Frequently asked questions
What is chrome nail powder?
A finely milled pigment rubbed over a cured Chrome Base to give a mirror, metallic, pearl, or aurora finish, then sealed under a top coat. It blends over dried gel without grit and the finish shifts with light and angle. ND stocks around 65 powders, mostly LAVIS: the Chrome Classic line in 0.5 g pots, Aurora and Aurora Galaxy chromes, Super Clear and Rosaline Pearl, the LAVIS Chrome Base and Chrome Matte Top, and LDS Liner Art Silver Chrome.
How do I apply chrome powder so it turns to mirror?
Cure the gel color, then apply a thin coat of LAVIS Chrome Base, the surface the powder is made to grip (the LDS powders list an LDS no-wipe top for this step), and cure it per the label; chrome does not hold on a regular base coat. Rub a little powder over it with a silicone or sponge applicator, never a fingertip, until the surface turns to mirror, dust off the excess, and seal with a no-wipe top such as LAVIS Diamond Top, capping the free edge. The smoother the coat under the powder, the sharper the mirror.
What is the difference between classic, aurora, and pearl chrome?
Classic chrome is opaque: Pearl over black gives the mirror nail, and Brass, Navy, Red, Cyan, Lilac, and the other colored classics give a solid metallic. Aurora chrome is transparent, so the base color shows through with a rainbow flash: over white it is the glazed-donut look, over pastels the aura nail, over a jelly the opal. Pearl and Super Clear give the softest satin glaze over any color.
Which base color goes under chrome?
Black or a dark shade under a classic chrome for a true mirror; the color you want the shift to sit on under an aurora; white under aurora or pearl for the glazed look; a jelly under aurora for an opal. Over the base color always sits a cured coat of Chrome Base, which is what the powder bonds to. Finish with LAVIS Chrome Matte Top instead of a gloss top for a frosted chrome.
Is chrome powder sold at wholesale?
Yes. Every chrome powder, base, and top at ND Nails Supply is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. A 0.5 g pot uses a few grains per nail, so it lasts many sets. Orders $75+ ship free, and in-stock pots ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.
Chrome nail powder: the mirror finish, rubbed on
Chrome nail powder is a finely milled pigment that is rubbed over a cured Chrome Base to give a mirror, metallic, pearl, or aurora finish, then sealed under a top coat. Because the powder blends over dried gel without grit, it goes on smooth, and the finish shifts with the light and the angle. ND Nails Supply stocks around 65 chrome powders at wholesale, most of them LAVIS: the Chrome Classic line in 0.5 g pots (Lavender, Cyan, Red, Brass, Pink, Neon Red, Aurora Pink, Lilac, Navy, Pearl, Red Black, Thistle and more), the Aurora and Aurora Galaxy chromes in 1 g and 4 g, Super Clear and Rosaline Pearl chromes, the LAVIS Chrome Base and Chrome Matte Top made to go under and over them, and the LDS Liner Art Silver Chrome for drawn chrome lines.
What is on this page
| Line | What it does | Size |
|---|---|---|
| LAVIS Chrome Classic | Solid mirror and metallic chromes; the color of the powder shows over a matching or black base | 0.5 g pots, singly or with the Chrome Base |
| LAVIS Aurora and Aurora Galaxy Chrome | Transparent, color-shifting chrome that takes on the base color underneath and flashes like the aurora borealis | 1 g pots; Aurora Glass in 4 g |
| LAVIS Super Clear and Rosaline Pearl | Sheer pearl and glass chromes for a soft glazed finish over any color | 0.5 g |
| LAVIS Chrome Base and Chrome Matte Top | The base that gives the powder a smooth, high-gloss surface to bond to, and a matte top for a frosted chrome | 0.5 oz |
| LDS Liner Art Silver Chrome | Chrome in a liner gel for drawn lines and French tips | Bottle |
How to apply chrome powder
- Base color. Apply and cure the gel color. For a true mirror, use a black or dark base under a silver or classic chrome; for an aurora or pearl, use the color you want the shift to sit on. White under aurora gives the glazed-donut look.
- Chrome Base. Apply a thin coat of LAVIS Chrome Base, the surface the powder is made to grip (the LDS powders list an LDS no-wipe top for the same step), and cure it per the label. Chrome powder does not hold on a regular base coat, so a chrome sold without its base is a chrome the client cannot use at home.
- Rub the powder. Pick up a little powder on a silicone or sponge applicator and rub it firmly over the cured top until the surface turns to mirror. Repeat until the coverage is even; dust off the excess.
- Seal. Apply a thin no-wipe top coat such as LAVIS Diamond Top, cap the free edge, and cure. Use LAVIS Chrome Matte Top instead for a frosted chrome.
Pro tip: the smoother the cured top under the chrome, the sharper the mirror. Level the base coat with a slow, even coat, cure it per the label, and keep the skin around the nail clean so the powder does not stick where it is not wanted.
Classic vs aurora vs pearl: which chrome for which look?
- Classic chrome: the opaque mirror. Pearl or Super Clear over black gives the mirror nail; Brass, Navy, Red, Cyan, and the other colored classics give a solid metallic.
- Aurora chrome: transparent, so the base color shows through with a rainbow flash. Over white it is the glazed donut; over pastels it is the aura nail; over a jelly it is the opal.
- Pearl and Super Clear: the softest shift, a satin glaze over any color, the everyday chrome upsell for clients who do not want a full mirror.
Which chromes should a salon stock?
A Pearl Classic and a Super Clear or Rosaline Pearl cover the two most common requests (mirror and glazed). Add an Aurora Galaxy for the aura and opal trend, one colored classic per season (Navy or Red Black for fall, Aurora Pink or Lilac for spring), and the Chrome Base and Chrome Matte Top so the finish bonds and the salon can offer glossy or frosted. A 0.5 g pot goes a long way, since a set uses a few grains per nail.
Why does chrome sometimes not turn to mirror?
Almost always the layer under it. If the Chrome Base under it was under-cured, the powder sinks in and goes dull; if it was applied thick and uneven, the mirror shows every ridge; if it was skipped in favor of a regular base or top, the powder does not hold at all. Apply the Chrome Base thin and level, cure it per the label, and on a fresh bottle test one nail first. The second cause is the applicator: use a firm silicone tip or a dense sponge rather than a fingertip or a soft brush, because the powder has to be pressed into the surface, not dusted over it, and skin oil from a bare finger kills the mirror. The third is the powder itself: an aurora over a dark base looks like a faint sheen, not a mirror, because aurora is transparent and needs a light or white base to show its shift.
Chrome on acrylic and dip
Chrome works over any enhancement as long as it sits on a cured Chrome Base. On an acrylic or dip set, file and buff the surface smooth, apply a thin coat of Chrome Base, cure it, then rub the chrome and seal with a gel top. The gel layers give the powder the glass-smooth base it needs; chrome rubbed straight onto a dip top coat or an acrylic surface will not hold or shine.
Care and removal
- Chrome wears as long as the gel under it when it is sealed edge to edge; an unsealed corner is where a chrome nail starts to wear.
- Keep pots closed; chrome pigment is fine enough to drift and it clings to anything tacky.
- Remove with the manicure by soak-off; file the top coat first, since the sealed chrome layer slows acetone.
Chrome by the season
| Months | Chrome that sells | Pair it with |
|---|---|---|
| March to May (spring, prom) | Aurora Pink, Lilac, and the Aurora Glass powder for the glazed and unicorn looks | A milky white or sheer pink base; the LAVIS Reflective R05 on the accent nails for prom photos |
| June to August (summer) | The numbered Aurora powders (01 to 03) over neons and pastels | LAVIS neon creams, and the aurora cat eye sets (CE11 Enchanted Spell, CE12 Artic Jewel), whose shift the aurora chrome matches |
| September and October (fall) | Navy, Red Black, and the darker classics | Deep creams and a black base for a full mirror |
| November and December (holiday) | Classic silver and gold mirror chromes, Pearl Classic | Reds and greens underneath; the Chrome Matte Top for a frosted holiday finish |
Aurora is the chrome that reorders fastest through the year because it changes with the base color under it: the same pot reads pink over white, lilac over pale blue, and a soft opal over nude, so one pot covers several menu looks. Classic mirror chromes sell in bursts around the holidays and for the client who wants a full silver or gold set.
Sell the chrome as a kit
A chrome sold on its own comes back as a complaint, because the powder does not hold without the Chrome Base and the finish dulls without a proper seal. The order that works, for a salon or for a client buying to use at home, is three items: the chrome powder, the LAVIS Chrome Base it grips, and a Diamond Top to seal it. A salon adding the service for the first time buys one Pearl Classic, one Aurora, the Chrome Base, the Matte Top, and two silicone applicators, and can offer mirror, glazed, aurora, and frosted chrome from that shelf. Keep the pots on a tray away from the lamp and away from open gel bottles, since a stray grain of chrome pigment in a bottle of top coat shows on the next ten clients.
Aurora chrome over a cat eye
The combination that photographs best is an aurora chrome rubbed over a cured cat eye band. The magnet pulls the band, the nail is cured and sealed with the Chrome Base, and a light pass of aurora over the whole nail adds a color shift that moves against the band as the hand turns. It suits the aurora-shift cat eye sets in particular, where the chrome and the gel are shifting through the same pinks, blues, and violets, and it is the accent nail for a summer or prom set. Use a light hand: too much powder covers the band; a few grains pressed in with a silicone tip lets both effects show.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every chrome powder, base, and top ships at wholesale pricing for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The powder-and-base bundles on the Classic pots are the cheaper way to start. Free shipping on orders $75+, and in-stock pots ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.