The Accidental Two-Tone Mani... And How To DIY It Properly

Dita von Teese-esque two-tone manicures seem to be cropping up all over the shop at the moment. These are manis where a half-moon shape at the base of the nail (and sometimes the nail tip) are painted a different colour to the main body of the nail. I like the look, but I'm not a huge fan of the way DvT wears it; I think her talons (literally) are on the too long and too pointy side of nice to appeal to me.

Last week, I accidentally gave myself a two-tone mani. Although I wasn't exactly channelling the ladylike Chanel chic that I think has them currently back in vogue. Nope, mine was the result of a lazy paint job: I'd decided not to bother removing my hot pink polish and start again from scratch, opting instead just to slap on some some Blue Satin over the top. When it started to wear off at the tips, then, I had a "it's nice, it's nice, it's unusual" (a la Kath & Kim) effect, with the pink "undercoat" peeping through.

For a less grunge-y take on the trend: begin by applying your base coat as normal. Lay down the colour you want for your contrasting half-moon, covering your entire nail with it. Allow to dry. Then, unless you have a wicked steady hand and want to take a chance on going freestyle, you'll need a stencil to block out that half-moon from your main colour. You can buy French manicure tip guides that you could use to block out the arch at the base of your nail in the nailcare section of supermarkets and pharmacies... or you could plunder the office's supply cabinet for those sticky rings with holes in the middle that are used to reinforce punched paper.

(Google informs me that the correct name for these items is, in fact, "hole reinforcers". Heh heh heh.)

You could also take a hole punch to some stickey labels and use the punched out portions to fashion some totally DIY stencils and look busy.

If you'd prefer to leave your half-moon nekkid, you can apply your colour freehand using your natural half-moon as a guide, and then just use something like Leighton Denny's Precision Corrector Kit or a small synthetic paintbrush with an ultra-fine pointed tip and some nail varnish remover for additional tidying and shaping if needed.

Then grab your nipple tassels and a giant champagne saucer filled with bubbly and you're good to go!