A half moon: Milk Glass filling the crescent at the cuticle over Cherry Red — a french turned upside down.
3 bottles: Cherry Red, Milk Glass and Oxblood. Cherry Red and Milk Glass sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
On a squoval the design has real width to work across, and the rounded corners are what stop the straight walls catching on things.
Make it yours
Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Cherry Red Half Moon nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Cherry Red, curing each one.
- 2 Draw the Milk Glass crescent at the cuticle following the curve of the nail fold, then fill it.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Cherry Red Half Moon
Is Cherry Red Half Moon hard to do at home?
Yes, with a steady hand. The motif is freehand, so the first nail is usually the worst one. Budget around 45 minutes for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.
What polish do I need for Cherry Red Half Moon?
3 bottles: Cherry Red (crème), Milk Glass (sheer) and Oxblood (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Cherry Red Half Moon work on short nails?
A squoval works short: you lose canvas width rather than length, so the motif just sits closer together.
How many coats does Cherry Red Half Moon need?
More than you would expect. Milk Glass is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.