Juicy Jelly Nails Are Infusing Our Summer Manicures With Delicious Color

It feels like we're living in a nail-aissance with all the pretty manicure trends out there. We've got milk bath nails that give you the look of bathing like a queen, a zillion ideas for short nails, and colorful Pride nail designs that are popping up everywhere — not just for Pride month. We've got one for you that's perfect for a breezy summer day at a picnic in the park. This time, we're looking at jelly nails. They've been called the "lip gloss of nails" in quite a number of places, and they're all the rage right now. 

There are a whole lot of ways to wear this new trend that can show your individuality and give you a liquid, juicy look like your nails have been covered in crystalline jelly. They're shiny and pretty, and they're really easy to do yourself if you're not going to salons at the moment.

So what are jelly nails? They're a sheer and very shiny manicure that looks like you painted your talons with a jar of jelly. They're translucent so that you can see right through the tips. In fact, you can even request to have clear tips put on your nails at the salon. This is a trend that looks lovely on short nails but is really dramatic on longer ones, as you can see above. 

If you want to try this trend yourself, you don't have to use gel, and you don't have to go to a manicurist. Grab your favorite color (don't be hemmed in by traditional jelly colors) and mix it with a clear or a top coat to get that sheer look. Editorial manicurist and founder of JINsoon Spas and Nail Lacquers told Byrdie that this style is in the zeitgeist right now "because they can be completely customized in many different ways with all different designs." The only limit is your imagination.

Are jelly nails the same thing as Jello nails? The delicious summer gelatin treat is trending for your digits as well. In fact, you may have seen Jennifer Lopez's nail person Tom Bachick post about her blue set on Instagram (via Yahoo!). There isn't that much of a difference, though the Jello nail trend is a little bit more opaque. (That means if you attempt a jelly manicure at home and it doesn't end up as sheer as you want, just say that you were going for Jello in the first place. We won't tell anyone.) 

If you have shorter nails and you aren't going to see the light through the tips anyway, you might want to go with the more opaque style of Jello nails to keep from looking like you just forgot to do a coat. The big thing to focus on here is the shine.

There are endless ways to dress jelly nails up, from butterflies and clouds to pretty leaf patterns, or making them look like cracked plastic or marble. We are absolutely in love with the one above that looks like different color jelly drops ended up on a silver base, which is sheer as well. They almost look like stained glass here. In fact, if you want to give that style a shot, try painting abstract black or silver lines around your nails in geometric patterns, and fill in each space between the lines with a different color of jelly polish. 

As we mentioned, you don't have to worry about sticking with traditional jelly colors. The first picture in this article shows a sheer pale pink, and we've certainly never eaten jelly of that color. Play with this one and enjoy the fruity, shiny nail goodness.