Review: Snap, crackle, pop?

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Flashy Fuchsia and Crackle Overcoat in Snow Blast (thick coat)

Crackle polish has become a "thing" around here. I see a lot of my friends wearing it and catch glimpses of crackled finger tips on buses and trains. I was over at a friend's house and she had several colours to choose from: red, blue, green, and white. She said the white worked best. The other three weren't Sally Hansen brand (can't remember which and I wouldn't want to expose them because apparently they suck). 

I originally chose a purple Insta-Dri colour, but my pal told me the white didn't crackle very well over that colour and to go with the Flashy Fuchsia instead. The Insta-Dri really does dry instantly. Perfect for me, because I tend to forget I have nail polish on and start doing other things and wreck my manicure. The ingredients on the crackle polish said to apply a thick or thin coat, depending on the desired look. I tried a thick coat on one hand. I was amused to see it crack and separate, but disappointed in the overall look. I'd seen black and sparkly gold crackle polish before (which looks great) and this looked more like a child applying Whiteout to my nails than anything else.

On my other hand I tried a thin coat. It barely crackled and looked messy. It was hard to apply in a thin coat and left streaks on my nails. I applied a top coat so it wouldn't chip and so far it's held up quite well: 3 days of typing, cleaning, dishes, and generally forgetting I have nail polish on and picking at my nails. 

All in all, I wouldn't try crackle polish again. I have heard gold polish looks great over white or red, but I don't want to waste my money and be disappointed again. If I get to try it for free at a friends' house, then I'm game, but I think I'll stick with the Insta-Dri and forget about the crackle coat.