Vintage Manicures

[Honey Doll]

half-moon manicure

Has anyone successfully pulled this look off? Do you put anything on your cuticles as a guide?

Any assistance with this one would be appreciated.... I am seriously nail challenged!

Honey Doll

 

[KittyT]

I'm pretty sure this topic is covered in further up in this thread.

You can use French manicure guides to leave a half moon. There are other suggestions in here as well.

 

[~*Red*~]

I do this on myself a lot and have even had the manicurists at the shop do it for me, which ended up being a show the entire shop what I did along with the "oooh's and aahhh's"..it was quite funny!

But when I do it on myself, I use a rounded but flat sable like brush that you find at any Sally's and a little pot of nail polish remover and remove an polish past my "line" I've done it for regular french manicures as well. It takes some getting used to, but I just copied what the manicurist at the shop did. You can pick up all kinds of tips from them! Also they have those French Manicure tapes, but I find they don't curve on the moon so well.. not enough curvature.

 

[Honey Doll]

Thanks ladies

Red... So do you paint the whole nail and work off the polish from the cuticle? How do you keep it from bleeding off to the rest of the nail?

Honey Doll

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Housekeeping note:

Merged into the main Vintage manicure thread the half moon question, since the answers are in this thread.

 

[~*Red*~]

Thanks Miss Neecerie!

Honey Doll, I have good size half moon's so I paint from the half moon up. Then I use my "clean up brush" to sweep the half moon edge and make a clean line. It takes some practice, and my left hand always looks better than my right since I am right handed. Same goes for when I paint my moons and tips white. You paint the part that needs the paint and clean the edges. And I have to admit, it's easier to do on someone else..I practice on my daughter!
HTH!

 

[klara]

Anyone here tried OPI's Malaga Wine? Thoughts? I've been wearing I'm Not Really A Waitress and while I love it, I must admit I'm getting a little bored with it. I look at other reds when I go to the nail salon, but after awhile, they all start to look the same!

I do have a list of red shades mentioned in this thread that I'll check out, but I saw a gal wearing Malaga Wine one of the last times I went and it did look nice!

Hi KittyT. I have Malaga Wine and I love it. It's really easy to apply and the colour is a perfect cool toned red . I highly recommend it.

 

[~*Red*~]

I had to let you all know a great pseudo-invention I came up with. I find the manicure guides are too wide, the half moon always came out as a straight line, but half a stationary ring reinforcer does the job perfectly!

I tried these today, and they work perfectly!!!!!!! Thanks for the tip!!

 

[SarahLouise]

For any UK ladies that are interested, Debenhams sell OPI nail polish.

 

[Inara]

What are your favorites shades?

I'm exceptionally fond of silver, and I blame Raymond Chandler entirely, specifically 'The Big Sleep'. I first read it when I was about 12, and the description of Agnes' silvered nails really stuck with me. As for brand, I lean towards Aziza, but that's just because they usually have it at the $1 store.

 

[NicolettaRose]

Hi KittyT. I have Malaga Wine and I love it. It's really easy to apply and the colour is a perfect cool toned red . I highly recommend it.

I use Malaga wine as well occasionally. Its a great color. I love those deep reds.

 

[NoirDame]

Here's Mine

Getting ready to go see the Dan Zola Big Band Orchestra tonight and just finished this.

 

[shebagrl]

Love love love your mani!

Oh your manicures are just to-die-for decodoll & Noir Dame! I can't wait to try it!

As soon as I am able, I am going on a hunt for that OPI shade of red and those nail guide stickers. I've used them before for french manicures and that came out pretty well. Isn't having the right tools in your beauty arsenal just the greatest thing?

 

[epr25]

Now does anyone know a top coat that doesn't dissolve your coloured polish? I always end up with red smeared over my moon, and have taken to only putting top coat on the top half of my nail!

I was briefly a nail tech and I loved using Poshe` it dried really well didn't smear and stayed shiney forever.


I have also tried and swear by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails products. Out of all the lines I like these the best. They have a new Hard as Wraps that is working wonderfully for me too. On my own personal opionion. I firmly believe that Gold Bond Ultimate Healing hand lotion greatly aids your finger nails. I have no idea why but if I use it my nails grow and don't break. If I stop they are gonners! Anyone else use this hand lotion?

 

[ClaraB]

I am not the most adept at painting my nails so the vintage manicure may be far too advanced for me. Is it possible that my nail beds are too small to support the half moon shape? I don't have natural half moons but as discussed previously in this thread that shouldn't matter. This is quite aggravating, I quite like this look but after several tries I just cannot get it to work, perhaps I'll just stick to painting my whole nail.

 

[NoirDame]

I am not the most adept at painting my nails so the vintage manicure may be far too advanced for me. Is it possible that my nail beds are too small to support the half moon shape? I don't have natural half moons but as discussed previously in this thread that shouldn't matter. This is quite aggravating, I quite like this look but after several tries I just cannot get it to work, perhaps I'll just stick to painting my whole nail.

I used fake nails on mine today...which added a BIT of width. Mine were just too short to get the 'look'. I used the french tip nail guides, but they required the right positioning. I think the hole reinforcers is a better way to go.

 

[~*Red*~]

Great job Noir Dame! They look beautiful!

Clara B: Do you mean your nail beds are narrow or short in length? Also if you go to get a mani done, you can ask them to this for you, you just should have a picture, or you'll have to explain how to not paint on moons.

Also, I ws looking at my recent Sephora catalog (i'm pretty sure it was Sephora!?) They had a girl with a vintage manicure, but she had her moons painted white. Which my friend said she remembered her aunt painting her moons white. I never knew about that! But I thought it was most interesting to see it on Sephora!

 

[ClaraB]

Clara B: Do you mean your nail beds are narrow or short in length? Also if you go to get a mani done, you can ask them to this for you, you just should have a picture, or you'll have to explain how to not paint on moons.

My nail beds are very narrow, I have very small and slender fingers...if i were to trim down my nails as far as possible, my pinky nail would be virtually non existent. When I attempt the half moons they end up being such tiny little moons that it looks like the nail polish just happened to chip in that shape, larger moons just look wrong. Perhaps I'll go get a mani....it will be sooo much easier than doing it myself.

 

[artful dodgette]

i like it when i paint the base of my nail a pearl white and then apply the colour on top, it makes the half moon glisten.

 

[~*Red*~]

i like it when i paint the base of my nail a pearl white and then apply the colour on top, it makes the half moon glisten.

That sounds beautiful!! It did look rather neat on the catalog.

My nail beds are very narrow, I have very small and slender fingers...if i were to trim down my nails as far as possible, my pinky nail would be virtually non existent. When I attempt the half moons they end up being such tiny little moons that it looks like the nail polish just happened to chip in that shape, larger moons just look wrong. Perhaps I'll go get a mani....it will be sooo much easier than doing it myself.

I see....having them done with a mani is a great idea.. but also, just as an illusion, you could try doing them in a different color, not dark.. a lighter shade, pink maybe. Dark colors will make you nails look shorter. Although it can also make them look wider. But lighter colors will make them look longer although also a bit more narrow. So maybe something in between?