All Cracked Up with Crackle Nail Polish
Who remembers the old CoverGirl Crackle Lacquers? I know they were popping up in dollar stores a few years ago but I was never lucky enough to score one. I did find one old bottle of purple Crackle in my Caboodle at my parents house a while back but it was dried and crusty. And yes I realize I just totally dated myself with the Caboodle reference.
With nail art hitting a fever pitch it’s no surprise that this look would come back. Between nail stampers, water marbling, nail art pens, ombre nails and crackle nail polish DIY nail fanatics have endless options when they want to amp up their nail style. I’m still unsure of how I feel about the crackle look but I figured I’d give it a whirl. As I mentioned in my Link Love post on Sunday, my friend Sara from Bit By The Beauty Bug had a crackle pedicure at her salon in Boston. Sara told me about it just before I went to Vegas and mentioned that her tech got her bottle from overseas. So of course while I was at Cosmoprof I scoured the International section looking for crackle nail polish. I hit the jackpot when I visited the Mia Secret booth. |
Like I said above, crackle nail polish isn’t exactly new but it seems to be making a comeback. TransDesign has been selling Krackpolish for a while now but I never took the plunge. I guess it took seeing the polishes in person to give me the kick in the butt I needed.
It turns out that Mia Secret only sells in large quantities to retailers but I was able to scope out the colors while in Vegas. When I got home I searched eBay and found a seller carrying the brand so I ordered bottles of blue, black and green.
I originally tested out the green using a white creme base, Barielle Enduring. However, because the polish underneath wasn’t completely dry and I put on a thick layer of the crackle polish my first swatch was a giant fail!
That’s when I learned the three important rules of crackle polish application.
1. Choose a contrasting base color and make sure it is completely dry. The longer you wait the better. 2. The thinner you apply the crackle polish the more cracks you will have. 3. Crackle polish dries matte and flakes off without a top coat. To get a better idea of how crackle nail polish works I asked the authorities on all things cosmetic chemistry related, The Beauty Brains. My theory is that an ingredient is added to polish that makes it constrict, similar to how Shrinky Dinks constricted in the oven. Thankfully the Left Brain set me straight… You are sort of correct. Cosmetic chemists use solvents that are normally considered incompatible. When applied to the surface of the polish, the applied solvent causes uneven drying which cracks the surface. Normally, this is something you want to avoid. The final effect causes an inferior coating on the nail so it doesn’t last as long. To speed up the swatching/crackling process I chose to use matte nail polishes for the base colors since they dry so fast. If you’re over the whole matte look this is a great way to use them up. I paired Knockout Cosmetics Liberty with the green, OPI La Paz-itively Hot Matte with the black and Knockout Cosmetics Concrete with the blue. |
I’m showing these in the order I swatched them and as you’ll see, the crackle effect gets better the more I worked with the product. Though the brush on the green was a bit janky so it ended up going on a bit thicker than I would have liked.
Mia Secret Crackle Nail Polish in Blue over KO Concrete
Mia Secret Crackle Nail Polish in black over OPI La Paz-itively Hot Matte
I applied the black way too thick on my ring finger and it didn’t crack like it should have. You can see the cracks starting to form but they didn’t come to fruition.
Mia Secret Crackle Nail Polish in green over KO Liberty
The eBay seller I purchased the Mia Secret polish from no longer has them listed but I did find other sellers carrying crackle nail polish; SimplyTheBest88 and Trendin_Sales. Even though Trendin_Sales has limited feedback I did find their website where they sell the polish direct with free shipping, TrendinCosmetics.com. To find an online seller or store carrying Mia Secret try contacting them via the info on their website. TransDesign sells Krackpolish for $2.99/ea.
What do you think of the crackle nail look? Do you want to see this trend come back full force or should it lay low? Have you found other brands of crackle nail polish besides the ones I have listed? I know Swedish brand IsaDora recently launched Graffiti Nails overseas but does anyone know if it will be released in the US? Also, does anyone else find it odd that the Mia Secret bottles look just like OPI’s trademarked design?
Disclosure: A sample of OPI La Paz-itively Hot Matte was provided courtesy of OPI. I purchased the other polishes. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I’ve got the ones from Isadora and if you apply them thickly, you’ll get larger gaps between the gaps (hope it makes sense).
There’s another German drugstore brand, P2 who’s releasing two shades (black& grey) of crackling polishes this fall.
While I probably like nail art more than you, I’m not into this look. “Dry and cracked” just aren’t words I would like to have spring to mind when looking at my hands.
I love crackle polish! This will be so cool with halloween coming up! Your nails look awesome – as always!
so awesome! great now I need it! I black crackle with gold underneath would be great!
That’s actually the other color I was considering for under the black. GMTA!
Ooo, I do not like that look at all! LOL
It kind of gives me the creeps, and reminds me of chipped polish. haha!
The black and hot pink looks awesome!
Too funny! When I saw the pink and black one, I immediately thought of Phyrra.
I’d wear that one too. But I think the majority of the population doesn’t ‘get’ this look. I won’t step so far as to wear this working. But then, some of my projects have me around food so I understand why it would be frowned upon in that setting.
I love the cracked look. It would be nice for a Haslloween look too.
I love the idea of crackle polish, but I don’t like these…ever since cover girl discontinued their crackle polish many different brands have been trying to do their own version of crackle polish, but none have been able to get their polish to crack like covergirl. Its something about the covergirl brand that made their polish look like actual cracks in the ground/wall…these and the other crackle polish just looks seperated and warped/pulled not actual cracks.
ahh, Caboodles… I had one too!
The black over the bright pink is awesome! Gotta check these out – the price is definitely right.
Personally, DO NOT LIKE! But I know it’s a favorite look among some girls and there can be cool things done with it in terms of nail art and such. Just not for me but hey, it’s not something I detest either. Just not for me I guess.
I might have to try some!
oooh.sorry. do not want.
I just got a bottle of IsaDora Graffiti Nail Top in Subway Green (806). I’ve only tried it on one nail, and my nails were at the time a lovely grape color which really didn’t mix with the equally lovely teal… It dries matte and really quick
I watched a youtube review of the TransDesign Krackpolish and the reviewer was not impressed by it. I’d recommend looking up her review first before purchasing.
Not sure this is a look for me, but I did enjoy checking out the color combos you chose. I like the pink/black the best, I think. Although it does have an 80′s vibe to it.
Oh, and I still own 2 Caboodles….. of course I got them before I was even born
I do not like, seems to carry the broken nail, I think it gives a horrible image.
oh my gosh! i LOVE it! not for the workplace, but i love the texture. i’m not sure if i’m just starting to get antsy for football season around the corner, but red(scarlet) cracking over grey immediately came to mind!
Thanks for sharing! And don’t worry – I’m only 22 and I totally had a Caboodle when I was a kid too!
Exactly! I’m only 23 and I had a boat load of caboodles and the original Cover Girl Crackle polish when I was a kid too. I forget which color my CG Crackle was though. I think it might have been black or silver or something like that. I have to say I’m not that into this look. The CG were way better, but even then I’m not head over heels about it.
I bought Krack Polish from Trans Designs weeks ago and couldn’t get it to work right. I’m trying it again tonight.
I loooved the CG Crackle!! I had white and I would put it on top of black and red and have zombie nails. I’ve tried a few that are out now and they suck, I’d like to try this brand instead.
I wonder what the odds are of a mainstream brand (i.e. OPI or China Glaze, etc.) would bring back crackle polish. I would love to try it, but am leery of ebay-ers and transdesign.
I had a Caboodles and I also had CG Crackle nail polish so you are not alone! It definitely brings back good memories. I like the contrasting polish underneath – especially the black crackle over the pink. I would definitely rock this look for Halloween as another poster mentioned, or any time I wanted a look out of the ordinary. Thanks for bringing up happy memories!
I didn’t think that I would like this look, since I’m not really into nail art, etc, but I actually think it looks great! The black over pink is especially nice, because of the contrast between the two colors.
the black and pink is hot!!
I had a Caboodle too! I loved it.
I wasn’t sold on the crackle until I saw the high contrast black over pink. Totally my style
You, my dear are a BAD influence! I just ordered off Trendin’s website – I think I’m up to around $50 on nail polish just in the last 7 days.
I don’t nesisarily think this is a work appropriate look, however since I only really work in an enviroment that matters about a week a month, and my manis last for around 3 days I want to give it a shot!
I did notice that the other Ebay seller’s instructions for the crackle polish was different – indicating you needed to apply the crackle over semi-dry polish (within 3 minutes) so that might be something to try for those of you who are having problems with the Krackpolish brand.
Oh yes – I did notice the similarity to the OPI bottles.
Even though they’re a trademarked design – as with many things made or packaged everseas, they don’t ALLWAYS follow the letter of the law.
Sorry but I really don’t linke the look of it, it seems scruffy!! It’s not my style, sorry.
Great polishes! I love crackles! I bought two of the Isa Dora crackles a few days ago and just posted swatches of the yellow one on my blog. If you are interested, here’s the link:
http://www.parokeets.com/en/2010/08/swatch-and-review-isa-dora-graffiti-nails-yellow-crew-crackle-polish/
Looks really crazy and Love the black and pink of La Pa-itively Hot Matte. Maybe different colors polished underneath the crackle-look would bring them out more (like in the black and pink look);
i.e.,maybe like instead of Mia Secret Crackle Nail Polish in Blue over KO Concrete, a red color could have been used to make the blue color “pop.” Or Mia Secret Crackle Nail Polish in green over a gold or copper color. Just a thought. Your nails always look fabulous and gorgoeus!
I don’t want the ends of my fingers looking like ’90s distressed furniture. Love the look of two tone, but not this way. I’ll be passing on this trend. Might be cool for young girls.
pass. I’ll wait for the next trend.
The swedish brand Isadora has just released some that they call Graffiti-nails.
I have the black one and it is simple to put on and dries in an instant. It rocks!
http://www.isadora.com/?id=2689&cid=8511
I love the black and pink combo. I’d wear it maybe for Halloween, but I can’t see myself sporting crackle polishes on a regular basis.
I would probably layer this too, but by iteself it looks a bit off. Pretty colors.
NYC’s extra shiny topcoat cracks your nail polish. Not really like that, but it lifts the polish off your nail and cracks them, then they chip off, but it does have a cool effect, just not when it chips.
I like it but I’d only go for the black, I find it contrasts well with almost any color.
I have the Isadora Black crackle polish and I can not wait to try it out
Great post!
Not a fan, but still liked reading this! Are shrinky dinks still around?? Loved them!
i found some a couple years back at wal mart
yah. i kinda think this look is yucky.
I had a no name crackle like the one you showed and have another no name that seems to work a bit differently (not matte for one) and then a Toma that is sitting in my untrieds.
I like the whole look (will have to look at getting more) since I’m a bit nervous about nail art and whole nail looks are easier for me to swallow.
OMG.Must.Have.Those!!!!!
This may seem crazy, but that nail look kind of made me queasy!
Caboodles! hadn’t thought about those in ages! Love the black and pink, and even though you think you messed up the ring finger a little, I really like the look. It reminds me of a textured faux croco finish.
I’ll agree with the queasy comment! I don’t like the idea of a mani looking so flawed, and deliberately too!!
This trend is a pass for me and the less people I see wearing it the better. Sorry
“…it didn
Well you have all the tact of a sledge hammer. Thank you for your incredibly rude comment. I guess in your world no one ever makes mistakes of any kind. You know, you catch more flies with honey so just pointing out the error would have been much nicer but it appears that is not your style.
And in response to your comment about the Krackpolish how exactly is this named after a street drug? Like cracks in the ground the drug also starts with a “c” so your comment really doesn’t make sense. Crackle Nail Polish was trademarked by Mia Secret so other brands have to get creative with their naming. No need to be so defensive. I mean WOW.
I just love your response to that comment.
I also did the Cover Girl Krackle …think I had black, silver, gold and burgundy. I loved the look but almost everyone who saw my nails (and even strangers ) would comment on how badly my nails were chipped…..you’d think that the 2 colors would be a clue that i was making an artistic statement and not lax on nail maintenance…..lololol…
I would try a few colours just for the novelty factor. I remember seeing crackle nailpolishes a few years back and I really wanted to try it but for some reason didn’t. I really like the pink and black combo.
I find this trend an interesting fad, considering that I just read an article that called chipped nail polish a total faux pas. Yet this trend embraces chipping. Not liking it at all. It looks to me like cheap chipping polish. Not cool.
Luckily, as with all fashion trends, no one is putting a gun to your head and force you to either try it or look at other who do try it.
Excuse me, that should be forcing instead of force and others instead of other.
The black and pink looks amazing! I would love to try this look out.
n i seriously love pink n black
I kind of like this..
But maybe not on my nails? Like I like the pictures, but I don’t know if I could stand it on my nails.
I would feel like my nail polish was peeling! Ugh, not a look for me.
I really like this! I must have missed the covergirl version way back when. I want this but I can’t find it to buy online with the given links
you can buy it at any walgreens
I JUST bought 2 bottles (purple and silver) of crackle polish at Walgreens for $3.99 a bottle! They have at least 20 different colors!! I also saw a website that claims you can get the same effect from crackle paint bought at a craft store http://www.missomnimedia.com/2011/04/shes-crafty-diy-crackle-nails/
good luck!!:)
The German brand P2 is going to release crackle-polish in september which seems to be the cheaper alternative to IsaDora’s polish.
I still have my Kaboodle! It’s still awesome
Hmmm… I’m kind of iffy on it though I might still have to get a bottle because it’s so cheap. Maybe I’d like it more on my fingers. I like that I could have a bl
…ack polish without the severity of it being completely black.
Sorry, my computer messed up and posted my comment early.
Yes!!!! I’d love to see crackle on the shelves – so fun, kitchy and cool!
Thank you very much for talking about our CRACKLE NAIL POLISH, this item is doing great in the USA and also in Latin America.
This is the address: http://www.miasecretnails.com
LIKE.
I don’t particularly like this look, but I love how seriously you tracked down crackle polish! You’re site is so awesome. Also. Caboodles!
what IS it?
A late response to this posting, but I hope you don’t mind – I thought I would share my experience as inspired by this article.
I fancied trying out a Crackle polish for myself, but being in the UK it turned out easier to order some Trendin Cosmetics polishes – not the same make used in your pictures, but similar in concept, and your do mention them (which is why I ordered from them).
Well, ordering from Trendin Cosmetics proved easy enough and the service was good and the polishes reasonably priced, ans postage free. They arrived safely.
I decided to try a black crackle over a bright red as I thought the contrast would be good, and I thought the effect might work nicely. I used a Rimmel basecoat, and then two layers of Color Club’s Velvet Rope. I chose a Color Club polish as they dry pretty fast, and from your list of issues above getting the colour layer to dry well is a must. I let it dry pretty well (20 mins) and then applied the Black Crackle (No. 11). It was a nice consistency and applied easily. I made sure I didn’t put it on thickly. I then left it to dry for about half an hour. Unfortunately the crackle effect wasn’t very strong – the cracks were way smaller than those in any of your pictures. The bright red could barely be seen at all – I was disappointed, but it was still kind of interesting. Thus I applied Seche Vite to seal it all in.
However, a couple of hours later I knocked a nail and a huge gouge of polish came off – this with Seche Vite after 2 hours! I looked hard and saw lots of other knocks and tested gingerly with a nail against a nail and it was still soft – so soft that pushng one nail over another gouged off more polish! Needless to say this experiment was a big fail!
Taking it off I just scraped the bulk off with another nail as it was so soft (I never normally do this – honest), and the remains came off easily with remover.
I’m not giving up on these Trendin Cosmetics Crackles yet, but next time I will:
* Not use seche vite as top coat
* Apply some really really thin, some normal and some thick crackle polish to see how they differ
* Try something different to Color Club as the main colour
* Go for extreme contrast – perhaps a platinum with black crackle
Not sure if this will interest anyone, but I thought I’d write it up for my own benefit so felt I would share it too…
Try to apply the cracked coat as dots instead of brush strokes. Still let the dots touch. You should see a different effect.
Check out the crackle nail polish provided by Sassy Nails, I purchased a bottle of it on ebay for $15 and it is worth every penny! It crackle really nicely and it is non-toxic where it doesn’t smell like regular nail polish
you can just get it at any walgreens for $4….instead of $15!!!
Amazon.com has the Mia Secret.
I live in sweden and have allready used up 2 bottles of black graffiti nails. It is awsome, i Love it !
I don’t know if you have it in the US but there is a brand called bys that’s created cracked nail polish. The cracks look different to this brand so if you don’t like this so much you should try googling bys to see what u think.
love the black and pink who created this
Here’s a spot to order them!
http://zongles.bigcartel.com/product/mia-s-secret-crackle-nail-polish
Thanks for your posting! I wondered where Cover Girl’s crackle polish went to. Now OPI has come out with a “shatter” topcoat. But it only comes in black and at 8.50 a bottle there’s no way I’m trying to find a salon that carries it. I appreciate you posting another option for me!
Hi,you find it (12 colors)in this site:
http://kikye.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=213
China Glaze recently released a Crackle collection in 6 shades: http://chinaglaze.com/products/index.php?coll=50
I have been doing nails over 20 years (yes I am old) and had a caboodle at one time. I have done about every type of nail art on myself and clients. I just purchased the OPI Shattered polish and I love it on my short nails. I rarely wear polish as I ruin it doing my clients nails, but this stuff lasts at least a week. I am trying an experiment to protect it and make it last longer, I added a coat of Shellac top coat once it was dry. (over the regular top coat) I’ll be curious if it lasts even longer now.
Well, im only 24 an i hav a caboodle, i think its easy 2 keep everything together… lol…
This stuff looks amazing. I really want some! Blah Blah Blah. Thanks for putting this website together.
I know I am late but, I wear the cracked nail polish. Instead of using strokes when applying the cracked paint, I use dots. Each dot touches the next but it’s not full strokes. You can also alternate between brush strokes and dots so that none of the nails look the same. Right now I have a silver base with the purple cracked polish. I am not sure how to upload a picture. If there is a way, let me know and I will upload a pic.
For all you guys and gals on a bit of a budget I thoguht I’d share that Barry M is now doing a crackle finish in 4 colours (black, white, blue and pick at present) I’ve only used it with other Barry M nail polishes as a base coat so far but I have top say it looks AMAZING! Would recommend a top coat though as results can look a bit matte wothout it (i’ve also since read that crackle glazes can chip away more easily so it looks like a top coat is a must!)
I WENT TO THE SALON AND GOT A WHITE UNDERCOAT WITH THE BRIGHT PINK CRACKLE AND IT LOOKS AMAZING! IT’S SOO COOL! I WANT TO BUY IT FOR MYSELF BUT EVERYTIME I GO TO SALLY’S BEAUTY SUPPLY, THEY ARE OUT! IT’S SUPER POPULAR AND I CAN’T WAIT TO BUY PRETTY MUCH EVERY COLOR!
they have it online!!! goooooo!
I personally own all 6 shades of China Glaze and the OPI Shattered!! I fell in love back in HS when Cover Girl came out and wished for the day when it came back in style!! the combinations are endless and if you REALLY want to get down and funky try it on top of the Sally Hansen Nail Effects!! people think my nails are fake all the time. love, love, LOVE!!!
I also feel in love with this product years ago. So glad its made a come back. I found mine at walgreens. The maker, i believe, is Sally Hanson.
I had my nails done in “crackle” yesterday…first we tried white over dark pink and we took that off…the white crackle leavs a space at the cuticle that looks strange. We then tried silver sparkle over a somewhat lighter shade of pink. To me it just looks like the manicurist made a mistake. My husband said, “What’s wrong with your nails…did you bung them up on the way home?” I don’t like the look at all. If you do try it, put a darker color underneath to make a noticeable contrast.
cool! wear can i find it other then online!!
WalMart had some in california
well i live n cali. and i was at a salon about 2 months ago and the guy there only had one bottle of teal crackle nail polish but i though it looked cool. then about a week ago i found a whole row of crackle polish in walmart. it was $6 but it worked great. just dont know about spending $6 if i could find it online cheaper. but if you need it quick and dont want to wait, then walmarts good. and im to young to know when it came out before but it looks cute.
Maybe I’m getting too old but I just don’t care for it. I think it looks like it’s been on the nails for way too long!! I do like the look of 8 fingers in one color and the 2 ring fingers in another color. I also LOVE that sapphire blue that I saw in one of the photos (might have been in a linking blog).
It looks awesome as a french tip
Sally Hansen now has a line of crackle polishes. About 8 shades of ‘em. I’m seroiusly excited.
I tried the sally hansen and it didn’t work very well at all. It dried way too fast and that caused it to clump and when it clumps it doesn’t crack. I want to try a salon brand like OPI to see if I have better luck.
I have the Sally Hansen black crackle. I paid around $6 at Walgrens. That’s the most I’ve ever paid for nail polish, but I’ve been looking for the OPI black shattered for a long time. I haven’t had any problems with it. I tried it over a different color on each finger…loved them all, but my favorite was a bronze base color with the black crackle on top. It looked a lot like leopard print. They were almost out. I got the last bottle of black. They had a couple of blue and a silver. I figured I’d get more use out of the black.
when i apply the crackle nail polish its not crackling…..can someone tell what im doing wrong with applying it????
Can you tell us what you are doing? You have to apply crackle over completely dry nail polish. Apply it as thin as possible. The thinner the coat, the more cracks you get.
ok well i put a boat coat on let dry then a layer of a color let dry then the crackle nail polish i did 1 thin layer on 1 hand then thicker on the other one and still no cracks
It is beautiful, i like it
I first saw the crackle nail polish on you-tube and feel in love with this look. Because I live on the tiny island of Dominica(Caribbean)it was impossible to find them here so i had to track them down on the internet. I found this 12 bottle Mia Secret collection on Amazon.com for $35. I tried them all and they worked beautifully. The thinner the coat, the better it cracks. Now all my friends and clients are dying to get this look.
how much are they ?? they look soooooo kool !
I heard that if you add alcohol to any regular nail polish, it turns it into a Crackle. It’s the ingredient that they put in there to make it un-even and shattered.
Interesting. I haven’t heard that. If you try that and it works, let me know.
I RECENTLY FOUND OUT SALLY HANSEN HAS CRACKLE NAIL POLISH AND NOW EVERYONE MAKES IT THEY LOOK SO PRETTY .I JUST FOUND OUT SALLY HANSEN DOES TEST ON ANIMALS EVEN BUNNY THEY PUT IT ON THERE EYES TO TEST THIS PRODUCTS AND THEY BECOME BLIND AND THEN DIE.GO 2 PETA WEBSITE ANIMAL TESTING!!!!!
The Sell That Stuff Every Wheres Now It Is Really Cool…
WHERE I CAN KEEP POLISH.EXIST ONE PLACE ESPECIFIC FOR CONSEVATION?
I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you are asking.
I do not remember when Covergirl first brought this out, but was not really into things like that then. However, I saw a co-worker with some Cracked polish Thursday and just had to try it out. 30 dollars later (and the Walgreens stock considerably later) I am finding that I am enjoying wearing colors I normally do not wear. I also have 3 daughters so we’re all having fun painting our nails and making memories (they are even trying to talk their brother and father into trying them LOL). Our Walgreens is running a 2 for $5 sale right know and cannot keep up with the demand. The brand they are carrying is 2OI2 and they have over 40 colors.
Tari
I can’t exactly find any of the bright colors around where I live at. I live in a small town but next to a big one and they only have dull colors. It’s kinda upsetting. I also hate ordering offline so I don’t know if I will do that to get some or not.
go to CVS and Rite AID
hi how r u doing can u please tell me how many colors the have in the cracked nail polish & how can i get some i am living in guyana thank u
they have all the colors you could think of but they have 46 colors
I got some for
lolx i want to go down there but i can’t wooow
well I have a different bottle it is squared will it still work?
HI! I found some crackle nail polish at Delias for only $6.50. It works well.
Revlon Street Wear came out with crackle in the 90′s I found a old purple one. that oh course no longer works cuz it dried up. but im suprised so many people think its that its a new idea.
O prata da OPI vai chegar na M Beauty Lounge,assim como os da China Glaze.J