According to Elle, to make jelly nails (or any type of manicure) look good and last longer, the prep steps beforehand must be meticulous.
Step 1: To start, Elle suggests scrubbing your hands and nails with an antibacterial soap to remove any surface dirt and oils and drying them.
Step 2: Next, wipe some isopropyl alcohol (75 percent and up) across each nail to cleanse them. “This will act like an astringent and bring your nail to the proper pH level, while eliminating any dust and debris from the surface,” she explains.
Step 3: Apply a rubbery base coat like Orly Bonder to give the polish something to grip onto, so it’s less likely to chip.
Step 4: Now, it’s time for polish. “You want to find a good polish with a jelly formula, which means that it’s semi-transparent and glossy,” advises Lee. “You can use any color you like, but I love a red jelly so my current go-to is Sally Hansen x Ring Pop Insta-Dri in Very Cherry. Apply no more than 2 to 3 coats to achieve the jelly look. You don’t want it to be too sheer or too opaque,” she says.
Step 5: Always finish the look with a glossy top coat. (Elle likes Mineral Fusion’s Top Coat.)
