I Tried Machine Gun Kelly's New Chrome Nail Polish, And It's A Metallic Dream

With thousands of beauty brands crowding virtual shelves and influencers touting a new product every day, how do you decide what's actually worth a shot? You leave the trial and error to the pros. In Elite Daily's beauty review series What's The Deal With..., we'll sift through and test the buzziest products to give you an honest, no-bullsh*t look at how it works IRL. Below, we review Machine Gun Kelly’s UN/DN LAQR nail polish: the Chrome collection.

I’m starting to think Machine Gun Kelly is some kind of wizard, because it seems like everything he does is magical. His music fuels my ‘00s emo girl soul; I’ve only seen a couple of his movies, but I can definitely see his acting prowess; and now, after trying MGK’s UN/DN LAQR Chrome nail polish, his foray into the world of beauty is sending me. No *bad things* here.

The award-winning musician launched his genderless nail polish brand (pronounced “Undone Lacquer”) in December 2021, with a whopping 12 polishes in the initial drop that had fans internally screaming. “NAILED IT!” said one Instagram user, on a photo of the first launch. Another commented on the “very nice presentation,” adding, “Love the packaging and colors. Keep going.” There were even parents that praised Kelly (aka Colson Baker) for releasing an inclusive line so their children can feel seen. “My sons love painting their nails,” said user @canvascafealaska, “so thank you @machinegunkelly for paving the way for them to be creative in beauty and still be boys.”

Once the Chrome duo dropped in January, that’s when I decided to hop on the UN/DN LAQR train and actually test it myself, because the dark, metallic colors spoke to me on a cosmic level. Here’s how I rated the collection as a whole, followed by my no-BS review of the two new Cosmos Chrome shades, Orion and Nebula:

UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Review:

How Does UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Collection Feel?

The polish feels great. It glided across each of my nails and came out super smooth. 10/10, as far as nail polishes go.

Does UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Nail Polish Smell Good?

If there’s one thing I usually can’t stand about nail polish, it’s the distinct chemical smell. I didn’t get that at all from UN/DN’s Chrome polishes. It was practically odorless to me (and to anyone else who walked into the room), so that’s a big plus in my book.

Thoughts On UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Packaging?

The overall packaging looks cool, and I probably wouldn’t have had any issues with it if I didn’t ever-so-lightly mess up my nails in the process of painting. I was forced to start over on one nail, and it was then that I realized that the box doesn’t have the name of the shade on it, and at least in this collection, the products have a similar orange hue, so you can only tell what color it is when you flip over the bottle. Not exactly ideal when you’re working with wet paint.

Is UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Nail Polish Easy To Use?

Let me preface this by saying that I am far from a professional manicurist, especially when I, as a righty, have to paint using my left hand. That being said, this was a pretty painless process (apart from the aforementioned minor mishap — but that was user error). To get either the metallic green or metallic purple shades, you simply lay down one layer of Depressionist black polish ($18, UN/DN) to a clean nail, add the Chrome color of your choosing, then you’re done. For longer wear, you can apply Gloss Top Coat ($18, UN/DN).

How Much Is UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Nail Polish?

The individual polishes in the Cosmos Chrome collection are $20 each, which is more than double what you’d pay for most drugstore brands like Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen — but it’s cheaper or on par with brands like Deborah Lippmann, Butter London, and Smith & Cult.

What sets it apart is that you need to add a black polish underneath to get the desired dark, metallic color, which — if you choose to use UN/DN’s Depressionist black — brings it up to a price point similar to most luxury brands like Christian Louboutin, Givenchy, and Hermès. Add the Gloss Top Coat in, and you’re looking at a nearly $60 tab. If you happen to already have a black and top coat in your personal collection, though, then the price is fairly standard.

Does UN/DN LAQR’s Chrome Nail Polish Work?

Yes. My nails were very metallic; only slightly darker than advertised. Plus chipping was minimal. It took about five days for me to see any flaws on the tips of the nails, which is impressive considering I didn’t apply a top coat and how much I use my hands on a daily basis.

Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.

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Machine Gun Kelly’s UN/DN LAQR is available in Chrome now. Shop the duo, along with all other UN/DN nail polish singles and sets (like the new Mad Love collection), at undnlaqr.com.