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Smoky Nails Are The Edgiest (& Easiest) Way To Rival The Look Of Gels

Jamie Schneider
Author:
February 22, 2024
Jamie Schneider
Former Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
By Jamie Schneider
Former Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jamie Schneider is the former Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
painting nails
Image by Karolina Grabowska / unsplash
February 22, 2024
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Jelly nails, lip gloss nails, glazed donut nails—whatever you decide to call them, these sheer, slick tips aren't going anywhere. The look entails a thin, glossy film of color that looks just like jelly, and while you can use any pigment you please, it tends to work best with rich jewel tones. A washed-out peach, coral, or even cobalt blue looks equal parts elevated and neutral, perfect for those craving some subtle color. 

But editorial manicurist Jin Soon Choi, founder of JINSoon, is headed in a different direction. Nothing against those bright pops of translucent pigment, but she tells me a jelly finish works even better with a moodier hue. Think not of a lip gloss frosting your nails but a dewy haze lingering over your nail plate—almost like smoke. 

What are smoky nails?  

To me, smoky nails are the jelly version of a darker, moodier polish (namely gray but charcoal or brown work too). The sheer, glossy finish makes the nails appear even shinier, and the finished product rivals the look of gels, Choi tells me, which is a difficult feat for regular polish alone. 

It also makes the polish experience way more forgiving for the at-home manicurist, as darker hues tend to betray even the tiniest errant strokes—but sheering them out helps those mistakes fly under the radar. 

"A jelly finish is really popular in the spring and summer," Choi says, when brighter hues and pastels have their moment in the sun (pun intended). But there's something even edgier about a sheer, understated wine, gray, or espresso. 

She tells me this backstage at the Helmut Lang Fall/Winter 2024 show during New York Fashion Week, in which models' nails are coated with JINSoon's Serenity, a new sheer smoke shade launching in the fall. So we're hopscotching a bit into the future here, but I find myself craving a smoky nail long after our chat. 

After all, a classic smoky eye never falls out of favor. Why should its nail equivalent? 

How to master the look 

We may have to wait for Choi's smoky polish to hit the market, but you can certainly DIY the process for the perfect set of sheer jellies. 

Simply grab your shade du jour (some favorite gray hues below!) and mix it with a glossy clear polish or top coat. If using the latter, make sure you choose one that has a high gloss finish, not matte or satin. You want the final look to appear understated yet shiny—that's how you achieve the jellylike finish. 

In a separate dish, mix the pigment and clear coat together until well combined, then apply a very thin layer to your nails. If the color looks too sheer, simply add more pigment to the dish. Not translucent enough? Add more top coat. You're the alchemist! 

Paint all your nails, then wait until the first layer is completely dry before applying a second coat. (This is how you keep the final product from looking too opaque.) Finish with a final layer of glossy top coat to lock in the shine, and you're set. 

Shop these products:

J.Hannah Pewter Nail Polish

$ 22
J.Hannah Pewter Nail Polish

JINSoon HyperGloss

$ 22
JINSoon HyperGloss

Olive & June 100% Chance

$ 9
Olive & June 100% Chance

gitti no. 129

$ 20
gitti no. 129

The takeaway 

Smoky nails may sound intricate, but all it entails is sheering out a gray polish with a clear coat until you achieve a hazy finish. Much more low-lift than a bold cut crease, I'd say! Darker, moodier hues are much harder to master during an at-home manicure (I'm speaking from experience—and lots of messy cuticles—here), but with a jelly glaze, you'll look like you stepped straight out of the salon. 

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