I Stand By It—This Jelly Nail Polish Delivers the Chicest Minimal Summer Manicure

From jelly shoes to retro desserts, it was only a matter of time before jelly nails dominated our manicures once again.

A collage of jelly nail looks from @matejanova
(Image credit: @matejanova)

Everywhere I look right now, it seems like jelly is having a major comeback in the cultural zeitgeist. From the retro jelly desserts wobbling on my feeds and IRL at industry events, to Google searches for jelly sandals up 1,000% in the past few months (even Pinterest made the call in its 2026 trend report), it was only a matter of time before jelly nails made their summer beauty comeback as a defining nail trend in 2026.

Whilst jelly nails aren't a new nail trend, it's impossible to ignore their significance right now. The barely-there, sheer nails trend walked so that jelly nails could run in 2026. And honestly, I'm so here for this summer nail trend. Their translucency makes them such a fun way to wear bright nail colours, and they're easily layered for a soft pop of colour or for more juicy opacity. Right on cue, with Google searches for jelly nail polish up over 5,000% this month, Manucurist just launched its Jelly range. And I just know that jelly nails are here to stay for summer. Scroll on for all the inspo you need for your summer mani.

Manucurist Jelly Nail Polish

1. Pink Sorbet

@matejanova manucurist pink sorbet jelly nail polish

(Image credit: @matejanova)

2. Sugar Plum

@matejanova manucurist sugar plum nail polish

(Image credit: @matejanova)

3. Pomme d'Amour

@matejanova manucurist pomme d'amour jelly nail polish

(Image credit: @matejanova)

4. Glacé Jelly

5. Twizzle Jelly

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Eleanor Vousden
Beauty Editor, Who What Wear UK

Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections.

With a degree in fashion journalism from the London College of Fashion, she has 10 years of industry experience and has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.

Eleanor’s journalistic focus is providing readers with honest and helpful beauty content. She has interviewed celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson.