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Pastels hit different in spring — and I know that sounds like something written on a candle, but hear me out.
There’s something genuinely satisfying about swapping out your dark or icy winter shades for a washed-out mint or a barely-there lavender the moment the weather shifts. It’s a small thing that somehow feels like a full reset.
And the pastel manicure has had a serious glow-up. We’re not talking the flat, one-dimensional baby pink of five years ago — the looks circulating right now are glazed, layered, and genuinely interesting.
Butter yellow with chrome. Lilac with negative space. Soft blue that somehow goes with everything. I’ve saved approximately forty of these to my phone in the last month alone, which felt excessive until I started actually doing them.
These 15 ideas cover the full spectrum — from the cleanest single-shade looks to the ones with just enough detail to make someone ask if you got them done professionally.
1. The Colour Block French
A modern take on the French tip with each nail in a different pastel — periwinkle, purple, hot pink, olive, yellow.
The bare glossy base keeps it feeling intentional rather than chaotic, and the result is playful without trying too hard — and yes, it photographs extremely well.
2. The Daisy Tip
Pastel French tips — pink, sage, peach, butter yellow — each with a tiny daisy sitting right at the edge.
It’s subtle enough for everyday but detailed enough to feel special.
The kind of manicure that makes people lean in for a closer look.
3. The Lavender Glitter Mix
Alternating between full lavender glitter nails and sheer nude bases with tiny butterfly details — this combo works better than it has any right to.
Sparkly without being over the top, delicate without being boring.
This design transitions effortlessly from daytime to a night out.
4. The Pastel Double Tip
Lilac and mint layered together at the tip in a wavy, abstract French — soft, modern, and genuinely elegant.
The sheer pink base keeps it feeling fresh rather than heavy.
One of those sets that looks complicated but is really just two colours and a steady hand.
5. The Lemon Garden
Soft lilac nails with sheer accent nails featuring hand-painted lemons, leaves, and tiny purple florals.
It’s the kind of set that feels almost too pretty to be real — and yet somehow works perfectly for every spring occasion from brunch to a wedding guest moment.
6. The Sorbet Switch-Up
Alternating blush pink and butter yellow — clean, glossy, and quietly perfect.
No nail art required, just two of spring’s best colours doing exactly what they do best.
Proof that simple is almost always the right answer.
7. The Outlined Floral Tip
Delicate outline flowers in pastel yellow, pink, lilac, and blue, sitting right at the tip of a sheer nude base.
No filled-in colour, just the outline — which somehow makes them look even more considered.
Effortless, pretty, and very much the nail moment right now.
8. The Pastel Chrome Set
Every nail a different shade — butter yellow, hot pink, lilac, mint — all with that glazed chrome finish that makes pastels look next level.
The kind of set that catches the light constantly and makes you stare at your own hands more than is probably normal.
9. The Lavender & Wildflower Combo
Solid periwinkle nails paired with sheer accent nails featuring tiny hand-painted wildflowers and green stems.
The contrast between the bold colour and the delicate floral detail is what makes this set understated and pretty in equal measure.
10. The Cottagecore Maximalist
Gingham, bows, cherries, and hand-painted oranges all on one set — and somehow it works completely.
This is the nail art for anyone who commits fully and has zero regrets about it.
Coquette meets garden party, and I am very much here for it.
11. The Rainbow French
Double-layered colour tips in neon pink, blue, orange, and mint stacked over a bare, glossy base.
Bold enough to make a statement, structured enough to feel polished.
The French tip format does all the heavy lifting — this is maximalist nail art with a surprisingly clean finish.
12. The Baby Blue Daisy
Ok, I know these look like eggs, but apparently they are actually flowers lol.
These soft sky blue covered in tiny scattered daisies are simple, cheerful, and impossible not to love.
It gives vintage fabric in the best possible way.
13. The Pastel Rainbow Daisy
Every nail a different pastel — pink, yellow, sage, blue, lilac — each with a delicate row of tiny daisies at the base.
It’s the Easter egg of manicures, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
Sweet without being sickly, and exactly what spring should look like.
14. The Barely-There Confetti
A sheer, glossy nude base with just two tiny dots of colour on each nail — pink, blue, yellow.
Minimal doesn’t get more considered than this.
For anyone who loves the idea of nail art but wants to keep it so understated that it almost isn’t there.
15. The Speckled Easter Egg
Pastel blue, mint, pink, lilac, and yellow — each nail speckled with tiny black dots like a robin’s egg.
It’s seasonal without being costumey, and the texture adds just enough interest to make a simple colour set feel genuinely creative.
Easter nails, but make it chic.
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