Glass nails

Glass nails are a nail look that uses sheer, glossy jelly polish and a high-shine top coat, so the colour appears to lie beneath a sheet of glass and the nail looks wet and clear.

Also known as: glass nail polish, glass manicure, glassy nails, jelly glass nails

Glass nails describe a manicure so glossy and clear that the colour appears to lie beneath a sheet of glass. Manicurist Miss Pop named the look for 2025 and linked it to the glass skin trend moving from the face to the fingertips¹. It followed the glazed donut manicure, replacing the pearl chrome with pure gloss.

The look is built from two parts. The first is a jelly or sheer polish, in clear, pale pink, nude or a soft tint, applied in two or three thin coats so the natural nail stays visible. The second is a thick, high-shine top coat that levels the surface and gives the wet look. In gel, a builder gel and a glossy no-wipe top coat give the same effect with more depth.

Glass nails work on short and long nails and on every skin tone, because the sheer colour shows the nail itself. Prep decides the result. Ridges and unevenness show through the clear film, so a light buff and a ridge-filling base give the smoothest surface. Cuticle oil after the manicure adds to the wet look.

Jewel tones with an ultra-glossy finish were named for autumn 2026², which is the glass effect in deeper colours. A jelly lacquer under a glossy top coat gives a lamp-free version.

Written and fact-checked by the India Anaïs editorial team. Every number and rule is linked to its source. How the guides are made.