10 Half-Moon Manicures That Take the Trend to the Next Level

Neon Dreams

If you're a fan of neon, look no further than this half-moon manicure of our most colorful dreams. Neon blue, yellow, and pink tones at the tips and base of the nail create an abstract half-moon moment. We love the contrast of the colors here, along with how they alternate on each finger. Have fun and switch up the colors as much as you want—there are no set rules for your nails.

Chic and Classic

For this half-moon manicure, a lovely purple shade stands out against a clean space at the base to showcase a classic take on this design. The color of the polish is divine, and you can achieve this style with any color you choose, making it versatile and easy to replicate over and over. We're also seriously drooling over the length and shape of these nails.

Subtle and Sparkling

If you're in the mood to add a little sparkle to your manicure, you should go right ahead. This touch of silver at the tips and base of the nails shows how charming and chic glitter can. Paired with a soft, sheeny pink color, the contrast is beautiful, and the style works well for any time of year. The glitter sparkles in all the right places—we think this would make an excellent bridal manicure.

Bolder and Better

These half-moon nails tout bright red-orange nail polish that's a dream for warm summer months. With a shorter shape and a classic half moon at the base, it's simple yet stunning. The boldness of the polish speaks volumes, and what's so great about this style is you can use any color you want if red-orange isn't your first choice. Half-moon manicures work well on all shapes and sizes of nails, which makes them even more appealing.

Cool Contrast

Gold sparkly polish paired with black is a contrast we love to see that looks ultra chic on the nails. The gold creates the half-moon shape at the base of each nail, while the French tips are black, with plenty of room in between. These half-moon nails would look lovely for a special occasion or event, as the sophisticated color choices have an air of glamour. You could even switch up the style by wearing glitter on the tips and black on the base. On the hunt for a beautiful gold glitter polish? Essie's Summit of Style ($10) is perfect for wearing this look.

The Eyes Have It

Add a creative touch to your next half-moon manicure by adding details like these charming eyes, fully equipped with eyelashes that we find adorable. If you want to attempt this manicure at home, there are a few ways to ensure you get the details as close to the original as possible. You'll need the polish colors of your choice (in this case, periwinkle, white, pink, and black) and some thin, tiny brushes to help create the lines and nail art.

Paint the base of your nails the color of your choice—once that has dried, you can go in and start to build the shape of the eyes. This nail brush set ($10) is ideal for drawing tiny lines and details on the nails. This will take some patience as each layer needs to dry before moving on to the next but it will be worth it in the end when you have the best-looking nails.

Rainbow Bright

Don't want to wear just one color? We get it. Showcase bright rainbow hues for your next half-moon manicure by applying different colors at the base of your nails. Yellow, orange, blue, and green look lovely paired together on these nails, and the pastel base color shows the shades off in the best way. Have some fun and play around with several different colors; you can wear anything you want, which makes it even better when wanting to let your creativity shine through.

French Bordeaux

This double French half-moon manicure brings an unexpected twist to a classic style worth wearing on repeat. The deep Bordeaux hue is lovely, and the creativity here is 10/10.

Double Blues

Create a colorful layering effect for your next half-moon manicure by using two shades in the same color family that complement each other well. In this case, shades of blue and periwinkle layer on top of each other for a modern manicure. Start by applying the lighter color on the base of the nail and let it dry. Follow up with the deeper polish on top, leaving space at the base to achieve the crescent moon shape and apply as many coats as needed until your desired shade is achieved.

Classic Half-Moon

Create a classic half-moon manicure style on longer nails by using one bold polish color paired with a soft, natural tone for the moon. When wearing these two colors together, it creates a contrast that works well on longer nail shapes because of how much color you can apply over the length of the nails.