Dreaming Nails

Espresso Mirror Chrome nails

Almond · Mirror Chrome

Salon or steady hand

Full mirror chrome over Espresso: a genuine reflective surface, so it shows whatever is in front of it.

3 bottles: Espresso, Bare Rosé and Bitter Chocolate. Espresso against Bare Rosé is a hard contrast, so the motif reads from across a room, and any wobble in the line reads with it. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.

It sits on an almond, tapered at the sides and rounded at the tip, which narrows the nail and lengthens the finger, and stretches the motif slightly as it approaches the point.

Make it yours

Pick a part of the nail, then a shade
Base: Espresso · Crème Open the bottle

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf
Espresso Base · Crème
Bare Rosé Motif · Sheer
Bitter Chocolate Accent · Crème

What you need

Base colour cured
Effect powder chrome, flake or magnet
No-wipe top keep the shine

How to paint Espresso Mirror Chrome nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Espresso. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
  2. 2 Rub chrome powder hard into the no-wipe tacky layer over Espresso until it stops going brighter.
  3. 3 Seal with a no-wipe top coat; wiping the tacky layer kills the effect.

Questions about Espresso Mirror Chrome

  • Is Espresso Mirror Chrome hard to do at home?

    It is the hardest tier on the site. It is doable at home, but the technique is the point rather than the colour. Budget an hour or more for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.

  • What polish do I need for Espresso Mirror Chrome?

    3 bottles: Espresso (crème), Bare Rosé (sheer) and Bitter Chocolate (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.

  • Does Espresso Mirror Chrome work on short nails?

    Almond needs a little length to hold its taper. On a short nail the shape reads closer to round, and the design still works, it just stops elongating the finger.

  • How many coats does Espresso Mirror Chrome need?

    More than you would expect. Bare Rosé is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.

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