My best friend consistently has the coolest nails. Every time she goes home to Toronto, she has a new set put on, and when she returns to New York, I spend 10 minutes ogling at her nails. When she came back from her most recent trip, she was sporting a set of long, translucent tips that were see-through in the light and made her fingers look a mile long.
I’ve always been a bit of a manicure traditionalist (I stick to classic red nearly every time I do my nails), but once I saw my friend’s jelly manicure, I became obsessed. I had to try this nail trend for myself. I had a bottle of Butter London’s Jelly Preserve Strengthening Treatment on hand, so I painted on a few coats. After I saw the results, I immediately beelined to Amazon to buy every single shade because this trend is going to be on heavy rotation for me all winter long.
Jelly nails aren’t a new idea—they’ve been popping up for years. Jelly polish looks like stained glass on your fingertips. They’re slightly see-through and can come in any color. Since they’re glass-like, they make a great base for any and all nail designs, including jewels. You can have a set put on at the salon like my friend did, but they’re also incredibly easy to achieve at home. Below, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite jelly looks that I will be re-creating myself this winter and the polishes to match—happy glazing!
True-red jelly polishes are few and far between. (Trust me—I just spent two hours scouring the internet to find one for you.) Hear me out—I found a hack to create the dreamiest crystalline cherry red. Mix together two parts clear with one part red (see the mixing bowl below) and use a nail brush to paint it onto nails. It’s best to choose nail polishes from the same brand here since their formulas will be more compatible by design.
