Pastel nails are like a massive hug in a bottle. With spring just around the corner and harmattan setting in on February (confused), it time to relief your darker colours of their duties and make some sweet statements with your nails.
Pastel nail colours are like nude but with a little bit of an attitude. You can jazz yours up with the type of nail shape. Go for a stiletto or coffin-shaped nails for that edgy look. I prefer round shaped nails though, especially if your nails are natural.
A glossy or gel finish will bring out the shiny and warmest feeling ever, but you can also go for a matte finish if that’s what you like best.
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Oh, by the way, it doesn’t have to cost an arm or a leg. You can do pastel colours at home with your manicure tools or at a nail salon with covid restrictions in place.
Here Is How To Fix Pastel Nails Yourself In 5 Steps
1. Prepare Your Tools
Before you start doing your pastel manicure, make sure that you are well-equipped with the right set of tools. Aside from your pastel polishes (or one pastel polish only), you should also have:
– A UV or LED lamp
– Nail file
– Nail scissors
– Base & top coat
Make sure to cut your nails to your preference, and shape them into your ideal shape. Once you’re satisfied with their length and shape, it is time for your next (more fun) step!
2. Use A Base Coat
The number one trick when it comes to the longevity of any manicure (or even make up for that matter) is in the priming.
You should always prep your nails and invest in a good base coat before moving forward.
Apply one layer of your base onto clean & shaped nails. Let the base dry under your UV or LED lights for 60 seconds. If your polish is not gel polish, you can air dry for a few seconds. Once prepped & primed, you can begin the colouring process!
3. Add Your Pastel Gel/Normal Polish
Now it’s time to achieve your pastel nails! You can go for any shade you want, or you can mix & match all sorts of different polishes! Apply your chosen shade starting at the root of your nail, and drag it upwards. If you are into colour and you love bright & noticeable shades, get creative! You can colour each of your nails in a different shade if you want.
4. Set It Under A UV Lamp or air dry
You should set your first coat of colour for 60 seconds with your UV lamp. Add one more coat of your preferred gel shade, and also set it as well under your UV light.
However, this time, go for 120 seconds just to be sure that it sets in place.
If you end up making a mistake just use a small q-tip and wipe the edges with your acetone. Do this step before you place your fingers in your LED lamp.
5. Use A Top Coat
You should always lock in your achieved results with a topcoat. Use one that will help you prolong the longevity of your manicure. You should add one thicker coat of polish and dry it under your UV lamp for 60 seconds.
You can choose between two different finishes – matte or glossy. The choice is entirely up to you! However, just know that pastel polishes and bright colours usually look the best once as shiny and as glossy as possible.
Scroll down to check out all the amazing pastel nails we found on Instagram for your inspiration.
Get ready to let your nails do the talking. Life is colourful, Live it.
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