

I have been slowly detaching from Cirque. I only like jellies from this brand, but happy ILNP came to the game and with more reasonable prices and I’m looking forward to see their catalog to expand. For the sake of my wallet my priorities go towards MC and INLP. For BF I’ll only stick with jellies.

[@setthethamesonfire4152]

​@@PolishedYogido you have any jellies from Fancy Gloss? I really like them and they're comparatively inexpensive

[@Violet_in_Wonderland]

@@PolishedYogi Honestly as soon as I saw Royal Jelly, I thought of Starrily Crown Jelly. Highly recommend that!

[@veearce3384]

Yes, love nimbus! ❤

[@PolishedYogi]

Such a pretty topper 🥹✨

[@tabularasa]

I remember watching a tutorial on amethyst nails (I think it was Kelli Marissa), and she started with a base layer of Kismet, then doodled around with the two other purples (keeping them concentrated in one spot in a corner or side of each nail), then coated the whole nail in Kismet again to even it out and create a more washed out milky look like the appearance of the actual rock, then finally went back in to darken the purpley spot again before topcoating. It's definitely a bit tricky, but I think it's the Kismet shade that makes the look work. One time I tried it with Lavender Sky because I didn't have Kismet, and it didn't work properly because Kismet is much more sheer and allows the purple to show through. Anyway, cool to see this little amethyst set, but you're right, so much time has passed since it was around before, I had discovered the look, found the products weren't available, so I found other ways of accomplishing it with other polishes. As for their response to your email, that's pretty sad. If it's much like what they had posted as a response before-out of context, yes, it makes sense for a brand to color-correct when swatches don't look quite right. But this was clearly an example of the colors being practically identical, as verified by multiple swatchers, and them wanting not to color-correct, but to manipulate the image and deceive consumers. How do they not recognize the difference here? Such a shame.

[@nickspolish]

a polish EVEN CLOSER to coronation is ilnp’s “ava” it has a very similar purple base plus shimmer with the same shift plus holo!! one of my friends has a bottle of both (and hallucinate) and she did a comparison for me and the difference between ava and coronation were so minimal (imo, ava looked better!!) not a bad alternative for half the price hahaha

[@PolishedYogi]

omg yes i remember you telling me about this last year or something! Ava is still on my wishlist for BF 🙈 def can’t wait to see those side by side !

[@lisapierce525]

I love your amethyst mani! I so appreciate your honesty in regards to this brand. I’ve never purchased from them so I definitely don’t intend to start now. Thank you for keeping it real! Not all swatchers do, imho.❤

[@kristinaduffy6397]

Stefanie I love how transparent you are!!! I always watch your reviews before making a purchase because you are so great at what you do. 😅 I need the truth otherwise my nail polish collection would be over 1,000 polishes haha

[@PolishedYogi]

thank you so much!! that really means the most 🥹🙏🏼 and hahah yeah i know it can be so easy to just want everything! 🙈

[@opheliasgrace]

They're on a roll with the returns this year! 😆In other news.... mooncat....

[@opheliasgrace]

PS, your videos/swatches are absolutely trustworthy and when something new is dropped I'm waiting on your video. But if CC doesn't care how deceitful the photoshopped pictures have become and are ignoring customers input, I may be done with CC. Obviously, there's not much new anyway.

[@AnaMiel4324]

Im waiting for the MC video tomorrow too! 😂

[@PolishedYogi]

i know!! i think the only one that didn’t make sense was the Halloween thermals, aside from everything else going on with them I was still really excited to see these & California Dreamin’ come back 😅 but i appreciate that you & others can trust my videos so much! i guess i feel awkward now too, reviewing collections from a brand people are justifiably done with lol 🙈 but yess mooncat will be live tomorrow morning and i can’t wait to share! 👀🍂🪲

[@opheliasgrace]

@@PolishedYogi nah, if they send you more pr, certainly review it!

[@rootstatadiner]

Just discovered your channel and I’m obsessed

[@PolishedYogi]

aw thank you! 😁 appreciate you being here 🫶🏼

[@Tuesday-i1o]

I bought a bottle of Coronation earlier this year for history's sake, but its so weird how many times Cirque have re-released it this year alone?! I've seen a couple of indies doing UP collections this year, I wonder if someone was unloading a lot of old pigment stock? I am glad to see that you continue to hold Cirque to account, and that they don't appear to be punishing you for doing so! I'm going to be taking a break from buying from them for now, there's a wide world of polish brands out there to explore at a better price per ml

[@evelinaz1548]

wait what other indies did UP collections? im in the indie sphere but i guess i missed this somehow lol

[@Tuesday-i1o]

@@evelinaz1548 Prism Polish just had a preorder at Color4Nails for a bunch of UP and UP sibling shades, I think that's ended now. Bee's Knees Lacquer have UP mystery bags coming out (The God and the Gumiho mystery bags). Lurid Lacquer was going to have a UP sibling with their latest release but they pulled it due to authenticity/safety concerns after a batch difference from their vendor.

[@christinesteiner7023]

Thank you so much for the review and your honest opinion Stefanie 🙏🏻💜. Now (buckle your seat belt) I start to appreciate jellies as undies for flakie bombs or in lieu of a blurring base coat as I find them more forgiving with my ridges and the sheerness doesn‘t alter the polish color but supports it. So I am excited. But I digress, I wanted to waffle about UP. I remember the times when everyone went bananas over UP but these days I have to say I feel I have to heft my eyeball onto my nails to see it in all its alleged glory and the pigments used today are no less amazing. As for Coronation: this is now an old hat and I wish they would come up with something new iconic.

[@missohmoon]

I’ve never purchased from Cirque before because of their pricing and the more I hear I don’t think I ever will be. There are just way too many other brands with similar or better polishes with better pricing and ethics!

[@PolishedYogi]

ugh yeah unfortunately this is not a great time to get into them lol and i don’t blame you for being put off completely either! its a shame bc they do have some great products, but just awful/questionable business decisions. and exactly, theres so many better brands on the market to support!

[@charlieTtea]

I think your amethyst mani looked beautiful! Also I bet if you put royal jelly over a dark base you might be able to achieve that darkness that it has in the bottle

[@PolishedYogi]

thank you!! yeah i definitely want to try that, i wonder if a base of nsfw would be too dark 🤔

[@jenniferw392]

Your nail art came out sooo cool, though! 💜 Thank you for always keeping it real- diplomatically!

[@PolishedYogi]

aw thank you! 🥰💜 and of course, i do my best! 😅

[@reneparfait_]

I got Coronation earlier this year, wore it this week and part of me thought, did i get swindled for aurora shimmer? But there is a dramatic green shift in lightings, but i doubt its all UP based on how often its been back... i still love it but glad i used my sale points when i bought it. But not happy with cirque, lilac jellyis cute but im forcing myself not to buy any more cirque due to their lame customer service and laziness these past few releases

[@PolishedYogi]

Yeah my only guess is that they’ve re released superrr small quantities each time which would kind of make sense with how fast it sells out 🤔 but yes I think they included a lot of Aurora shimmer in this one, I think Caitlinswatches talked about how this compares to the 2017 version. I don’t blame you for not wanting to support them 🫠

[@theoneandonlyfo]

Your nail art is SO gorgeous! I saw it on IG before I came to watch your video. When you blend the colors do you worry about the colors getting mixed on the brush? I just have never tried to blend my jelly polishes so I don't know if there's really any cleanup involved before you stick the brush back into the bottle. thank you for the swatches, review and comparisons! The silver flake topper is surprisingly beautiful to me even though I'm a gold girlie.

[@theoneandonlyfo]

ah, just watched the rest of your vid (stopped midway to make a comment) and i totally agree with you about the photoshopping. it makes it hard to trust the brand and know if you're getting what you thought you were getting. :(

[@MakeupAgain561]

Lilac Jelly (😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 omg), Royal Jelly (😮‍💨), and Coronation (😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨) are my favorites! The Amethust Bundle nail art mani was beautiful! It looked like quartz! Thank you so much for the beautiful swatches and comparisons! You looked so lovely 🩷💜 Edited to add I am unfortunately not surprised Cirque doubled down because they don’t want to admit fault. I do trust you to have great feedback and be honest about their photo editing ❤

[@janetdunleavy3926]

I sure hope that they bring us some new this year for Holiday Shop. 🤞🏻🎄✨ The past few years have been so disappointing. And bringing back Coronation yet again?!? Such a joke. 🙄 Makes it not even special. I may have to pick up a backup of Nimbus though. I adore that one! It is so so perfect! 🥰✨

[@katzkinder7031]

Oh that lilac jelly is actually a perfect match for the color of real lilac flowers! Btw, if I had to take a guess on why darker jellies are more sheer compared to lighter ones, it might have something to do with the white pigment needed to create those lighter colors, compared to a more “pure” color. It seems like it would give the polish a more milky quality that helps to obscure the nail line a little more and also eases patchiness. That’s just my guess though! I actually love the plain silver of Nimbus over black (or any dark color I suspect) but especially black, deep indigo blues, and dark purples. Gives a starry effect that, personally, I find holo too intense to replicate! Love the amethyst mani, looks like marble! I had to paint purple marble recently for a commission from a client and it frustrated me sooo much lmao. Initially it kept turning out like this gross veiny looking thing but I got it after I stopped caring about keeping it neat xD sometimes to do natural looking items, you really just have to throw something at the wall until it sticks. Thank you so much for your video! Sorry, I know this comment is really long but I really appreciate how much you do for us. I’m gonna go add Hallucinate to my cart because yes please, and also browse Potion Polish for a bit. Have a great weekend Stefanie, and I love your makeup! It took me until now to realize that your ultra full lashes at the corners were actually very skillfully applied eye liner xD

[@cheyenne21577]

Thank you for sharing and for your honesty! I can’t believe they’re charging $18 for a polish that’s been rereleased several times. Who knows if it’s actually the same “rare” pigment at all? Seems like a money grab scheme to me! 😅 Sucha shame they disregarded your concerns and said basically “we do what we want who’s gonna stop us” 😒 To end on a positive note Your nail art looked beautiful!!! 😍

[@TikkaHorse]

ILNP had a final release of a pure UP polish called Magician, and their new version called Alchemist is nearly identical. They explain in the description that it's a new recreation where the color shift is essentially the same (more intense in the new one), and the particles are larger. Soooooo, while UP is no longer made, it's clear that a new version is regularly available and nearly the same thing. I own both, and they are different, but I'm thinking that when mixed with other pigments you'll get a basically identical remake of a previous polish using UP. With this info and evidence, I do not get the hype that Cirque is trying to drum up with "finding" stashes of UP when you can use the new pigment and, unless you are within a foot of your nails, not see any difference.

[@geegusmeegus5535]

At least in the comparison clip here, I honestly think the newer versions look more exciting. These older 1st gen iridescent shifting pigments have a very vibrant main hue when seen dead on, but the colors they shift to at extreme angles are a lot greyer and less saturated compared to today's improved versions of the pigments that stay saturated at every angle. UP's green shift is so pastel and washed out compared to ILNP's pigment they used for Hallucinate. Though if someone isn't a fan of rich lime green I could see why UP would be more attractive.

[@TikkaHorse]

@@geegusmeegus5535 For sure! If UP kept up with newer pigments, it's very unlikely it would have been discontinued in the first place considering it's practically mystical reputation. And I do use my UP topper when I am going for a more subtle shimmer look, but I'd never repurchase a backup if it was brought back with another "whoops, we found some more" re-release.

[@PolishedYogi]

oh wow i didn’t know that, appreciate you sharing that info! yeah just from other red-yellow-green shimmers on the market it seems theres BEEN a UP alternative on the market for years now, so it just seems very cash grabby to say oh we have the original UP!! but it just isn’t special anymore lol 😭

[@eeveefae]

At this point they should just add coronation to the permanent line. So over Cirque.

[@PolishedYogi]

lol they really should 🫠

[@samjaneczek9570]

I love the idea of brands doing sets, Orly and Cirque does them so well! I hope the sets are more diverse and not just a re-release of their old sets. Coronation sells out almost immediately every time, so I'm not likely to get it any time soon. That Potion Polish dupe is beautiful though and I hope to get it soon.

[@PolishedYogi]

yeah sets are so fun! i think i’m most fond of being able to build your own bundle of shades, but understand that can also be a logistical night are lol. & agreed that they should be new/diverse too! i hope you can snag Spiced soon, its suuuch a beautiful shade 😍🤤

[@geniej2378]

I appreciate everyone talking about Cirque’s misconduct and I hope they listen and improve. In my opinion it’s not bad enough to boycott the brand over. Just look at people still buying Mooncat when you have to deal with replacement bottles, inconsistent batches, exploding polish…

[@nwc872]

Great video as always Stephanie! I was wondering if you thought that Silver Lining and Everything Taco are fairly similar? I don’t have either but was wanting to grab one or the other at some point. Thanks for all you do and for keeping it real, always!!!

[@PolishedYogi]

Thank you so much! I sadly don’t have Everything Taco to compare, but I wouldn’t say they’re similar at all- everything taco has a lot of iridescent flakes and holo glitters too. If anything it’s a lot more similar to Silver Flake Taco!

[@nwc872]

@@PolishedYogi oooh ok that’s good to know, I do have Silver Flake already! Thanks for the quick reply!

[@learp17]

Awesome video Stefanie, I agree with all your sentiments. I’m bummed about how Cirque conducts business and I’m not buying from them anymore. My favorite brand these days is definitely ILNP.

[@PolishedYogi]

thanks so much! agh yeah it really is so disheartening they want to continue with their practices :/ but agreed on ILNP, they’re incredible lol

[@emoo2342]

Heheh, unicorn pee is historically signifigant and I 100% get it, but it’s overrated in this day and age, methinks. I have to wonder if Cirque is being truthful when they say they still have some of the original pigment or if they’re recreating the look with other red to green shift pigments (which I understand are a thing?) and using it as a means to charge nearly $20 for what is basic compared to the shimmers/multichromes/duochromes that we have these days..

[@PolishedYogi]

yes definitely! i get bringing it back the first time and the hype for it since it was like a part of history lol. but exactly, we’ve just seen so many other similar if not better shades on the market for way less! i just remembered Starrily’s Corpse flower is another one that looks super similar, just missing the holo, but i know starrily is $$ too.. still, it def makes you wonder about their stash of unicorn pee. i do think when it first came back in Dec last year, they said Coronation does contain real UP and aurora shimmers to sort of supplement it? and thats why people were pissed when they found out this was a basically ‘watered down’ version of the original. but funny enough people say they prefer this version bc the shimmer is actually more shifty, tho its likely from the aurora not the UP which apparently was more subtle. 🤔🤔 so yeah, wild bc they’re really scamming with the price considering its not even 100% UP lol 😵‍💫

[@zaitesushion]

Yeah, I made one final Cirque purchase recently but only because I had $20 worth of rewards points that I wanted to use up AND they were running a sale on some things I'd been eyeing for awhile lol. I think I'm done with them for the foreseeable future.

[@PolishedYogi]

thats def a great time to make a final purchase lol! you can’t beat using rewards $ and during a sale too. i hope you enjoy what you picked up!

[@suelee9778]

Are the jellies new? I know Kismet isn’t, but not sure about the other two. Great video as always and thanks for your transparency.

[@PolishedYogi]

thank you! Lilac & Royal are re releases from several years ago, so not technically new.

[@SabinaKozar]

I love your jelly comparisons, I wish I better noticed Ube cause it's not my kind of color. I think I shouold get Eros instead, looks a brighter and more fun purple color

[@LillyVonetwoonethree]

It’s how much?? Lol for $18 there better be a little polymer foodstuff on top!

[@PolishedYogi]

lmao i know, in this economy!! 💀

[@pande1461]

Right?? My jaw _dropped_ when I heard that price! No way is a purple polish with red/orange shimmer worth that much!

[@pamelabeth]

Ya'll should see Don Deeva prices. Some of those bottles are ridiculously priced. Some bottles are $35+, and anything special starts at $14+. Between that and some of their off-putting names, I will nvr buy from that brand.

[@pande1461]

@@pamelabeth That's crazy 💀

[@haileycleveland5188]

@@pamelabeththe have some pretty shades but the names are a no for me.

[@viviyellow]

18.50..... They are out of their mind with that price tag and that bottle size.

[@PolishedYogi]

i knoww, i don’t remember how much the original Coronation was but oof this is too high😮‍💨

[@runningrunning446]

kind of on the topic of Coronation being so expensive: does anyone ever think about how much money they've spent on nail polish? i have about 250 polishes, each ranging between 10-16 dollars. lets just pick a random number of 13 dollars. 250 x 13 means in my life I've spent about $3,250 on NAIL POLISH?!?!?! and then i see some collectors that have over 5,000 nail polishes. no judgement at all I promise but it kind of scares me! I bought my first helmer earlier this year and I promised myself I would never have more polish than would fit in that helmer. it's made me so conscious of what I buy / own and I'm thankful for it.

[@pamelabeth]

Yes, I think abt this from time to time and I am trying to be really mindful of what I bring into my collection. For the past yr I only buy mainstream from Marshall's and TJMAXX and indies mostly on sale. For example I go crazy with lynbdesigns' 50% off sales! And I'm patiently waiting for BF!

[@catherinelynnfraser2001]

I like the tie dyed nail art but it looks like something fun for summer. I only buy jellies from Cirque. Oops, I did buy a thermal from them. I don’t trust their swatches. I always wait to see what others have swatched. I don’t think they are listening to customers. Thank you for airing your position again.

[@RachelMcIntyre-pk1gt]

I’m not a Cirque fan-girl, but I agree with them on their edits. If an edit results with the most accurate representation of their polish, then I welcome it. I really just want the most accurate representation of a polish I am shopping. I know it is controversial, but the ultimate responsibility is on them and it is their polish. As always, your swatches and comparisons are appreciated and so helpful when choosing to purchase or not. I think your response was honest and respectful, and I hope Cirque will continue to use you for PR.

[@PolishedYogi]

i do understand where you’re coming from, but the problem is that cirque’s edits are unfortunately NOT accurate. in my previous video I mention that as a customer myself i’ve been letdown by receiving multiple polishes that do not look like their website photos-and had i done more research i would have found other swatches that looked more similar to mine. sure its not every single polish, but its definitely a problem. i’m also not opposed to color correction either, I know sometimes its required. but the example of the Jarritos jellies they edited was just misleading; the original swatcher herself had mentioned Piña looking extremely similar to Mango to the point that its hard to tell them apart, so how does Cirque editing Piña to be lighter help anyone? i feel like that almost insinuates the swatcher was lying about how similar they are which is obviously not the case either. it was just a shady thing to do when there was no need for it 😬 I’m glad you appreciate my comparisons though, i do my best with them!

[@angrytriangles]

tbh every time they re-release Coronation I want it less.

[@PolishedYogi]

its crazy to think how fast it sells out each time! like while i didnt have an exact dupe, we’ve definitely seen similar shades 😅

[@ccaatthheerriinnee]

Nail bastion talked about how she edits her swatches to make them look how she sees them in person in her IG stories. Seems like it’s standard practice

[@PolishedYogi]

Like I mentioned in the outro, I understand editing for color correction which is what nail bastion does. I’m talking specifically about how cirque edits beyond color correction; the original swatcher said she couldn’t tell a difference between two shades irl, and cirque edited them to look completely different lol. It’s a bad practice 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@nataliesirota2611]

Yeah, I am so over Cirque. I can't believe that they refuse to apologize for bad business practices. Fortunately, I only own a couple of their polishes and may destash them on principle.

[@PolishedYogi]

ugh yeah i know, i felt so defeated reading the email.. i don’t understand how they can just ignore this problem and keep going business as usual. its like they’re living in a bubble lol

[@awezomnezz1]

yeahhh i don’t think i’ll be picking anything up from cirque this year. i hate brands that think their customers are stupid.

[@PolishedYogi]

pains me that they’re operating this way

[@jeannineybeaney]

Yeah I wish Cirque wasn't so shady about some stuff! There's really no need, you know? You don't happen to know how Holo Taco Silver Flake compares to Silver Lining do you? Not sure if you have that one! Thanks for a great review & comps as always!

[@PolishedYogi]

ugh same 😪 and no sadly i dont have that one but i imagine its a dupe lol same with ILNP Tinsel. but thank you so much! 🫶🏼

[@AnaMiel4324]

What’s the deal with Coronation?. I have shades that look like this.

[@PolishedYogi]

i know! i get doing a single re release of it bc it WAS an iconic shade, but to keep bringing it back is crazyyy. i haven’t seen it on destash sites but i would be so mad if there were scalpers trying to list it for more

[@Edw747]

I think there's just better shimmer pigments out there, and there wasn't a demand for unicorn pee pigments, which made it appear more "scarce," lol

[@PolishedYogi]

theres definitely better shimmers out there now, maybe years ago that wasn’t the case and thats why it was so coveted?? 🤔

[@kittyweeg8587]

I'm glad you emailed Cirque but am so disappointed in their response! I truly do not understand what is going on over there lately. They are their own worst enemy!

[@PolishedYogi]

My thoughts exactly 😕

[@nicoleterry92]

Ugh, ridiculous. I don't support Cirque anymore, primarily because of the Jarritos swatch edits + kind of insane prices compared to other indies and the amount of polish you get. I still enjoy watching your Cirque videos though! Glad I don't really care about any of these particular polishes lol.

[@PolishedYogi]

yeah they’re really giving luxury prices 😬 but aw thank you, i do appreciate your continued support 🥹🤗

[@catalina9844]

These purple jellies are killing me! I only have lavender sky and have been waiting for a more true deeper purple jelly And I can’t believe they’re “bringing coronation back” AGAIN! It’s solely a cash grab

[@SaRyRe]

Cirque is being foolishly stubborn about listening the feedback that, for now, is being given to them rather kindly. I wouldn't gamble with the brand's reputation the way they do.

[@PolishedYogi]

couldn’t have said it better myself! 🫠

[@setthethamesonfire4152]

I really didnt care about the editing of the photo - I think people hold an idea that the original, unedited image of a polish is the purest, most realistic depiction of that polish, but that's often not true. Cameras have limits, and even in the same lighting set-up, one colour can be harder to capture than another (greens are notorious for not being accurate in photos) so it doesn't bother me when a company edits an image to better represent their product. What does bother me is the manufactured scarcity of Coronation. It just feels tedious at this point, especially when other red-to-green shimmers exist. I wish they'd just save up whatever stash they can find and release it yearly. But all businesses are businesses in the end. Mooncat's handling of their bottles breaking has left a lot to be desired, but it's a business - they're in it for financial gain. It's good to remember that and to not feel personally offended when a brand disappoints me in some way. I think it's good to generally not think of indie brands as akin to celebrities, or entities to whom we owe loyalty. I like that you still share Cirque Colors. I think stan culture has been slowly bleeding over into the indie polish world (in no small part thanks to fomo marketing, which encourages brand loyalty) and it turns me off being a part of this community. I like that you express your opinions but not in a way that gives 'drama channel' vibes. Unless a brand or owner does something egregious (like makes a transphobic comment, etc), I think it's okay to keep enjoying a nail polish company for what it is: a business that makes pretty things that I may or may not choose to buy.

[@setthethamesonfire4152]

Looool this is such a long comment, sorry

[@tabularasa]

I think that in most of the dialogue I've seen online (about the photo edits to make Piña look less like Mango), pretty much everyone acknowledges what you said here, that cameras and lighting can differ a lot, and it's perfectly reasonable for any brand to want to color-correct in order to make an image look as accurate as possible. That's totally valid, and even necessary, in an industry based on subtle color differences in products. But-that's not what happened here. There was one swatcher in particular who was tasked with creating a comparison *_skittle,_* so the same lighting/camera was used to photograph her one skittled hand, and Piña and Mango happened to look practically identical, within that same image, with the same camera and lighting. Then, it appears that Cirque went in and edited only one of those nails, making it lighter than it was. That's not color-correction, that's deliberate deception. And tbh I don't even see the problem (not really) with duplicating an earlier release, if it is meant to match the cutesy soda bottle theme. All they had to do was acknowledge that yes, Piña is pretty much the same as Mango, but lean into the collaboration aspect that makes the collection special. But they didn't do that. Instead, they tried to pretend the color was different, when it wasn't. That's why folks are turned off by this. But I feel that they've probably always had issues with their images, we can scroll through their site even now, and everything has a kind of uncanny look. None of their photos ever feel accurate to true life. And I have a bunch of their polishes, so I can see it myself. I don't know why that is. They make good stuff. It makes me wonder what kind of settings they use on their image editing software. I feel like you have to go out of your way to make uncanny looking nails. Why do they do this? (sorry for long comment lol)

[@setthethamesonfire4152]

​@@tabularasaThank you for your reply! (Not sarcasm, was genuinely interested to read it.) I likely should have been more clear in what I was saying about colour - even in the same photo, it is possible for colours to seem more similar than they are, because certain tones can become flattened / diminished, which can make two polishes look more or less like dupes depending on how the camera reads the colours. (The classic, 'these look more / less like dupes in person' etc.) I think you're right, though, that they were likely trying to make them appear slightly more dissimilar than they really are, and it would have been better for them to not request or post a comparison skittle if they didn't like how it represented their polish! (Why even do it?? That's the part I don't understand.) I generally think their approach to photography on their site needs to go through an overhaul. They use a mix of professional studio photographs and photographs from swatchers, which isn't unheard of, but they edit the swatch photos to try to make them seem more uniform - not in colour, but as if they were shot in the same location (I'm a professional photographer and tbh their photos generally give me ick because the masking they do is really REALLY apparent). That's what gives them the uncanny appearance you describe. Their photos make their site feel like a hodge podge of identity - part established, boutique brand; part small indie brand still trying to establish itself. It feels really uneven and, considering their prices, doesn't really reflect the brand they seem to want to present. It doesn't surprise me that their photos are pulling down the brand. Anyway, blah blah, super long comment again. I just think they really need to re-examine whether their current photography works for them. They *shouldn't* be having to do this much editing in post, whether or not their editing is in bad faith. They clearly want their images and polishes to look a certain way, so it surprises me they still use swatchers. Tbh the answer is probably the most obvious one: that they can get away with paying swatchers less than they would professional photographers, so they'll continue to simply overly rely on editing instead of using accurate, uniform photographs they have full creative direction over.

[@tabularasa]

@@setthethamesonfire4152 That's interesting insight, although I find it difficult to believe that even within the same photo, with the same exact lighting and camera, that one nail color can read accurate while another doesn't...? I have doubts about that. If the color is inaccurate, why wouldn't they *_both_* need the same exact correction in post? But since you are a professional photographer, do you have further insight into what Cirque does? tbh I don't think *_any_* of their photos look good or accurate. They're all uncanny and weird, especially the basic bottle shots and the first photos of nail colors on each polish page. Are those supposedly the professional, established boutique images? Because they're not good. You know how you can scroll down on the polish pages and open up a tab dedicated to Pinterest tagged images? Those are all amateur photos, and they are always consistently better, more accurate shots than what is presented on Cirque's actual site. You're right they shouldn't be doing this much editing in post, it's totally unnecessary. The natural unedited amateur shots look better, more real.

[@SarahM_GiveMeSparkles]

Coronation... again??? Honestly I'm at the point where don't buy into the fact that it's the exact same pigment. It's a similar or duped pigment. It's over hyped marketing and fomo. And it's probably more than a little predatory as a brand to be doing this. Sadly Cirque is not really on my go-to list after the past few years of shady behavior.

[@RunningNotStopping]

I'm SO glad someone finally took the holo out of polish!!! Holo was/is mostly annoying. Like come on, we're not 11 anymore and don't want rainbows (might as well say And Unicorns) on our bodies. For real! So anyway thank you Cirque to the moon and back!!!

[@PolishedYogi]

hey, speak for yourself! 🤣 there’s nothing wrong with enjoying rainbows on your nails if you’re older than 11, but i do appreciate having a non-holo version too.

[@RunningNotStopping]

@@PolishedYogi just did

[@YJOmikansei]

daymmm ILNP Hallucinate *murdered* Coronation fr with the intense shimmer. gon wishlist 😂

[@PolishedYogi]

right!! its so intense, not a competition at all 🙈

[@killjoy1209]

🥱🥱🥱 they gotta stop milking the same cow to save their deteriorating reputation

[@PolishedYogi]

the cow is running out of milk 😩‼️

[@Diametricallyopposed00]

I have a bottle of silver lining and I ration it because I never thought I’d be able to get it again! I’m thrilled I can order another bottle. :) I’m sorta mad at cirque for their unsavory business practices, so I haven’t been ordering from them, but I might break my rule and grab a couple of these. 🫤 if anyone knows a dupe for silver lining, let me know. :)

[@PolishedYogi]

Aw yeah I totally understand you! I’m definitely annoyed with them too and I hate that I’m happy to see most of these back lol 😠😒 hopefully you grab a backup bottle soon, but if not I think Holo Taco’s Silver Flake Taco or ILNP Tinsel would be dupes!

[@Diametricallyopposed00]

@@PolishedYogi yeah I may grab a dupe instead, I sort of want to stick to my boycott lol

[@holographically]

​@@Diametricallyopposed00 ​I've CC's Silver Lining and HT's Silver Flake and they're identical. Go for HT's - you get more for less, their customer service is impeccable, and you can stick to your boycott!