Tag: Illamasqua

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Embracing the Nostalgia with Crackle Nail Polish

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday. I decided to throw things back a bit (& embrace the crazy nostalgia taking over my life thanks to my very own mid-2006 emo playlist) with a fun look featuring a very nostalgic nail polish finish— crackle.

For anyone not around during the early 2010s, crackle nail polishes became huge around 2012, & by 2013 everyone & their mom was coming out with their own version of the crackle (or shatter) effect. Black was the beginning shade I remember being everywhere, followed by a whole assortment of different colours & finishes.

Recently I was going through my stash, & found a bottle of Avon Mosiac Effects Top Coat — aka their version of the crackle nail Polish — & decided to give it a little shake to see if it was still good. Sure enough, the formula is still perfect! So I had to give it a try to see how it looked after all this time.

The polishes I used for this manicure are: 

  • Base Coat: Essie Hard To Resist Glow & Shine 
  • Top Coat: Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
  • Illamasqua Aorta
  • Avon Mosiac Effects Top Coat Black

I still have a couple crackle/shatter shades left in my stash, although most have long since dried up to be unusable. For this look, what you’re seeing is one rather thick coat over my base shade. I waited about 5 minutes for the cracked effect to set before applying my top coat, & I thought the end result was pretty perfect. I prefer my cracks to be larger so you can see more of the base shade underneath.

Is crackle/shatter nail polish going to make a comeback? I don’t know. I feel like these shades are so controversial, even 11 years later. You either love them, or hate them, & obviously I am firmly planted on the love side. I also think it’s a nostalgia thing, as I remember crackle being the first “nail art” trend I really feel in love with.

What do you think? Do you think crackle is due for its revival? Let me know all your thoughts down in the comments below.

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Red, Navy & White

Hello lovelies & happy Thursday! Can’t believe this week is going by so quickly. But also, I have the next two days off work so I have big BIG plans. Cupboard organizing plans. It’s very exciting.

But first, how about some nail art? That’s what you’re all here for, right?

I finally decided to pull out my nail vinyls, because it’s been a while, haha. I was feeling coral/red with some stripe-y accent nails, so that’s exactly what I did. Actually I was inspired by this look after some Pinterest-ing, & thought it was be an excellent nail art combo.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Base Coat: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Illamasqua Aorta
  • Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Get Mod!
  • Essie After School Boy Blazer
  • SnailVinyls straight nail vinyls (multiple thickness)

Such a classic combo, & I really like it. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my vinyls so much so it was nice to pull them out again. Plus I could never even attempt to freehand lines this straight. I also really like how simple this colour combo is, but that the red gives you that bright pop of colour. It’s definitely a fun combination. I might not wear a head to toe coral suit with striped shirt, but I can definitely achieve a similar look in my nails!

What do you think about this look? Wojld you wear a combination like this? Let me know in the comments below. & speaking of nail vinyls — I just stocked up on some mermaid vinyls from Beyond the Nail, so stay tuned for some fun mermaid nails to come!