Spring Manicures: Lavender Nail Polish Trend

There are no hard and fast rules about what nail polish colors you can and can't every season, but there's a reason why spring manicure trends are always predictable. After a long, cold, dark winter, ditching your deep, rich nail polishes for pastel ones matches your newfound sunny disposition.

Pastel manicures are guaranteed to trend every year, but for spring, lavender is outpacing the rest. In fact, lavender and lilac nails are up 100% in Pinterest search ahead of the official first day of the season. Considering it's also the time when weddings start happening, it's no wonder that lavender wedding nails are another huge trend.

A glossy light purple manicure is to spring as what deep pink is to fall. The color is a great choice for the transition between winter and summer because it's not too dark or too light. Plus, it looks amazing when you factor in nail art — whether it's minimalist half moons or a simple gradient in various shades of pastel pink and purple.

"Lavender is the new nude — it's as if pink has the cooler older sister who likes things to be less ordinary and is bored of pink," says Julie Kandalec, a NYC-based manicurist and author of Nail Art Design Book. "We have seen so much pink in the past three to four years that people are looking for new ways to wear light colors."

Also, if year-round sparkle is your thing, simply paint on two coats of a metallic polish and you're done.

If you find yourself inspired to try lavender nails, scroll down for some of our favorite mani looks and a few of the best lavender nail polishes on the market.

Almond-shaped lavender nails

Not quite round, not quite pointy like stiletto, almond-shaped nails make a solid lavender manicure look extra sleek.

Lavender nails with dainty nail art

Accessorize a metallic lavender manicure with some nail jewelry or a gold nail decals for a little extra sparkle.

Lavender tips

What's not to love about these heart-shaped pastel half moons?

Metallic lavender nails

Just like wearing white after Labor Day, there are no rules when it comes to wearing sparkly nail polish. This metallic finish of this essie shade is an unexpected twist on the classic spring manicure color.

Multi-hued lavender nails

Turn your fingertips into Cadbury mini eggs with this rainbow pastel manicure by the internet's favorite nail artist, Betina Goldstein. The manicurist played with various lavender and coral shades for the gradient effect.

The Best Lavender Nail Polishes for Spring:

essie Expressie Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Skip The Track

To shop: $10; ulta.com

It doesn't get more low maintenance than painting your nails with a sheer nail polish. On top of chips being less noticeable, essie's quick-dry formula dries in about a minute flat, so you're less likely to get smudges.

JINsoon Nail Polish in Birdie

To shop: $18; jinsoon.com

Some pastel polishes are so sheer, it takes a couple coats to get an opaque finish. JINsoon's light lavender goes on evenly in a single coat, while two will really make the color pop. The runway nail artist's namesake polishes are 10-free, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Pear Nova Classic Lacquer in Night Fades, Morning Haze

To shop: $13.50; pearnova.com

A metallic polish will take your lavender manicure up a notch. This Pear Nova shade would look amazing as an accent nail or on all five fingertips. All of the brand's polishes are 10-free, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure Vegan Nail Polish in Laven-Deer

To shop: $7; amazon.com

While this plant-based polish has left 16 controversial ingredients out of its formula, it doesn't hold back on color payoff and shine. And even brush is even plant-based. The castor bean oil bristles are designed to provide even application.

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer in Lavender Parade

To shop: $22; shop.dazzledry.com

No U.V. light required — Dazzle Dry's polish delivers a long-lasting chip-free manicure without all of the extra steps of a traditional gel manicure. Odds are this warm, creamy lavender shade becomes your go-to polish this spring.

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