Chi Chi's Crystal Top Coat - Australia's answer to the flake effect

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After searching high and low for the latest nail trend, I finally came across Chi Chi's Crystal Top Coat inside my local Myer store. To top it off, Chi Chi also created a cheaper alternative to shatter (in black and white) made wildly famous by the likes of OPI and for the mod set, a matte top coat to diffuse the shine.  For some reason I can't get past the crackle effect; the only thing I enjoy seeing crackled is the hard candy shell found on Cadbury's Mini Eggs. Nubar, Essie, Zoya were the first companies to introduce their own interpretations of this opalescent top coat; most flakie polishes I have seen let the flakes do the talking while transforming the colour(s) it's been painted atop.  However, Zoya has mixed up this particular formula by featuring three varying translucent shades in light pink, green and blue.  Chi Chi went for the standard offering of flakes mixed with clear polish, perhaps to dip their toes into the proverbial water.

Maybe I made a hasty decision with my latest purchase, but with Myer offering 25% off Chi Chi products this past week, how could I say no?

Above I tested Chi Chi's polish over my pinky finger; the colour underneath is Essie Super Bossa Nova. In order to get the amount of flakes on my nail, three coats of polish were required.  This particular pairing proved to be quite the lackluster performance; I think it'll really shine on top of a much darker palette.  In order to get an even better idea of how it looks, please feel free to visit these posts:

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Chi Chi Crystal Top Coat:

  • Regularly sold for $12.95 AUS, but I purchased it on sale for $9.71 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

  • TBD - I can't justifiably rate this item until I find a better colour match for this fun top coat

Likelihood to purchase another bottle of polish from Chi Chi:

  • Their makeup is reasonably priced, so I wouldn't be opposed to purchasing a few dupes to play with

*Chi Chi's website is still under construction, keep checking back to see when they go live.  Until then, their products can be purchased at Myer and Gloss.