Giani Granite counter top review

There is absolutely nothing wrong with our counters, let me just start by saying that they are brand new, really beautiful laminate counters, but they are not my style at all. We knew that eventually we would love to get granite put in but right now I thought it might be cool to see if I could update them on the cheap. I was searching online and I saw a ton of reviews and tutorials for this Giani Granite White Diamond kit and everyone was so happy with their counters that I thought Id try it and review it for you guys. My opinion? Pass. Let me begin by saying I DO like the way the counters turned out overall but I will probably never use this kit again. It was a huge pain and it took FOREVER! There are lots of spots that I just could not get the way I wanted and corners? Don't get me started. I don't know if I am just an idiot, the other bloggers were fibbing [probably] or what but mine was just not easy at all. I had to use so many coats of the limestone to get it to look halfway decent and not like a kindergarten sponge painting project. Then, I had to use a tiny brush to get into the corners which left brush marks that I then had to dab with a sponge to blend, it was nightmare. Some parts I can tell didn't get covered enough, some parts i love. I tried to add veining like a lot of the tutorials.. yeah, no. That shit didn't work at all. It looks like I painted a line and tried to cover it. I'm not going to sit here and gripe for an hour, although I could, so Ill just show you my counters.

I did the laundry room first and totally forgot to take pics during each stage but here's my results....

Before...

the primer...

the -12-coats-I-give-up-it-looks-fine-after picture.

The bathroom before

primer

one coat of the pearl

first coat of the limestone

after SEVERAL coats of limestone and a couple dabs of the pearl and here we are....

Zack likes them, or at least he says he does, I think he knows that I'm one coat of limestone away from a breakdown so he just says it looks pretty, either way, it'll work until we can update them. In the meantime, here are the final afters, with two coats of the sealer. 

So far they are holding up to wear but we'll check back in a couple months and see. Anyone else tried this kit and didn't like it? Or am I the only one?

---Jackie