Nude Chrome Nails Are The Latest Twist On The Trendy Manicure

Chrome nails have been all the rage recently, with metallic looks appearing on the hands of Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and Laverne Cox. While these futuristic designs are super eye-catching, a subtler rendition of the chrome effect has been trending lately. You're probably familiar with glazed donut nails if you follow nail-art fads. This look was popularized by Hailey Bieber, who's known for her glazed donut skincare routine.

Bieber wore a translucent, chrome nail look painted by celebrity manicurist Zola Ganzorigt to the 2022 Met Gala, launching the glazed donut design into virality. This trend features a sheer beige base color topped with a coat of chrome powder that provides a pearly, glazed effect. With other minimalist nail styles and clean girl beauty trends popping off on social media, it makes sense that this glazed donut look would spawn a host of chrome nude nail designs.

If you want to get in on the subtle but shiny appearance of nude chrome nails, we have all the inspiration you need. While this trend might have originated with Bieber's glazed donut nails, there are many directions you can take the look.

One of the simplest renditions of the nude chrome nail art is a truly nude design that takes a basic nude polish and tops it with a sheer, white-toned chrome powder. An example of this comes from @larissa_nailstudio, who features a beautiful, slightly pink-toned shade in their Instagram post. The chrome finish is subtle, but we love the reflective effect.

When deciding what nude to use for your look, we suggest considering which hue will best suit your skin tone. Otherwise, you can choose whatever subtle color speaks to you the most.

Another way to achieve a nude chrome look is by drawing inspiration from the design at the heart of the trend. Glazed donut nails are not the only way the minimalist chrome sets came into recent popularity, but they're relatively easy to recreate. For those wanting to go this route, a viral TikTok from Hailey Bieber demonstrates the steps you need to follow to recreate her look.

The featured look from @unkovrd is an example of one take on this trend, but you can browse #glazeddonutnails for more inspiration.

While the pearly white chrome powder used in many of these nude looks lends itself to an ethereal, cool-toned effect, you can experiment with your nude color choice to influence the vibe of your manicure. For example, we absolutely love how the nude color shown off by @lester_nails_ looks with a chrome top coat, reminding us of our favorite champagne. While we definitely dig the frosty look of the classic glazed donut nails, it can be fun to experiment with different color twists.

When it comes to chrome nail powders, there are many color variations to choose from. Pearly finishes are common among glazed donut sets, with Zola Ganzorigt using OPI's "Tin Man Can" in the original look worn by Hailey Bieber. However, you can play around with your finish of choice, creating different effects depending on the combo of polish color and chrome coat you use.

We're big fans of the nail set from @studio.cnails, which features a white nail polish topped with chrome powder that has a subtle blue and purple tint, reminiscent of a UV light.

Another entry into this trend puts a chrome twist on the classic French tips, making it a great option for lovers of minimalist nail designs. For this look, all you have to do is add a coat of your favorite chrome powder to a set of Frenchies, and you've got the perfect nude and chrome combo.

An example of this comes from @inga_nailsla, who uses the popular almond nail shape instead of going for the traditional squared look. If you're a big fan of French manicures, then try adding a chrome coat at your next salon appointment.

Just like the French tips, baby boomer nails have also gotten a chrome makeover recently. If you're unfamiliar, baby boomer nails, also known as French ombrés, are an iteration of the classic French look that uses an ombré or gradient effect between the white tips and nude base color. While more dynamic than its predecessor, this design is still minimalist and sleek, making it a great contender in the nude chrome trend.

If you're looking for some inspiration, we recommend checking out the nail set from @iamchristlclear, which focuses the chrome effect at the tips of the nails.