Selena Gomez's Neon Jelly Nails Are an Instant Serotonin Boost

Selena Gomez has been busy. She kicked off awards season with a bang thanks to her Golden Globes nomination for Only Murders in the Building, which she produces and stars in, and is currently filming season three. She launched some incredible beauty products, and she recently became a member of Spotify’s Billions Club, hitting over a billion loops on her single, “Lose You to Love Me." Somewhere in the midst of all this, she had time to become the woman with the most Instagram followers ever, and discovered the perfect spring mani.

On March 23, Gomez’s manicurist, Tom Bachick, posted a throwback photo of Gomez’s neon jelly manicure. The photo looks like it’s set on a dreamy vacation, and Gomez’s nails are the perfect accent for any tropical paradise (or, you know, a gray day at the office). The manicure has a manageable medium length and a round edge, with a simple neon orange jelly nail polish. Bachik captioned the photo, “manifesting better weather with this neon,” and we can’t agree enough: this is the perfect mani for the upcoming warm weather, especially for those who have always wanted to try the ever-divisive neon nail trend.

"[Jelly nails are] often seen on celebrities and [are] a great way to make your nails look unique and stylish," Jin Soon Choi, editorial manicurist and founder of JINsoon Spas and Nail Lacquers, previously told Byrdie. "They are trending right now because they can be completely customized in many different ways with all different designs.” The beauty of a jelly manicure is that you can wear those bold colors you were always a little scared of—looking at you, neons—since the color is diluted thanks to the transparent finish.

A jelly manicure can work with any color all year round, so as we patiently wait for the warm weather, you can opt for a moodier grey or red jelly manicure to keep your nails on trend—if you're feeling edgy, we're fans of a black "pantyhose" manicure. As soon as the temps rise, however, you can follow in Gomez’s footsteps and opt for a bright neon color that’ll add some zest to your looks while being subtle enough for every day.

Don’t let their pro-level look fool you: jelly manicures are actually extremely simple to do yourself. The trick isn’t in the technique, per se, but in the product selection: you’ll want to opt for a sheer nail polish—like Butter London Jelly Preserve Nail Strengthening Treatment ($12), Jin Soon Nail Polish ($18) in Pixie, or Orly Breathable Treatment ($11) in Sweet Serenity—that you can apply as you would any other nail polish, and then finish off your mani with a high-shine top coat. If, however, you have an opaque nail polish in your stash that you think would make a great jelly color, you can always dilute it by mixing in a few drops of clear top coat before applying it to your nails.