Zombie apocalypse manicure.

I like painting my nails. It’s one thing I find I can do when I really need to practice some self care (that is looking after myself because I am human, not just looking after myself to practice femininity) and lately I’ve been getting into doing fun things with my nails. Nothing too difficult, just simple stuff that doesn’t require extra tools. I find Georgina’s nails really inspiring and while my nail art isn’t very neat it helps me focus on myself instead of sending energy out, or fixating upon not-very-nice thoughts.

However I use my hands a lot and have pretty brittle nails which flake off. I keep them very short and mosturised with various potions and lotions, but any polish however carefully applied invariably chips off as I go about my life. I wish I could avoid life’s pesky tasks but work must be done, dishes must be washed and itches must be scratched!

A photo of a bottle of black nail polish with a tag that says "OPI shatter". The handle has a silver and black cracked effect.

When I found out about OPI’s Shatter polish I needed it. It actually is perfect for me and coordinates with my chipped veneer! So I tried to look around for it on eBay (nail polish and any other cosmetics in Australia are ridiculously expensive) I couldn’t find it. I complained on twitter and so many people offered to purchase some for me from the States and send it to me! I was overwhelmed! I didn’t feel right taking anyone up on their generous offer, but yesterday when I checked the mail I found a parcel containing one precious bottle of OPI Shatter. OH GLORIOUS DAY. My lovely friend Omega had taken it upon herself to send me a bottle! I pretty much immediately applied it to my person and took arty photos. Natch.

A photo of three bottles of nail polish in the lower right corner (black, lilac and clear) against a blurry background of desktop.

I used ORLY Dance ‘Til Dawn underneath the Shatter because on its own it has a sort of undead effect on my hands. My skin is almost exactly as lilac as it. I used a coat of Sally Hanson Double Coat on top because the Shatter is very matte and I didn’t really like it.

A photo of me holding the bottle of OPI Shatter with lilac and black shatter on my nails.
A photo of my hand curled up so you can see my lilac and black cracked nails.
A photo of my hand with a lilac and black cracked painted nail facing the camera next to the bottle of polish.

I can’t wait to experiment with the Shatter, and look forward to future shatter effect polishes. I would love a silver one! For now I am very satisfied with myself and this zombie apocalypse manicure.

9 comments

  1. I love this stuff too!

    It was almost impossible to find it online in Australia, but I ended up stumbling upon it accidentally in a Pulse pharmacy here in Melbourne. I can’t remember whether the Pulse chain operates in Queensland, but if so it would be worth checking in whenever you pass one.

    I’d be happy to send you more when you run out – I suspect that a bottle doesn’t last long once it’s exposed to air.

    Here’s a photo of my first Black Shatter experience! http://instagr.am/p/CBxwy/

  2. Yeah last year I bought Ruby Pumps of eBay for a couple of dollars and I LOVE it. Not quite as insane as in those photos on her blog. The glittery ones are the only ones that stop me from biting my nails – I get distracted “oh look, pretty glitter!”

  3. These are beautiful! My hands are smashing the keyboard, trying to get this product to me immediately!!! ;-)

  4. I got a matt top coat by Rimmel the other day. It’s only $9.00 and I just love the velvety finish it gives over a creamy type polish. It’s not so good over pearls or sparkles. The matt effect is good because if you have ridges or imperfections in your nails they don’t show and it also makes polish last ages and I clean peoples houses for a living. At the moment I have it over a polish called Chocolate Cake and it looks yummy.

  5. hey! I always read your blog and I think you are so awesome.

    I’m a fuller girl too and I think your fashion choices & outlook are always top notch. When I see your update on my reader I get so excited!

    Not too long ago I did a post on ~~zombies~~ so your post came just in time! I linked this fun tutorial right over here @ my blog.

    http://mewtheblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/dead-is-new-alive.html

    I hope it’s okay that I linked you! :)

    xx,
    letitia

  6. better late than never – with the Aussie dollar so strong buy from a place in the US calls Trans Nail Design or something like that – OPI and Creative and those brands which are quite expensive here are SO cheap there – postage isnt a killer either.

  7. i have the shatter stuff and the katey perry nail minis set and i LOVE them. i like to pair the shattered with a hallowe’en orange i have from last year the best. xo

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