Lunar manicure with gel polish

Well-groomed female hands are something that is always nice to see for any person. One of the elements of hand care is regular manicure and nail polish. There are a lot of design ideas - from a classic jacket to a gradient manicure, using magnetic varnishes and various stickers-drawings. One of the current ideas of this season is a moon manicure made with shellac.

Lunar manicure - a type of manicure in which part of the nail at the base (lunula) is covered with varnish, different from the main color, forming a crescent shape. It first appeared in the 30s of the XX century and was then called "reverse French". The second wave of popularity began in 2010 after the Christian Dior fashion show and continues to this day.

Over the past few years, shellac manicure has been gaining popularity. In this tool, which combines gel for nail extension and ordinary varnish, girls' dreams of a perfect manicure came true. Here are some of the many benefits of this type of coverage:

1. Able to stay on the nails for an average of 2-3 weeks and remain attractive at the same time;
2. Resistant to external environmental influences (does not wear off, does not chip, does not scratch);
3. A rich palette that includes both basic basic colors and the latest fashion trends, which gives room for self-expression and experimentation;
4. Also, one of its properties is the effect of strengthening, which can allow you to treat weakened and brittle nails;
5. Shellac does not contain formaldehyde, various resins and other hazardous substances - it is non-toxic.

When this type of design first appeared, the lunula was left unpainted, and pink varnish was applied to the rest of the surface of the nail. Then the reverse moon manicure became fashionable, when the hole curved, in contrast to the version adopted today, in the opposite direction. At the moment, there are a lot of options for execution, both in terms of colors and options for additional decoration, and they are limited, mainly, only by the imagination of a manicurist or a particular girl (when done at home).

Because Lunar manicure looks better on nails of medium length or long, then for short nails there is a solution - half moon manicure. To perform it, you need to repeat the contour of the base of the nail - you get a concave crescent.

If traditional holes seem boring, then you can refresh the look with triangular manicure - by drawing at the base of the nail not a crescent, but a triangle. This design will also visually lengthen the nail plate, and the use of contrasting colors will attract attention and make you talk about yourself.

For an evening reception or a date, even a triangular shape is not enough - then it will help out design with rhinestones. When performing a manicure in discreet shades, rhinestones will give the necessary solemnity and brightness, but will not look superfluous.

Rhinestones do not always look appropriate in everyday life, but there are girls who like to be bright and noticeable even when going to the store and paying for purchases. For them, the way to stay like this - glitter manicure. He has several options for execution - for example, cover only the lunula with sparkles, only the main part of the nail, or use a shiny coating as a top to complete the manicure. And as in the case of rhinestones, it is possible to cover not all nails with sparkles, but one or two on each hand - for a moderate accent.

Very delicate design using a lighter shade of the base color (e.g. beige, pink, white, blue) and gold or silver elements - this is not painting over the lunula completely, but only the designation of the border between it and the rest of the surface of the nail. It combines the latest trend of the season - glitter, and a discreet base allows you to wear such a manicure for a long time and combine it with everything from t-shirts and jeans to evening dresses.

In order not to redo the moon manicure made with shellac, quite often (since the process of applying and removing it, although not very complicated, is still laborious), if, say, the color or pattern is no longer pleasing, you can get out of the situation with plain nail polish. With a thin brush, you can use it to supplement an already finished manicure with additional design elements - for example, polka dots, lines in different directions, draw flowers or decorate the border of a manicure.

The trend of combining styles that are incompatible at first glance is supported not only in clothing, but also in nail design. A french moon manicure using decals on some nails, mixing a standard and reverse moon manicure, using a traditional and triangular lunula design at the same time - all this makes it possible to call a moon manicure one of the most versatile types of nail design.

The color options for the moon manicure are almost limitless - the main thing is that the colors are still combined with each other. A general recommendation before going to the nail art master is to analyze the color palette of your wardrobe. Since a shellac manicure lasts up to three weeks, it will take a long time to wear it, so it is important that it is in harmony with the clothes.

The most natural version is transparent holes and covering the main nail with pink or white. Pink is close in shade to the color of the nail, and therefore such a manicure will be appropriate for those who work in an office with a strict dress code, and for going on a date, and for every day. Hands will look neat, pleasant and feminine, while not attracting too much attention.

If you want to try something more intense within the office, you can use red, blue colors for decorating the nail hole.

Gold and black colors are one of the most successful combinations for a solemn event. It will go with almost any outfit and give an image of luxury.

In order to create an image in the style of the 20-30s, most Varnishes of burgundy, cherry, red and scarlet colors will be suitable. It is important that lipstick be of the same shade - this is one of the conditions for this year's fashionable nail art.

This season, bright warm colors are in trend - yellow, red, orange and their shades. They will look fresh and summery in combination with white - no matter which part of the nail is covered with what color. It also looks interesting to use the same color in different shades - for example, blue and blue.

One of the advantages of a moon manicure is the relative ease of doing it at home. Every girl, regardless of financial situation, if desired, can try the latest trends and follow the fashion.

Having considered how to step by step make a manicure with each of the proposed methods, you can choose the most optimal for yourself.

For a home manicure you will need:

1. For pre-treatment of nails, a cuticle remover or special tweezers, nail files of different hardness for processing the edges and surface of the nail, degreaser;
2. Base coat;
3. Two gel polishes in contrasting colors;
4. Top coat;
5. Means for removing the sticky layer (suitable, for example, isopropyl alcohol);
6. Lint-free wipes;
7. Cuticle oil;
8. Stencils, transfer foil and glue for it or a manicure brush, depending on the chosen method;
9. UV lamp.

Stencils are a good solution for those who are just starting to learn the basics of manicure. They will help beginners achieve neat manicure and smooth lines. This method is the simplest and therefore widely popular. It consists of the following steps:

1. If necessary, you need to do a manicure: remove the excess cuticle in any convenient way, file the nails, giving them the desired shape, degrease the nail plate - this will ensure better adhesion of the varnish to the surface of the nail and it will last longer;
2. Apply a base coat and dry it in a UV lamp. Each layer of gel polish requires drying for 2-3 minutes;
3. We cover the entire surface of the nail with varnish of the color that is intended for painting the hole and dry it. If necessary, for a more saturated color, gel polish can be applied in 2 layers, then each is dried separately;
4. We cover the place of the hole with a stencil and apply gel polish of the main color in 1-2 layers, dry it;
5. We fix the almost finished manicure with the help of a top, put it under the lamp for the last time and the fashionable manicure is ready!

Foil is also an option for those who want a neat manicure, but are not confident in their abilities. A variety of bright, brilliant shades, ease of execution made this technique attractive. Foil design is done as follows:

1. We repeat steps 1-2, as when working with stencils (manicure-base);
2. We cover the nails with the main color of the varnish in 1-2 layers, dry;
3. We process the place of the hole with special glue (with its help the foil will be printed);
4. When the glue dries a little, apply a small piece of transfer foil to this place with the matte side down, hold for several minutes;
5. With a sharp movement, remove the foil. If the hole turned out to be uneven, then repeat steps 3-4 again. If the pattern turned out, apply a top coat and dry.

For a detailed guide on how to perform this manicure, see the following video.

A brush is a tool for more experienced girls. It requires accuracy and a firm hand and is interesting because, unlike foil and stencils, it offers more opportunities - for example, to make a reverse moon manicure. In order to make a manicure with brushes, you need:

1. Treat nails and apply base;
2. Apply base color varnish in 1-2 layers, dry;
3. Using a brush, paint over the hole at the base of the nail with the desired color and dry again under the lamp;
4. Apply fixer and dry one last time.

There are several techniques for applying varnish when performing a manicure with brushes, after considering which you can choose the most suitable and convenient:

• 1 option - draw the contour of the hole with a brush, paint over it in two layers, drying each for 2 minutes, and then apply the main coat on the rest of the nail and dry it.

• Option 2 - use the main coating in 1-2 layers, dry, then draw the outline of the hole and paint over it.This method is most common and, according to girls, is the most convenient in execution.

• 3 option - apply the main coating, leaving the place of the future hole untouched and dry, and then paint over it and dry the layers.

To make a manicure look dignified and professional, you should be careful during its execution and remember some rules and nuances that will help you avoid mistakes. A properly executed manicure will last a long time if you follow some tips:

• When performing a manicure using a stencil, carefully remove all stencils before placing your hand under a UV lamp. If you remove them after drying, when the varnish becomes hard, then the edges will turn out to be torn, sloppy.

• The optimal power of an ultraviolet lamp for drying varnish is 36 watts. It allows for a short time (about 2 minutes) to dry the varnish on the surface of the nails throughout the hand.
• Sometimes it happens that the hand under the lamp is not quite even, and then the gel polish flows a little to one side. If this happened or other irregularities were found on the surface of the nail during the manicure process, do not rush to remove it and do it all over again. It is enough to file the irregularities, and the ugly look will be corrected with the application of the top coat.
• Another cause of uneven coverage is applying layers too thick. It is better to apply two thin layers than one dense one - the color of the manicure will not suffer from this, and it will look many times better.
• After the last, fixing layer of varnish dries, you need to wipe all the nails with a lint-free cloth soaked in a liquid to remove the sticky layer - this will add shine to the manicure. You should not save and use a cotton pad - the villi of the disk can remain on the surface of the nail.
• It is also important to know how to properly remove varnish. First, the nails are lightly processed with a nail file with an abrasiveness of 180 units. Then each nail should be wrapped with a cotton pad dipped in a special gel polish remover, and wrapped with foil on top and kept for about 10-12 minutes. During this time, the varnish should come off almost completely on its own, and its remnants can be easily removed with an orange tree stick.

• Since ultraviolet light dries out the surface of the skin of the hands and the skin close to the nails, do not forget about the care after the manicure. To keep your hands well-groomed, you should use a moisturizer and cuticle oil. A light massage of the skin close to the surface of the nail will also be useful - blood flow will provide additional nutrition, restoration and strengthening.
• It is recommended to give your nails a break from any coatings from time to time. No matter how restorative and strengthening properties gel polish would have, the nail plate needs to receive oxygen for nourishment.Usually, it takes at least a week to restore the water-fat balance of the nails. The best regimen for nails is two cycles of manicure followed by 20-25 days of recovery.
• If the varnish peels off ahead of time, you should not always blame the manicurist or yourself if the manicure was done at home. Detachment can also be due to the individual characteristics of the body, vitamin deficiency, the use of certain types of drugs, and disorders in the hormonal system.
• Also, sustainability is affected by the frequency of household chores - cleaning, washing, washing dishes. A change in temperature leads to periodic expansion and narrowing of the nail plate, as a result of which microcracks can form under the coating, leading to subsequent delamination.

Keeping these simple rules in mind, there is no doubt that the coating will please its owner and will not weaken or damage the nail plate. These tips on gel polish application and nail care are suitable for any type of manicure - moon, reverse, with rhinestones, with foil and many others.