Cult Nails Spontaneous Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

 @StylishStudent  @polyxene  So it’s NOT just me??! That’s a relief to know! Yes, “bitchy” and “haughty” describe it perfectly. Even the one point where she’s right and where I agree with her — for example, lying on customs forms — the response was snotty and bitchy.  I don’t know if the air of superiority comes from getting rave reviews from bloggers (in fact, I don’t even know if there are major reviewers other than Christine who rave about Cult products), but you’d think they would want to be pleasant to the general public, not just reviewers, if they want to expand.  I’d never even heard of Cult before Temptalia and I highly doubt I’m alone.  
         The chip on her shoulder and air of superiority might be understandable if Cult were Chanel. But it’s not.  She needs to seriously get over herself because the whole thing is remarkably unprofessional in my opinion, even apart from the snottiness.  I can’t recall the last time a company made me feel so hostile that I gave an actual finger to photos of their products; not even UD’s China disaster made me do that nonstop. But Cult has antagonised me to such an extent that, whenever I see a Cult product being reviewed, my response will be “Screw you.”   

 @t_zwiggy  It was gorgeous. So far, from Christine’s reviews, ALL their polishes look amazing. They really do. But that attitude….. “potential enemies” nails it, imo.  Have you *ever* seen a company of ANY size treat customers as potential enemies like that??!  I haven’t.  Maria can put out all the cutesy stories she wants about her young daughter picking collections, but when viewed through the prism of the incredibly snotty, obnoxious FAQ and her hostile approach to her actual customers, it just further adds to the image in my mind of someone totally full of themselves.   I wish more people were aware of just how rudely and dismissively they were viewed in the company’s eyes. It might be useful if reviewers/bloggers would make note of things like hostile, antagonistic customer service or company attitudes when reviewing brands that hold you hostage to their website for purchases. 

 @Christine (Temptalia)  @t_zwiggy  Few of us generally know the head of a company personally; potential customers usually can only judge a company’s attitude or approach by what they put out there.  Every company is subject to being judged on a variety of different criteria and a company’s explicit statements are certainly fair game. Just as UD’s Press Releases regarding China can be (and were) interpreted as conveying a certain attitude or mindset, so too can Cult’s FAQ.  How small a company is does not change the fact that it is a company and in the business of trying to please customers in order to make a profit and succeed. IMO, tiny companies are not automatically protected from fair criticism just because their size means the criticism is directed at one person. If the FAQ creates an impression that is inaccurate or misleading, then, as I said up above, it should be completely rewritten to convey a totally different attitude. As it stands, it’s not just me who found it offputting. More than one person has changed their mind about buying the company’s products as a result of it.  

 @Kafka As a Cult nails customer, I just have to come one here and say Maria is such a generous, down-to-earth business owner.  After following her on Facebook and reading how really sweet she is to her customers, I purposely buy from her to support her business.  I’d never read the faq’s before this post, but I can tell you she is really fun and not at all haughty with her interactions online w/ her fan base.  I would encourage you all to follow her on FB to get a more genuine, real-world picture of the face behind the brand.

 @Kafka I also noticed the lack of professionalism in the way the copy was crafted on the FAQ but I definitely didn’t interpret it as mean or condescending, only as unprofessional (by which I mean low budget). I think we’re so used to the slick marketing copy that editors get paid salaries to write that it subconsciously soothes us, and when something isn’t phrased in market-speak something feels very weird. Let’s face it, the design and graphics are not very high budget either but let’s not confuse any of that with mean or greedy policies. The policies are very understandable from a practical business-plan perspective. If the same policies were written by a savvy copywriter I bet everyone would feel differently.Ebay sellers have different motives. They have other jobs or are just making supplemental cash or getting rid of things. That’s very different from running a business.True, Cult Nails would benefit from a slick marketing team of designers and copywriters but to me they seem like a perfectly warm small business with a good product. They just need a little branding help.