Review: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat

              Everyone knows that the latest craze when it comes to nails is crackle nailpolish but while OPI came out with the first of its kind, every brand of nail color seems to be coming out with its own version. However, with all of the choices it's hard to know which brand delivers so I decided to take matters into my own hands...or onto my hands I should say. After testing multiple brands I concluded that my favorite was Sally Hansen's Crackle Overcoat which can be found in most drugstores. Here's why I chose it...

Pros: 8 shades to choose from, easy to use (even for inexperienced nailpolish users), decent price, available at drugstores, it works like promised, quick dry time, looks gorgeous after sealed with a shiny top coat

Cons: it takes a little practice to get the hang of it (maybe after one or two fingers and it's easier to do it on yourself than on others)

      Like I said in my "Pros" section, there are 8 different crackle shades to choose from. That might not seem like too many but you always have to use a base color and your choices are endless there so you never have to have the same look twice! It comes in a hot pink, denim blue, black, gold (a very tasteful shade), violet, white, red, and silver. The price for mine was about $6. 50 and I would say that it's a good price considering the popularity of the product. While the OPI brand is only available at specific beauty stores...this polish is sold at Walmart, Walgreens, etc. so it might be easier (and cheaper) to purchase for some. For me, this crackle polish dried in about a minute and it was extremely easy to apply once I got the hang of it (only took me two fingers to get it perfect, which is a lot less than some other brands). Also, it looks absolutely fabulous if you paint on a shiny top coat to seal it (which you should always do but it looks especially good) because it really brings out the colors and makes it a lot bolder.

My Final Decision: If you're into the new "crackle nails" trend then I definitely recommend getting Sally Hansen's Crackle Overcoat. It works well, looks great, and is easily your ticket to fun and gorgeous nails.

xoxo,
TrinaD. <3

Watermelon Nails



The finished look. I apologize for the poor camera quality.

Materials:

• Rimmel London 60 Seconds in #830 Camouflage
• Covergirl NailSlicks in #170 Rose Quartz (you can use any kind of pink that resembles a watermelon)
• Any brand of black nail polish.
• Kiss Nail Art brush (sold in packs of 3) in Beach Green
• Kiss Nail Art brush (sold in packs of 3) in White
• Dotting tool (if you don't have one, just make one out of an open bobby pin. Use the ends as a dotting tool.)
• Base coat (instead of using a base coat, I use a nail hardener)
• Top coat (matte or shine)

1. Apply base coat. Wait until dry to proceed.

2. Using Rimmel's Camouflage, paint an even line around the edge of your nail. Remember, don't make it too thick since there will be more to the rind than just this.

3. Taking your nail art polish in green, draw an even stripe just above the one you just made.

4. Repeat with the white nail art polish.

5. Take your green nail art polish again and draw vertical strips from the edge of your nail, where the dark green is, up into the white so that it looks more natural and realistic. Wait until dry to proceed.

6. Taking your pink polish, fill in the rest of your nail. Be sure to leave the rind untouched, including the white area. If you must, tape the skin around your nail to prevent the nail polish from sticking onto it (less work later). Let dry completely.

7. Take your black nail polish and put a drop of it on a piece of paper. Take your dotting tool and carefully make a small dot, but without lifting, gently pull it upwards to create a teardrop shape to replicate the seeds. Make as many as you please.

8. Repeat steps for all nails.

9. Apply a top coat.

Now, even though this was the way I did it, I would recommend customizing it so that it looks how you want it to. Make the rind bigger if you want to, add less seeds, or do whatever you want, because when you do nail art, you're not just showing off your nails, you're showing off your personality too! So I hope you enjoyed this and have fun doing it!

xoxo,
TrinaD. <3