Sometimes old trend die a quick death, never to be seen again. But sometimes, they resurface after a couple of years, hitting a totally new target market. That’s most definitely the case with crackle topcoats! Back in the days, this one got many lacqueristas in a ongoing discussion: is the trend one to love, or to absolutely hate? And in all honesty; even after all these years, I’m still not really certain!
This is what crackle polish (or shatter, python, crocodile, graffiti, etc.) looks like on the nails: kind of like nail polish has chipped off and left a pattern. With the major difference that it’s a topcoat on top of a base colour. By using different amounts of polish, you’re able to manipulate the outcome. Point in case: both black ones are the same polish, but the one on the ringfinger (with smaller bits) is a thin coat, whereas the middle finger nail is coated with a thicker coat.
For the base colour, I opted for this stunning black lable by OPI, called My Gecko Does Tricks. It’s a pale green metallic colour, with an orange shift to it. Shown are two coats: for full opacity three are necessary, but the fun of crackle polishes is that the base colour does not have to be perfect.
These are three different crackles. The silver one is China Glaze Crackle Glaze Platinum Pieces, and breaks up in rather big chunks. The black is OPI Black Shatter, one that dries quite matte. On the pinkie is OPI Turquoise Shatter, a metallic crackle with a rather good opacity to it. It looks so grungy, and I like the black on the base colour. The other two not so much, but me and metallics are often a tough combination.
And then there’s the silver Layla Graffiti Effect Top Coat in colour 13. Or rather, should be silver. Somehow this one did not stand the test of time. It dried up… white? It’s like the silver glitter sunk to the nail itself, leaving the base behind. It also shrunk A LOT, as you can see near the cuticle. This is a fine example of polishes not being able to revive, unfortunately. It is funny to see, though!
These days, Essence sells simple black crackle topcoats in their displays. And honestly? I do kinda like it returning. Especially as new generations lacqueristas arise. It’s a fun trip down memory lane, and one that will not be easily forgotten.