5 Pastel Drugstore Nail Polishes You Need Right Now

I’m out of town this week celebrating my graduation! Please welcome Angie, who’s taking over the blog today to help me out. Be sure to show her love.
xoxo Miranda

Hey Slashed Beauty readers, it’s Angie Canning from vanityrouge.com, and today we’re exploring the softer side of color – pastels! If you ask me, pastels are “in” any time of year. In the cooler months, pastel pops against a black moto jacket for a modern look, and in springtime we’re inspired by the soft hues of blooming flowers and sweet candies. Let’s not forget that barely-there pastel shades look super fresh against a summer faux tan when the weather is sizzling, too!

Taking inspiration from the OPI Softshades Pastels Collection, I chose five shades to curate my own budget-friendly “collection” of pastel drugstore nail polishes. OPI nail polish is typically $10 per bottle unless you wait for a sale, so purchasing five polishes from that collection would be a whopping $50! The pastel collection I’ve put together for you today is about half of that cost, not to mention many of these polishes are on sale frequently, so you could even whittle that price down a bit more if you are savvy.

I thought finding alternatives would be a piece of cake… I mean every brand has pastels in their regular polish collections, right? I quickly learned that is not the case, my friend! You’d be surprised at how hard it is to find a soft yellow or pale green, or even the most pastel shade of blue that isn’t too blue. Add to the fact that I wanted to choose a variety of brands and all in a cream finish… I had a challenge ahead of me.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Lemon Heaven

When I saw this pale yellow from Sally Hansen, I nearly let out a little squeal smack dab in the middle of Target! At $7.59, this price point is one of the higher polishes I’m sharing today, but the formula is divine and the color is perfection! I did have to apply three coats for full opacity, but it dried quickly and each coat went on super smooth. Another bonus is that you can often get it at discount and drugstores on sale, or even BOGO 1/2 off too.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant in Salt Water Taffy

A perfectly pale green cream is hard to find, but I managed to get my nails on a brilliant one indeed. I’ve only tried a few Covergirl nail polishes now, and Salt Water Taffy doesn’t disappoint. With an excellent opaque formula in just two coats, it was easy to work with, and it is a steal at under $5!

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting much from this Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polish because of its under $3 price tag, but girl I am definitely eating my words! Lacey Lilac is opaque with one swipe and the formula is silky. It smooths out well, and even when I went over it again for a second coat (my preferred thickness), it still performed beautifully. This particular pastel purple is perfect for spring and summer for sure!

Wet n Wild Megalast in Sugar Coat

Ever since Wet n Wild introduced their re-formulaed Megalast polishes with the wide brush, I’ve been a huge fan– and this is one of my favorite shades! A pale blush shade, this is near-opaque with two coats and the application is flawless. Oh, and did I mention they are under $2? You win at all the things when picking up this pastel pink shade!

Defy & Inspire Wear Resistant Nail Lacquer in Pack Your Bags

Target’s new Defy and Inspire nail polish lineup is quite a large collection so I knew I’d find something in the pastel blue family to share with you! At $7.49, it is on the pricier side of the others, but both the color and the formula are spot on. This one surprised me because it was most definitely opaque with one coat (wow!). I, of course, added a second coat so it would be thicker on the nail and give it an ultra smooth finish. The brush is larger and squared, as with the Sally Hansen Gel and Wet n Wild Megalast polishes, so if you don’t care for those brushes you’ll want to skip this one. All in all I’m impressed and I’m glad I found this baby blue to add to my self-curated pastels collection!

While of course not all of these polishes would be considered exact dupes of the OPI collection I mentioned, I think the shade selection is quite nice and I am very pleased with the quality and formula of each of these polishes. I think I found some gems here and I love how they look!

Do you have any pastel polish favorites in your nail polish stash that are budget-friendly?

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