Charlize Theron Proves a Half-Moon Manicure Is Perfect for Short Nails
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Around for nearly a century, the half-moon manicure—in which the lunula of the fingernail is emphasized either with a contrasting color or negative space—comes back into fashion every few years. This shocks me, to be honest, not because it doesn't deserve to keep popping up, but because it deserves a rest from the trend cycle and to be considered just as timeless as the French manicure now is. In fact, for folks with short nails, it's a perfect alternative to a French manicure, not to mention an easy way to do something a little bold without going overboard. Charlize Theron's latest nail look demonstrates exactly that.
Theron has been spotted around New York City over the last couple of days as she promotes her new movie, The Old Guard 2. And while her outfits changed several times a day, one thing remained the same: her simple, sunny manicure, which featured a yellow crescent at her cuticles on seemingly otherwise bare nails.
As ready to replicate it as I am? Good news: Theron's nail artist, Mo Qin, told us exactly what she used.
Although most of her nails may look naked, Qin achieved a polished look with Chanel Le Vernis Long Wear Nail Colour in the sheer, super-pale pink shade Ballerina. The bright yellow half-moon contrast—because we just knew last summer's butter yellow trend would be turned up to 11 this summer—was done with Manucurist Green Natural Nail Polish in Mimosa. And finally, it was sealed and shined up with a glossy Essie topcoat.
As someone whose nails keep breaking before they reach past the end of her fingers, this look has given me new motivation to not skip the polish altogether. Instead, it creates interest without a ton of effort—no length needed.
More mani inspo:
Now, watch Rachel Zegler get ready for the day:
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5 of July 2025
