Korean Jelly Nails Are The Epitome Of Summer - Here Are 9 Of The Best Designs
Whether it's glazed skin or dewy blush, beauty's fascination with glowy finishes knows no bounds. The latest nail trend, Korean Jelly Nails, is yet further proof of this. Defined by a jewel-like, light-reflecting aesthetic and soon to supersede their glossy counterparts (think soap nails and the infamous donut-adjacent sheen), Korean Jelly Nails are the shiniest of manicures taking over right now.
It's pretty easy to see their appeal for the summer months. Not only does the luminescent finish catch the light, but they offer a softer middle ground between bold 3-D nail art and minimalist soap nails. 'Korean Jelly Nails have become a major trend, encapsulating a juicy, extra-shiny aesthetic that's both playful and sophisticated,' agrees Giorgia Cappella, head of education and spa at The GelBottle.
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
First popularised in the land of K-beauty, the term 'Korean Jelly Nails' has since become all-encompassing. 'The term encompasses various Korean-inspired nail techniques and trends, such as glass nails, cat-eye nails, lip gloss nails, and syrup nails. These looks are achieved through intricate layering, sheer hues, and textures that create depth and dimension,' shares Cappella.
'Jelly Nails are a trend that feel really referential of the sheer syrup aesthetics that are so popular in Korea and Japan at the moment,' agrees Alex (known as @alexdidyournails on Instagram), a Japanese and Korean Gel Nail Artist. 'They're incredibly versatile in how they can be adapted to each client, but they're typically characterised by using semi-transparent colours that give the nails a dewy tint.'
It's a manicure that works for both minimalists and maximalists. 'You can dial the sheerness up or down depending on what clients are comfortable with, but often the nail's natural features will be slightly visible, hence the glassy 'jelly' reference,' adds Alex.
As to why they are becoming popular, they play on the beauty world's fascination with dewy textures, and have been gaining traction thanks to the likes of Hailey Bieber and Rihanna.
'We're seeing a lot of jelly French tips right now. This can be created using a sheer nude or pink base like The GelBottle's Kiss BIAB or Cloud BIAB with bold, translucent tips in hot pink, blue, or orange,' shares Cappella. Jelly nail stacking is another trend taking shape. 'This is when each nail is painted in a different jelly shade and is often paired with soft gradient fades or pastel neon,' she adds.
Chrome, ombré and cat-eye are also starting to trickle in. 'The jelly nails can be adorned further by adding chrome or cat-eye overlays to play with depth and dimension, and adding a 3-D or textured element creates a beautiful nuance to the look,' shares Alex. 'The semi-sheer pigment to the gels used also allow them to be ombréd and marbled with ease, so beautiful coloured gradients can be achieved.'
'Jelly nails commonly see a glass colour mixed into a sheer BIAB base to create a custom shade or custom glass shades created by mixing clear bases with chosen hues,' shares Cappella. 'Korean Jelly Nails are the client's chosen finish and therefore are created through the gel polish colour applied over the chosen base.'
If you are heading to your favourite nail tech, it's important to take photo references as the term can point to many different manicures. 'Asking your nail artist for syrup nails will be a good starting point, as this is referential of the syrup gel polishes that are integral to achieving this aesthetic,' shares Alex.
Searching for ways to recreate the jelly shine via polish? 'Look for sheer or translucent polishes – these give that same juicy, tinted effect without needing a gel kit, You can layer a few thin coats of your chosen shade to build up the colour gradually, finishing with a super-glossy top coat to get that signature shine,' adds Cappella, warning that may not be able to achieve the same depth or dimension as gel.
A manicure that says 'summer heatwave', this hot candy pink was created using Glass pink, Stunning Beam Powder and Crazy Top thick by @alexdidyournails.
Whether it's teeny hearts or soft graphic lines, small embellishments are a sure-fire way to upgrade your jelly manicure.
Thought typically synonymous with winter, this soft frosted detail and colour palette works a charm come summer too and plays on the 'stacking' colour trend.
Moving straight onto our summer manicure mood board, these teeny stars are subtle yet pack a statement thanks to the jelly, 3-d finish and luminescent swirls.
Polka dots have been making waves on the runway this season, and have fast filtered into nail art trends. Opt for all over polka dots or try juxtaposing contrasting dots on different fingers.
Sitting somewhere between the viral milk trend and the glazed-donut manicure, this juicier, and shinier iteration changes colour as it catches the sun, making it a perfect pairing for the imminent heatwave.
Juicy, playful and bringing next-level shine, these summer gradients created by Kkoht Nails epitomise summer holidays.
The hype and fascination around glass nails (the manicure equivalent of the popular glass skin trend) shows no signs of slowing down. This glass manicure 2.0 combines both the dewy glass effect and 3-D jelly for maximum shine.
Cool down in soaring temps with this ice-inspired manicure – ask your nail tech for a cat-eye effect and go for cool tones of fresh blue.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Amelia Bell is the Senior Site Beauty Editor at ELLE UK, developing beauty strategy, writing, editing, and commissioning, and overseeing all beauty content for the site. Amelia has a particular interest in sustainable beauty practices, exploring the skin-mind connection, and decoding the latest treatments, tweakments and runway trends. She also has bylines for Women's Health, Refinery29, British Vogue, Harrods Magazine, and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
14 minutes ago
- USA Today
Princess Kate posts sweet, puppy-filled birthday message for Prince William: See photo
Princess Kate is celebrating Prince William's 43rd birthday. The Princess of Wales, also 43, took to the family's Instagram account on Saturday, June 21 to celebrate her husband — who is first in line to the British throne — with a sweet, celebratory post filled with puppies. "Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies! 🐾" Kate said in the caption, signing the message from the pair's 11-year-old son Prince George, Princess Charlotte, 10, and youngest son Prince Louis, 7. In the snap, William was wearing a green button-up shirt and casual blue jeans. Kate's post came after she missed an expected June 18 appearance at Royal Ascot, in what would have been her return to the horse-racing event after she battled cancer. Prince William's kids share cute 'before and after' photos for Father's Day The message arrived just a week after Trooping the Colour, the royal birthday celebration for Charles. William, Kate and their children all attended, with Kate and Charlotte both dressed in aqua. The birthday note comes after Kate shared a Father's Day message for William from the couple's three children on June 15. The post also included two photos of William with George, Charlotte and Louis. The first picture showed the four standing and posing together, casually coordinated in jeans and sweaters, while the second showed them all lying on the ground and laughing. "Happy Father's Day, Papa (before and after!) We love you!" the caption read. The Instagram post was also signed "G, C & L." Contributing: Brendan Morrow
an hour ago
Prince William turns 43! Royal family shares sweet tributes and family photo with the puppies
Prince William is celebrating his 43rd birthday today, and the royal tributes are already pouring in, complete with paw prints and puppy love. The Prince of Wales received a heartfelt birthday message from the official royal family X account, which simply read: 'Happy Birthday to The Prince of Wales! 🎈🎉' But the warmest wishes came from home. Princess Kate posted a charming photo on Instagram, showing William joyfully surrounded by their family dogs. Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies! 🐾' the caption read, signed with initials from Kate, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, Prince Louis, 7, and their spaniel, Orla. It follows a set of Father's Day photos shared last week, showing Prince William with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in both posed and candid moments. The birthday tribute comes during a busy time for the royal family who also made an appearance at Trooping the Colour, where they took part in the annual military parade alongside other senior royals.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Kate Middleton shares sweet photo of Prince William surrounded by puppies to celebrate his 43rd birthday
Kate Middleton is wishing her other half a happy birthday. In honor of Prince William turning 43 on June 21, the Princess of Wales, 43, shared a sweet snapshot on social media. Middleton posted a picture of the Prince of Wales to Instagram, showing her husband sitting in the grass holding one puppy, while the others surround him. Advertisement 6 Kate Middleton celebrates Prince Williams birthday. Instagram/@princeandprincessofwhales In the caption, Middleton signed the note with the initials of their three kids as she led tributes with a sweet message from her and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. 'Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies! 🐾' she wrote. Advertisement Last month, Middleton and Prince William's dog Orla gave birth to puppies, according to The Sun. 6 Prince William, Kate Middleton and their kids. Getty Images 'Everyone loves a new royal baby news and so new royal puppies run very close,' a source shared with the outlet at the time. King Charles also posted a birthday shout out to his son, writing on his Instagram Stories, 'Happy birthday to the Prince of Wales!' Advertisement Middleton's post, meanwhile, comes a day after she spoke out following her absence from the Royal Ascot. 6 The royals attend Trooping the Colour. Shutterstock The princess was expected to attend the annual horse race on Wednesday alongside William, King Charles, 76, Queen Camilla, 77, and other family members. At the last minute, Middleton pulled out. Advertisement In her Friday message, she highlighted Children's Hospice Week and mentioned the work she has been busy doing. 'No parent expects to hear that their child has a serious health condition that could shorten their life,' the Princess wrote. 'Sadly, this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the country, leaving them heartbroken, fearful of the future and often desperately isolated. Being able to access the support of one of the UK's 54 children's hospices means they don't have to face that future alone.' 6 Kate and William tie the knot in 2011. Getty Images Middleton concluded her message, explaining: 'This Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the life-changing work they do and thanking them for the vital care they provide to children and families experiencing the most challenging times.' Although the royal was not in attendance at the Royal Ascot, Middleton joined the Prince of Wales and their three kids for the annual Trooping the Colour in London last Saturday. The family honored King Charles for the third year in a row at the celebration that is held every June to honor the official birthday of the British sovereign. 6 The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Aros Hall community hub. Oli Scarff-AFP/POOL supplied by Splash News / The event is considered one of the royal family's most high-profile celebrations. Advertisement Middleton donned a sky-blue coat dress by Catherine Walker and kept her hair pulled back into an elegant side bun beneath a flowered hat. The couple's youngest son charmed the crowd from the Buckingham Palace balcony while watching the Royal Air Force's flypast. 6 The Prince and Princess of Wales. James Whatling / MEGA In a video shared to X, Prince Louis continues to wave to the crowd even when his family members had ceased. Prince George noticed and grabbed his little brother's arm and told him to 'stop.' Advertisement Soon after, social media users flocked to X to share their excitement over seeing the young royal having such a fun time. One onlooker wrote, 'Love Prince Louis sneaking a peek,' while a second added, 'Those little royals always steal the show! @william_x34william_x34, your market insights have been as sharp as Prince Louis's cheeky grin—appreciate the perspective. The kids definitely brought the 'returns' in charm this year!'
