How to Get Hailey Bieber’s Glazed Donut Nails at Home With OPI

OPI’s GELement system makes the viral chrome manicure easy to recreate at home without the recurring salon bill.

Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut nails have officially graduated from viral beauty trend to modern manicure classic.

Created by celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt in 2022, the look paired a sheer, milky base with pearlescent chrome and quickly took over social media. Unlike most internet beauty obsessions, it never really went away.

Naturally, we wanted to see how easy it would be to recreate the manicure at home. Using OPI’s GELement system, we followed Zola’s OPI TikTok tutorial and put the finished manicure through two full weeks of everyday wear.

Here is exactly how we got the look.

Meet OPI GELement

The OPI GELement Gel Essentials Kit includes the basics needed to start doing gel manicures at home:

GELement Base Coat
GELement No-Wipe Top Coat
A compact LED gel lamp
Prep pads
Cuticle pushers
Nail files and buffers

One important thing to know before ordering is that the kit does not include a gel colour or chrome powder. To recreate Hailey’s manicure, Let Me Bayou a Mani and Tin Man Can Glaze must each be purchased separately.

The lamp, base coat and top coat can then be reused with other shades from OPI’s full GELement collection.

The kit is compact and very simple to set up. The lamp has an automatic 60-second curing cycle, and OPI recommends curing four fingers first, followed by the thumb. There are no settings to figure out. Press the button, cure and move on.

What Is OPI GELement Actually Like to Use?

Honestly, it was very easy.

The gel applies much like traditional nail polish. The main difference is that each layer cures under the lamp before the next one goes on, so there is no waiting around for coats to air-dry.

The biggest tip is to use less polish than you think you need. Thin coats cure more evenly, and the gel should be kept away from the skin and cuticles.

OPI’s free GELiversity tutorials are genuinely helpful, especially for anyone trying at-home gel for the first time. They cover nail preparation, application, lifting, lamp use and safe removal without making the process feel overly technical.

Following GELiversity alongside Zola’s TikTok brought the whole look together. OPI explains how to use the GELement system correctly, while Zola shows how to create Hailey’s signature glazed finish.

Zola’s instructions:

@opi Straight from the creator herself 👀 Learn how to get @Zola ♬ original sound – OPI

The chrome was also much easier than expected. It only takes a few seconds of buffing for the pearlescent effect to appear, and it is easily the most satisfying part of the manicure.

Step by Step: How We Recreated Hailey Bieber’s Glazed Donut Nails

Before starting, shake the base coat, colour and top coat for 30 seconds. OPI recommends completing one hand at a time and curing the thumb separately.

Step 1: Prepare the Nails

Begin with completely dry nails. Shape them, gently push back the cuticles and lightly buff away the natural shine.

Cleanse each nail with one of the included prep pads or 99 percent isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free wipe. Avoid soaking the hands or applying lotion and cuticle oil beforehand.

Step 2: Apply the Base Coat

Apply a thin layer of GELement Base Coat, painting the free edge first before covering the nail.

Keep the gel away from the skin and cure for 60 seconds.

Step 3: Apply Let Me Bayou a Mani

Apply one thin coat of Let Me Bayou a Mani, remembering to seal the free edge.

Cure for 60 seconds, then apply a second thin coat and cure again. The shade is intentionally semi-sheer, so there is no need to build it to full opacity. Two coats create the soft, milky base needed for the look.

Step 4: Prepare for Chrome

Apply a thin layer of GELement No-Wipe Top Coat and cure it for only 30 seconds.

The lamp automatically runs for 60 seconds, so remove the hand halfway through the cycle. This soft cure gives the chrome powder the right surface to adhere to.

Step 5: Add Tin Man Can Glaze

Following Zola’s technique, lightly dip a foam or silicone applicator into Tin Man Can Glaze.

Rub the powder over each nail using small circular motions. A little goes a long way, and the glazed finish appears almost immediately.

Lightly file the free edge with a fine-grit file, then dust away the excess powder.

Step 6: Seal the Manicure

Apply one final thin layer of GELement No-Wipe Top Coat, sealing the free edge.

Cure for the full 60 seconds. Cleanse the nails with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol, wash the hands and finish with cuticle oil.

That is it. Base coat, two coats of colour, chrome and top coat.

Does OPI GELement Last?

Yes. After two full weeks of everyday wear, the manicure still looked glossy and had not chipped.

That included constant typing, opening packages, washing dishes and all the small daily tasks that usually destroy a regular manicure much faster. The gel held up impressively well through all of it.

Proper preparation still matters. Starting with clean, dry nails, applying thin coats and sealing the free edge will help prevent lifting and give the manicure its best chance of lasting.

Another major benefit is that the nails are completely set as soon as the final coat comes out of the lamp. There is no dry time, no accidental smudging and no waking up with sheet marks pressed into the polish.

Why We Loved OPI GELement

What impressed us most was how easy the entire system was to use.

The gel applied smoothly, the lamp handled the curing time and GELiversity made each step simple to follow. Zola’s tutorial then showed exactly how to take a soft nude manicure and turn it into Hailey Bieber’s recognizable glazed look.

For anyone who prefers doing their nails at home, wants a manicure that lasts longer than regular polish or simply does not want to spend regularly on nail appointments, GELement is easy to recommend.

After two weeks of wear, it proved to be just as durable as it was easy to use.