When glazed donut nails first hit the trend circuit via Hailey Bieber in 2022, it was easy to see why it would become a classic. Sheer, pearlescent white? Easy-peasy, goes with everything, and can come right out of a bottle of traditional polish. But with the now-ubiquitous chrome manicures popping up all over celebrity hands, it’s no surprise that the idea behind glazed donut nails has gotten an intensified yet still totally versatile upgrade. Meet vanilla chrome nails.
And yes, vanilla chrome is yet another example of the beauty industry giving a nail trend a needlessly whimsical name. And why are so many of them sweet and edible? Glazed donut, blueberry milk, strawberry jam—at this point, if someone tells me their manicure was inspired by a photogenic bowl of oatmeal, I’ll probably just nod and smile. But behind the fanciful name, vanilla chrome is actually a pretty straightforward, extremely wearable spin on the pearlescent white manicure.
Nail artist Natalie Minerva says vanilla chrome is so appealing because it occupies that sweet spot between neutral and interesting. “I think that white chrome is a way to have a ‘neutral’ that still has a little excitement or flair,” she says. “It’s so versatile and complementary to essentially most outfits, and even most seasons.”
