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Monday, August 24, 2015

The Mentality Nail Polish Scandal

I know I'm a small blogger and that most of you have heard about the Mentality issue on Facebook/Instagram/blogs already but I'm still writing this incase someone still haven't heard about it.

Basically the indie polish maker Mentality Nail Polish is possibly dangerous to use and should be avoided!

Earlier claims is that only their neon spring collection was causing horrible burning sensations in the nails and nail loosening (onycholysis). And yea, not all people has been affected but it sure has been INSANELY many who has suffered from this because of Mentality, it also seems as more people are popping up each week. Mentality officially calls people suffering from this issue for just being "sensitive", which is a load of BS IMHO.

The reason (Mentality claims) is because Mentality used a "bad batch" of nail polish base from a side-company to Nubar. They also claim that that "damaged" base only has been used to that neon collection and that they've stopped using that base. And that the bad base + the neon pigments has reacted somehow. However, apparently all this is just a wild guess. From my knowledge they have still not tested anything so it might as well be something else in their production. Who knows? (The newest speculation is that their new UV gel line and the regular polish line somehow has intermixed, and as you know unhardened gel commonly cause reactions..)

However again, now it seems like more people has come forward and realized that also other collections way prior to the neon spring collection has caused nail loosening. It is not only the neon collection that might cause these problems!

Furthermore, Mentality started to refund people but has now decided that they wont anymore (which is weird) and instead they launch new collections and are selling the neon collection on 50% sale. (yay, poison for 50%!)

Since they've started to refuse refunds, customers has started "claims" on paypal to force them to pay back. Mentality are then defending them selves by saying to Paypal that people (their customers) are bullying and harassing them and that they shouldn't be force to pay.

The worst thing is that it seems like Mentality has been aware of this issue for a year before this hole thing exploded in social media. Also it seems like they've prepared to avoid lawsuit by changing their business to a cooperation in a very "suiting timing". 



I only own one Mentality which I got in a swap in a facebook group before this Mentality issue got public. I still haven't tried it and now I doubt that I will ever use it on my nails. I'm honestly too scared to try it. I know all people might not react to the polishes and if you have them and continue to use them I urge you to be careful and keep a watching eye on your nails. Still I like to point out that I will continue to use indie polishes from other brands.

I think that mistakes can happen to anyone and of course Mentality didn't do this on purpose BUT the way they have handled this issue is beyond horrible. And I feel so sorry for all people who has been victims of this, a whole bunch of people in the swedish nail community has been affected.


There's a lot of well written and more detailed information about this in several blogs which I also urge you to read:
Here Themercurialmagpie speaks about it.
Here Ashleyispolishaddicted speaks about it.

12 comments:

  1. Riktigt bra och upplysande inlägg. Jag har följt detta med Mentality ett bra tag och tycker det är hemskt hur Mentality har behandlat sina kunder och hur de fortsätter att agera efter detta uppdagats. Hoppas de får lägga ner snart, vill inte ha dem på marknaden längre.

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    1. Tack! Jag har också följt det ett tag och hoppades på en bättre utveckling på det hela, men uppenbarligen ljuger de om saker och försöker sopa allt under mattan, samtidigt som de beter sig illa mot folk. Hoppas också de får lägga ned, de smutsar ned andra (seriösa) indieföretags rykten.

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  2. Oh wow thanks for making me aware of this :O I did not know about this case where people are really suffering, that's just horible :(

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    1. Yea, I think it's good as many as possible get to know about this. It's just horrible. :(

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  3. Jättebra att du och många andra bloggare går ut med info om detta! Mentality har ju inte direkt varit bra på att informera själva... Jag fick min första reaktion av ett av lacken från deras matta neonkollektion (Extirpate) och när det mesta av det hade läkt så trodde jag att det var lugnt att använda de lack som jag köpt från deras matta jellychromes (då det först enbart pratades om att det var neonlacken det var fel på), så använde Spree från den kollektionen... bara för att se det börja om från början med smärta och nagellossning som följd. Sedan deras arroganta attityd mot sina kunder till råga på allt. Kommer aldrig använda Mentality igen, det är ett som är säkert... och jag är inte den som bojkottar saker i första taget.

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    1. Håller med. Känns snarare som att Mentality undanhåller info, klart de visste att både jellychrome och matta neonen innehöll samma bas. Jag tror de hoppades att ingen skulle märka. Jag hoppades också länge att det skulle vända, att de skulle undersöka vad som var fel och tydligt gå ut med det. Men icke... Tvärtom snarare. Nu släpper de neonkollektionen på rea och släpper nya kollektioner, som om inget hade hänt. :( Skitföretag..

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  4. Thanks for this info Gelic. I had seen comments eluding to the problem but didn't know what the problem was. I don't own any and have tried any from Mentality. I'd be scared to use it if I were you!

    Not good at all :-(

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    1. Yea, I'd definitely wont use the one I got. I also feel sorry for the ones who have bought a bunch of them. Except for those who got health damages to their nails, It's also quite much money spent, just for nothing.. Hopefully both nails and money will come back, but still with all that hazzle.. :/

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    2. I know it's really bad. And seems to take forever to heal as well :-( And sounds really painful too :-(

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    3. Yea... :( Depending on your nails it takes 4-6 months for the damage to grow out (unless you're having bad luck, get stuck in stuff or polish with regular polish too soon and the damage gets re-opened again, then it will take even longer). I've also heard that it's recommended to avoid polish for further 4 months so it will heal 100%. Which means 10 months without polish... :( And 6 months with pains.. Just bleh.

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  5. wow,,i am scared about poisons..we are using too much nail polish and this is awful for our community ! terrible to use nails ..awwww i saw few samples on the bloggers .they didnt know why it happened,, now of they use this brand , they will know .terrible

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    1. Yea.. normally brands are serious on what chemicals they use. I know people who has used polish daily for 20-30 years with no problems, an then they try mentality and their nails fall off kinda. Chemicals can be safe if it's done the right way. Sadly Mentality has done something horrible here..

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