Jelly Roll

By Melanie Parker

There is a new trend in nail polish that is being called a "jelly" finish. It's when a bright, saturated color applies like a sheer. There is a unique beauty in the jelly finish. The depth and translucency that reminds me of the vintage Lucite jewelry.

One of the first polishes that had this effect is Essie's Jelly Apple, which is red. Misa Cherry Topping is another popular red jelly finished polish. For a deeper red, China Glaze Drastic yields a vampy blood red jelly finish.There are many different red hues available, some are reminiscent of a pair of dice, the handle of a silver tea service or vintage purse, a bangle bracelet, or maybe even the heel of a shoe.

To view pictures of jelly finish polishes on the nail, go to Nailgal.com and type "jelly" in the search. This Web site is a great source for accurate pictures that nail polish collectors from Makeupalley.com use as a repository.

With a jelly polish, you can easily layer three coats of color on the nail and it will still be sheer. The added coats even out the streakiness, but you will still have that translucent quality that is reminiscent of a bowl of Jell-O. To make your own jelly finish in unique shades, you can mix 25% opaque creme polish (no shimmers, glitters, or frosts--just a creme based polish) and 75% clear coat. For inspiration, go to the Ruby Lane Web site and type in "translucent bracelet" and you will see plenty of Jell-O colored bangles and cuffs.

Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer, Melanie Parker.