By the team at The Nail Story, Bawadiya Kalan, Bhopal · Updated
Three finishes turn up again and again in the pictures our clients bring: cat-eye, chrome and ombré. They look like magic, but each one has a simple idea behind it. Here is what is happening on the nail, and what each costs.
| Finish | Price at The Nail Story |
|---|---|
| Chrome | ₹80 per finger |
| Cat-eye | ₹100 per nail |
| Ombré | ₹100 per nail |
| Nail art | ₹50 onwards |
| 3D art | ₹150 onwards |
Finishes go on top of a base: gel polish (₹1,000), a gel overlay (₹1,500) or extensions.
Cat-eye: a band of light that moves
Cat-eye gel is full of tiny magnetic particles. After the gel goes on, your artist holds a small magnet over each nail. The particles gather into a soft band of light. Turn your hand and the band seems to slide across the nail, just like a cat’s eye catching the light.
The magnet can pull the band into a straight line, a diagonal or a soft glow from the edge. Deep shades such as wine, emerald or black make the band look the most dramatic. Nudes and milky tones give a subtler, pearly shimmer.
Good for: evenings, weddings and anyone who likes their nails to move in photos.
You can see a live cat-eye band follow your cursor on the 3D nail in our try-on studio.
Chrome: a mirror finish
Chrome is a very fine powder rubbed over cured gel and then sealed. It turns the surface into a mirror, or a soft glaze, depending on the powder and the colour beneath it.
Over a sheer pink or nude base, chrome gives the glazed look you have seen everywhere. Over a deeper colour, it gives a metallic, liquid finish. It also works on the tips only, as a chrome French.
Good for: clean, modern sets that look expensive with very little art.
Ombré: a soft fade
Ombré blends one colour into another along the nail, usually from a sheer base at the cuticle to a stronger colour at the tip. The classic version fades nude to white, a softer cousin of the French tip. It also works in two colours, such as pink into coral.
Good for: anyone who wants something gentle, or a set that grows out gracefully between refills.
Mixing them
Finishes play well together, and because they are priced per nail you can mix freely:
- a nude gloss set with one cat-eye accent nail
- chrome tips over a pink ombré
- a full chrome set with a few 3D pearls on the ring finger
Bring your picture
Matching reference pictures is something our Google reviewers often mention. Save the picture, bring it in, and your artist will confirm how to get there on your nails.
See more finishes and real sets on our nail art page, choose a base from the extensions page, and book a slot when you’re ready.
