Do I need a chrome base for chrome powder?

Yes. Chrome powder does not stick to a bare or tacky gel surface on its own. It needs a smooth, cured, tack-free layer of a chrome base such as LAVIS Chrome Base or a no-wipe top coat underneath. Apply one thin coat, cure it, then rub the powder in. Without that layer the powder has nothing to bond to and comes out patchy, so buy the base together with your first jars.

What is the difference between Classic, Aurora and Glass chrome?

Classic chrome is a single solid mirror colour with no shift, good for bridal and themed sets. Aurora changes colour with the angle, the light and the base underneath, which suits aura nails and gradients. Glass chrome is crystal clear with an iridescent shimmer, so the base colour shows through. Super Clear is transparent and turns any gel colour into a tinted chrome.

Which base colour should I put under Aurora chrome?

The final look depends on the base. Black gives a bold, reflective contrast, white or milky gives a soft pearl glow and pastels give a light, airy effect. Holographic laser powders also look strongest over a deep black base. It is worth testing one nail with two or three bases before you settle a design.

How long does chrome last on the nails?

With proper application, a sealing top coat and capped edges, chrome lasts two to three weeks or more. Most early wear comes from skipping the sealing top coat, rubbing chrome onto gel that was not cured properly, or leaving the free edge uncapped, so seal each nail fully and cure.

Can I use chrome for just part of a design?

Yes, that is called isolation chrome. Cure a matte top first, paint the design with a no-wipe top or chrome base and cure it, then rub chrome over the nail. The powder only sticks to the shiny design areas, so dusting off leaves clean chrome accents. Finish with a thin top coat around the art, sealing carefully over raised or detailed areas so the edges stay crisp.

CHROME NAIL POWDER

More than 60 chrome nail powders in one place: LAVIS Classic solid mirror shades, Aurora and Glass iridescent pigments, holographic laser jars, sample kits and the LAVIS Chrome Base they bond to. Free shipping on qualifying orders.

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What chrome nail powder is

Chrome powder is a finely milled pigment that you rub onto a cured gel surface to turn it into a mirror, metallic or pearlescent finish. The powder itself has no colour of its own in the way a gel polish does: what you see on the nail depends on the pigment, the colour underneath it and the light it is viewed in. That is why one jar can give a bold reflective nail over black and a soft pearl glow over a milky white.

This page gathers every chrome powder DTK lists under the chrome category, from single LAVIS jars to holographic laser pigments and multi-shade sample kits, together with the base gel chrome needs in order to stick. Use the filters beside the grid to narrow by price, availability or product type.

The four kinds of chrome on this page

Classic chrome: one solid mirror colour

LAVIS Chrome Classic jars hold 0.5 g of a single-tone mirror pigment, with no colour shift and no holographic shimmer. Shades in stock right now include Brass, Titanium, Red Black, Neon Red, Pink, Purple, Lilac, Lavender, Thistle, Mauve, Orchid, Green and Cyan. A single predictable colour is what you want for bridal sets, themed manicures and holiday nails, which is why classic chrome sits on the November and December shelf in our seasonal calendar.

Aurora chrome: colour that shifts with the angle

Aurora pigments change their colour depending on the base underneath, the light and the viewing angle. LAVIS Chrome Powder Aurora runs from 01 to 12 in 1 g jars and is also sold as a 12-shade palette with the shade picked on the listing. The Aurora Chrome Nail Powder range adds numbers 01 to 12 plus BLACK and Pearl in 1 g jars, with bundle sets that group several shades together. Aurora is the chrome we schedule for the summer menu, and it is a natural partner for cat eye work.

Glass and clear chrome: the base colour shows through

LAVIS Chrome Powder Aurora Glass is a crystal-clear iridescent pigment in a 4 g jar: over a black base it reads as a deep mirror with rainbow shift, over a pastel as a soft pearl. LAVIS Chrome Powder Super Clear, sold in 0.5 g and 2 g jars, is transparent, so the gel colour underneath becomes the chrome colour. One jar of Super Clear plus a drawer of gel colours gives you a tinted chrome in any shade you already stock.

Holographic laser chrome: a rainbow, not a mirror

The Gold (BJ165) and Silver (BJ175) Laser Holographic Chrome Powders, also sold as a gold and silver duo, refract light into a red, green and blue rainbow instead of a flat mirror. They show the strongest effect over a deep black base.

Choosing the right chrome for the service

Bridal, French and solid metallic sets: a LAVIS Chrome Classic shade, so the colour is the same on every nail.
Aura nails, blush effects and chrome gradients: an Aurora jar; the product notes name these looks as its intended uses.
A tinted chrome in a client's favourite gel colour: Super Clear over that colour.
Glass nails with a crystal shimmer: Aurora Glass over a pale or sheer base.
Party and festival nails: a holographic laser powder over black.
Trying several finishes before buying full jars: a 6-grid sample kit, which holds six chrome shades at 1 g per grid.

Chrome types compared

Type	Jar size	Finish	Best base colour	Typical use
LAVIS Chrome Classic	0.5 g	Solid single-tone mirror	Any; dark bases deepen the mirror	Bridal, themed and holiday sets
LAVIS Aurora 01 to 12	1 g	Iridescent, shifts with angle	Black for contrast, milky white for pearl, pastels for a soft look	Aura nails, gradients, spring and summer
Aurora Glass	4 g	Crystal-clear iridescent	Black for a deep shift, pastel for a pearl tone	Glass nails
Super Clear	0.5 g or 2 g	Transparent mirror glaze	Any gel colour, which becomes the chrome colour	Tinted chrome in any shade
Holographic laser	Gold, silver or duo	Rainbow refraction	Deep black	Statement and party nails

How to apply chrome powder

Base and colour: apply and cure your base gel and the gel colour you want under the chrome.
Chrome base: apply one thin, even coat of LAVIS Chrome Base or a no-wipe top coat and cure it, usually 30 to 60 seconds depending on your lamp. The surface should be smooth and tack-free.
Rub in the powder: pick up a little powder with a silicone tool, a sponge applicator or a gloved finger and rub it over the nail in small circles until the surface turns reflective.
Dust off: brush away loose powder from the nail and the skin around it with a soft brush.
Seal: apply a glossy no-wipe top coat, cap the free edge and cure.

Pro tip: chrome only grips a shiny, cured, no-wipe surface. Without a chrome base or no-wipe top underneath, the powder has nothing to bond to, so sell the base with the powder every time.

The SNS Chrome Powder Set 12 ships with its own SNS Chrome Base Coat and Chrome Top Coat; follow the layer order and cure times printed in that set's instructions.

How the base colour changes the finish

Because chrome is a thin reflective layer, the colour beneath it decides most of what the client sees. The same Aurora jar gives three different nails depending on what you paint first:

Black: bold, reflective contrast, and the strongest colour shift on Aurora, Glass and holographic laser powders.
White or milky: a soft pearl glow, which suits clean bridal and everyday looks.
Pastels: a light, airy effect, good for spring sets and soft gradients.
Any gel colour under Super Clear: that colour becomes the chrome colour, so one clear jar covers pink, blue or red chrome.

When a client cannot decide, paint two or three nails on a practice tip with different bases, apply the same powder over each and let them choose from what they see.

Stocking a chrome station

A chrome service needs more than the powder. Keep these on the station so every set can be finished in one sitting:

Chrome base or no-wipe top: required under every chrome powder, so restock it together with the jars.
A glossy no-wipe top coat: for the sealing layer over the powder.
Applicators: silicone tools or sponge applicators to rub the powder in, plus a soft brush to dust off the excess.
A dark and a light base colour: black and a milky white cover most chrome looks.
A small range of jars: two or three Classic shades for solid metallics, a few Aurora numbers for colour shift, and one Super Clear for tinted chrome.

Isolation chrome and chrome accents

Isolation chrome puts chrome only on chosen parts of a design, such as outlines, raised details or a pattern over a matte background. Cure a matte top fully, paint the design with a no-wipe top or chrome base, cure it, then rub chrome over the whole nail: it sticks only to the shiny design areas, and dusting off reveals crisp accents. Seal carefully around the art with a thin layer of top coat. Chrome also pairs with French tips, embossed gel, marble and aura nails, stamping, foil and gradients.

Why chrome comes out dull or patchy

Wrong top coat underneath: it has to be no-wipe or chrome-specific.
Uneven surface: bumps and ridges in the top coat show through the mirror.
Gel not cured properly: rubbing chrome onto under-cured gel smears instead of polishing.
Skipped seal: without a sealing top coat the finish dulls or chips.

With proper application, a sealed top coat and capped edges, chrome lasts two to three weeks or more.

Sample kits, sets and single jars

Single jars: the easiest way to keep the shades you use most on the station.
Aurora bundle sets: group several Aurora numbers, such as the five Pearl shades 01 to 05 or numbers 06 to 12 with BLACK.
The LAVIS Aurora palette: one listing for all twelve LAVIS Aurora shades, chosen on the listing.
6-grid kits: six chrome shades in one case for trying finishes before full-size jars.
The SNS Chrome Powder Set 12: twelve SNS chrome jars, from gold and copper to blue and lilac, packed with the SNS Chrome Base Coat and Chrome Top Coat.
LAVIS Chrome Base Gel 0.5 oz: the base layer chrome bonds to, also offered with Aurora Glass and Pearl on the Aurora Glass listing.

Prices and stock are shown on each listing and change with deliveries.

Chrome through the year

Our seasonal art calendar puts Aurora chrome on the May and June summer menu, next to neon colours, and classic chrome beside glitter for the holiday season in November and December. Glass chrome follows the glass nail trend. Plan your reorders of those jars a few weeks before each season starts, and keep a chrome base on the shelf all year, since every chrome service needs it.