nailed it: half-moon manicure

This manicure is perfect for those who like the colored tips manicure but want to flip that script. Here, the moon shape of your nail bed is colored. I love a Midas touch, so gold half-moons over a neutral color was my ideal pairing.

Step 1: Paint your nails with two coats of any shade and one layer of top coat. I chose Essie’s Ballet Slippers for my base shade. Wait at least an hour for those coats to dry.

Step 2: Cut three-ring reinforcement labels in half and put one half on the bed of your nails and stick them to your nail really well. Be sure that the stickers are a half-moon shape and not more than half the circle. The nails won’t look right if the shape is greater than half  of a circle.

Step 3: Paint two coats of your half-moon polish (I used Essie's Shifting Power) from the base of your nail to the reinforcement label. A caveat: use a good nail polish here and one without glitter if possible. Older, thickened polish won’t work and neither will a sticky, glittery nail polish.

Step 4: After the half-moon color has dried for at least 30 minutes, carefully lift off the reinforcement labels. If some of the polish comes up with the labels you need to wait longer for the polish to dry. Once the labels are off, you can swipe some glitter on the half-moon if you're inclined.

Step 5: Apply a top coat and admire your work!

One other way to do this half-moon look is by drawing the half-moons with a metallic Sharpie. Either way, this is a look you're sure to get compliments on!