Meet The Nail Trend That’s Replacing Chrome Manis This Fall

Of course if you want a more intricate motif or are hoping to experiment with texture, your nail tech can help take your jelly mani to the next level. To help spark some ideas, I collected some of the coolest jelly nail manicures of all time. Keep reading for allllll the inspo.

1. Solid color

The obvious choice is always going to be a solid color. But the real question is what color to choose, since there are legitimate an infinite number of possibilities. The above shade from Gelcare offers a more neutral vibe, but if you want a fall nail color, you can also try a brown jelly, like this look spotted on Hailey Bieber.

2. Jelly French tips

So, we all know that a French manicure will never go out of style, but the coolest way to do it right now is with a jelly polish, per the above example. The super-shiny finish paired with vibrant colors like pink and purple give your nails a candy-coated flair.

3. Watercolor jelly

This stunning design is actually so incredibly easy to replicate at home, even if you don’t have the best nail-painting skills (*cough* me). Nail artist Betina Goldstein haphazardly brushed on a mix of jelly nail polishes with a few nail brushes across her nails, then blended it all together with a top coat for a cool, watery finish. FYI: Cirque Colors jelly polishes simplify the process, because they have plenty of colors to choose from—about 100 to be exact—so you can find a bunch of shades that match your vibe.

4. Glittering jelly nails

There’s no such thing as too much sparkle in my book, especially when it comes to jelly nails. A quick dusting of chrome powder over jelly polish (which, btw, goes together perfectly) will really make your mani twinkle in the light.

5. Textured jelly nails

3D nail art can seriously enhance the high-shine effect of the jelly nail trend. Nail artist Canishiea J. Sams incorporates abstract squiggles and droplets on this set for an eye-catching textured masterpiece, but the world is your oyster, as there are about a bajillion variations you could try (like 3D bows, blobs, polka dots, hearts, and more).

Usually, this is done with builder gel and a teeny-tiny nail brush, then cured under a UV nail lamp to harden, so unless you’ve got a steady hand and the tools, consider bringing this reference to your nail tech instead of a DIY moment.

6. Marble jelly

Peep the tutorial above—marble nails are shockingly easy to do yourself, even if you’re not a next-level nail artist. And dare I say, but marble nails look even better with jelly polish, since it looks like a whole watercolor painting on your fingers. You can even add a little gem to make them stand out even more.

7. Mermaid jelly nails

I’m fully convinced that if mermaids were real, they’d love jelly manicures. I mean, just look at these ocean-inspired jellies!! The shell and starfish designs have me wishing I could teleport to the ocean. Make them even cooler by layering on one coat of a magnetic polish for the cat-eye effect, as seen above.

8. Lava jelly nail design

Okay so, I never thought I’d ever see lava lamp-inspired jelly nails, but I think I need them?? A combo of high-shine builder gel and jelly polish really brings these groovy nails to life.

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Mary Honkus is a contributor for Cosmopolitan with six years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories, including reviewing the top noncomedogenic sunscreens and finding the most spot-on Baccarat Rouge 540 dupes. She is an authority in all beauty categories, especially nails and nail trends.

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