ANZ Nail Playbook 2025: Velvet Cat-Eye × Chrome, K-Gloss Sheers & Safety

1) Velvet (Cat-Eye) × Chrome: The winter-to-summer 2025 mash-up clients keep asking for

Why now: Editors and pro artists are calling out velvet/cat-eye finishes and chrome as headline looks for 2025, with magnetic cat-eye panels and molten chrome accents trending across fashion seasons. Expect clients to request reflective, dimensional designs that catch the light in photos and Reels.

What actually makes the “velvet” effect work?

• Magnetic particles + a magnet: Cat-eye gel contains fine magnetic pigments. Before curing, you hold a magnet near the surface to pull the shimmer into a line/swoop — that “velvet”/aurora look.
• Layering with chrome: After you’ve “locked” the cat-eye effect with a flash cure (5–10s), add a no-wipe top and gently rub chrome powder. Finish with a full cure + top coat. This gives a mirrored, dimensional sheen without blurring the magnet line.
• Control tips: Work one nail at a time; hold the magnet 2–5 mm above the surface for 2–4 seconds. For crisp lines, use the magnet’s edge or a bar magnet; for “velvet haze,” hover the magnet in small arcs.

ANZ summer shade guide (and what to pair it with)

Technique tips that photograph beautifully

1. Curing order: Base → colour (optional) → cat-eye gel → magnet → flash cure 5–10s → no-wipe top → chrome → final top → full cure. Flash curing before chrome preserves the magnetic line.
2. Top-coat choices: No-wipe for chrome; a thin flexible top for long-wear on natural nails; a hard gloss top for extensions.
3. Lighting for Reels: Diffused key light + angled fill. Rotate the hand slowly so the magnet line “travels” — that’s your hook in the first 2 seconds.