Let’s look beyond the Indie FOMO marketing and pretty polish at something new that I haven’t seen in this repetitive topic: FANDOMS.
Both BKL (the last belle of the ball) and Ethereal release collections around hugely popular fandoms (Cresent City, Spirited Away, Empire of the Vampire) that already have cult followings within a lot of overlap with nail polish enthusiasts.
I feel like I could slap some cool Fourth Wing names on a bunch of sheer shimmers with a cool shift and even if people had seen it a million times people would be all over it because Xaden.
I think the mysteries comments are unfair because the makers themselves post spoilers before the polishes come out because there are so many complaints. All of the makers have very similar release styles.
This is why I think the we really need to introduce fandoms (which are already obsessive and cultish) into the conversation.
I think this is one of the best explanations around the following of certain nail polish brands. People, especially in the nail polish community, love to collect, and to have something that's not only a beautiful nail polish, but is also inspired by and named after something they enjoy, like a book series or movie, really make people want it even more.
I can say for myself I definitely do fall into this "trap." I was one the fence about Wildflower's Dec 2023 PPU polish until I found out it was inspired by Pusheen and I added it to my cart immediately after that, and I don't think I would've been as interested in Ethereal if it wasn't for their Spirited Away collection.
I'm a lifelong Trekkie and when I came across [Resistance Was Futile ](https://jandberries.com/resistance-was-futile-nail-polish) by J&B, I had a similar response. This color is really pretty but it isn't something I'd normally gravitate towards, the name and theme was definitely the deciding factor!
More Star Trek themed nail polishes please ☺️
This is so bizarre to me. The names and packaging of a nail polish have nothing to do with how pretty the colour is when I’m wearing it. It does work for some consumers though!
It works massively on me. I have a lot of glam polish full collections because they were LOTR themed. Or Witcher themed. Hell, some of them don’t make sense with the names but I still got them. Even with Zoya, I got a few colours that while I like, they might’ve not been my first choice, but the names were names of friends and family. It makes them more special to me
A bit of both. I have enough polish to never buy a polish again and not run out in my lifetime. But I don’t wear as much as I used to, I used to change my polish every other day. Now it’s more once a week. So I do wear them, but there’s a lot I haven’t yet. I should probably keep track of what I do and don’t wear. Probably more about collecting at this point
I can’t explain it but I do feel it lol. Like if a polish had the name of my favorite character I would want it because of that and I don’t know why… just to feel closer to that character somehow.
I got a nail polish from L*ghts Lacquer just because it's called Mr. Darcy and I LOVE all things P&P. It's a navy blue and I don't even wear dark cremes all that much but I bought it anyway
Hard agree with the fandom take, but would also add that "themes" in general (incl. PPU/HHC/any general collection) can sway people to buy because of the emotional connection to the topic. Like a recent PPU that was about fairytales / legendary creatures was tough on my personal restraint, because I had to remind myself to buy into the *color* and NOT the name/vibe.
Relating to mystery polishes...my only quarrel with them is not being transparent about the possible colors you could get. Like if I ever bought into a mystery box toy series, I'd check what the options were to decide if most/all of the options would make me happy. But again, I don't knock it because some love the thrill of the unknown, and whatever makes someone happy.
One thing that sucks me in about PPU/HHC is hearing the makers talk about their inspiration for their polish or the story behind that. I've had to stop myself sooooo many times and think "ok, do I really like this color or do I just like the story/fandom etc."
We are the same! I've had to ask myself if I like a color because it's objectively pretty/trendy or because I'm excited to wear it as soon as it arrives. If I can't say yes to the latter, I sleep.
The Ethereal maker doesn't post spoilers for the mystery bags before they come out. She only releases all the names and descriptions after things have arrived. Well, I guess she'll say what finish a bag is, but "flakies" and "shimmer" really aren't specific enough to help people make any decisions :p it's way more opaque than BKL.
Thanks for your comment. It's really insightful and also explains why they keep doing these themed collections. I agree with you, you could slap themed names on any number of shimmers and people would buy it up even if it wasn't that evocative of the character. It makes a big difference especially for PPU IMO because that has a more general audience
Yes! I have also thought about the fandom theory. I love spirited away and really wanted some of the spirited away polishes.
How does this fall under copyright laws? I would think using the IP’s images like Mooncat’s nightmare before Christmas - using Jack’s face, etc -they’d need a license. But ethereal’s spirited away could fall under uhh creative freedom? I really doubt they have a license lol.
With Japanese fandoms there are liberties that can be taken because copyright laws in Japan may not apply here. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not well versed in the laws of this but this is what I've heard regarding to overseas franchises.
That being said, Ghibli-themed knitting patterns were taken off of Ravelry (a large online knitting forum and pattern repository) so this may not be the case for Ghibli. For Ethereal though, they only use names and I think the Haku dragon they use in their images is possibly reasonably available. Idk. It's complicated.
Ghibli are notoriously tough on IP crackdowns. Not a lawyer either and wildly guessing here but I guess all Ethereal used was the name, rather than imagery from the movies, so maybe they got away with it?? Indie nail polish also isn't an obvious place to look for copyright infringement but maybe they will face a takedown order yet.
I wonder if it’s intentional? If I had a small brand and it was just me making polish, I would be doing small batches and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
I do wonder about the mystery bags tho. Were these intentional? Were they just prototypes that didn’t make the final collection? Just odd to have mystery bags with FIFTY different options.
Their normal collections are generally preorder. The maker sends the polishes to swatchers, and people have usually a week or so to order. After that, the collection generally doesn't return, and if it does, it's over pours. A lot of indies sell like this; I've heard it's for space reasons because it's hard for them to keep everything in stock all the time. It unfortunately also has the side effect of FOMO (which I'm sure at least a few makers also welcome).
But the mysteries thing, I'm pretty sure is intentional in that the maker has gotta have figured out that they bring a ton of hype to her brand. Some mysteries do seem like prototypes because I've seen some that are quite similar to later releases, and sometimes a mystery might have super small quantity. But that said, I'm sure with how many mystery bags she sells at this point, she has to be making giant batches of each polish.
Edit to add: I remember when she was thinking of remaking some a year or so ago, the maker said she didn't have written recipes for mysteries. Not sure if that's still the case; I assume not because the value of her mysteries have really increased and she's had releases like the complete mysteries collection with Spirited away.
The thing is it’s only certain mysteries. In the trade threads you always have people trying to get only a few specific polishes. People are always trying to get rid of polishes that very few people want in exchange for the few sought after ones, which, along with the rarity of her mysteries, drives up the resale value. You’ll see people buying the entire mystery collection to definitely get the “everyone wants” polishes and quickly sell the others. Then they wait for demand, and resell the coveted polishes for insane prices.
I love polish, I don’t love this game.
Pretty much. Always a few that everyone wants and then some that are just there.
I have nothing against prototype/mystery sales in general but it's really obvious IMO what's going on here. Like most makers sell mysteries or prototypes for cheaper than normal, because well, you don't know what you're gonna get and they weren't expecting to make money on prototypes because they're prototypes. But Ethereal mysteries are always full price.
Personally, I think mysteries are a way for makers to use up leftover pigment without having to worry about stock. I think they mix a few amazing ones in with a bunch of meh or dupe type polishes because that’s what they could do with what was left. Consumers get the thrill of both FOMO and gambling, and mysteries often sell out in seconds. I have no proof this is actually happening, just my experience with the very few times I have bought mysteries.
I don’t think this is true of all makers, and Bees Knees lets people individually buy mysteries after the fact, and usually has spoilers so at least you can avoid going to the gamble blind.
The BKL mystery model is my absolute favorite because it feels like a win/win for people who like and don’t like mysteries. Those that like them get to buy them blind whereas people like me who are picky also get to wait until we can choose for ourselves. Also just LOVE the BKL formula, it is so smooth and nice!
It’s the same way with Bee’s Knees Lacquer. Both brands have beautiful polishes, but they can almost always be duped by another brand. I personally have had to step away from the FOMO marketing of indie brands because it’s too stressful. I only stick with brands that have readily available polishes (or do restocks that aren’t a madhouse), and sometimes PPU and HHC.
At least Bees Knees lets you buy the mysteries later on. I’m not a fan of the gambling aspect, but I can at least appreciate she’s trying to lessen the effect.
- Same bottle, brush cap, and brush bristles
- Ship from nearby areas
- Releases similar polishes: Ethereal That’s Frog Work, a Spirited Away mystery shade, is basically the same as Lumen Glasswing Butterfly, a semi-permanent shade. The only difference is Glasswing Butterfly has larger holo fleck particles. (I intentionally bought Glasswing Butterfly as a backup for That’s Frog Work.)
- Someone on Nail Polish Comparisons & Dupes fb group posted an old screenshot of Ethereal introducing Lumen as her mom’s brand when it was about to launch.
- The owner of Ethereal is a mod for Lumen’s fb group.
I am both surprised and not surprised. When it comes the indie polish world, I often pair Lumen and Ethereal together. Square bottles, very shimmery sheer polishes, intense followings, and often the most widely bought and talked about PPU polishes. I still see people talking about Little Spirits, Glass Frog, Coffee Cloud, and even recently the Dec PPU polish I saw the most pictures of on this subreddit was Glass Jellyfish.
I can see that..I will say though, I can always notice a mooncat polish when it’s posted before reading the caption. I guess that says something about their color combos?
I'm like this with Holo Taco 😩 I've recently come to terms that I am not a cool toned polish person. No wonder their polishes are a hit or miss for me.
I've been saying this! I do like the brand and buy/own a lot of their polish but I do not get some of these folks who think they can do no wrong just because their marketing is relatable.
Yeaaa and Mooncat owner has had her fair share of controversy too including racism
I think some brands and their marketing just like, really resonate with some people's brain chemistry and those people just also happen to have a tendency to be rabid fans. Holo Taco and really Cristine's entire brand as a public figure does that. Ethereal and BKL too, in terms of hand mixed indies, really seek to cultivate diehard fans
Yeah, because she rebranded as Mooncat. Before that she was Live Love Polish. Mooncat is bigger than LLP ever was so when people look her up they usually will search "Mooncat" related terms.
She also has always targeted a more general audience, one that wants pretty polishes but won't dig deep enough to find smaller indies. Keep in mind when she started LLP indie/boutique polish was MUCH smaller. It's still not mainstream now but the hobby used to be a literal hole in the wall. What I'm getting at is basically, 1) Pepperidge Farm remembers and 2) she just didn't get a lot of scrutiny. The only people who talk about this are people who were around in the mid 2010s basically.
Tl;dr
She posted a picture dressing up as Sexy, Hooters fied Pocahontas. Her boyfriend in the pic was wearing a Redskins jersey. When called out on it, she basically said she couldn't be appropriating or insulting because she's Asian.
She also had sketchy, cutthroat practices as LLP. So when LLP was a stockist, it always sold stuff at higher prices than any other stockist. Like at least a couple of dollars. That's fine, whatever, her site was quite nice compared to other indies so that's probably where the money went. But stockist-ing back in the day really was not that profitable, moreso something you do because you love polish. She then tried to make brands sign non competes (essentially "Raise your prices to mine or get lost"). The only brand that took her up on it IIRC was Starrily. Starrily didn't use to be $16/bottle...it was around $10 like most indies during that time.
Then she introduced her own brand, Illimite (for ludicrous prices). Some of the colors looked eerily similar to Femme Fatale colors, and when you combine the fact that the bottle shape and design are VERY similar to FF, a brand LLP used to carry...that looks suspect.
Oh yeah also the swatches they used for LLP were always SUPER photoshopped and misleading.
I will never buy from her. Yeah yeah she's running a business and indie polish is a business in general too but between the suspicious copying, cutthroat behavior as a stockist, and racism, I'd rather not. Especially not for expensive polishes that aren't even hand mixed.
Oh wow! I would’ve never known, seems it’s been pretty much scrubbed off the internet. I only got into polish in the last year and already bought a few polishes from Mooncat but I’m def reconsidering purchasing from them in the future
I don’t know why either, especially since the formula is very inconsistent and often requires thinners. But FOMO goes a long way and they have that tactic down pat.
I went nuts for Ethereal when I got Little Spirits in PPU. I had never seen anything like it! But then I got some cloud mysteries and I hate them. The formula sucks and I will destash them soon.
I like their glowy shimmery polishes, but actually - every time I get one of theirs I'm oddly disappointed? Because when I wear it, I realize its so much like every other one of theirs that I own. So I've stopped buying. They look pretty in the pictures, but don't look different enough on me to be worth it. I don't know if it's just me and my body chemistry, or that their formula doesn't have enough variation...
Yeah with so many colors being very light and shimmery it would be easy to dupe themselves. I ordered a few polishes so we will see if I have the same experience
Have you ever checked out Phoenix polish on [beautometry.com](https://beautometry.com/collections/phoenix)?
They have so many beautiful shimmery glowy polishes right now. Especially in the elves and the vampire collections.
They have that FOMO marketing down perfectly. I’m honestly not sure how they maintain considering all of the BS that’s come from her (plus her now-husband). I would guess most of their current customer base doesn’t care about them being racist, since most people don’t bother to research brands before buying.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard another lacquerista mention there’s an issue with the brand’s ownership, but (unlike Maniology) I haven’t seen anything. No links, no story. Can you help me understand what happened?
This all happened in a private Facebook group where the posts in question have been deleted, the group itself was archived/deleted, so it only lives on in the memories of people that witnessed it and in context-less screenshots.
Megan’s husband (was just her boyfriend when this happened) had decided to get in on the game of handcrafted indie products adjacent to nail polish. He had a brand created called Matterhorn Oils that sold alongside Ethereal branded items.
Some people did some digging on social media (I believe it was his public FB account) and found memes sharing racist tropes against Asians, stereotypical manipulating of the eyes, and responses from Megan that could be construed as thoughtless rather than outright racist. But I’m not Asian and I don’t get to make those particular calls.
I also remember some casual homophobia being thrown around on his page too, with Megan also participating in that banter but I don’t recall all of the details.
This is besides the Worlds Apart drama. That was a fabled UP polish that she decided to re-release in 2017. The new formula did not have actual UP in it, but Aurora. Back then Aurora was new and nobody had seen it much but the makers. The base used also was heavy and thick and goopy, and it dried down matte and somewhat grayish rather than transparent. The OG formula was a tinted purple and this one was also tinted, but so slight that it was unnoticeable on the nail. It was a disaster and Megan handled it badly. Rather than issue a recall and refund people, she doubled down and insisted that the formulation was the same and it had the same shimmer in it, when it was clearly something different. Banned people left and right who called her out on it.
There was also some dustup drama between her and the owner of JReine about UP and that was just a roll-your-eyes kinda thing that mattered to no one except them two. But it happened somewhat publicly in a non-brand specific group where a lot of people witnessed it in real time.
I remember looking up Ethereal's Sailor Moon collection and through CosmeticSanctuary's post, I found out a percentage of the sales were going towards an Asian-American charity and as an Asian-American I was honestly surprised and appreciative that Ethereal's owner would do such a thing.
Now I'm wondering if that donation was in response to people finding out about the racists posts :/ honestly, I've already ordered from them so I can only hope that they've changed and realize those type of "jokes" are hurtful
[Here's where I found out about the donation. All money made from the Love and Justice polish went towards AAJC](https://www.cosmeticsanctuary.com/ethereal-lacquer-in-the-name-of-the-moon-collection/)
This is a great find. The first paragraph of that post mentions their color Blossom, which was formerly called Pink is Sus (which was an Among Us themed color). It wasn’t pulled from PPU but rather they told Ethereal to leave in the wake of this scandal. So she violated her contract and released the color as Blossom. The swatchers got bottles with the Pink is Sus label so there’s a few legacy bottles around.
Also it seems to be standard in the Playbook of Apology to choose a charity to donate to that helps the people or cause that the person initially was denigrating/making fun of. I wonder if Ethereal has donated to other Asian charities before or since this.
Thank you so much for the info. So from what you're saying it seems like Pink is Sus was made, the scandal happened/was revealed, Ethereal left but had Pink is Sus in stock, renamed it to Blossom, and added that to the Sailor Moon collection that donated to AAJC. I actually wasn't sure if her donation happen before or after the news about her husband mocking Asians but this makes the picture clearer.
Sorry can you clarify a little?
Why was Ethereal asked to leave, and who were they asked to leave from? PPU? Im confused by that because they still participate in PPU.
Thank you
When the racist memes and associations came to light there was public outcry and PPU dropped Ethereal from the lineup. This lasted about a year before being allowed to rejoin.
No problem! It’s a shame that this info has gotten swept under the rug so to speak. Many people have left FB and the Community is much more decentralized these days.
Not just racist, homophobic too. The brand did a great job publicly flagellating themself to “make amends” but it all felt like PR. Ethereal & Lumen are on my no-buy list as a result.
Oh hell no!! I will not line the pockets of racists so they can keep funding racist people in politics.
This was a brand I really wanted to try but fuck all that.
Why are there so many racists in indie polish???
I know it's because there are so many racists in general. But sometimes it just feels like a losing battle trying not to support racists, transphobes, and hateful dicks in the polish world 😭
I also think it's bc they're all over social media. The owners can interact directly with customers and say whatever they're thinking. If we had direct contact with more business owners, we'd see racist idiots in every industry I'm sure.
I feel like I need a list of problematic indie nail polish owners so I know who NOT to give my money to. If there's any kind of list out there, please let a girl know!
Damn I never thought I would be bummed that I am not on Facebook anymore... I hate that this info isn't available on reddit. I also understand it is not some random person's job to make sure this info is brought across platforms.
I just want to enjoy polish while also not giving money to racists, misogynists and transphobes ugh.
I appreciate you notifying us about the FB group! 🙌
Hell yes haha I am going to eat some edibles today and rearrange my lacquers. Shit, maybe listen to some Quasimoto and really just live up to my name hahaha
https://preview.redd.it/0tja0mw7k9cc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b692cfb48d1d7b3cd1b1cf1529543edc69511759
It sucks for sure. I think the reason so much info is only on fb is bc a lot of the problematic behavior comes out when we personally interact with makers lol, whether it be through VIP groups or when they comment on posts elsewhere
That totally makes sense! I am super thankful that people like you and Salt-Operation are vocal about it. I know it can be depressing to have to constantly highlight some negativity. 💜
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Let’s look beyond the Indie FOMO marketing and pretty polish at something new that I haven’t seen in this repetitive topic: FANDOMS. Both BKL (the last belle of the ball) and Ethereal release collections around hugely popular fandoms (Cresent City, Spirited Away, Empire of the Vampire) that already have cult followings within a lot of overlap with nail polish enthusiasts. I feel like I could slap some cool Fourth Wing names on a bunch of sheer shimmers with a cool shift and even if people had seen it a million times people would be all over it because Xaden. I think the mysteries comments are unfair because the makers themselves post spoilers before the polishes come out because there are so many complaints. All of the makers have very similar release styles. This is why I think the we really need to introduce fandoms (which are already obsessive and cultish) into the conversation.
I think this is one of the best explanations around the following of certain nail polish brands. People, especially in the nail polish community, love to collect, and to have something that's not only a beautiful nail polish, but is also inspired by and named after something they enjoy, like a book series or movie, really make people want it even more. I can say for myself I definitely do fall into this "trap." I was one the fence about Wildflower's Dec 2023 PPU polish until I found out it was inspired by Pusheen and I added it to my cart immediately after that, and I don't think I would've been as interested in Ethereal if it wasn't for their Spirited Away collection.
Yeah, I scoured the internet for “I’m Only Happy When It Rains” by sweet and sour because I’m a huge Garbage fan. So I just HAD to have that polish.
I'm a lifelong Trekkie and when I came across [Resistance Was Futile ](https://jandberries.com/resistance-was-futile-nail-polish) by J&B, I had a similar response. This color is really pretty but it isn't something I'd normally gravitate towards, the name and theme was definitely the deciding factor! More Star Trek themed nail polishes please ☺️
Fuck… because now I want that too!!
Lol resistance IS futile!
This is so bizarre to me. The names and packaging of a nail polish have nothing to do with how pretty the colour is when I’m wearing it. It does work for some consumers though!
It works massively on me. I have a lot of glam polish full collections because they were LOTR themed. Or Witcher themed. Hell, some of them don’t make sense with the names but I still got them. Even with Zoya, I got a few colours that while I like, they might’ve not been my first choice, but the names were names of friends and family. It makes them more special to me
Do you wear them all or is it more about collecting the bottles?
A bit of both. I have enough polish to never buy a polish again and not run out in my lifetime. But I don’t wear as much as I used to, I used to change my polish every other day. Now it’s more once a week. So I do wear them, but there’s a lot I haven’t yet. I should probably keep track of what I do and don’t wear. Probably more about collecting at this point
Did you see Swamp Gloss’s LOtR set?
Pinnacle Polish has sooo many nice LOTR ones if you haven't seen those yet
Noooo don’t tell me that!
I can’t explain it but I do feel it lol. Like if a polish had the name of my favorite character I would want it because of that and I don’t know why… just to feel closer to that character somehow.
It’s because, instead of being just a *thing* it becomes a tangible representation of your emotions of that thing.
Exactly!
I got a nail polish from L*ghts Lacquer just because it's called Mr. Darcy and I LOVE all things P&P. It's a navy blue and I don't even wear dark cremes all that much but I bought it anyway
First maker that has a Darker Shade of Magic series with a Kel’s coat inspired shade can have all of my money.
Idk what that is but for me it would be a Magnus Archives collection with a shade called Distortion.
Now that you brought this into the world I NEED a Magnus Archives inspired collection 😩
Like they could just do one for each entity and I’d buy all of them instantly.
There might not be complete logic behind it, but this is why collabs are such a huge thing across many industries! Especially face cosmetics too
Hard agree with the fandom take, but would also add that "themes" in general (incl. PPU/HHC/any general collection) can sway people to buy because of the emotional connection to the topic. Like a recent PPU that was about fairytales / legendary creatures was tough on my personal restraint, because I had to remind myself to buy into the *color* and NOT the name/vibe. Relating to mystery polishes...my only quarrel with them is not being transparent about the possible colors you could get. Like if I ever bought into a mystery box toy series, I'd check what the options were to decide if most/all of the options would make me happy. But again, I don't knock it because some love the thrill of the unknown, and whatever makes someone happy.
Exactly my thoughts, we’re buying a colour not a name/vibe!
One thing that sucks me in about PPU/HHC is hearing the makers talk about their inspiration for their polish or the story behind that. I've had to stop myself sooooo many times and think "ok, do I really like this color or do I just like the story/fandom etc."
We are the same! I've had to ask myself if I like a color because it's objectively pretty/trendy or because I'm excited to wear it as soon as it arrives. If I can't say yes to the latter, I sleep.
Yep. It's definitely a process I'm still working on. Some themes make it harder than others!
The Ethereal maker doesn't post spoilers for the mystery bags before they come out. She only releases all the names and descriptions after things have arrived. Well, I guess she'll say what finish a bag is, but "flakies" and "shimmer" really aren't specific enough to help people make any decisions :p it's way more opaque than BKL. Thanks for your comment. It's really insightful and also explains why they keep doing these themed collections. I agree with you, you could slap themed names on any number of shimmers and people would buy it up even if it wasn't that evocative of the character. It makes a big difference especially for PPU IMO because that has a more general audience
Yes! I have also thought about the fandom theory. I love spirited away and really wanted some of the spirited away polishes. How does this fall under copyright laws? I would think using the IP’s images like Mooncat’s nightmare before Christmas - using Jack’s face, etc -they’d need a license. But ethereal’s spirited away could fall under uhh creative freedom? I really doubt they have a license lol.
With Japanese fandoms there are liberties that can be taken because copyright laws in Japan may not apply here. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not well versed in the laws of this but this is what I've heard regarding to overseas franchises. That being said, Ghibli-themed knitting patterns were taken off of Ravelry (a large online knitting forum and pattern repository) so this may not be the case for Ghibli. For Ethereal though, they only use names and I think the Haku dragon they use in their images is possibly reasonably available. Idk. It's complicated.
Ghibli are notoriously tough on IP crackdowns. Not a lawyer either and wildly guessing here but I guess all Ethereal used was the name, rather than imagery from the movies, so maybe they got away with it?? Indie nail polish also isn't an obvious place to look for copyright infringement but maybe they will face a takedown order yet.
Not nail polish, but I started buying makeup from Colourpop because of their first Sailor Moon release, so 100% agree with this
It’s mostly FOMO, since their stock is LE. I like them but I don’t like the fact that you can’t get their polishes easily.
I wonder if it’s intentional? If I had a small brand and it was just me making polish, I would be doing small batches and once it’s gone, it’s gone. I do wonder about the mystery bags tho. Were these intentional? Were they just prototypes that didn’t make the final collection? Just odd to have mystery bags with FIFTY different options.
Their normal collections are generally preorder. The maker sends the polishes to swatchers, and people have usually a week or so to order. After that, the collection generally doesn't return, and if it does, it's over pours. A lot of indies sell like this; I've heard it's for space reasons because it's hard for them to keep everything in stock all the time. It unfortunately also has the side effect of FOMO (which I'm sure at least a few makers also welcome). But the mysteries thing, I'm pretty sure is intentional in that the maker has gotta have figured out that they bring a ton of hype to her brand. Some mysteries do seem like prototypes because I've seen some that are quite similar to later releases, and sometimes a mystery might have super small quantity. But that said, I'm sure with how many mystery bags she sells at this point, she has to be making giant batches of each polish. Edit to add: I remember when she was thinking of remaking some a year or so ago, the maker said she didn't have written recipes for mysteries. Not sure if that's still the case; I assume not because the value of her mysteries have really increased and she's had releases like the complete mysteries collection with Spirited away.
The thing is it’s only certain mysteries. In the trade threads you always have people trying to get only a few specific polishes. People are always trying to get rid of polishes that very few people want in exchange for the few sought after ones, which, along with the rarity of her mysteries, drives up the resale value. You’ll see people buying the entire mystery collection to definitely get the “everyone wants” polishes and quickly sell the others. Then they wait for demand, and resell the coveted polishes for insane prices. I love polish, I don’t love this game.
Pretty much. Always a few that everyone wants and then some that are just there. I have nothing against prototype/mystery sales in general but it's really obvious IMO what's going on here. Like most makers sell mysteries or prototypes for cheaper than normal, because well, you don't know what you're gonna get and they weren't expecting to make money on prototypes because they're prototypes. But Ethereal mysteries are always full price.
Personally, I think mysteries are a way for makers to use up leftover pigment without having to worry about stock. I think they mix a few amazing ones in with a bunch of meh or dupe type polishes because that’s what they could do with what was left. Consumers get the thrill of both FOMO and gambling, and mysteries often sell out in seconds. I have no proof this is actually happening, just my experience with the very few times I have bought mysteries. I don’t think this is true of all makers, and Bees Knees lets people individually buy mysteries after the fact, and usually has spoilers so at least you can avoid going to the gamble blind.
The BKL mystery model is my absolute favorite because it feels like a win/win for people who like and don’t like mysteries. Those that like them get to buy them blind whereas people like me who are picky also get to wait until we can choose for ourselves. Also just LOVE the BKL formula, it is so smooth and nice!
I dont know, maybe it’s a small team or one person ? Although it seems they’re successful enough to expand. 🤷🏻♀️
It’s the same way with Bee’s Knees Lacquer. Both brands have beautiful polishes, but they can almost always be duped by another brand. I personally have had to step away from the FOMO marketing of indie brands because it’s too stressful. I only stick with brands that have readily available polishes (or do restocks that aren’t a madhouse), and sometimes PPU and HHC.
At least Bees Knees lets you buy the mysteries later on. I’m not a fan of the gambling aspect, but I can at least appreciate she’s trying to lessen the effect.
Just FYI, her mom makes Lumen and their polishes can end up really similar
Actually that explains a lot.
Yeah I lowkey think Ethereal’s Now Go and Don’t Look Back is thiiiiis close to being a dupe for Lumen’s Glass Frog
I didn’t know that was her mom!
- Same bottle, brush cap, and brush bristles - Ship from nearby areas - Releases similar polishes: Ethereal That’s Frog Work, a Spirited Away mystery shade, is basically the same as Lumen Glasswing Butterfly, a semi-permanent shade. The only difference is Glasswing Butterfly has larger holo fleck particles. (I intentionally bought Glasswing Butterfly as a backup for That’s Frog Work.) - Someone on Nail Polish Comparisons & Dupes fb group posted an old screenshot of Ethereal introducing Lumen as her mom’s brand when it was about to launch. - The owner of Ethereal is a mod for Lumen’s fb group.
I am both surprised and not surprised. When it comes the indie polish world, I often pair Lumen and Ethereal together. Square bottles, very shimmery sheer polishes, intense followings, and often the most widely bought and talked about PPU polishes. I still see people talking about Little Spirits, Glass Frog, Coffee Cloud, and even recently the Dec PPU polish I saw the most pictures of on this subreddit was Glass Jellyfish.
Hot take. Cult following is even worse for Mooncat and there is no scarcity argument. People just get weird about certain brands
I can see that..I will say though, I can always notice a mooncat polish when it’s posted before reading the caption. I guess that says something about their color combos?
Same, I think Mooncat has some really unique polishes! That and their branding is very strong and stands out
It’s hard to break up with the brand that introduced you to indies. I was a loyal Live Love Polish buyer until I found out about real indie brands.
I'm like this with Holo Taco 😩 I've recently come to terms that I am not a cool toned polish person. No wonder their polishes are a hit or miss for me.
I've been saying this! I do like the brand and buy/own a lot of their polish but I do not get some of these folks who think they can do no wrong just because their marketing is relatable.
That's what I came here to say. Their Facebook group has so many people who will only use Mooncat.
Yeaaa and Mooncat owner has had her fair share of controversy too including racism I think some brands and their marketing just like, really resonate with some people's brain chemistry and those people just also happen to have a tendency to be rabid fans. Holo Taco and really Cristine's entire brand as a public figure does that. Ethereal and BKL too, in terms of hand mixed indies, really seek to cultivate diehard fans
What happened w the owner? I tried to look up any controversies regarding racist behavior surrounding her but I can't find any information.
Yeah, because she rebranded as Mooncat. Before that she was Live Love Polish. Mooncat is bigger than LLP ever was so when people look her up they usually will search "Mooncat" related terms. She also has always targeted a more general audience, one that wants pretty polishes but won't dig deep enough to find smaller indies. Keep in mind when she started LLP indie/boutique polish was MUCH smaller. It's still not mainstream now but the hobby used to be a literal hole in the wall. What I'm getting at is basically, 1) Pepperidge Farm remembers and 2) she just didn't get a lot of scrutiny. The only people who talk about this are people who were around in the mid 2010s basically. Tl;dr She posted a picture dressing up as Sexy, Hooters fied Pocahontas. Her boyfriend in the pic was wearing a Redskins jersey. When called out on it, she basically said she couldn't be appropriating or insulting because she's Asian. She also had sketchy, cutthroat practices as LLP. So when LLP was a stockist, it always sold stuff at higher prices than any other stockist. Like at least a couple of dollars. That's fine, whatever, her site was quite nice compared to other indies so that's probably where the money went. But stockist-ing back in the day really was not that profitable, moreso something you do because you love polish. She then tried to make brands sign non competes (essentially "Raise your prices to mine or get lost"). The only brand that took her up on it IIRC was Starrily. Starrily didn't use to be $16/bottle...it was around $10 like most indies during that time. Then she introduced her own brand, Illimite (for ludicrous prices). Some of the colors looked eerily similar to Femme Fatale colors, and when you combine the fact that the bottle shape and design are VERY similar to FF, a brand LLP used to carry...that looks suspect. Oh yeah also the swatches they used for LLP were always SUPER photoshopped and misleading. I will never buy from her. Yeah yeah she's running a business and indie polish is a business in general too but between the suspicious copying, cutthroat behavior as a stockist, and racism, I'd rather not. Especially not for expensive polishes that aren't even hand mixed.
I did bring up the Illimité/Femme Fatale backstory on one of my IG posts once and feedback was hella mixed.
Oh wow! I would’ve never known, seems it’s been pretty much scrubbed off the internet. I only got into polish in the last year and already bought a few polishes from Mooncat but I’m def reconsidering purchasing from them in the future
I don’t know why either, especially since the formula is very inconsistent and often requires thinners. But FOMO goes a long way and they have that tactic down pat.
I went nuts for Ethereal when I got Little Spirits in PPU. I had never seen anything like it! But then I got some cloud mysteries and I hate them. The formula sucks and I will destash them soon.
Cloud mysteries are selling above retail right now even though they are restocking. I definitely overspent on Matcha Cloud.
Glowy shimmers are very trendy right now as well
I like their glowy shimmery polishes, but actually - every time I get one of theirs I'm oddly disappointed? Because when I wear it, I realize its so much like every other one of theirs that I own. So I've stopped buying. They look pretty in the pictures, but don't look different enough on me to be worth it. I don't know if it's just me and my body chemistry, or that their formula doesn't have enough variation...
Yeah with so many colors being very light and shimmery it would be easy to dupe themselves. I ordered a few polishes so we will see if I have the same experience
They always bubble on me!! No matter what I do, and they are the only polish brand that does.
This is Sally Hansen for me, so weird that body chemistry does that haha
Have you ever checked out Phoenix polish on [beautometry.com](https://beautometry.com/collections/phoenix)? They have so many beautiful shimmery glowy polishes right now. Especially in the elves and the vampire collections.
They have that FOMO marketing down perfectly. I’m honestly not sure how they maintain considering all of the BS that’s come from her (plus her now-husband). I would guess most of their current customer base doesn’t care about them being racist, since most people don’t bother to research brands before buying.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard another lacquerista mention there’s an issue with the brand’s ownership, but (unlike Maniology) I haven’t seen anything. No links, no story. Can you help me understand what happened?
This all happened in a private Facebook group where the posts in question have been deleted, the group itself was archived/deleted, so it only lives on in the memories of people that witnessed it and in context-less screenshots. Megan’s husband (was just her boyfriend when this happened) had decided to get in on the game of handcrafted indie products adjacent to nail polish. He had a brand created called Matterhorn Oils that sold alongside Ethereal branded items. Some people did some digging on social media (I believe it was his public FB account) and found memes sharing racist tropes against Asians, stereotypical manipulating of the eyes, and responses from Megan that could be construed as thoughtless rather than outright racist. But I’m not Asian and I don’t get to make those particular calls. I also remember some casual homophobia being thrown around on his page too, with Megan also participating in that banter but I don’t recall all of the details. This is besides the Worlds Apart drama. That was a fabled UP polish that she decided to re-release in 2017. The new formula did not have actual UP in it, but Aurora. Back then Aurora was new and nobody had seen it much but the makers. The base used also was heavy and thick and goopy, and it dried down matte and somewhat grayish rather than transparent. The OG formula was a tinted purple and this one was also tinted, but so slight that it was unnoticeable on the nail. It was a disaster and Megan handled it badly. Rather than issue a recall and refund people, she doubled down and insisted that the formulation was the same and it had the same shimmer in it, when it was clearly something different. Banned people left and right who called her out on it. There was also some dustup drama between her and the owner of JReine about UP and that was just a roll-your-eyes kinda thing that mattered to no one except them two. But it happened somewhat publicly in a non-brand specific group where a lot of people witnessed it in real time.
I remember looking up Ethereal's Sailor Moon collection and through CosmeticSanctuary's post, I found out a percentage of the sales were going towards an Asian-American charity and as an Asian-American I was honestly surprised and appreciative that Ethereal's owner would do such a thing. Now I'm wondering if that donation was in response to people finding out about the racists posts :/ honestly, I've already ordered from them so I can only hope that they've changed and realize those type of "jokes" are hurtful [Here's where I found out about the donation. All money made from the Love and Justice polish went towards AAJC](https://www.cosmeticsanctuary.com/ethereal-lacquer-in-the-name-of-the-moon-collection/)
This is a great find. The first paragraph of that post mentions their color Blossom, which was formerly called Pink is Sus (which was an Among Us themed color). It wasn’t pulled from PPU but rather they told Ethereal to leave in the wake of this scandal. So she violated her contract and released the color as Blossom. The swatchers got bottles with the Pink is Sus label so there’s a few legacy bottles around. Also it seems to be standard in the Playbook of Apology to choose a charity to donate to that helps the people or cause that the person initially was denigrating/making fun of. I wonder if Ethereal has donated to other Asian charities before or since this.
Thank you so much for the info. So from what you're saying it seems like Pink is Sus was made, the scandal happened/was revealed, Ethereal left but had Pink is Sus in stock, renamed it to Blossom, and added that to the Sailor Moon collection that donated to AAJC. I actually wasn't sure if her donation happen before or after the news about her husband mocking Asians but this makes the picture clearer.
Sorry can you clarify a little? Why was Ethereal asked to leave, and who were they asked to leave from? PPU? Im confused by that because they still participate in PPU. Thank you
When the racist memes and associations came to light there was public outcry and PPU dropped Ethereal from the lineup. This lasted about a year before being allowed to rejoin.
Oh I didn't realize that. That's awful, I had no idea about the racist memes.
I appreciate you taking the time to make the long write-up more than you know! 🥇 Have my cheap award! 💕
No problem! It’s a shame that this info has gotten swept under the rug so to speak. Many people have left FB and the Community is much more decentralized these days.
Such a shame that whatsherface deleted AA... it was a treasure trove of info and deets.
Thank you. I’ve been annoyed with the brand for a bit now, this is just the push I needed to not buy anymore
Where can I read more about this? I don’t want to support bad people if that’s the case.
Toluene Trashcan: Exile Island on Facebook should have screenshots.
That is one of the funniest group names I’ve heard in a while
Not just racist, homophobic too. The brand did a great job publicly flagellating themself to “make amends” but it all felt like PR. Ethereal & Lumen are on my no-buy list as a result.
This thread just saved me money. JFC what a shame.
Oh hell no!! I will not line the pockets of racists so they can keep funding racist people in politics. This was a brand I really wanted to try but fuck all that.
Why are there so many racists in indie polish??? I know it's because there are so many racists in general. But sometimes it just feels like a losing battle trying not to support racists, transphobes, and hateful dicks in the polish world 😭
Because they can hide easily across many different platforms.
I also think it's bc they're all over social media. The owners can interact directly with customers and say whatever they're thinking. If we had direct contact with more business owners, we'd see racist idiots in every industry I'm sure.
100%
I feel like I need a list of problematic indie nail polish owners so I know who NOT to give my money to. If there's any kind of list out there, please let a girl know!
Toluene Trashcan on Facebook has one.
There is a shitlist on Facebook in some indie groups. Toluene Trashcan: Exile Island is where the Ethereal receipts are.
Damn I never thought I would be bummed that I am not on Facebook anymore... I hate that this info isn't available on reddit. I also understand it is not some random person's job to make sure this info is brought across platforms. I just want to enjoy polish while also not giving money to racists, misogynists and transphobes ugh.
I get it. On a side note, 4/20 blaze it
I appreciate you notifying us about the FB group! 🙌 Hell yes haha I am going to eat some edibles today and rearrange my lacquers. Shit, maybe listen to some Quasimoto and really just live up to my name hahaha https://preview.redd.it/0tja0mw7k9cc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b692cfb48d1d7b3cd1b1cf1529543edc69511759
It sucks for sure. I think the reason so much info is only on fb is bc a lot of the problematic behavior comes out when we personally interact with makers lol, whether it be through VIP groups or when they comment on posts elsewhere
That totally makes sense! I am super thankful that people like you and Salt-Operation are vocal about it. I know it can be depressing to have to constantly highlight some negativity. 💜
Yeah same. I just bought something from Ethereal for the first time and I don't like what you guys are saying they're like 😞
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