Chrome is not a nail polish: it is a powder buffed onto gel polish once cured under the lamp, then sealed under a top coat. Shades: mirror silver, gold, rose gold, steel blue, and the Aurora pigment for a pearly white. A dark base gives the sharpest mirror, a light base a softer effect. Option €10 (15 min), same price for one nail or ten; with the classic manicure + OPI gel polish, €55. Lasts 3 to 4 weeks. Book online.
1. Chrome is a powder laid on gel polish, not a nail polish
People often look for a "chrome nail polish". Metallic polishes do exist in a bottle, but they shine without really reflecting, and brush strokes often show. True chrome, the kind that reflects light like a mirror, is a powder: metallic chrome powder or Aurora rainbow pigment, buffed onto gel polish once it has been cured under the LED lamp. The powder then forms a smooth, continuous layer, sealed under a final top coat.
That is why, at our salon, chrome is a nail art option added to a gel application: OPI gel polish, BIAB or extensions. On regular polish, which air-dries, the powder does not get the cured, perfectly smooth surface it needs: the mirror effect would not last. If you were searching for "chrome gel polish", this is exactly it: you choose your gel polish colour from our range, and the powder goes on top.
It looks simple, but a mirror forgives nothing: a speck of dust, a bubble or a slightly uneven surface shows immediately. All our nail art options are on the nail art page.
2. Silver, gold, rose gold, pearly white: the chrome shades
- Mirror silver: the boldest, the "pure metal" look. Striking in photos, it goes with all silver jewellery and works very well on short nails.
- Gold: the party version, warm and bright, for Christmas, New Year's Eve or a wedding.
- Rose gold: softer and more discreet. Over a nude base it gives a pinkish sheen that works at the office.
- Steel blue: more fashion-forward, beautiful over black or a very dark base.
- Pearly white, with the Aurora pigment: laid over a milky white or a nude, this rainbow pigment gives an iridescent pearl reflection. It is the effect often called "white chrome" or "glazed".
You can also mix: silver on eight nails and gold on the ring fingers, for example. It is the same option.
3. Which base? The colour underneath changes everything
The gel polish colour under the powder shows through the reflection. A few pairings we often use with shades from our OPI range:
| Gel polish base | Chrome on top | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lady in Black, the classic black crème | Silver or steel blue | The sharpest mirror, a pure metal look |
| Malaga Wine, a deep wine red, or Lincoln Park After Dark, an aubergine so deep it looks almost black | Silver or gold | A tinted, deep mirror, very elegant in winter |
| Big Apple Red, the classic red | Gold | The red shows through the gold: the ultimate party nail |
| Samoan Sand, a warm sandy beige, or Bubble Bath, a sheer pink | Rose gold | A soft, pearly sheen, discreet every day |
| Funny Bunny, a milky white | Aurora pigment | Iridescent pearly white, a pearl effect |
Not sure about the base? Our colour matching tool suggests shades for your skin tone, and your nail artist will advise you at the appointment.
4. One nail or ten, a French, your toes: what it costs
Chrome is an option at €10 (15 min), added to your application. It costs the same for a single accent nail or for all ten:
- Classic manicure + OPI gel polish + chrome: €55 (60 min). The manicure alone is €45, or €40 in our quieter weekday slots.
- Luxury SPA manicure + gel polish + chrome: €75, with soak, scrub, mask and hand massage.
- BIAB with integrated colour + chrome: €70, if your nails need reinforcing. To choose between gel polish and BIAB, read gel polish or BIAB.
- On your toes: chrome option for feet at €10, on a classic pedicure + gel polish (€55, 40 min). White or silver chrome on the toes shows beautifully in sandals.
Chrome French: a French with chrome tips, or chrome mixed with a design, combines several techniques. That is nail art by level, detailed on the nail art page: describe the idea in the booking comment, with a photo if you have one.
5. Wear, removal, and how it differs from cat eye
Chrome lasts as long as the gel polish underneath: 3 to 4 weeks without chipping, the powder being sealed under a top coat. It comes off with it, at the salon, never peeled: removal costs €10, and €5 if a new gel polish follows straight away. Why we never peel it off: our article on gel polish removal.
Chrome or cat eye? Chrome covers the nail with an even mirror surface. Cat eye is a magnetic gel whose pigments are drawn by a magnet: it creates a 3D reflection like a cat's eye, a band of light that moves with your hand. Same price (€10); everything about the second in our article magnetic cat eyes.
6. Chrome for the holidays
December is chrome month: gold over red for Christmas, silver over black for New Year's Eve, or a single mirror nail over a nude to stay discreet. The timing, so your manicure lasts until 1 January, and the other party finishes are in our guide holiday season nails, Christmas and New Year.
7. Visiting Paris? What you need to know
- Where: 7 rue d'Argenteuil, Paris 1st — three minutes from the Louvre and the Tuileries, metro Tuileries (line 1) or Pyramides (lines 7 and 14).
- When: open 7 days a week, 10am to 8pm, Sundays included.
- How:online booking in English, French or Chinese, instant confirmation; the chrome option is ticked in the booking flow. Walk-ins are welcome, subject to same-day availability — calling ahead is the safest.
- Languages: the whole team speaks French, English and 中文.
Book your chrome manicure
Classic manicure + OPI gel polish + chrome option €55 (60 min) · chrome option alone €10 · chrome on toes €10. Lasts 3 to 4 weeks. Paris 1st, three minutes from the Louvre, 7 days a week.
Book onlineFrequently asked questions
Chrome is an option at €10 (15 min) added to a gel polish application. With the classic manicure + OPI gel polish (€45), the total is €55 for 60 min; with the Luxury SPA manicure + gel polish (€65), €75. The option costs the same for a single chrome nail or for all ten.
Not at our salon: chrome goes on gel polish, BIAB or gel extensions. The powder needs a gel surface, cured under the lamp and perfectly smooth, to form the mirror, then a top coat to seal it. Regular polish air-dries: it does not give the powder that surface, and the mirror effect would not last.
In metallic chrome powder: mirror silver, gold, rose gold and steel blue. And the Aurora pigment, a rainbow shimmer that gives a pearly reflection over a white or nude base: that is what makes "white chrome". The gel polish colour underneath changes the result: a dark base gives the sharpest mirror, a light base a softer effect.
As long as the gel polish underneath: 3 to 4 weeks without chipping, the powder being sealed under a top coat. It is removed at the salon, like a gel polish: €10, or €5 if a new gel polish follows straight away.
Chrome covers the nail with an even mirror surface that reflects light like polished metal. Cat eye is a magnetic gel whose pigments are drawn by a magnet: it creates a 3D reflection like a cat's eye, a band of light that moves as you turn your hand. Both options cost the same, €10.
Yes: there is a chrome option for feet (€10), on a classic pedicure + gel polish (€55, 40 min). White or silver chrome on the toes shows beautifully in sandals.
Yes. A French with chrome tips, or chrome mixed with a design, combines several techniques: that is nail art by level, shown on our nail art page. Describe the idea in the booking comment, with a photo if you have one, and your nail artist confirms the level at your appointment.