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While the 2020s brought us clean and simple nails, the nail trends of the 2010s were loud and over the top. In an era where everyone was wearing neon clothing, of course crackle nails were one of the biggest trends. Crackle nails combine everything we love about 2010s indie sleaze—they’re bright, fun, and messy.
To get the 2010s look, a crackle nail polish top coat is applied over the nail color of your choice. The crackle polish begins to crack as it dries, leaving you with a unique two-toned effect. While other nail trends of this era required more steps (think water marble or newspaper nails), crackle nails were so popular because they were easy to do at home. Unlike a lot of the newest nail trends, crackle nail polish is applied directly to your natural nails—which means no need for gel or acrylics. And while that does mean your polish is more prone to chipping, it (thankfully) only adds to the grungy appeal of crackle nails.
While TikTok nail artists have been hard at work reinventing crackle nails with gel extensions and French tips, you don’t need all of these elements to recreate the trend. Unlike clean girl nails, crackle nails are meant to be chaotic and undone. All you really need is a neon nail polish, a crackle top coat, and a clear coat. (Although the 2010 indie sleaze girls didn’t always use a clear coat.)
Indie sleaze nail trends are overdue for a comeback, and TikTok’s obsession with crackle nails is proof that the 2010s are back. Whether you’re going for more elevated crackle nails with nail extensions, or you want to take it back to basics, there are surprisingly a ton of crackle nail polishes to choose from.
