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Wednesday 1 February 2012

Tell me about: Crackle/Shatter Nail Polish

Crackle/shatter nail polish is one of the most popular trend of late. From shades of black to white and brands from OPI to Sasa, crackle nail polish has certainly made its way into the world of manicures. Not only is it easy to apply, crackle nail polish gives a fun edge to solid manicures.


OPI Shatter in Black
How does the crackle polish function?
First of all, one must apply a base color in which this color will show through the cracks. Upon drying the base color, paint on the crackle polish. The trick is to paint a good amount of crackle polish with swift brushing motions.

Using too little polish will create scratches, not cracks; painting too much will result in a muddy mess. Be as quick as possible so the polish to dries as whole to create nice and obvious cracks. You do not have to be neat while painting this coat, because when the crackle polish dries it will form a broken, cracked like pattern on the base color.

As the coat of crackle polish dries, it will automatically crack to form the desired pattern. Don't worry if it doesn't look significantly cracked at first because the polish cracks as it dries. The secret ingredient of the crackle formula is ethanol which allows the polish to dry so rapidly it produces an appearance of a shattered surface. It is also formulated so the polish dries unevenly to produce the cracked effect.

This youtube video provides a clear demonstration of the use of the shatter polish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcyDVIRrZqw

What color should I buy for my crackle polish?
It depends. What color makes up the majority of your nail polish collection? If you own mostly light colors, go with a darker crackle polish like black and vice versa. The key here is to create contrast when compared to your base color.

How do I match the base color with the crackle polish?
This is by no means the way you should do your crackle manicure but I recommend pairing a light base with a dark crackle and vice versa. Matching metallic base with a solid crackle and vice versa works well too. It looks good when both colors get to stand out together without one overshadowing the other.

Hm I personally love turquoise and gold; deep red and gold; black and yellow, red and black; silver and black. Oooh looks like black is the most versatile color for a crackle polish!

Polishes used:
Base coat: Faceshop
Top coat: Sasa
Shatter polish: OPI Black (credits my cousin <3)
Base colors: self-made gray frankenpolish with a layer of duo-chromatic glitter on top

Enjoy! ;)



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