Chrome nail polish has a very specific birthday, at least the version everyone now asks for. In 2022, manicurist Zola Ganzorigt was getting Hailey Bieber ready for the Met Gala, and according to Bustle the plan was a sheer white mani. Chrome went on at the last minute to match her creamy white Saint Laurent gown. Ganzorigt has said the recipe was OPI Chrome Effects powder in Tin Man Can, though outlets disagree on which sheer base sat underneath. Nobody at the time called it glazed donut. Ganzorigt credits fans, who borrowed the name from Bieber's glazed donut skin. The powder sold out anyway.

Chrome powder was already around in the 2010s, so this was a revival more than an invention. What changed was the color. The look was sheer, pearly and soft. This year, in July 2026, Ganzorigt and OPI released consumer versions of the powders, so the trick that once needed a salon is on shelves.

The collage below shows nine ways to wear it: silver mirror, gold, rose gold, pink, blue, green, purple, black and a glazed pearl. The first grid is polishes, gels and powders you apply yourself. The second is press-ons with the chrome already done.

Here is a test I like: do one accent finger before you commit to ten. Chrome tends to chip first at the tips, and one nail will tell you in a day whether you enjoy the upkeep.

Olive & June has the most range here, and I would start with its greens. Martini Chrome and Martini Chrome Gel are the same shade, a deep olive green with a shimmery golden chrome finish, one as a lacquer and one as a gel. Emerald Chrome is a deep green with an iridescent finish, and the brand's recipe layers Pink Goldfish over two coats of Into the Trees, then seals it with Super Glossy Top Coat.

If you want the glazed look Bieber made famous, Country Chrome is a shimmery neutral built by painting Pink Goldfish over Line Dancing Boots. Kiss of Chrome is the quick-dry version, a pearly sheer finish meant to give a touch of chrome in a couple of minutes. Both suit people who want the look without buffing powder.

Dashing Diva's White Pearl is the only actual powder in this grid. The brand calls it a premium chrome powder made with fine pigments that changes any color you put it on, and it has to be sealed with a gel top coat. ohora's Satin Chrome is a nail care polish, and I can only tell you it sits in the satin corner of chrome. Kure Bazaar's metallic polish comes from its Les Metallics collection, made to reflect light and give a reflective shine, with a clean, non-toxic formula.

The practical tip is to use a thin base coat and seal the tip. Marie Claire quotes manicurist Gerstein doing exactly that so the top layer wraps the chrome and stops it chipping.

What I would skip: powder over regular polish. Artists in the same piece say it works far better on gel, so buy the lacquers if you are painting at home.

Press-ons are the low-drama way to get the mirror, since the chrome is baked in before it reaches you. ohora has most of this grid, and the group is really about base colors. N Boba Chrome pairs a deep black base with mirror powder. N Chocolate Chrome is a rich brown with a mirror finish, the closest to the chocolate glazed donut spin-off. N Pink Chrome is a hot pink with green mermaid hues, and the brand ties it to red chrome. NP Glazed Chrome is the quiet one, a nude pink base with fine powder for a softly shimmering glaze. NP Lemon Chrome puts buttery yellow French tips on a nude base with a subtle mirror shine. ohora also says its newer sizes run about 1.06mm bigger on average, developed from US customer data, which matters if you usually fight with fit.

Olive & June's two are darker and more serious. Navy Chrome is a deep navy in a medium almond shape with a shimmering chrome top. Emerald Chrome comes in a medium oval, in emerald green with the same mirror effect.

KISS Glam Embellished is the loudest. The brand says the set mixes chrome, iridescent, magnetic and jewel finishes, in red, medium almond, with 32 nails, glue, a stick and a file, and up to 14 days of wear.

Here is a pairing I like: a plain nude press-on with one chrome ring finger. You keep the polish of the trend without turning your hands into a mirror.

What I would skip: the jeweled set if you want something quiet. Start with a single-color strip.

I think chrome earns its place because it changes with the light. The same nails look silver at a desk and almost lilac by a window, and that is the entire appeal. It is also the finish that shows wear first, so I treat it as a two-week look, not a forever one.

My rule: choose the base by the mood you want. Sheer pearl for daytime, deep green or black for evening. Then keep everything else plain. A white tee and jeans, like the collage, lets the nails do the talking. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Nail Polish Brands, From Twelve Shades in Las Vegas to a Brooklyn Apartment and Londontown Nail Polish, a Grandmother's Garden Remedy Turned Nail Line.