Color-Shifting Chrome Nails Are The Anti-Minimalism Manicure Trend Of 2023

The verdict is in: color is back in style, baby. In the past few months, neutral manicures have been at the top of our Pinterest inspo saves. We've had pearlescent manicures and elevated our basic French tips to the trendy Vanilla version, too. And we may have even requested hyper-realistic natural nail sets. But it's time to take a break from all the beiges and browns, and welcome bright, maximalist manis, starting with our latest obsession: color-shifting chrome manicures.

Color-shifting chrome nails are holographic nails with a glazed finish. When placed at different angles in the light, this maxi mani can change color due to the magnetic nature of the polish, and the chrome powder finishes the look off with that smooth, glazed effect. 

While there are many techniques to achieve this look, most nail techs agree on these basics: prep your nails, apply a base coat, and then follow that up with the magnetic polish(es). Then with your magnetic wand, pull the polish in the design you want before it dries up. For the glazed chrome effect, take a page from manicurist Zola Ganzorigt's viral method and use an eyeshadow applicator or a Q-tip to rub the chrome powder on the nail. Finish up with a top coat and get ready to turn heads in the most eye-catching of looks.

Don't tell the coffins, but almond nails are our go-to for their ability to make your fingers look slender and longer than they really are. Plus, the color-shifting chrome effect looks great on almond-shaped nails, as there's a lot of room to see the colors fully change at different angles. We're especially fans of this delicious-looking teal and pink combo.

Okay, so remember what we said about almonds having more room for the full-color shift? Well, surprise, but that's also replicable on short nails. Short nails are convenient and can also be very cute with some chrome powder and magnetic polish. Take these blue nails which transition to sunset gold, lavender, and a bit of lilac under the light. Perfect.

Nothing says galaxy-inspired more than color-shifting polish, and that's on space, period. Color-shifting chrome manis don't only look great with bright colors; even those on the darker end of the spectrum — think deep purples and blues — can join in on the fun. You can also add space-themed embellishments such as stars and planets, like this set.

So far, we've seen different variations of color-shifting manis, but they've all featured the same color on every nail. When you want something even more unique, switch it up and apply different colored magnetic polishes to each nail for a multidimensional color spread à la Vanessa Hudgens. Pinks, greens, and yellows; with color-shifting chrome nails, the fun never ends.

Dusting chrome powder on your metallic magnetic nails is a surefire way to add dimension and interest to your manicure. And you can do this on every nail shape — lipstick nails, stiletto nails, oval nails, etc. Experiment with different metallic shades, like an intense chrome on magnetic copper-toned polishes or silver over midnight black polish.