Moon Manicure Mess-up

My first two fingers came out OK...

So after reading on Refinery29 about moon manicures still being trendy this spring, I decided to try one. I bought a Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in black, because I really wanted to try the black/nude combo I saw in pictures from some of the spring fashion shows.

Maybe I should have tried less contrasting colors first...

First problem: I had those French manicure sticker guides laying around (see picture), and I thought they would be helpful in the moon manicure. However, the black polish leaked underneath the sticker, ruining any semblance of a half moon that may have existed.

thumbnail with French manicure guide stickers

Second problem: After the sticker disaster, I did the half moons free-hand with the nail art pen. They came out OK, not great though, but I would have been fine with wearing them around the way they were. I put my top coat on the first two nails, fine. I went to put the top coat on the ring and pinkie finger and apparently the polish wasn't dry. The black streaked all over the nude! Boooooo!

Streaks!

So anyway, if I were to do this again, I would maybe try lighter colors first to practice. Also, I would definitely wait a LONG time before applying top coat. I had better practice this look if it's going to be so trendy this spring! Have you tried a version of the moon manicure? How'd it work out?

In case you're interested in trying the French manicure stickers, you can get them at Transdesign.