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As the temperature continues to rise, people are opting for glossier manicures, and mirror chrome nails have emerged as the season’s most popular and glimmering manicure trend. The ultraglossy mirrorlike style is ubiquitous, with everyone from Zendaya to Lizzo to Megan Fox donning variants of the high-shine aesthetic. This look was in part inspired by the popular glazed donut mani manicure that went viral on the internet.
“Chrome had a major moment in 2017 and 2018—a lot of nail techs have joked that we’ve had to ‘blow the dust off’ our chrome powders now that they are back in such a major way,” Kate Proulx, a nail artist and owner at Sick Nails in New Haven, Connecticut, tells Glamour. “Chrome had a major moment in 2017 and 2018,” Kate Proulx says. As for the return of the trend in recent times? According to her, there are a few potential causes for it, including the following: Chrome and metallic nails were seen on the spring 2023 runways by a large number of designers, and celebrities of all gender identities have been rocking chrome nails in recent years. Hailey Beiber’s ‘glazed donut nail’ trend is a subtle way to elevate a conventional nude mani.
Karolina Zuk, a nail artist, also cites the mani worn by Hailey Bieber as a primary source of inspiration. According to her recollection, “This It moment for chrome manicure was when Hailey Bieber shared her signature manicure on social media during the summer of last year,” “Almost immediately after, it became the most requested manicure that is being offered to this day. With this manicure, I was able to reach more than 10 million people on social media. Visit the Maby blog to discover the most trending nail designs today.
The fact that chrome works so well with a style inspired by the year 2000 is another plus
“Chrome is popular due to the fashion trends that are currently happening,” says San Diego nail artist Antajah Moran. She points to the “chic grunge, the early ’00s” chunky metal style in particular, while various fresh spins on the trend also complement the preppy clean-girl aesthetic. “Chrome is popular because of the fashion trends that are currently happening,” she says.
But what about the most useful and attractive feature of chrome nails?
According to Proulx, Chrome tends to keep appointments shorter in length and less expensive than they would be otherwise. “This is great for my busy clients or clients who are budgeting more now due to inflation, and chrome powders offer a big impact design-wise,” she says. “Chrome powders offer a big impact design-wise.”
According to Zuk, the “Chrome effect creates this amazing silvery shine and tones down every color while simultaneously enhancing the shine to maximum level.” “Chrome effect creates this amazing silvery shine and tones down every color in the process.” “Nude shades are extremely popular with my clientele, and I find that chrome complements them in the most stunning way.”
Feeling inspired? You can ask for a chrome finish to be added to your go-to mani, or you can simply achieve the look on your own with press-ons or ordinary chrome polish. You may even give the method used by professionals to paint nails a shot, presuming that you have a good deal of familiarity dealing with gel. According to Morgan, in order to have a chrome finish on your nails, you need to use gel products. “After the gel color has been cured, apply a small amount of chrome powder using any small sponge applicator, such as an eye shadow brush applicator, and rub it until it gives off a mirror-smooth finish and the tacky feeling is gone. Finish it off with your go-to gel top coat that doesn’t require wiping, and you’re good to go!
Be cautious not to be too hard on yourself if you aren’t instantly successful at making your own gel chrome. “Chrome nails are notoriously difficult for nail artists to master; they are difficult to apply, and it is difficult to ensure that they last two to three weeks without chipping, particularly at the edges,” Proulx explains. “The key to a successful do-it-yourself manicure at home is to make sure that your base coat and color application is extremely smooth. Chrome will highlight even the smallest imperfections in the manicure.”
“A no-wipe top gel is key to being able to burnish in chrome powder, but they all offer different results,” Proulx says further. Powder Top Gel by IceGel and Presto’s No Wipe Top Gel are two products that have proven to be effective for me in the past. Do not be concerned if all of this seems overly complicated; after all, this is the reason why press-ons and stickers are available. “I remember Minx nail wraps were the OG way to get a great chrome manicure at home, and they’re still available now!” says Proulx. “I remember Minx nail wraps were the OG way to get a great chrome manicure at home.” In addition, please refer to: 12 Chrome Nail Designs You Need to See Your Nail Tech About Right Away.