Jelly Nails Are Back And Perfect For Your Next Manicure

We love exploring all the hottest and most creative nail designs and trends, from the nail colors we've seen everywhere in summer 2022 to DIY daisy print nails. Another adorable nail trend we can't get enough of is the jelly nails look. These nails are somewhat translucent, providing a glossy, jelly-like effect on your fingernails or toenails; if you like wearing lipgloss, you'll love rocking jelly nails!

Believe it or not, jelly nails aren't an entirely new concept; they're a nail style from the '90s (via The Talko). But are you surprised? After all, the fashion from the 1990s is having a significant resurgence, as the grunge look, the bright color blocking technique, daring suits for women, and jeans with a straight cut are all trending again, three decades after the '90s, per Today. Whether or not you've been flaunting these 1990s-inspired fashion trends, everyone should have fun experimenting with jelly nails — they're so cute and playful!

Not only are jelly nails a beautiful 1990s-esque trend, but they're all over social media. In fact, more than 215,000 posts popped up when we searched #jellynails on Instagram, where we noticed a plethora of variations of this trend. For instance, we've seen a rainbow version of this trend, bright pink jelly nails that seem to fit the nostalgic Barbiecore fashion trend, elegant jelly nails with sparkly jewels on them, and even a darker, edgier spin on the trend.

But jelly nails' massive social media presence isn't limited to Instagram; #jellynails is taking over TikTok, too. On TikTok, we found endless choices of videos focused on creating different forms of jelly nails. One of our favorite examples from TikTok is the butterfly jelly nails look because it's not only cute but also very creative. We also enjoyed seeing jelly nails with a checkerboard design and jelly nails featuring girly petite hearts.

Jelly nails are so popular on social media that you can even find #jellynails on Twitter, where we were blown away by red jelly nails featuring the Louis Vuitton logo. A vibrant tie dye spin on the jelly nails style caught our attention, too, along with light blue jelly nails that featured an ethereal cloud design. Ultimately, this trend is everywhere, and social media can't get enough of it!

Making the jelly nail effect isn't as challenging as you may initially think, as it just involves a combination of clear and colorful nail polish (via Makeup.com). So, an excellent aspect of this trend is that you don't have to spend hours on end trying to figure it out or constantly visit your local salon to get it done.

According to OPI, all you really need to do is mix colorful nail polish with your top coat. One way to accomplish this is to apply your color to the brush of your topcoat. Then, shake the bottle with the cap on so the clear polish gets tinted with the hue. Or, you can just add a few drops of the color into your bottle of top coat so the colorful polish will go into the clear polish. Then, shake the bottle with the cap on so it mixes. Once you make your jelly nail polish, put it on how you normally would paint your nails, and you're all set!

While your freshly painted jelly nails will look beautiful as is, you shouldn't be afraid to get creative with it by trying different jelly hues on each nail or adding decals. As we saw on social media, it's super fun to use this trend to reflect your unique personality.

If you don't want to take the time to make jelly nail polish, you can still rock this look. There are plenty of jelly nail polishes that you can purchase so you can paint your nails like usual without the extra work. For example, the Lavender Zoya Nail Laquer Naked Manicure is super summery and stylish. This nail polish is available at Ulta for $12, where it has 4.5 out of five stars. If you're searching for something a bit more daring, you could also try the Cirque Colors XOXO Jelly- Hot Pink Jelly Nail Polish. You can purchase this pink jelly nail polish on Amazon for around $13, where it has 4.3 stars. Another excellent option is the GAOY Icy Jelly Gel Nail Polish Set, which is labeled Amazon's Choice. Available for around $16, these gel nail polishes have 4.5 stars.

For people who prefer press-on nails instead of polish, there are many press-on jelly nail options, too. For instance, the KISS Jelly Fantasy Nails have an ultra-girly pink shimmery look and are available at KISS for below $10. They have between four and five stars with over 200 reviews. Furthermore, the Glamnetic Press-On Nails in Cloud 9 feature the jelly look and are the #1 Best Seller. You can buy them for around $15 on Amazon. So, are you ready to rock jelly nails?