Some nail looks are certain no matter the trend cycle and one of them is pastels for spring. The way we’re leaning into pastels this season? Lavender milk nails. Celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik recently created this soft, elegant, and floral-inspired manicure for Selena Gomez, and we’re calling it now: light purple is the way to go this season.
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Remember strawberry milk and blueberry milk nails? Like those past trends we loved, this lavender opaque look is vibrant and easygoing, perfect for spring.
“We’re leaning towards soft light shades like lavender, mint, peach and baby blues, which are really great and give an airy vibe,” says celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein. Even better news for nail art lovers: “Pastels are also great for some of spring’s trending designs, including florals and French manicures,” she adds.
Luckily for us, it’s easy to create this look at home. Find your favorite lavender-colored polish (Essie Nail Polish in Go Ginza is what we found closest to Gomez’s look above) and make sure to thoroughly prep your nails to get that long-lasting, super-glossy mani we all know and love.
“Begin by scrubbing your nails with an antibacterial soap (think of it like washing your face),” Gerstein advises. “Let the nails dry and then use isopropyl alcohol (75% and up) to cleanse the nail. This will act like an astringent and bring your nail to the proper pH level, while eliminating any dust and debris from your nail.”
It turns out that acetone doesn’t actually clean your nails: Rather, it “leaves debris on the nail and causes polishes to chip faster or not to dry,” she adds. Don’t forget a base coat prior to applying color and a high-gloss top coat to finish things off.
Essie Nail Polish in Go Ginza
Amazon
Target
Color choice doesn’t affect the longevity of your mani (it’s all in the application). However, if you do feel like your lavender polish is fading, especially if it’s light or sheer, it could be “due to the sun or even your jeans. To prevent this you can use a UV top coat,” Gerstein says.
If a lavender shade feels a bit too bright for your liking, easily tone it down by trying a more muted soap nail in the pastel color. Soap nails are majorly in right now (Gerstein is “absolutely in love” with the trend), and it serves as great stepping stone into more color. Soap nails usually feature “sheer, milky colors” and are nails’ equivalent to no makeup-makeup. Don’t forget the finishing touch: “Plump skin that looks extremely healthy and glowy without feeling greasy,” says Gerstein. Make sure to moisturize with a good hand cream after your manicure to complete that fresh-out-of-the-bath look.
Hop on this new trend with us. Below, take a look at some lavender manicures for nail inspo to take to your next nail appointment, or try these at home yourself.
Dainty Florals
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Lavender Chrome
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Lavender Aura Nails
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Lavender Soap Nails
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Lavender French Tips
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Catharine Malzahn is the contributing associate beauty editor at Glamour.
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