Friday, April 17, 2015

Half Moon with a French Tip Nail Art


     Today I'd like to share with you a simple nail art look that anyone can recreate no matter what your skill level is. Honestly the hardest part of this manicure is waiting for each layer to completely dry before moving on to the next step.  I don't know if this look has an official name but I like to call it a half moon with french tips. 


     There are 3 steps to creating this look. Each step can be done free hand or by using guides like I did.

     Step 1: Paint your base color. I started off with a coat of China Glaze Heaven to give the illusion of a bare nail but also have even coloring in the half moons.

     Step 2: Create your half moon.  I placed hole reinforcements over the lower portion of my nails and added a 2 coats of Zoya Aubrey. 

     Step 3: Add the French Tip. Like I mentioned above I used tip guides to ensure a nice, even, crisp line. For my gilded tips I chose Orly Luxe


     Top everything off with a good top coat and you're good to go. Nice and simple right! There are a few tricks to getting everything just right though. This manicure took me twice as long as it usually does, simply because of dry time. I've ruined too many manicure by jumping the gun when it comes to applying tape or decals. The last thing you need is to be pulling up your base color when removing these items so just be patient. 

     Another tip is to apply the tape, decal, or guide to the back of your hand first to remove some of the stickiness and lessen the chance of smudges, smears, wrinkles, or complete removal of the polish beneath. All of which I have experienced and let me tell you it is a frustrating experience. I think it's even worse than bumping your nails while they are still wet and causing a little dent simply because that's typically an accident and rushing through a step is completely controllable. 

     So what are your thoughts on this look, is it one you would wear? What colors would you choose? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

12 comments:

  1. I like the layered look of this! This would be a great way to do a lined gradient using all colors in the same family too :)

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  2. I would definitely wear this, especially on like a date. Looks very classy.

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  3. I love the colors you put together - I'd wear it like that! And yes, using tape on your nails.. it's such a nerve wrecking thing! "Can I put down the tape? Yes? No? What if it isn't dry enough? What if I'm waiting for nothing because it is dry enough already?"

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  4. Cosmetic SanctuaryApril 19, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    I love this combo together!

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  5. Thank you. I thought it had a sort of sophisticated feel to it.

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  6. This comment wins! The struggle is real and anyone who has never tried a tape manicure before will never understand.

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  7. Thank you. I wanted to go with something that had a classy feel to it.

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