How to Do a Ruffian Manicure

Hey my beautiful ladies! I know you feel that the perfect outfit just isn’t complete without the ultimate finishing touch — a flawless manicure. And there are so many different ways to go with a manicure. Unlimited colors, clear coats, shiny buffs, French, acrylics. The list goes on and on.

I am sure that you still remember that a few seasons ago, the hot new trend was the moon manicure. With the moon manicure, you painted the half-moon shape near your cuticles one color, and the rest of your nail a different, contrasting color. Playing off the moon manicure is the ruffian manicure, also called the “reverse moon” manicure. This manicure was developed by Creative Nail Design (CND of current Shellac manicure fame) for the Fall 2010 Ruffian show. Since then everybody has been calling this manicure the Ruffian, or Ruffian inspired manicure. Although it has been around for a few season now, I still think it’s hot! It’s like the revamped funky french if you ask me.

Photo via: nailpolis.com

Photo via: sonailicious.com

To get this manicure, instead of a half moon shape at the bottom of your nail, you paint a crescent shape. So how do you recreate this look at home? Well it’s easier than you think. I’ve seen different techniques on how to do this, but I do this in a very simple way. The first step in the process is to make sure your nails are buffed and clean. Then get your base down. A color, a foil, whatever, just paint your nail like you normally would. Next step is to paint each nail again with the cover color by your choice. Then place a circular sticker on each nail, leaving the crescent shape along your cuticle exposed. Use a contrasting color (try a metallic or bold hue) to fill in the exposed crescent. Carefully remove the sticker while accent polish is still wet. Then let your nails dry and follow up with the top coat for extra shine and protection. That’s really how easy it is to get a Ruffian manicure done at home. If your local salon isn’t offering this option, then take it upon yourself to try it out today to see how spectacular your nails will look with this completed manicure.