I've decided this look falls somewhere between bubble nails and crackle polish on the "BLECH!! GET IT OFF MY NAILS!!!" scale. Surprisingly, I can actually make crackle polish look good with some creativity. I have done it before. This though? Nuh-uh. I was over it before it ever even started.
This technique looks just as bad in person as it does in every single picture and video I've seen. But, being a try-anything-once nail artist (well and this theme, so thank you to whichever fellow TT member added it to the themes list [I still love you but YOU SUCK] in our group), I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it one go. ONE. I will not be doing this again so enjoy it (or don't, I certainly didn't) while it lasts.
I don't want to hear "oh just do 18 thick coats of Seche Vite on top and it will smooth everything out!" or "but look how magical and color-shifty it is!". No. Nope. Nada. I'm out. I'm so far out, don't even bother casting a line. Let's say you happen to get a smooth, shiny finish with no cellophane sticking out anywhere, which I kind of managed; the stuff still has ridges and folds, dents and creases in it, and it just looks awkward. Sure the color shift is kind of neat, but that doesn't take away from it being lumpy, bumpy, uneven, and by the way, IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE SHATTERED GLASS! Not even close to being slightly similar.
Shall I go on? Cutting this stuff small enough to actually fit pieces on your nail? That only took half an hour alone! Then finding the pieces on my desk since they're nearly invisible was like managing to not trip over 90 My Little Pony dolls on my living room floor at midnight - yea good luck! Finally it is on and we can trim the bits sticking out.... Clippers? Nope. Scissors? Pft, if they're tiny and sharp! I hated cutting the excess off of this worse than I hate trimming striping tape that is being left on the nail in some sort of design. Impossible. I gave up. I wasn't about to fight with it anymore and do a whole cellophane mani, especially when it is something that has zero aesthetic appeal! Done just right, I think it could possibly make a fun nail wrap look, if you could keep the wrinkles out, and it might look a lot better encased in an acrylic nail, but this will definitely not be a go-to technique for me.
Okay, okay. Let's look at the positives. It makes a pretty blue color over black when it catches the light just right. There. I said something nice about it. Now I'm taking this junk off my nails and pampering my frightened babies thanks the nightmare they had to endure! In the meantime, check out the other Twinsies' better shattered glass manis!
Alaina at The Little Canvas
Alice at Nail Art in Wonderland
Amanda at Amandalandish
Amanda at Fashion Footing
Amber at Nails Like Lace
Chelsea at Nailed Blog
ChiChi at I'm Just Me...ChiChi
Claire at Kerruticles
Lisa at The Polish Playground
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Marisa at Polish Those Nails
Megan at A Beauty in the Business
Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les
Sara at The Call of Beauty
Savannah at Addicted to Polish
Sharon at Behind Green Eyes
Steph at Lovestruck Lacquer
