When Shattered nails become shattered nerves.

I don't know what I have done wrong or if I have done anything wrong, but my latest attempted at the shattered nails effect has ended in total disaster. Resembling nothing like the picture below.

After following the rules base coat, two coats of base colour then the shatter coat carefully applies so it doesn't over lap and top coat, the end result is a mess! I know I have a love hate relationship with dynamic nails but this one is suppose to be simple enough for even me and my stubby nails. But for some reason the shatter didn't shatter it just kind of faded off as if I ran out of colour.

Not a major issue in the grand scheme of things, but thoroughly annoying as I am trying to get the right look for next Saturday. I don't have the time, money or sheer physical strength to go and buy another different effect nail polish between now and then. So I am left with a choice. Try again and hope I am just having a bad night, something I doubt as the polish didn't feel right when applied, it felt thick and clumpy like stale mascara. Or choice a normal colour and hope it will look OK.

The problem is although I have a statement dress for Saturday, I can't really wear it as I don't have the suitable accessories, i.e. shoes for it. So I have to wear the more muted dress, with simple black heeled boots, that means the statement piece has to be my make up. Now it seems I don't have the right colour of rust read, and plain black will just fade into the shoes and handbag combo. So I was relying on the black shatter effect as a compromise. That means I have to start over tomorrow and see if the base colour wasn't dynamic enough or whether my suspicions are correct and my shatter polish has had it. If that's the case it will be panic time. All I was trying to achieve was the look in the picture here, nothing fancy, what I have achieved is such as mess I wouldn't dare take a picture of, just imagine sticky licquorice poured over that golden base colour and you would be near it. Even the texture is more of sandpaper than polish.

I really do think the shatter effect isn't the look for me, but where to go next velvet, graffiti or hologram? there is even magnetic to choose from, I just know my shattered nails have succeeded in shattering my nerves tonight.