A stunning pastel nail color feels quintessentially spring, and now that we’ve officially hit the turn of the season, we’re fully on board. From delicate bloom-inspired shades like lilac and rose to slightly punchier hues of peach or tangerine, our favorite nail polish brands have been debuting fresh, muted versions of our normal go-to hues. Whether you love splashy shades of neon or you adhere to a steady rotation of black, red, and nude, we’re about to prove pastel nail colors don’t have to be predictable or boring. Below, we’re sharing the 15 prettiest pastel nail colors we’re currently lining up for our at-home manicure routine this season. Keep scrolling! Serious polish inspo is just ahead.
Light blue is a quintessential hue to have within your pastel nail color arsenal. Chanel’s Bleu Pastel shade is universally flattering and our forever go-to.
No matter the time of year, a chic neutral is always great to have on deck. We love this pastel, monochromatic hue, which is a fresh hybrid—one part gray and one party beige with great pigment payoff.
This brand-new pastel nail color is straight from Essie’s stunning 2020 spring collection. It’s a soft yellow with hints of red, peachy undertones.
Sure, periwinkle is a semi-expected polish shade for spring, but Essie’s new pastel take has an eye-catching pearlescent finish with a touch of violet.
There are lots of purple pastel nail polishes, but right now, this extra long-lasting formula from OPI has our full attention.
If you’re a fan of coral but still want to try a lighter pastel shade for spring, we love this more muted take on the fiery shade.
If you want something less precious than your standard ballerina pink, we’re huge fans of this dusky rosy-mauve shade from Smith & Cult. Plus, the formula is so glossy and chip-resistant.
A rich hue of dove gray is the ultimate pastel alternative to black. It goes with everything, is a great neutral, and feels really chic. Smith & Cult makes our fave iteration.
Every beauty editor is obsessed with Olive & June’s super-shiny, bouncy, long-wearing nail polishes. And the brand has done it again with its spring collection which brims with all the prettiest pastel nail colors our hearts could ever want. Our top pick? This perfect shade of light yellow.
No pastel nail collection would ever be complete without a creamy shade of mint green. This one from Olive & June is our favorite thus far. Pro tip: Finish your at-home mani with the O&J Top Coat ($8) and add another coat every three to four days for gel-caliber durability.
A shade of baby-doll pink is a must. It’s elegant, versatile, and pretty much impossible to get sick of. Since we wear the pastel hue so often, we like to save a buck by investing in this gorgeous petal-pink shade from Sally Hansen.
Technically, we’re not sure if white would be considered a pastel nail color, per se, but it fits the bill for a light, sophisticated shade that’s perfect for spring and looks universally spectacular on all skin tones.
This nontoxic nail color is a more vibrant option for purple enthusiasts who still want something airy and spring-like for the season.
Think of this as a warm pink-cream that’s less fiery than a signature red but not as cool or dusty as some of the other pink and peach pastel nail colors we’ve picked out.
Yep, even a lime-lemon nail color like chartreuse can transform into a pastel-approved tone. We’re intrigued by this sunny polish that’s not quite yellow but not quite green. Up next, We’re Just Going to Say It: These 13 Gel Polish Brands Rival a Salon Manicure. This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated.
