Chrome is not a polish. It is a fine metallic powder buffed onto a cured gel topcoat while it is still tacky, then sealed. That is why there is no bottle you can buy that does it, and why the base underneath changes the result completely.
The same powder over black gives gunmetal, over deep plum gives a dark mirror, over sheer pink gives a pearl. Chrome does not have a colour of its own, it borrows one.
It also needs a no-wipe topcoat. A regular topcoat has a sticky layer that dissolves the powder, which is the usual reason a home attempt turns patchy.
Silvers and mirrors
Full silver mirror
The purest version. Reflects everything around it.
Chrome over black
Hard gunmetal rather than bright silver.
Chrome over navy
Deep blue-grey mirror.
Chrome over plum
Dark mirror with a purple cast.
Chrome over white
The brightest mirror there is.
Matte chrome
Matte topcoat over the powder. Reads like brushed steel.
Warm metallics
Gold chrome
Warm and high contrast on any skin tone.
Rose gold chrome
Pink metallic. Flatters more hands than silver.
Bronze chrome
Deep warm metal. The autumn version.
Copper chrome
Redder than bronze. Strong in low light.
Chocolate chrome
Chrome over a deep brown base.
Champagne chrome
Pale warm metallic. The most wearable chrome.
Pearl and iridescent
Glazed donut
Iridescent powder over sheer pink. The most requested chrome finish.
Pearl over white
Shifts between white, lilac and pale gold.
Opal
Multi-tone shift over a milky base.
Unicorn shift
A duochrome that changes colour with the angle.
Pearl over nude
The quietest chrome available.
Aurora
Blue-green-pink shift over a dark base.
Placement
Chrome French tip
Metallic at the free edge only. Invisible grow-out.
Chrome accent nails
Two chrome, the rest in a matching solid.
Chrome half moon
Metallic curve at the cuticle.
Chrome ombre
Powder dense at the tip fading to nothing.
Chrome over cat eye
Magnetic layer under the powder for real depth.
Chrome tips on coffin
Metallic at the flat tip of a long coffin.
Chrome stripe
A single metallic line down the centre.
Chrome on one nail
Nine plain, one mirror. The cheapest way in.
Chrome on toes
Lasts four to six weeks and catches sun at ground level.
Chrome outline
A metallic hairline tracing the whole nail edge.
Split chrome
Half the nail chrome, half matte, in the same colour.
Chrome over glitter
Powder over an encapsulated glitter base.
Looking after it
- Chrome shows fingerprints for the first hour. Avoid handling anything greasy.
- It cannot be topped up at home. Once it dulls, it needs redoing.
- Filing the edge scratches the mirror. Ask for a reshape rather than doing it yourself.
- Removal is the same soak as any gel. Do not scrape.
For the other lamp-only finishes, cat eye nails covers magnetic and the gel guide covers the rest.
Questions people actually ask
Can you do chrome nails at home?
Realistically no. It needs cured gel, a no-wipe topcoat and a lamp. A regular topcoat dissolves the powder, which is why home attempts go patchy.
How long do chrome nails last?
Two to three weeks, the same as any gel. The mirror dulls slightly from about day ten but stays intact.
What base color is best under chrome?
Black for gunmetal, white for the brightest mirror, sheer pink for pearl. The powder has no colour of its own.
Why did my chrome go patchy?
Almost always the wrong topcoat. Chrome needs a no-wipe gel topcoat; anything with a tacky layer dissolves the powder as you buff it.
