Republic Nail - Crackle Nail Polish

While at the local Walgreens, we noticed yet another brand of crackle nail polish. We had never heard of this company before, but since we have tried all others, we decided to put Republic Nail 'Green F' Crackle to the test.

It retails for $5.99, which is the cheapest of the bunch. It also comes packaged, which is different from other shatter nail polish brands. There are basic instructions in English and Spanish: Base color, crackle, top coat. What was interesting is that there was an expiration date. Ours was purchased in August of 2011 and it expires in November of 2012. This makes sense since nail polish thickens as it ages, and crackle polish tends to dry out. Republic Nail also states, "Strongly shake before using."

The style of the brush and the consistency of the polish made it difficult to use thin brush strokes, but that didn't seem to be a problem since the thick coats crackled better. (Every brand and sometimes even color can vary the optimal application technique.) This polish has a very strong paint thinner odor, unlike any nail polish we have ever tried. We would suggest using it in a well ventilated area, but not under a ceiling fan as crackle polishes will dry out in the bottle. This brand thickened some during use.




(Please forgive the short nails. They broke right before trying this polish.)

We used a white nail polish as our base color. The green crackle had a very matte, almost chaulk-like finish to it once applied. A top coat added some shine. Republic Nail crackled okay. We did get some on our skin, which was not easy to remove, and our cuticles seemed dried out. (You can see it in our photo even after we used lotion.) We selected the neon green color since we had not seen that shade before. The polished effect matches the bottle. (It definitely has a bright, day-glo hue in different lighting.)

We would pick a similar green as a base color and top it with a another brand of white shatter to create this combination in the future. If you have the option, our advice is to spend the extra $1-$3 to buy another brand. We're not going to officially give it a Glambo Dis, but we're not raving fans of this brand.

Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat, Part Deux

You know that we can't seem to keep our hands off the crackle colors that are sooo very hot right now, and with the Sally Hansen price point and wide availability, it was a no-brainer that we had to try more colors! 

If you read our last review of Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat  read here , you may recall that although we liked the crackle look, we had issues with the clumped product in the bottle, and the increasing difficulty of applying the product.  Well, here we are, giving it another shot. 

In an effort to avoid doing 4 different manicures, I decided to do a quick tween-style manicure using 4 colors: Antiqued Gold, Fuchsia Shock, Distressed Denim, and Cherry Smash, over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On, and topping it all off with Sally Hansen Complete Care 4-in-1 treatment for a glossy look. 

I was advised by the super helpful beauty clerks at Walgreens that one of their customers insists that the crackles will not work properly unless used with other Sally Hansen polishes (I now wonder if that customer was a Sally Hansen rep :-)

I began by painting all 10 digits with the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On (excuse my uneven nails).  This took me back to grade school, and painting my nails with White Out or Liquid Paper!

First Up: Antiqued Gold:

Again, the brush was very thin, but this time, the lacquer was not thick and clotted.  It was thin, and applied well.  In this case, I found that I had to load the brush fully, and then apply it.  It shattered in big clumps, and was sparkly and subtle over the white.  If I had cleaned up the cuticles, it'd look pretty cool.

Next Up: Fuchsia Schock

Again, it went on thin, and crackled well.


On to the right hand, and Distressed Denim:

Hmmm.  This color was a bit thicker, and the polish in the bottle started getting thick quickly.  I'm wondering if maybe this problem is unique to the darker pigmented colors.  Crackled well. 

Last but not Least: Cherry Smash

Just like the Distressed Denim color,  this polish was thick and harder to work with, but I may have to rock this look for this upcoming 4th of July!!!

Overall, I'd say this get's a GLAMBO Kiss on the Cheek.  For me, it's a fun "something different to try" , and for my tween, it's awesome. Remember, you need to work quickly with it, and keep the bottle covered as much as possible, so as not to dry out the product in the bottle. This is especially true in dry climates and if you are in a room with a fan on!

Straight from the Sally Hansen website: Do not leave the bottle open, close tightly when not in use. Allow it to dry and seal with any Sally Hansen top coat.

(To see our previous post with Sally Hansen Violet Crackle, click here.)