Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jessica Harrington
If you're on Nail-Tok, or on Nail-Insta, or even vaguely aware of Hailey Bieber, chances are you've seen glazed-doughnut nails [1] at least once (but more likely, far more than that). The nail trend, which was reignited by Bieber and her manicurist Zola Ganzorigt [2], started trending at the beginning of 2022 and has since taken off. I love the look, but the problem is it requires a salon-only chrome powder [3], meaning you can't purchase it as a general consumer. A few brands have made nail-polish topcoats [4] designed to mimic the "glazed" effect, but in my opinion, it still wasn't the same as the salon version.
I thought all hope was lost until I stumbled upon a glazed-doughnut eyeshadow nail hack. The idea is to use a base nail-polish color, let it dry, then apply a shimmery eyeshadow on top and seal it in with a clear topcoat. It seemed simple enough, and it used products I already had on hand in my beauty closet, so I gave it a go.
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Because it's fall and I've officially transitioned my wardrobe, and therefore my beauty products, for the new season, I wanted to give the glazed-doughnut nails an autumnal spin — kind of like the chocolate glazed-doughnut nails [6] Bieber recently debuted. I opted for a mauve-brown hue by using the Zoya Nail Polish in Remington [7] ($12) for my base. After applying one coat of that and letting it dry completely (this is key, otherwise you'll smudge), I selected the Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy [8] ($22) for the shimmer.
Using a foam eyeshadow brush — the kind that you get for free inside most drugstore compacts — I applied a generous amount of eyeshadow to each nail in circular motions, trying to make the finish as smooth as possible. Then, I took my OPI Nail Treatment Clear Top Coat [9] ($11) and applied a thin coat on top of the eyeshadow to lock in everything.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jessica Harrington
Once that dried, I simply needed to wash my hands to get rid of the excess eyeshadow from my nail beds, and I was left with a chrome-like finish on my nails — as if I had gone to the salon. I love the way my nails came out, and I can't believe how easy this trend is to do at home. After some digging, I found a special chrome powder on Amazon, the Pearl Powder Ice Transparent Aurora Nail Powder [10] ($12, originally $15), to make the job even easier next time around.
Whether you use a special powder or eyeshadow like I did for this hack, you'll no longer need to go to the salon to get a glazed manicure, which is a win in my book.