A pop of red is undoubtedly the most-adopted fashion trend of the season - and one that has trickled down to nail trends, too. A short red manicure is among the most popular nail looks of 2024 (alongside cold chrome and oud nails), so when I saw that one of my go-to beauty brands, Jones Road, had released a nail polish kit which features a bright red as its hero shade, my interest was piqued.
As someone who adores painting their own nails, of course I jumped at the chance to try the kit for myself, and I have some thoughts.
What does the kit include?
- Poppy - the perfect statement red
- Ballerina - a sheer pink
- Top and base coat - a clear polish
- The nail file
My review of Jones Road The Nail Polish Kit
On first sight, the shades included in the kit look incredibly timeless—the sort of colours I could see myself reaching for time and time again. But how did they perform upon application?
Poppy
This bright-red shade is the hero of the kit (and my personal favourite). The colour was based on Jones Road founder, Bobbi Brown’s signature short red nails, which was originally inspired by an encounter with supermodel Yasmin Le Bon’s achingly cool ‘90s style—complete with short, fiery red nails. The bright, poppy red suits virtually any skin tone and is making me dream of summer days ahead.
In terms of the application and result, I was impressed. This is my favourite kind of nail polish formula—quite thin but very pigmented. I only really needed one coat, but I painted two for maximum longevity. It was easy to get a precise and even application thanks to the nicely-shaped brush and opaque formula.
Ballerina
With balletcore make-up still reigning supreme, of course a pale pink polish was in order to complete the set.
A word of warning though: I found Ballerina to be quite a tricky formula to layer. I consider myself a pretty decent DIY manicurist, but I struggled with getting the second layer to look smooth. Sheer nail polishes can look patchy quite easily and are notoriously difficult to work with, so I’d suggest only painting one coat for a subtle wash of pink.
Top and base coat
The clear top and base coat really smoothed out the finish of both nail polish shades, adding a professional-looking touch and improving the longevity of my manicure.
The nail file also made a great addition to the kit, helping me achieve my perfect shape—the smaller size perfect to pop into my handbag.
My overall verdict? I’m a fan of this nail kit. Bar being a little overzealous with the Ballerina shade which resulted in a patchy initial application, the finish looked professional, the results long-lasting, and I can see the shades suiting a range of different skin tones too.
The classic block-colour manicure and nail art options are endless (hello ground-breaking floral designs for spring), and I can see myself getting loads of use out of every element included in the kit.
