Oh my, my nails are alive! I couldn't get on the crackle effect bandwagon, because nothing really struck me as stunning. Black crackle reminds me of biology class and learning about cell division - where's the fun in that? Mostly Sunny convinced me to go the high-end route with Dior's Golden Jungle Crocodile Leather Effect nail polish duo, which hit counters for Autumn 2012.

The randomness in which the polish splits, breaks and cracks is mesmerising. Janice applied one coat of the gold atop Essie's Protein base coat and then swiftly went back in with one coat of the khaki. The instructions tell you to apply the khaki coat within two minutes of applying the gold; the wetness of the gold activates the chemicals within the khaki thus commencing the effect. The transformation was initially subtle, but after a few minutes had passed my right hand reached optimal cracking; revealing golden shimmery joints. My left hand quickly followed suit. Once we were happy with the overall look, Janice painted Seche Vite's top coat on my nails for a "flawless" finish.

The compliments I received were endless and I genuinely lost track of what people said to me. Although, Casey, my trainer, told me it reminded her of a reversed giraffe :)

How did Dior's polish perform? Well, fantastic! The price tag admittedly was shocking - I paid a steep $52.00 AUS for this nail polish set. But here I sit one week later and my nails still look amazing. If you love something as special as this, then you need to go and treat yo self!

Hey, it's cheaper than buying The Row's crocodile backpack!