The "specialty effect" line is where a lot of techs lose margin because they price it like a color. It's not a color — it's a multi-step process with its own materials and its own time.
What each effect actually costs you
Chrome — a color base, a chrome powder, a magnet-free buff-and-rebuff cycle. The powder is consumed; the time is the polish + the buff + the top coat. It's 10–15 minutes more than a solid color on 8–10 nails.
Cat-Eye — a magnetic gel, a magnet on a timer per nail, a cure cycle, and the "pull" that makes the line. The magnet is a material the tech must own; the timer is the time. On 8–10 nails, this is real labor.
Holo — a holo base or a holo top, or a holo + a color. The "wow" in a holo is layering and placement precision, which is time.
The pricing error
Pricing these as "the same as a solid color." That's like charging the same for a flat pour and a latte with 30 minutes of latte art. The client sees the effect; you should see the work.
A defensible line-item structure
- Base (Gel-X / hard gel / acrylic) — structural work
- Color (solid or ombré) — paint + cure
- Specialty effect (chrome / cat-eye / holo) — +$X per nail or per hand, based on the number of nails affected
- Art (hand-painted) — per nail
- Bling (gems, charms) — per count
When the effect is only on accents (e.g., chrome on the index and ring), price per affected nail, not per hand. When it's every nail, price per hand (it's the same time per nail, but the client gets the "full effect" and that's worth anchoring).
The test
Can you explain why chrome on 2 nails is $20 and $30? If not, you don't have a formula. Build the line item so the explanation is the price. The Lacqr Lens does this — it sees the effect, sees how many nails it's on, and prices it per affected nail with the time and the material visible.
The specialty effect is your margin. Price it like one.