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Get Shattered with the China Glaze Crackle Collection

February 17th, 2011 by Karen 78 Comments

China Glaze designed their six new Crackle Glaze polishes to create a worn-in, desconstructed look for fingers and toes.

How it works: first, apply a coat of nail polish (shimmer, cream, matte, whateva!), and wait for it to dry. Then, add a layer or two of one of the China Glaze Crackle colors. In about five minutes, you’ll see the polish separate to form shattered patterns on the nail (I’m wearing a light gray cream beneath the Crackle colors in the pics below). Check it…


From left to right: Black Mesh, Crushed Candy and Broken Hearted


Cracked Concrete, Lightning Bolt and Fault Line


From left to right: Black Mesh, Crushed Candy and Broken Hearted


Cracked Concrete, Lightning Bolt and Fault Line

It’s not really my style, but I give ups to China Glaze for keeping things interesting. If I were 13, listening to a lot of Avril Lavigne and shopping at Hot Topic, however, I’d probably be all over this in a hot second. 🙂

The limited edition polishes, each around $5, are available now at select beauty stores.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Get Shattered with the China Glaze Crackle Collection / Originally published February 17th, 2011

There are 78 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Nails Keywords: china glaze

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trisha says

    February 17th, 2011 at 11:47 am

    Crackle nail polish is back in style? I had no idea.

    I remember trying this kind of thing back in high school (though a different brand). It looked neat but didn’t last long, even with a top coat. Hopefully, China Glaze improved on that.
    Trisha recently posted … Urban Decay Naked Palette With Brush Now Available

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:03 pm

      Their polishes are great in terms of wear… I’m betting these will last!

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    February 17th, 2011 at 11:55 am

    I recently bought OPI’s version and it looks WAY better than those do? But it only comes in black. I saw the China Glaze colors and kinda got psyched but not if they work like that. Karen have you tried OPI’s version?

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      February 17th, 2011 at 1:35 pm

      Here is a link to my pics of the black shatter. One is over pink glitter polish and the other is over gold. Don’t mind my cuticles thanks! lol

      http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112409&id=1299877116&l=164b0fffe6

      Reply
    • izzie says

      February 18th, 2011 at 6:52 am

      OPI does have just the black for now, but there is another collection coming out relatively soon that has a silver shatter. Normally, I adore china glaze, but these just don’t seem to crackle well at all. I have the OPI crackle and the formula is fantastic and works perfectly, these I’m on the fence about.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        February 18th, 2011 at 10:15 am

        Silver would be fun! I’m sure OPI will throw out some new colors if China Glaze is.

        Reply
      • Ana says

        February 23rd, 2011 at 11:25 pm

        Ooh, thanks for the heads up! I have black shatter and am hoping for more colors. Silver would be so fun! I got all excited when I saw this post… didn’t know another brand was doing the same thing. But I agree, these really don’t seem to have as nice of an effect as OPI’s shatter.

        Reply
  3. Jeni says

    February 17th, 2011 at 11:56 am

    The idea of these polishes so unique/interesting. On your fingers they look a lot different than I expected. I was excited to try them, but now I’m not so sure!
    Jeni recently posted … SLS Free Shampoo

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:06 pm

      I think maybe I’ll have to give these a few tries. It could look neat with more contrasting colors…

      Reply
    • Jennifer A. says

      February 17th, 2011 at 5:35 pm

      I’m pretty sure they look a lot different than you expected because Karen didn’t put polish under the Crackle polish. It needs another polish underneath for the chemistry to fully work (aka crack).

      Reply
      • Karen says

        February 17th, 2011 at 5:40 pm

        Actually, I did. I’m wearing a light gray cream in these pics. 🙂

        Reply
  4. Chelsea says

    February 17th, 2011 at 11:57 am

    Why would anyone want their nail polish to look chipped on purpose?? I’m obviously not cool enough for this trend…

    Reply
  5. Stephanie says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:00 pm

    Before the this trend(before 2010) I have never heard of crackle nail.. but I have to say I like it. I don’t own one, but that’s going to change soon!
    From this colection I really like Black Mesh, Crushed Candy and Broken Hearted.
    Stephanie recently posted … Tag- Beautiful Person

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:07 pm

      Awesome, Stephanie! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:13 pm

    I like the crackle look, OPI has one out that Katy Perry is endorsing. I can’t wait to try it out
    Sarah recently posted … Weird Product- Grippingly Soap

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:08 pm

      Funny you should mention her… Did you know that she’s a cat lady?

      Reply
  7. Fabienne (mermadelove) says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    I like these, but I think based on your pics, they don’t work as well as I expected. Also, I don’t think it’s available where I live!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:09 pm

      I think I’ll have to go at it again. I’ve seen it look much more “cracklier” LOL!

      Reply
  8. Bellyrockin says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    Lovely colours, but they don’t look to work as well as the Barry M one. I notice you say to put one or two coats on, but I would definitely recommend only one to make it work properly.

    Reply
  9. Kajal Couture says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Bummer. I saw the ad for these and was really intrigued, but the effect on your nails is sooo not what they advertised. Maybe it takes a few trials?
    Kajal Couture recently posted … Happy Valentines Day

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      Yeah, maybe. I might try it again…

      Reply
  10. gio says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    I love crackle nail polishes but these are disappointing. They don’t seem to work as well as I had hoped.
    gio recently posted … Product Review- Layla Lash-Art Mascara in Black

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      I think these take more patience than I have, LOL!

      Reply
  11. Rengirl says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    I’ve seen some awesome swatches of these – maybe if you tried for better color combinations, they would look better and suit your style? I am definitely getting them as soon as Transdesign has them back in stock.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:11 pm

      Cool. Yeah, I’ve seen them with more contrasty colors and they look okay. I’m not really a crackle kinda girl, but I appreciate that it looks different and unique.

      Reply
  12. Tiffany says

    February 17th, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    I think these look cute! Love the teal shade… I feel like they would look better over another polish color?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:11 pm

      I bet that teal would look cool over gold. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tiffany says

        February 17th, 2011 at 6:42 pm

        Unrelated, but thanks for the NARS tweet. I needed a treat so I ordered copacabana 🙂

        Reply
        • Karen says

          February 17th, 2011 at 6:47 pm

          Oh, you’re very welcome! 🙂

          Reply
  13. kana says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    I couldn’t get my hands on the Katy Perry for opi one, so i’ll definitely have to get myself a couple of these! I probably wont wear it too much on my finger nails, but my toes will get this all the time!

    Reply
  14. karo says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    I think these look is HOT, but for me NOT!
    sorry…I wont wear crackle look on my nails 🙁
    karo recently posted … MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Glissade

    Reply
  15. Vijaya says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    I want these so much. I’ve had a really hard time finding the Katy Perry crackle polish. xP
    Vijaya recently posted … Kat Von D Eye Brush Set

    Reply
  16. Lulle says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    They really don’t look too good on the pictures… I’ll pass !
    Lulle recently posted … Nouvelle version de la Naked Urban Decay

    Reply
  17. Lindsay says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    Is it sad that I want every color of this that they make?
    Lindsay recently posted … MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:17 pm

      It’s a neat concept… you’re lucky you can pull it off!

      Reply
  18. Melissa says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    Here is a pic of mine but it’s the OPI Black Shatter. I think it’s looks pretty cool!

    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112409&id=1299877116&l=164b0fffe6

    Reply
  19. Alka says

    February 17th, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    Interesting concept but I am not sure I would want it on my nails…my furniture yes.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:16 pm

      Haha, like a distressed dresser?

      Reply
  20. Girl says

    February 17th, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    This looks wierd, I don’t think this will catch on.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:16 pm

      Some people really like it… I think it’s neat but not really my style, LOL.

      Reply
  21. Janice says

    February 17th, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    I have yet to see these anywhere. Do you know if they’re in Canada yet? I’d love to have the purple one!

    Reply
  22. Yumyum says

    February 17th, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    This looks creepily nice
    Yumyum recently posted … Chanel Animation

    Reply
  23. Hedy says

    February 17th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    I wish I still had my Covergirl crackle from the 90’s.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:15 pm

      Kinda random but I have a few bottles of Cover Girl’s Navy from the 90s… ahh, those take me back!

      Reply
  24. Crystal says

    February 17th, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    I bought the black & white one today @ Sally’s (even though the girl said they shouldn’t put it out until the end of the month). With your Sally’s card they were $4. Honestly I like them. It’s not a look that I would wear on my fingers or wear all the time but the polishes really do look great. & no I have never been an Avril or Hot Topic fan myself. Lol. 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:12 pm

      Good to know about the Sally’s card deal. Thanks, Crystal. 🙂

      Reply
  25. Banana Bread says

    February 17th, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    It looks like you painted this on bare nails… HOWEVER, this WILL NOT work properly! Thats why you got such poor results. You also should ONLY paint 1 thick coat of crackle polish! Try it again… I think you will get much better results

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 3:12 pm

      I actually painted it on a light gray cream. 🙂

      Reply
  26. Krystal says

    February 17th, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    I picked up the Black Mesh early last week (I think) and put it over a turquoise polish. It came out really nicely. Wanted to pick up Lightning Bolt as well, but they’re $8.50 here in Hawaii. Banana Bread is probably right about the thick coat. The first nail I did, I used a thin coat and it didn’t come out as well as the others.

    Reply
    • nell says

      April 7th, 2011 at 6:20 am

      where in HI did you find these?

      Reply
  27. Cindy says

    February 17th, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    If you try again, can you perhaps try with black under or a high contract color under with a lighter color on top? I think they might be interesting with the right color combo.

    Reply
  28. Nina says

    February 17th, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    that looks pretty and pretty interesting. can you actually hear or feel it crackle? that is what im wary of.

    Reply
  29. Jen says

    February 17th, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    I have this in Black Mesh, and I love it! It looks way better with a contrasting color underneath it. I really want the white one too (Lightning Bolt).

    Reply
    • Jen says

      February 18th, 2011 at 1:38 am

      https://jensaddictions.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/sephora-by-opi-glee-collection/

      Link to my blog post with colored polish underneath the black crackle. It looks really neat, I promise. 😉

      Reply
  30. Melissa says

    February 17th, 2011 at 5:27 pm

    I have a feeling that much like matte nail polishes, the hype over these will fade quickly. I agree, if I was 13 I’d totally want them! But they just look kind of cheap :/

    Reply
  31. Jennifer A. says

    February 17th, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    Karen, for these to work, you need to wear another polish under them. AND that polish needs to be FULLY DRY. It’s chemistry!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 5:40 pm

      I’m wearing a polish underneath in these pics. It’s a light gray cream. 🙂

      Reply
  32. Makeup Morsels says

    February 17th, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    ahhh I like these a lot! The black one is my favorite, actually it’s probably the only one I’d wear. But I’d layer that one over everything xD
    Makeup Morsels recently posted … Rouge Bunny Rouge Isola Bella Preview

    Reply
  33. Meghan says

    February 17th, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    I want to try these out SO bad!
    Meghan recently posted … Wet and Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust- A review

    Reply
  34. Madelynn says

    February 17th, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    I think you used too much polish, Karen. They crackle much better with thin coats.
    Is Crushed Candy the crackle form of For Audrey? Hmmm

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17th, 2011 at 6:46 pm

      I might try again. I was in a hurry to get these up… 🙂 Anywho, hope you’re having a fabulous night!

      Reply
      • Madelynn says

        February 17th, 2011 at 8:02 pm

        I’m very thankful for the swatches! I couldn’t decide if the concrete color was the right shade for me… turns out it is! Thank you! :]

        Reply
  35. BeautyMaven says

    February 17th, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Hey Karen! I know I’m just another reader butting in my opinion, but I tried out the Katy Perry (Kitty Purry!) and I spent a Sunday playing around with it– I don’t know if it’s the same for this brand, but I learned:
    1. It doesn’t really work on bare nails, so that’s why people are confused lol.
    2. It crackles with a thin or thick coat
    –Thin makes many more cracks
    –Thick is more graphic, with larger cracked sections
    3. With the Katy Perry, it’s a matte finish so it comes off easily– it does better with a top coat.

    I have pics up with examples of different coats ~
    http://goodbeautyishardtofind.blogspot.com/2011/01/katy-perry-for-opi.html

    Hope that helps! (PS OPI is coming out with a Silver Shatter for Summer!!)
    BeautyMaven recently posted … Technique Thursday- The eyes have it!!

    Reply
  36. stacie says

    February 17th, 2011 at 7:56 pm

    I love these! Crackles look amazing over metallics and glitters. Nice quick way to do nail art
    stacie recently posted … Tropical flowers

    Reply
  37. Deb says

    February 17th, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    So glad I don’t like this look…I feel like these are gonna be hot sellers!

    Reply
  38. Stephanie says

    February 17th, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    Hi Karen! I just thought I would add that these do not work well over certain top coats with the super glossy finish, like Seche Vite or Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri. You probably already know this, but I thought that I would let the readers know.

    Have a good night! 😀

    Reply
  39. Nina says

    February 18th, 2011 at 4:43 am

    While i do love the colors, I am just not a huge fan of crackle nail polish 🙁 IF i were to try this, i would probably go for Fault Line. 🙂

    Reply
  40. Mmmm says

    February 18th, 2011 at 5:23 am

    I think Barry M came out with one of those nailpolishes but just in black (in the UK) I don’t really like the effect those give on their own, but I do think they would look really interesting over a different colour, if they work over another nailpolish anyway. Crushed Candy is a colour to die for! 😉

    Reply
  41. Kim says

    February 18th, 2011 at 7:07 am

    You know what’s nice about this trend? My polish looks like this on its own after a couple of days and now I can be like “oh, hey, it’s crackle!” instead of the truth (that it’s all chipping off because I’m too lazy for base and top coats). hee hee! I agree, though. It’s always nice to see companies trying new things in polish. 🙂

    Reply
  42. Beautiful Canvas says

    February 18th, 2011 at 8:02 am

    This is a neat formula/technology but I don’t think it’s my cup of tea.
    Beautiful Canvas recently posted … Reviva Labs Essential Fatty Acid EFAs Cream Review

    Reply
  43. alana says

    February 18th, 2011 at 1:39 pm

    KAREN – i think to make these work better you need to wear a thick base colour nail varnish, that’s i have found, rather than a thin base coat?

    Reply
  44. alana says

    February 18th, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    that’s what i have found* damn typos

    Reply
  45. Lia says

    February 18th, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    I tried Black Mesh today for the first time over Revlon’s Minted and Sally Hansen’s Mint Sprint and it looks AMAZING. I can’t stop staring at them. But it does take a bit of practice to get the hang of it. I got a TON of crackle on each nail, no problem.

    Reply
  46. Nicole O. says

    February 18th, 2011 at 10:38 pm

    Yea, I think OPI’s Black Shatter is MUCH better than these. I, too, was excited about the colors, but now after seeing the swatches, not so much.

    I’ve yet to even find OPI’s Black Shatter, let alone try it, but I would definitely choose it over these. Hope OPI releases more colors. I just found out they’ll be releasing Silver Shatter along with their Pirates of The Caribbean Collection.

    Reply
  47. crystal says

    February 18th, 2011 at 11:51 pm

    personally, china glaze’s version of the crack is really distasteful~
    tony moly (a korean brand) has ‘snakeskin’ nailpolish that creates very trendy, cute snakeskin-texture patterns on ur nails

    Reply
  48. amy says

    February 20th, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    I think colour wise, Crush Candy is the prettiest in the collection. I remember crackle polishes by Cover Girl and thought they were pretty cool, but I never purchased any. Since China Glaze is impossible to find in my area, I would probably, pick one up by OPI just to experiment because of its novelty factor. Karen, maybe if you have time to play around, you could post a nails of the day manicure using the crackle polish and a colour base underneath. It would be interesting to see what combo you come up with.
    amy recently posted … LOTD MAC For Wonderwoman Lipglass in Emanicpation

    Reply
  49. Mary says

    February 21st, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    I have to admit, if I just accidentally “smudge” a part of my nail polish before it dried, it would definitely look the same. ;D

    Reply
  50. choklityum says

    June 14th, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    I bought the China Glaze Black Mesh yesterday and layered it over a heavy-duty glitter polish. Personally, I love it! But I’ve always liked to do funky things with my nail colors. I’m waiting for my Sally Beauty Supply to get the rest of the colors in. (We can be a bit behind here in Iowa, sometimes. ;oP )

    Reply

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Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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