FAQs

We're excited for you to receive your order too! Your order will be processed and shipped within three business days of your order. During sales or new product launches, our processing time may be up to five business days. Most domestic orders arrive within one week of shipment, but often much sooner. For small orders we typically ship USPS first class mail with tracking to keep shipping prices competitive. Larger orders will ship USPS priority mail. If you wish to upgrade your small order to priority mail or an alternate shipping carrier or service, please contact us prior to ordering.

International orders may take up to two months to arrive because of customs, but we find that most international orders arrive two to three weeks following shipment.                                                               

My order is a gift. Can you include a note or card? Absolutely! Include your requested message in the order notes. Your requested gift message will be handwritten inside a unique floral card with the recipient's name on the outer envelope. Gift orders will not include order receipts.                                                                                                
Where are your headquarters located? How quickly are orders processed?

All orders are shipped from our headquarters in Houston, Texas, in the United States via the U.S. Postal Service. Orders will be shipped within three business days. During product launches and special sales our processing may take up to five business days because of increased ordering.                                                                                                                                                   

We ship worldwide, including to the United Kingdom. We have never had issues with international orders arriving. Please contact us prior to ordering if you would like to add insurance or have your package shipped by a method other than USPS, our usual carrier.                                                                                                                                                    

Yes, of course! We ship to all military bases. Keep in mind that shipping turnaround time for APOs and other military addresses will vary, with arrival times occasionally mirroring international shipment turnaround times.                                                                                                                                                 Do you offer shipping to post office or PO boxes?

Yes, we offer shipping to PO boxes.                                                                                                                                                    

Do you offer free shipping?                                                                                 Free shipping is automatically applied to US orders over $35. International orders are not currently eligible for free shipping due to the higher shipping cost.                                                                                                                                 How much will domestic shipping cost?

Shipping costs begin at $3.50 for one polish shipped within the United States, with each additional polish adding a small charge. Most orders are shipped via USPS first class mail, while larger orders will be shipped via priority mail.                                                                                                                                          How much will international shipping cost?

International shipping starts at $8.99 for packages shipped first class. Pricing will vary by location. International rates to Canada and Mexico are slightly less than to other countries because of reduced shipping costs to these nearby countries. Larger international orders will ship USPS priority. Calculating shipping charges for large international orders can be a bit tricky, especially since the cost is automatically calculated. Feel free to request an invoice for larger international orders so that we can accurately calculate shipping charges. Please get in touch with us if you would prefer that your international order is shipped by an alternate service or carrier. Keep in mind that it could take up to two months to receive an international order because of customs. International orders generally arrive much quicker, however, with most arriving in two to three weeks.                                                                                                                                               Tracking shows that my international order has made stops in several US cities, but that USPS is still waiting for my package. Is there a problem with my package?

In order to keep shipping costs down for international orders, we are currently shipping international packages via Asendia, a USPS shipping partner. The packages are first shipped to another destination in the US (usually Illinois or Georgia) via USPS first class mail or priority mail where the package is relabeled, marked accepted by USPS, then sent on to customs. 

Orders shipped via priority mail, both domestic and international, include insurance, while it is not included for first class shipping. Please contact us at info@blackdahlialacquer.com if you would like to add additional insurance to your order. Insurance pricing is determined by the order price.

 

Yes, after your order is shipped you will receive an email providing the USPS tracking number. In some cases the tracking indicates your package has not yet started travelling or appears "stuck" in transit, which could indicate the package simply wasn't properly scanned at each stop. Most of the time, orders arrive as scheduled even though they may not be traceable the entire time. Please contact us at info@blackdahlialacquer.com if you are concerned about receiving your order and we will look into it.

Error messages on tracked orders often indicate that orders have been delayed due to weather, or have arrived at the wrong post office. Most of the time the package is simply delayed and arrives a day or two behind schedule. Please contact us if you have concerns about tracking your order.

 

In some cases it may be possible to combine or amend orders if the order or orders have not yet been processed, and we receive your request in time. During launches and new product launches we may limit combining orders as it can lead to increased room for errors. Please contact us ASAP if you require changes to your order, such as changing polishes ordered or sending orders to another address.                                                                                                                                                   

Please ensure that your Paypal shipping address is current prior to check out. But we understand that mistakes happen. Contact us ASAP so that your order can be shipped to your new address. If contacted in time, we can usually change the shipping address.                                                                                                                                                   

In these cases the best scenario is usually to go to your local post office and request that your mail be forwarded to your new address. While your package may take some extra time to arrive, it usually arrives without issue through mail forwarding.                                                                                                                                                   

Please get in touch with us. Once we've verified that the package is on the way back to us, we will go ahead and reship your package. There is no need to wait until it actually reaches us. Shipping is on us in this case.

 

Please contact us right away at info@blackdahlialacquer.com if your order is missing one or more items, or is damaged or incorrect. We would be happy to replace items or otherwise work out an agreeable solution. Shipping is always on us if your order has a damaged or missing item.                                                                                                                                                   

During periods when our processing time is slightly longer than usual, we often upgrade polish size or include an extra nail polish for your patience. As long as you also received the correct items you ordered, there's no need to notify us or return any additional items beyond what you ordered. You might notice this more often during the holidays when we upgrade polish sizes and add a bonus product to random orders throughout the holiday season.

 

We do not currently offer returns or exchanges because of the handmade nature of our products. With that said, if there is a problem with your order, please contact us at info@blackdahlialacquer.com and we'll make it right. Customer service is a top priority for us and we want to make sure that each of our customers is 100 percent satisfied with their purchases.                                                                                                                                                   

We do our best to accurately describe products and include photos by different bloggers in different lighting conditions, but we understand sometimes the polish you received simply isn't the shade you thought it would be. In these circumstances please contact us about an exchange. Make sure to include the name of the polish you'd like to receive in exchange. 

 

If you reside in the Houston area or are visiting, you are welcome to pick your order up in person from our home workshop. Please check out with coupon code LOCALPICKUP, which will waive shipping, then e-mail us at info@blackdahlialacquer.com to schedule a pick up. Note that this code is only to be used for orders that will be picked up.

We do accept Square if you would rather pay for polishes upon pick up, though we strongly suggest ordering first as there is a chance a polish you are hoping to pick up may not be in stock if an order is not submitted first. Feel free to ask about in stock mystery polishes during pick up.

 

Residents of Texas will be charged sales tax at the rate of 8.25 percent as required by the state. Recipients of international orders are responsible for any customs fees charged by their own country. Contact the customs department in your country to learn more about how and when such fees are applied.

 

It is currently only possible to use one coupon code per order. Free shipping on US orders over $35 will be applied automatically once the threshold has been met, and can be combined with coupon codes.

The best way to stay up to date on coupon codes that we release is to sign up for our newsletter, check our blog and Web site, and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages. Note that coupon codes are released in good faith and may be terminated early if misuse is suspected.

 

Yes, of course! We will include requests for certain colors or finishes when in stock but can't make guarantees as our inventory changes rapidly. Mystery bags will be available when we have stock so there may be times when they are unavailable.

 

E-mail us at custom@blackdahlialacquer.com with your ideas for a custom polish and we will take it from there. After we have an understanding of the polish you are looking to create, we will devise one or two prototypes and send over photos. From there we listen to your input and create another prototype that incorporates your feedback (such as darker color, more glitter, etc) and send over another photo. Once you are pleased with the creation and have chosen a name, we will send out your custom polish.

Cuticle oil in custom scents or that omits certain ingredients (such as nut oils) are also possible. Please contact us to request a customized cuticle oil.

 

Yes, all of our products are cruelty free and vegan. We only purchase raw materials and supplies from companies who also pledge that they are cruelty free. Additionally, we do not work with stockists in the US or abroad which require animal testing. As a vegan company, that means our products do not include ingredients such as carmine (crushed insects used for coloring) or guanine (fish scales used to add shimmer.) In addition, we have been certified cruelty free by the internationally recognized Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics’ (CCIC) Leaping Bunny Program and by PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies. We've also been approved as cruelty free and vegan by Logical Harmony.

No, none would appear in nail polish because it is not a water-based product. Non-water based nail polish would never achieve the title of "organic" since it is not made up of products that are grown, but rather those created in labs. For this reason you will not find nail polish labeled natural or organic.

 

We do our best to accurately describe the color and finish of our polishes. Often, our bloggers also review and give feedback on descriptions to ensure they are as accurate as possible. We also typically include product photos taken by several different bloggers under different lighting conditions, such as shade, natural light, light box, etc. We do this in hopes of providing as much information as possible to help you choose which polishes to purchase. Keep in mind that photos often appear slightly different on different computer monitors, tablets and smart phones. Additionally, since our products are mixed by hand there could be minute differences between batches. Feel free to email us to ask questions about specific polishes, or to request closeup photos if they are not provided for the polish you are considering.

 

Please email us at info@blackdahlialacquer.com. We may not check messages sent via social media or other channels daily, so e-mail is the best and fastest way to get in touch with us.

 

We respect your privacy and will never share or sell your e-mail address or any other personal information provided to Black Dahlia Lacquer. We also do not keep credit card or other financial information on file in order to protect private financial information.