Jelly polish is a sheer nail polish that contains a low load of pigment in a clear base, so the colour stays translucent and builds up with each coat, like tinted glass.
Also known as: jelly nail polish, sheer polish, crelly, squishy polish
Jelly polish is named for the way it looks on the nail: translucent, glossy and slightly squishy, like fruit jelly. The clear base contains only a little pigment. One coat gives a wash of colour. Two or three coats deepen it while the nail stays visible underneath. The tip of the nail and the smile line often show through, which is part of the look.
Jellies are the base of several sheer trends. Glass nails use a jelly under a high-gloss top coat so the colour seems to lie under a sheet of glass. Milky nails use a white jelly. Milk bath nails, a forecast for 2026, use a soft jelly with small flowers or foil pressed into it (Who What Wear). Jellies also make the clearest glitter sandwiches, where glitter is placed between two jelly coats.
A crelly is a hybrid between a crème and a jelly. It has more pigment than a jelly and covers in two coats, but keeps some depth and softness. Cirque Colors sells jelly and crelly as separate categories (Cirque Colors).
Jelly polish flatters short nails and uneven nail plates because the sheer colour softens the surface. Stains and yellowing on the plate show through a jelly more than through an opaque crème, so a base coat goes on first. Thin coats dry faster and level better than one thick coat.