Spring is here, and with it comes sunny weather, pretty flowers, singing birds, and of course, pastel hues. The season invites us to leave behind the rich, moody colors of fall and winter and cheer up in sunshiny yellow, sky blue, pink, lavender, and the like.
One of the funnest placements for gorgeous spring colors is on the nails. You can rock a single pretty shade across all of your nails or make your mani look like a collection of Easter eggs or candy by choosing several cool options. In celebration of springtime, we selected 15 pastel nail polishes that we definitely want to swipe on our nails this season (and beyond!).
essie Sweet Water Happy
Every spring, essie delivers soft and soothing pastel nail polishes that recreate the wheel with some added stylish oomph. A must-have hue for the season is the calming Sweet Water Happy. It is described as a “sugar-sweet Atlantic blue” and will work great for summer, long after spring has ended.
Available at essie.com, $9.00
Passport Polish Dominica
Latinx-owned Passport Polish lets us travel the world through its colorful, destination-themed nail polishes. A color that definitely welcomes spring is the beautiful lavender Dominica.
Available at passportpolish.com, $5
OPI How Does Your Zen Garden Grow
How Does Your Zen Garden Grow is from OPI’s Tokyo Spring 2019 collection, but the color is one you’ll want to reach for springs to come. The hue, which was a 2020 Glamour Beauty Award winner, is described as a “luscious lime green nail polish.” We call it pure springtime fun.
Available at opi.com, $10.50
EMMA Beauty Think Pink
Is it really spring without pink?! We think not! You know the season is here when you see several pretty pink manis and pedis. A pink nail polish you’ll definitely want to try out is EMMA Beauty’s sheer Think Pink. They recommend it as the perfect base for a French manicure, but it also looks fabulously subtle on its own.
Available at emmabeauty.com, $6
Lights Lacquer Let Them Eat Cake!
Lights Lacquer’s latest collection, It Was All a Dream, celebrates antique rococo vibes with delicate pastels that are perfect for spring. One of the shades that caught our eye is Let Them Eat Cake!, no doubt inspired by Marie Antoinette and demanding attention in a “pastel creamsicle.”
Available at lightslacquer.com, $9.50
Sally Hansen Sun-Tastic
One way to celebrate the sunshine is to wear it on your nails. Sally Hansen’s Sun-Tastic is a subtle yellow that still evokes joy. It’s perfect for those who want a more subdued pastel but still want a fun pop of color.
Available at amazon.com, $6.72
OPI I’m An Extra
I’m An Extra is a pretty nail polish shade from OPI’s Spring 2021 Hollywood Collection. It is described as a terracotta hue and works great as a neutral-yet-feminine nail polish. Wear it now in spring; wear it all year.
Available at opi.com, $10.50
Zoya Nail Polish Mara
Mauve is another fabulous color we gravitate towards when spring rolls around. It goes with so many neutral colors and has that feminine pop of pastel nail polishes we want during this season. Zoya’s Mara is part of the brand’s Darling Spring 2021 collection and delivers the prettiest “soft, muted rose-tone mauve cream” hue.
Available at zoya.com, $10
ella+mila My Rain-Beau
During spring, the skies are blue, and the sun is out. It’s no surprise, then, that manis and pedis often reflect this sky-blue hue. My Rain-Beau is a pretty spring shade that ella+mila compares to Cinderella’s iconic powder blue dress.
Available at ellamila.com, $10.50
Lights Lacquer Lilac Wine
Another Lights Lacquer nail polish from the It Was All a Dream collection that we think is great for springtime manis and pedis is Lilac Wine. This “soft lilac with a jelly finish” is a great option when you want a purple pastel color that is more intense than lavender.
Available at lightslacquer.com, $9.50
China Glaze Vacay Dreams
We are all dreaming of a sunny vacation somewhere tropical, even if we can make it there right now. China Glaze decided to give us the color we would be wearing on that sandy beach, called Vacay Dreams. Part of their Spring 2021 Cali Dreams Collection, it’s described as a “dreamy light pink creme.”
Available at chinaglaze.com, $7.50
Chanel Organdi
You can count on Chanel to deliver chic, classic, pastel nail polishes that you can wear spring after spring, year after year. Organdi is a nude pink that offers just a hint of color on the nails. It’s perfect for springtime but also a great year-round neutral.
Available at chanel.com, $28
JINsoonNail Polish Tweety
Another yellow that is springtime-perfect is JINSoon’s Tweety. Named after the classic yellow Tweety Bird, the hue is described by the brand as “a bright pastel yellow that mimics the color of spring, Forsythia flowers, that inspire hope and happiness.”
Available at materiae.com, $18
Passport Polish Spain
This fun Passport Polish takes us to sunny Spain. It is inspired by the country’s melocoton (peach); we like how it fits into the pastel nail polishes category, but its vibrancy adds oomph.
Available at passportpolishcom, $5
OPI Mexico City Move-mint
OPI’s Spring 2020 Mexico City collection is full of fun and vibrant colors that we want to wear this year and beyond. A soothing hue that will look fabulous on the hands and feet is Mexico City Move-mint. OPI calls it a “soft, understated green..that plays well with others.”
Available at opi.com, $10.50