Monday, October 26, 2009

Halloween half moon

Hello ladies,

Today I made my first effort at a half Moon manicure and added on a funky french with China Glaze Fortune Teller. I did both techniques freehand. I also used a Migi nail art pen in black to create an opaque base for the moons. The last photo shows the half Moon look most accurately. Positioning fingers around a bottle can alter the perspective on the cuticle area, making the moons appear more oval. Sephora by OPI in Hi Def is the neon base. I was so taken by the gold leaves of the tree at the park, I had to share it as a background. 
 

China Glaze Fortune Teller

Sephora by OPI Hi Def

Migi nail art pen in black



I have been wanting to try a half Moon manicure ever since I first saw Dita Von Teese wearing the retro style on her nails. I hesitated attempting the look since my nails are long and square shaped. Adding a curved smile line with the french created symmetry. While I have seen other half Moon manicures done with templates, my small hands didn't cooperate with various circle stickers from office supply stores. I decided to paint the Moons freehand with the help of a nail art pen and a paint brush. I definitely will try this again, but I am pleased with the initial experiment.

I applied three coats of Sephora by OPI Hi Def. This color is a true orange, but rather sedate for a neon. Had I not been aware of the formula or tried to photograph it, I would have thought Hi Def was simply a bright creme. I would recommend the color for those who love orange and are temperate with neon. 

I painted China Glaze Fortune Teller as the funky french.  Fortune Teller has coppery orange glitter pieces and hexagons in a black jelly base. The polish flowed smoothly to form the smile line, but I had to be careful to avoid thin spots where the glitter was sparse. It would be best to work in a brightly lit space to ensure opacity. 

To create the half Moon, I used a Migi nail art pen. I eyed the center of the nail at the cuticle line, then drew a straight line upwards. From the end of the line I drew two arch shapes towards the cuticle. Then I colored in the spaces. Initially, I was going to leave the half Moon black, but it looked stark. I used a sable brush in a size zero from the craft store. I rubbed the bristles against the stem of the polish brush in the Fortune Teller bottle and went over the area I had shaded using the nail art pen. The jelly formula wouldn't be able to form a clean half Moon on it's own.

Migi Nail Art sent me pens to review. While I don't have much experience with nail art pens, I can share my thoughts on the process. Each color comes with a standard polish brush and a pen. It was unusual to see a brush and pen combination that didn't feature a striper style brush. I can appreciate how it would be useful to have a standard brush to create french manicures, as many polish companies are opting to expand their brush width. The size of the brush would be perfect for a beginner to paint a smile line. The application from the pens was different than I had anticipated. For the polish to be released through the metal tip, it's necessary to gently squeeze the bottle. The plastic bottles are pliable, but still sturdy. Squeezing too hard could yield a bumpy line. It's also necessary to draw fluidly so the polish will glide evenly on the nail. I feel comfortable with the Migi nail art pens and will certainly show more looks using them. The black pen was very helpful with the half Moon manicure. I am interested in trying the white for the same purpose.

Happy painting, ladies.   

14 comments:

  1. So pretty and perfect! Lovely background with the orange leaves.

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  2. You did a beautiful job and I love the colors you chose!

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  3. Your manicure turned out so lovely. You have a good eye for doing the moons. I love the combination of colors. It's just perfect for Halloween. I love the simple design.

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  4. I really like this one, it turned out really nice. I might have to try it out

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  5. Great design, I think your rings look really nice with the manicure as well.

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  6. What a cool mani ! You had such a great idea to this mani and you did such a great job with it ! Love it :-)

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  7. Your nails are really gorgeous. How do you manage not to break them or poke your eye out? :))) I surely would have an accident of some kind with nails as long as yours. And to say one more time - I LOVE YOUR RING!

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  8. I love it! Your nails are so beautiful :)

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  9. This is cool! It inspired me to do a red and black one as chip camouflage to save me taking my favourite red off...

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  10. Velvet: Thank you! That tree was just calling to be photographed. So orange and golden!

    Evil Angel: Thank you so much! My friend Sarada found Fortune Teller for me on Sunday. I was so excited to try it!

    art by sarada: Thanks! I put that bottle of Fortune Teller to work right away! ;)

    gildedangel: Thanks so much, sweetie! <3

    Aurora's Nails: Thank you. I appreciate it. I am glad my first attempt worked so well. :)

    Lucy: Thank you! Using a nail art pen really helped to make the Moons as close to symmetrical as possible. It is nice to wear a simple design after some of my other ventures.:)

    enamored enamel: Thank you! I am so glad you like it. I hope you decide to try the half Moon manicure too.

    Princess of Polish: Thank you! I always wear my owl ring. Owls go with many things. ;)

    Tuli: Thank you! I appreciate it. It was fun doing a festive take on a retro style.

    nihrida: Thanks! I'm so glad you like my nails and my ring. My hands are small so a little extra length on my nails seems right to me. Although you only see the side profile in my picture, I do have both eyes. ;)

    Power Lifter Chick: Thanks so much! <3

    Kae: Thank you! You have beautiful nails too, Kae!

    Lisey Duck: Thanks! Glitter frenches can conceal all sorts of secrets. ;)

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  11. Wow! It looks so perfectly done and it looks great. Fortune Teller is such a nice colour.

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