The 'Soft Skittles' Manicure Is The Subtle Rainbow Nail Trend We Needed

You can always count on a colorful manicure to brighten your day in the cold and dreary weather. Though the perception of color may vary from person to person, different hues can indeed positively impact your emotions. Go for vibrant warm shades, and you'll evoke feelings of joy, for example, while muted tones promote tranquility. Including several different colors in a single manicure is bound to lift you up, but rainbow nails have been trending throughout the 2020s mostly for their playful aesthetic. In 2024, we're keeping all the benefits of a multi-color manicure while toning the look down to something just a little bit cooler. 

The "soft Skittles" manicure is a gentler take on the rainbow craze. The idea is still to wear a different color on each nail (though some repetition is allowed), but rather than reaching for the traditional bright reds and indigos of the rainbow, we're sticking with understated tones. The best way to pull off this look is with a neutral color palette, but you can also evoke the same soft energy with pastels, which are less saturated than your typical concentrated shades. 

Since this craze is all about color, you have the freedom to choose any nail length and shape to infuse your own personality into your soft Skittles manicure. It's a great opportunity to go with shorter nails since so many popular trends of the last few years have relied on length. Styles like the trending aura manicure or the trippy double ombré need a little length to get their point across, but this soft, muted look can be as practical as you'd like.

Pastels are actually quite different from muted colors, as the former inherently has lighter hues in them than muted shades' darker, richer hues. Still, they both channel the same understated and subdued finish to your nails, so pastels can definitely work with a soft Skittles manicure. This is a great variation for those who don't want to lose the rainbow aspect of the original Skittles trend but are still looking for something subtler. The lighter the colors, the softer the look will be. 

Itching to get creative with this understated look? Twist it up with muted French Skittle nails. The basics remain the same: Reach for muted, neutral shades, and then simply apply them in a classic French design, experimenting with different color combinations. While you could leave the base of the nail pink and just Skittle-ify the tips, the most exciting way to pull off this variation is with contrasting bases and tips. 

The basic premise of any Skittles manicure is that every nail sports a different color, but your options are slightly more limited when you're dealing with subdued tones only. Because of this, it's okay to double-dip one or two nails on each hand. As long as the same shades don't appear directly next to each other, you'll still get the feel of a multi-color manicure even with some cheeky repetition.

If you're stuck on what colors to use in your soft Skittles manicure, try choosing one tonal family and staying within those confines. You can still adopt a rainbow look by staying entirely within the berry family, for example, and opting for shades like plum, mulberry, and soft blackberry. Once you've chosen your colors, it's up to you whether you want to order them from lightest to darkest to create a gradient effect or create an unexpected allure with random colors.  

Of course, the safest way to nail this manicure is with earthy neutrals. Stick with your mochas, walnuts, tans, and camels, and you can't go wrong. If you're doing a DIY soft Skittles manicure, be sure to finish with a glossy top coat to help lift those muted colors, which can sometimes appear too flat on their own. You don't want to go as shimmery as the rainbow chrome trend, but some shine will complete the look just so.