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You might be wondering what a pastel color is and if you even like them… Well, a pastel color is a soft, pale color. They are less saturated than primary colors, making them feel light, soft, and calming.
If you usually gravitate towards light pink, light green, lavender, light blue or even cream or light yellow, you definitely are a pastel color lover!
As acrylic nails trends go, they really hit the runways with the 90s revival, together with lavender and light yellow fabrics. Remember that time light green was everywhere from hats to shoes? Well, now is the time for your nails to shine. In pastels, of course!
The Best Pastel Nails
Glittery Square Pastel Nails
Who said pastel nails had to be basic? Take these long square nails with glittery nail polish in pastel hues as an example and keep things interesting using several colors.
Kisses Manicure in Lavender and Pastel Orange
If you are feeling like going a step beyond, try this nail polish artist’s design and create a geometric french manicure in light orange, lavender and pink with cute kiss-me lips and little hearts with messages.
Short Round Lavender Nails
This exact shade of lavender is a pretty basic but super on-trend color. Looks great on round nails. You can spot it this season on almost all major runways.
Pastel Pollock Design
An artistic design in pastel nail colors makes up this Pollock inspired manicure. Feel free to let your inner artist fly!
Tranquil Everyday Pastel Nails
A manicure that inspires tranquility, ideal for a youthful feel. Those little clouds on that pink nail polish look absolutely dreamy.
Multi-colored Short Bright Manicure
Pastel green, blue, purple and yellow can seem like a strange combination and yet, as we can see in this amazing manicure, they look amazing together!
Lavender and Glitter Design
Pastel purple nails never looked so good before! Combine this lavender hue nail polish with a thin stripe of foil and some glorious glitter for a dashing effect.
Pink & Sky Blue Square Nails
Some people say pink is for girls and sky-blue is for boys, well, we say go for both and combine two beautiful colors in a striking manicure!
Fuschia French Manicure
Pastel acrylic nails do not have to be limited to an all pastel ensemble, you can combine neon colors and create a bright french manicure in fuschia.
Almond Shaped Sky-blue Flower Design
Going back to the basics with a one color manicure in classic almond shaped nails can be relaxing and yet unique, when you add a couple of flower decals to your digits.
Square Rainbow Ombre Nails
These pastel rainbow nails are done in ombre style over natural looking pink nail polish. The style looks out of this world!
Light Yellow Daisies Manicure
Yellow is a joyful and bright nail polish, even more so when you combine pastel yellow nails with yellow daisies on top of white. Feels like spring has come.
Sky-Blue Glitter Crystal Design
Another great example of an all sky-blue manicure, in this case with a bright touch of glitter and some crystal decals for added extra shine.
Pink Nails with Flowers
Pastel pink nails never looked as girly and dainty as these floral topped nails.
Sky-Blue French Manicure with Glitter
Among pastel nail lovers, pastel blue nails are definitely one of the most favored styles. Variations with french manicures and glitter make them feel fresh every time.
Square Pastel Sky-Blue Nails
Be it on square long nails, round short ones or outlandish coffin nails, sky-blue nail styles keep coming for more.
Shiny Lavender Seashell Design
This seashell inspired manicure is super magical. It is done in iridescent violet nail polish in stiletto shape and it is crowned with rhinestones to boot!
Square Ombre Rainbow Nails
Pastel rainbow nails in ombre style are definitely making a comeback. This manicure is done over a basic natural pink tone with pink, light green, light yellow and light orange shades.
Glamorous Mermaid Manicure
From the bottom of the sea, a manicure perfect for the Little Mermaid! A metallic lavender and light turquoise design filled with amazing drawings and a splash of glitter.
Pastel Green Heart Design
Artistic and yet very classic, this light green manicure with a focal white nail with black hearts looks particularly elegant.
Leaf Geometric French Nails
Leaves on nails? Why not? Combine a natural looking nail as base with a couple of geometric designs gone wild for an 80s retro poolside style.
Light Green and Turquoise Manicure
Light green and sky-blue go hand in hand together, add some flowers in the same colors and you have a pristine and colorful manicure ideal for summer.
Pink and Pastel Green Heart Design
Pastel green and pink nails do not seem like ideal companions but this manicure looks amazing with those complementing tiny hearts.
Glitter Rainbow Stiletto Nails
If this list seemed a little too tame for your taste, here comes the shine we all love! This manicure is filled with glitter and amazing pastel light green, yellow, pink and purple shades.
Geometric Dotted Manicure
Geometric designs have a lot of potential. Add dots, and light green, purple and pink to the mix and you have a masterful manicure in your hands!
Super Long Heart Design
Pastel color nails can be a great source of inspiration but sometimes doing so many colors at once can feel like too much. Go for a natural looking nail polish in a square long shape to maximize your drawing area and do pastel colored hearts. It will be the sweetest design you ever made!
Pastel Pink Queen of Hearts Nails
Hearts and pastel shades seem like a match made in heaven. Case in point these pink chrome round nails with a trio of hearts.
Light Green Ombre and Glitter Manicure
Going green takes a different meaning in this long square ombre nails done in green glittery shades and natural nail polish.
Square Light Yellow Nails
Another great pastel yellow nail style, long slightly square nails never looked so good.
Rainbow Dots and Glitter Design
Swap your hearts for some dots and double up on sugar nails or glitter in this short round manicure.
Pink Blossoms Round Nails
Spring is in the air in this pastel pink round short manicure with floral budding blossoms.
Lavender Short Square Manicure
We keep saying pastel purple is here to stay and can be done in any style and we are not wrong. Don’t these short square nails look adorable?
Psychedelic Rainbow Nails
Let your creativity loose with these psychedelic pastel rainbow nails. Mix it up and be free!
Pastel Green Fire Design
Surely when you think of fire, red, orange and yellow come to mind. Light green never felt so on fire like this design on long square nails.
Light Orange Flower Manicure
Flowers keep piling up in different hues. Now it’s light orange turn in these short round nails with colorful flower buds over white nail polish.
Short Round Light Orange Nails
If you feel like the flowers are a tad too much, go back to the basics and take this short round manicure as a great pastel orange nails’ example.
Feminine Pastel Hearts Design
Pastel hearts keep coming our way! Combine pink, sky-blue and light purple nail polishes and draw some hearts with messages inside. Don’t forget a classic XOXO!
Checkers and Hearts Nails
We told you light yellow was a bright and happy color, and we weren’t kidding! This manicure with pastel yellow checkers and pink & orange hearts is a fantastic example of a refreshing design.
Foil Lines and Pastel Colors Manicure
Foil designs can add a touch of elegance to any color combination. They look particularly dashing over white nail polish with light green and pink colors around.
Kisses and Geometric Frenchie Design
A super feminine design, filled with colorful kisses! Light green, pink and lavender go particularly well with a geometric pastel french manicure. These 3D nails are embossed to lift the lips off the nail and add texture.
Rainbow Pastel Round Nails
We know that pastel colors are so pretty and sometimes it is hard to pick only one. Don’t worry. Combine a whole bunch of them in round short nails for a delightful style!
Square Golden Foil Manicure
This manicure of super long pastel coffin nails is done in a pastel blue nail polish. Golden foil was added over transparent jelly nails for added effect.
Rainbow Ombre French Design
Pastel ombre nails are everywhere this season. Ombre pastel colors on pink create a very balanced and fresh effect.
Candy Cloud Short Round Nails
Long nails might not be ideal to play Candy Crush, but this candy inspired pastel rainbow with tiny clouds sure looks as sweet as any candy!
Almond Light Turquoise Manicure
What can we say? Hearts and XO messages are everywhere. You might have thought that red nails were St. Valentine’s favorites, but these cute pastel nails are coming in hot!
Light Green and Lavender Almond Nails
Why do you have to keep both hands on the same hue? Break down those barriers and go for a pastel green and pastel purple combo.
Starry Pastel Multi-Colored Design
Pink, pastel green, yellow, lavender and pastel blue combine in this starred manicure over almond shaped long nails to create a super fun pastel nail design.
Rainbow Glitter Manicure
Pastel rainbow nails don’t have to be all-glitter or no-glitter, you can have the best of both worlds in a long coffin shape mixing it up.
Neon and Pastel Long Nails
Speaking of mixing it up, remember how we said neon and pastel colors go amazing together? Check this long coffin manicure and fall in love!
Pastel Tips in a French Manicure
Last but not least, take your classic french manicure and redo the look painting the tips different shades of pastel. One of the brightest pastel nail ideas we have seen, to be sure!
Unlike darker colors and flashier designs, pastels are a great option for less flashy combinations and for longer lasting manicures. You will be much less likely to tire from your pastel nails than a bright neon combo or a bloody red design.
These pastel nail ideas are sincerely to die for! Sweet, feminine and super delicate, the pastel colors are perfect for creating a fresh, light, youthful manicure.