Half Moon Manicure Tutorial

We can't get over how much we love the half moon manicure. This relatively simple design adds a ultra-chic statement to your look. Keep reading for the easy how-to!

What You'll Need:

• Favorite Base Coat
• Favorite Top Coat
• Sinful Colors Professional Nail Color in Black On Black 2
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Your Royal Shine-ness

STEP 1 Base Coat

In broad, even strokes, apply a thin layer of your favorite base coat.

STEP 2 Polish Half The Nail

We used the lighter platinum silver (OPI Your Royal Shine-ness) on the base of nails to make the black crescent shape pop. Apply two coats of polish to the bottom half of your nails (since the other polish shade will cover the upper half of the nail). Make sure your nails are completely dry before you move to the next step.

STEP 3 Paint The Crescent Shape

Using a thin brush from the arts and crafts store (we're using a Princeton Art and Brush Co. Round 3050R size 0 brush), paint a line with your black polish that mimics the shape of your natural lunula (the white area at the base of the fingernail) or the shape of your nail bed (read our Nail Shape Guide to choose the best finger filing style for you!). Our model's nails are filed oval, so we mimicked her shape in the line guide. After painting the initial line, paint the rest of the nail with your polish. For a more even and opaque coverage, apply the second coat using the standard nail polish brush instead.

STEP 4 Top Coat

Since you don't want your nail colors to bleed into one another, allow 15 to 20 minutes of drying time before you apply top coat. Don't skip this step—you'll want to seal your trendy crescent tips with a glossy lacquer to ensure staying power. In less than an hour, you've created a hot runway nail trend that you can color customize!

Beautylish Tip: If you have issues drawing an even line, use a French manicure nail guide as a stencil for that perfect crescent shape.