What's Up With The Names?

My Husband Kept Important Information From Me

Donut Spunk was created out of my love for vintage finishes. Glazed, pearlescent nails never really go out of style, but getting that look usually means dealing with chrome powders and extra steps. I was determined to create a formula that delivered that glazed effect without all the hassle.

When it came time to name the collection, I was completely intimidated. It was my first launch there was a lot of pressure. I wanted names that were memorable, easy to say, a little punchy, and most importantly, fun. I'm not a super serious person, so I usually name shades based on what they remind me of something specific or how they make me feel. When I'm stuck, I start researching things that fit within that color family and see where my brain wanders.

After I perfected this shade, donut nails were everywhere at the time. I thought perfect timing we have to name it something that brings us up in this trend. I was sitting at the table brainstorming names, throwing around ideas inspired by frosting, sugary treats, and that cream-cheese-on-a-cinnamon-roll kind of vibe. As I rattled off possibilities to my husband, he casually suggested, "Donut Spunk."

I immediately loved it.

I thought about Saturday morning donut runs and how grabbing one of my favorite treats always puts me in a spunky mood. It felt quirky, memorable, and fun. Perfect. I rolled with it and never gave it another thought.

Little did I know.

When the collection launched, people started commenting that the name was a bit... unhinged. Some cronies absolutely loved it. Others told me they couldn't get past the name, even though they loved the color. Eventually I thought, "Wait, what does everyone know that I don't?" So I Googled it.

Let's just say my husband conveniently left out some important information.

Now that I know what it means, I honestly find the whole thing hilarious. That's very much my sense of humor. At this point, it's part of Cracked Polish lore.

Naming shades has become one of my favorite parts of creating polish. I want people to see a color and think, Yep, that name fits perfectly. Some of my favorite shade names have equally ridiculous stories behind them, some of my favorite names are suggested by you guys and our employees too. You can find inspiration anywhere. Here are a couple cute fun ones.

Fairy Tinkle
My niece was trying to say "periwinkle" and instead confidently announced the color was "fairy tinkle." The moment she said it, I knew I had to save that name for a polish.

23 Flavors
One day I was mindlessly scrolling social media when I saw someone in a nail polish group mention how difficult it was to find a polish that matched the iconic color of Dr Pepper. The comments were full of people agreeing. Since I apparently don't know how to relax, I went out, bought a 12-pack, and got to work.

F Kale
This is our signature green and one of the most frustrating shades I've ever created. It took countless prototypes to get exactly right. After finally finishing it, I stepped away to make dinner using a HelloFresh recipe. The recipe included a tip that said to massage the kale to remove its bitterness. I yelled, "F Kale!" My husband and I immediately burst out laughing. Nobody had ever informed me that kale required a spa treatment before it became edible. If you've never tried it, massaging kale actually makes a huge difference. At that moment, I knew the polish had found its name.

Hairy Squat Lobster
As a Pisces, I'm naturally drawn to anything ocean related. While researching cute pink things for inspiration, I stumbled across a real animal called a hairy squat lobster. I'd never heard of it before, so naturally I went down an internet rabbit hole. The more I looked at it, the more I thought, "That looks exactly like this polish. 

Dumpster Fire
This one was named by the Prugly Pals Facebook group. I love leaning on our cronies for inspiration because so many of you have incredible ideas. I can't build this brand alone. Plus, let's be honest, sometimes life feels exactly like a dumpster fire.

Crop Dusted
This shade is currently discontinued, but don't worry a revamped version is coming back. Years ago, I worked with a manager who would regularly crop dust entire sections of the store. My coworkers and I would look at each other and whisper, "Did you smell that crop dust?" The funniest part was that the manager had no idea what the phrase meant. When I created this yellow shade, that memory immediately popped into my head, and the name stuck.

The lesson here? Never trust your spouse to fully explain a name suggestion. But if they don't, you might accidentally end up with one of your most memorable polish names ever.

Affiliate Spotlight

@audrey_swatches

How to get the look Audrey's technique shown here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZh3vzMBESy/

Cracked Polish has become my go-to for nail art. Glitter and shimmer is beautiful, but having that solid foundation of crèmes and jellies makes painting easy. Cracked jellies are glassy and squishy, and so vibrant. You can use them to add life and dimension to detailed nail art, or you can use them alone to create seamless and easy gradients right on your nails - no tools required!

Tips for jelly gradients using only the bottle brushes:

• Work quickly while the polish is still very wet.
• Use transition colours to bridge gaps between colours - ie: use yellow to blend green and orange together.
• Don’t fuss too much trying to get it perfect, because you’ll start to pick up the polish on your brush and create a choppy effect.
• Wipe off your bottle brush on a piece of paper before returning it to the bottle to avoid contaminating the colours.
• If you get polish on your skin, worry about clean up after you get the look you want on your nails. It’s easy to go in with a clean up brush dipped in acetone to wipe away any flooding.
• Try not to overthink it!

Jellies are all the rage!!!

What Are Jelly Polishes?

Jelly polishes are sheer, translucent nail polishes that can be worn on their own or layered with other shades to create endless looks. They're one of the easiest ways to experiment with nail art, thanks to their buildable coverage and forgiving formula. Guava Have It shown below is such a refreshing peachy pink for this time of year. 

How Do You Use Them?

Apply 1, 2, or 3 coats depending on the look you're after. One coat gives a soft wash of color, while additional coats deepen the shade and create more opacity, like shown below. The beauty of jelly polish is that you're in complete control of the finished look.

Why Are They So Popular?

Jelly nail polish exploded in popularity thanks to its playful, nostalgic '90s aesthetic and the influence of Korean beauty trends on social media. Their translucent, candy-like finish offers something completely different from traditional opaque polishes.

They're also incredibly effortless to wear. A single coat creates a delicate tint while allowing your natural nail line to peek through, giving your nails a fresh, juicy appearance that's both modern and fun. Grenadine shown above has become one of our best selling jellies.

 

My Jelly Polish Journey

As someone whose nails are permanently stained from a deep love of nail polish, I used to avoid jelly polishes altogether. The first few I tried just weren't for me. Then I discovered Cirque Colors jellies. They had a bit more pigment than others I'd used, and I completely fell in love with the look.

When I started creating Cracked jellies, I wanted them to be buildable for people like me who don't necessarily want a strong visible nail line but still want that soft, squishy jelly effect. The result is a formula that can be worn sheer or built up to your desired coverage. You can also use our Neutralizer before hand for even more opacity. 

Pro Tip: The Jelly Sandwich

One of my favorite techniques is the Jelly Sandwich.

Apply a coat of Taro Milk Tea, add a layer of a sparkly polish like Street Corner Bouquet, then finish with another coat of Taro Milk Tea. The jelly layer softens and diffuses the sparkle, creating a dreamy, ethereal manicure with incredible depth.

Try Some Nail Art

Because jelly polish is sheer, it's incredibly forgiving and beginner-friendly. You don't have to worry about perfectly painting every edge, and minor imperfections tend to blend away beautifully.

Jellies are also perfect for:

• Layering over glitter
• Creating gradients and ombrés
• Stained glass effects
• Watercolor-inspired nail art
• Soft, blurred designs

You can lightly layer colors and blur the edges for a stunning watercolor effect like above using I’m Jaded, No Shrubs, Don’t Teal My Thunder, and Dark Like My Heart., 

Velvet Topper Magic

Magnetic toppers and jelly polishes are a match made in heaven.

Try layering one of our magnetic toppers over your favorite jelly polish and use either the Mean Green Velveteen or a wand magnet to create a soft velvet effect. It's an easy way to add a little extra pizzazz to your manicure or refresh a jelly mani that's been on your nails for a few days. Below Guava Have It and Thin Ice was used to create this look.

Why Do Nail Polish Removers Cause Dryness? 

Nail polish removers are basically a solvent designed to break down the polymers and resins in nail polish. The good news is it removers your polish so you can paint a new pretty color. The bad news is it typically dissolves all natural oils and water content within your nail plate and cuticles. That most people tend to not add back after removal. Frequent use of a standard remover can cause nails to be brittle causing splitting and frequent nail, cuticles to be flaky and that's just not cute.

Why ours is different? It was created to clean, hydrate, and prep the nails. This formula is simple and effective and best part is its fragrance free. It removes but also provides essential moisture into the nail. In the long term it can help with retaining hydration, keeping your nails more flexible which in turn helps with them being less fragile, peeling, or cracking. 

How To Use - Soak a cotton ball or pad with Nail Polish Remover. Press the soaked cotton firmly against your nail for 10–20 seconds to break down the polish.  You can also use nail clips for this. Firmly slide the cotton down the nail toward the tip to wipe it clean.