12 Jelly Nail Designs To Inspire Your Next Manicure

If you’re ready to swap out your traditional mani for a semi-sheer jelly manicure, keep scrolling—below, we’re sharing 12 of our favorite ways to rock the jelly nail trend.

Classic jelly nails

A classic jelly manicure is both playful and understated, making this look a great pick for those who don’t want to spend too much time on their at-home manicure. You can use any jelly nail polish you want to achieve this understated look, but we love the peachy-orange hue used here—it’s not quite nude, but not neon, either.

Jelly French nails

For an unexpected twist on the traditional French manicure, paint your nails with a semi-sheer pink jelly nail polish, then use an opaque polish to create French tips. You can do your tips with white nail polish for a classic look or try a vivid hue—such as neon pink or electric green—for a brighter, more playful vibe.

Rainbow pastel jelly nails

This colorful look takes inspiration from one of the best jelly snacks around: jellybeans. And, it’s super simple to achieve: Rather than painting each nail the same color, you’ll paint each a different hue. We recommend using at least three different jelly nail polishes for this candy-colored look, though you can certainly add more if desired.

Striped jelly nails

Striped nail polish looks tedious, but it’s actually fairly simple to achieve with the right technique. Start by coating your nails with one to two coats of your favorite jelly nail polish. Once your nails are completely (and we mean completely) dry, use tweezers to overlay each nail with a few evenly spaced pieces of nail tape—the thinner, the better. Be sure to leave some overhang on each side of the nail so you can remove the tape when you’re finished. Then, use an opaque polish to paint over the tape to create your stripes. Carefully remove the tape and wait for your nails to dry before adding a clear top coat to seal in your striped look.

Ombré jelly nails

Jelly nail polish lends itself especially well to the ombré nail trend, as the semi-sheer polish can be more sheer or opaque depending on how many coats you apply. To achieve this tonal purple jelly nail look, apply one coat of lavender jelly nail polish to your pointer finger, two to your middle finger, three to your ring finger, and four to your pinky nail (leave your thumbnail bare save for a layer or two of clear polish). The gradient effect is subtle yet eye-catching—and looks like a lot more work to achieve than it actually is.

Half-moon jelly manicure

A half-moon manicure is similar in some ways to a French tip, only instead of the accent being at the top of the nails, it’s along the bottom. Start by painting your nails with the jelly polish of your choice—two coats should be good. Once dry, use an opaque nail polish to draw small semi-circles (or half-moon shapes) at the base of each nail for a pop of color.

Spotted jelly nails

We love polka dots—the retro pattern is truly timeless. To get a polka dot jelly nail look, start by coating your nails with two coats of jelly nail polish (any color—or colors—you want works). Once those first two coats dry, use a dotting tool and an opaque nail polish to add small polka dots to each nail. The combination of semi-sheer and opaque makes this jelly nail design look almost three-dimensional.

Tortoiseshell jelly nails

Jelly nails don’t have to be candy-colored to make a statement—in fact, the semi-sheer polish lends itself exceptionally well to a classic tortoiseshell look. Just dot light brown and black jelly nail polish onto each nail, lightly swirl the dots together with a nail tool or toothpick, and let dry. You should be left with a tortoiseshell-like design with very little effort required.

Oceanic jelly nails

If you’re willing to invest a bit more time into your at-home manicure, try this cool, beachy nail design. To create the underwater effect, you’ll need three polishes: a green jelly nail polish, a blue jelly nail polish, and an opaque white or silver nail polish. Start by brushing the green polish onto the bottom half of your nail, then swipe the blue polish onto the top half (before the green has a chance to dry). Use your nail polish brush to lightly blend the boundary between the two colors together for a subtle gradient effect. Once dry, add another coat, following the same process, then draw ultra-thin lines along the length of each nail with your white or silver polish. Top it all off with a high-shine clear top coat for an under-the-sea vibe perfect for days spent beachside (or poolside).

Black jelly nails

Combine two ‘90s trends into one with semi-sheer, ultra-glossy black jelly nails. The translucency of jelly nail polish makes for an unexpected (and surprisingly grungy) take on the black nails trend—we suggest applying two to three coats for a pigmented yet still distinctly see-through finish.

Sparkly jelly nails

As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing that can’t be made cooler with the addition of a little (or a lot of) glitter. Paint your nails with any jelly nail polish of your choosing, then swipe on a translucent glitter polish to add sparkle and dimension. Once you’re sufficiently glittery, let everything dry, then add a high-shine top coat to ensure your glittery jelly manicure goes the distance.

Floral jelly nails

Flower nail art designs look like a lot of work, but creating a simple flower—like a daisy—is deceptively simple. Start by applying one coat of green jelly nail polish, then let your nails dry fully. Next, use a dotting tool to place one opaque yellow dot in the center of each nail. Clean off the tool, then surround the yellow dot with equally spaced white dots to create a simple flower design. Feel free to use any colors that speak to you—at the end of the day, half of the fun of nail art is letting your creativity shine.