Based on the website's (now edited, but provable with screenshots) claim of "all nail polish" being "not tested on animals", "100% natural, vegan" and "vegan approved", a vegan friend and I (also vega... Read More
Based on the website's (now edited, but provable with screenshots) claim of "all nail polish" being "not tested on animals", "100% natural, vegan" and "vegan approved", a vegan friend and I (also vegan) happily made an appointment for their "essential" manicures. It's tough to find a place to get a vegan manicure, so we were very excited!
That excitement died as soon as we walked in for our appointments. My manicurist, Toni, pointed out the polishes that were specifically vegan - and at least one line of polishes that is not vegan. My friend and I were instantly put off - we picked Juniper because they claimed, as you can see from the direct quotes above, that all polishes are vegan. We considered walking out due to this dishonesty (my friend called it the "bait and switch"), but we were already there and Juniper has a hefty penalization for late cancellation.
The manicures were nice enough. I had a matte top coat on mine, which wore off within a day and left me with the traditional shiny nail, so that was a disappointment, but I liked the glitter Toni did on two of my nails. My friend's polish was already 25% gone by the end of the day but she enjoyed the color while it lasted.
I spend a lot of time researching vegan, animal testing-free products, and I follow multiple sources certifying the vegan and cruelty-free statuses of beauty products. It's unfortunately true that some of the polishes that Juniper carries are neither vegan nor certified cruelty-free/not tested on animals (just two examples: CND is not verified vegan - their vinylux is not at all vegan - nor cruelty-free and is owned by a company that tests on animals; Eminence is not a vegan line and is not certified cruelty-free). We greatly appreciate the heads-up from Toni, and our appointment was pleasant, but the misleading advertising and the questionable vetting of products by the owner means we won't be returning.
The search for a truly cruelty-free manicure in Seattle continues.
Additionally: The owner of Juniper, Tiann Stubberfield, has threatened to take legal action - for slander - against me and a friend for our honest, factual, but one-star, reviews. Of course it's not slander if it's true, but that she'd threaten it says a lot about what kind of person she is.
Furthermore, her employee, Kelly Ornstein, combed my personal Instagram page and took screencaps of my photos/posts to use as weapons against me. I'm not sure to what end, but what she's actually done is violate my privacy and attempted to attack me for having a disability/disease. Trying to weaponize someone's personal posts - especially those about living with illness/disability! - is morally indefensible. This is what kind of company Juniper is. Steer clear, friends. Read Less