The Chrome & Cat-Eye Craze: Why Your Add-On Menu is Leaving Money on the Table

The Trend That's Taken Over Every Feed

Scroll through Instagram or TikTok for five minutes and you'll see it — mirror-finish chrome nails, magnetic cat-eye swirls, holographic glazes. Clients are coming in asking for these by name, and they expect you to deliver.

The good news? These services are visually stunning, highly shareable, and clients will pay a premium for them.

The not-so-good news? Many nail techs are still throwing them in for free, or charging a token £2–£3 add-on that doesn't come close to covering the cost of the product and extra time.

What's Actually Involved?

Let's break it down. A proper chrome finish requires:

• An extra buffing/sealing step
• Chrome powder (which does run out — it's not infinite)
• Precision application time
• Often a specific gel base that's compatible

Cat-eye gel requires:

• A specific magnetic gel (a separate product cost)
• The magnet tool
• Individual nail-by-nail application — you can't rush it
• Usually a top coat over the effect

That's easily 15–25 extra minutes of your time, plus product cost. At your hourly rate, that's not a freebie.

How to Build These Into Your Service Menu Properly

Instead of treating chrome or cat-eye as an afterthought, list them as proper Service Add-Ons on your booking menu. In your Nail Tech Success Planner, you can create these as separate services with their own price and duration — so when a client selects them alongside their main service, the total time and cost is calculated automatically.

This means:

• Your diary is protected — the extra time is blocked out
• Your income is accurate — no more silent discounting
• Your clients know upfront — no awkward conversations at the end of the appointment

What Should You Charge?

As a guide, most nail techs charge between £5 and £15 for a chrome or cat-eye add-on depending on complexity. If you're in a premium market or working on sculpted nails with nail art, you can charge more.

The key is to calculate your actual cost using your product cost tracker, then set a price that gives you a healthy margin. It's not about charging the most — it's about charging what's fair for your skill, time, and materials.

The Upsell Opportunity

Clients who are already spending £40–£60 on a gel set are your warmest audience for add-ons. A simple mention at booking — "Would you like to add chrome or cat-eye to your set?" — converts surprisingly well.

With the right booking system, you can make these options visible at the point of booking so clients opt in before they even arrive. That sets expectations, protects your time, and increases your average appointment value without any hard selling.

Start This Week

1. List your most popular effects (chrome, cat-eye, nail art, French tips) as individual add-ons in your service menu
2. Set a price that covers product cost + time
3. Add them to your online booking so clients can self-select
4. Track the revenue separately so you can see the true impact

Those small additions add up. Five cat-eye add-ons a week at £8 each is an extra £160/month — from work you were probably already doing.