23 Beautiful Pastel Color Palettes (With Hex Color Codes)

Pastel color palettes have been a favorite for designers for quite a while now and it’s easy to see why! Their delicate muted tones are perfect for creating designs that are soft and calming and pastel colors have a unique charm that certainly is undeniable!

What Are Pastel Colors?

Pastel colors are a wide range of colors that are made by mixing white with a darker base color. And unlike the base color, which is usually a lot more bold and bright, pastel colors are a lot softer and have a light and airy feel to them and they are perfect for designs that want to create a sense of calm and relaxation. You will notice that pastel colors still look a lot like their base color, having the same characteristics, they are just a lot lighter.

How Pastel Colors Are Created

Let’s take a look at an example of how pastel colors are created. I’m going to use green in this example. Pastel green is created by mixing green and white – the more white you add to the color the lighter it will become. Adding white creates colors that become progressively softer and more muted.

What Colors Are Considered To Be Pastel Colors

Pastel colors are any colors that are a lot lighter and softer than the original color. They are muted and toned-down versions of the base color that range in intensity and saturation. They have almost a washed-out look with a low color intensity that makes them appear quite pale especially when compared to other colors.

Favorite Pastel Colors

There are literally hundreds of pastel colors that you can use if you are wanting to create a pastel color palette! Here are a couple of examples of some favorite pastel colors to get you started!

Are Pastel Colors Warm Or Cool Colors?

Pastel colors can be both warm or cool colors! This will very much depend on the base color that was used to create the pastel color.

For example, blue is a cool color and if you create pastel blue, it will still have a cool feeling to it. Likewise, yellow is a warm color, and pastel yellow also has a warm feel to it.

Pastel Color Palettes

Pastel colors are a perfect choice if you’re looking to create a gentle, subdued, and calming design! And with so many different color options to choose from, there are endless pastel color palette possibilities!

Don’t forget to check out our pastel blue color palettes and pastel pink color palettes if you would like to use these colors specifically.

Monochromatic Pastel Green Color Palettes

If you are looking for cool and soothing pastel color palettes then using shades of green is a wonderful option! Monochromatic color palettes are those that use different shades of a specific color, in this case green.

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#B8CCA4

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#E7EAEA

This pastel color palette is similar to the last one except that it has a darker hunter green accent color as its base color.

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#76AB6F

#ACCA9D

#D7F0CE

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Pastel Gray And Green

I must admit that this is possibly one of my favorite pastel color palettes! It pairs shades of pastel gray with soft pastel green to create a color palette that is calming with a zen feel to it!

#ACB49D

#C8CDBF

#E0E8D0

#EBEEE3

#FDFDFB

Pastel Peach And Orange

Pastel peach and orange pair really nicely with a sage green and a dark brown accent color. This color combination creates a warmer color palette with contrasting colors creating interest.

#BCC9B4

#EFBFA7

#F4DABF

#F1AE78

#5C3C33

Easter Pastel Color Palette

No pastel color palette collection would be complete without an Easter color combination!

Here different pastel shades are combined to create a contrasting color combination that isn’t too light or bright. The colors are a little deeper than many of the other easter color palettes that you find.

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Easter Pastel Palette With Maroon Accent

Pastel colors combine really well with dark colors and this is a perfect example! A shade of maroon is used to create a strong base color on top of which the pastel shades are displayed.

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#D19EAE

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Pastel Rainbow Color Palette

This pastel rainbow color palette is a great example of the colors that are traditionally used in easter color palettes. Of course, these gorgeous colors are also a favorite in many a baby’s nursery!

#BCD0E4

#D3BED7

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#F5CABF

#EFEBC6

Soft Pastel Rainbow Color Palette

This color palette is very similar to the previous one however the colors used here are a lot softer and a lot more light and airy.

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#ECDFF3

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Pastel Orange And Gray Palette

Pastel oranges work really well with grays and different shades of pastel blue creating contrasting color palettes that are eye-catching.

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#EED2B8

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#DFD8DE

#EEECED

Teal Blue, Pink, and Yellow Pastel Palette

Pastel color palettes don’t always need to be very pale and muted. Here’s a great example of that. This palette uses a teal blue color, pink and yellow to form an eye-catching color combination that is paired with two different shades of gray.

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#94CECF

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#CFC7C7

Pastel Purple Color Palette

You can never go wrong with using pastel purple and lavender if you are wanting to create a soft and feminine color palette!

#A091AE

#C5B0E0

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#C7CAB5

Pastel Purple and Gray Palette

This palette is similar to the previous one but it uses quite a stark shade of white to contrast against the different purple colors.

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#D2C6DE

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Pastel Purple and Pink

Contrasting pink and purple pastel colors against each other also works really well. This color palette almost has a nostalgic feel to it. What do you think?

#C4BFDB

#F7CBD1

#F2DADB

#F6E5D7

#F5F1EB

Blue, Pink, And Pastel Yellow

Another pastel palette that contrasts the pastel colors beautifully against each other!

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#EAD2EA

#FEFDE6

#DDD8ED

Watercolor Pastels

Pastel pink, blue, and purple are another beautiful color combination that is a favorite in babies’ nurseries and you can see why!

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#EAC9E2

#E3D2E7

#EADFEE

#F4EEF4

Retro Pastel Color Palette

I really love the combination of teal blue colors and peachy orange colors. The color combination has a unique look and it has a retro vibe.

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#AFDFDB

#F3BBAE

#FBDCCF

#EBEAE5

Teal Green And Peach

Similar to the previous palette, this palette uses more of a teal green color which is contrasted against the peach colors.

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#B8DAC7

#F0B29E

#F4E7DB

#DFC89D

Warm Glow Palette

If you are looking for a warm pastel color palette then this might just be the one for you. This gorgeous warm color combination has a comforting feeling to it. Need it even warmer? Remove the gray color from the mix!

#B5B9AA

#C1A395

#E9C2AF

#F3E5CB

#E8DACC

Dusty Pastel Color Palette

This color palette also has a retro, vintage vibe about it! And it certainly catches the eye!

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#E4BA81

#BED2C1

#C7C3AE

#EED2BF

Pastel Gray And Blue

This is a great example of a cool pastel palette that uses blue and gray! Using the darker navy color as a base creates a good contrast in the colors.

If you compare this palette with the previous ones you can definitely see the difference between warm and cool pastel color palettes!

#516C78

#7EB4C4

#B2CDD6

#E8F2F6

#D9D9DD

Neutral Pastel Palette

If you are wanting to stick to a more neutral pastel palette then you could consider using something like this! Soft pastel yellows are paired with cream and pastel brown.

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#EBDAC5

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#F2EBD4

#FAF8E3

Pastel Brown Color Palette

If you love the look of a more neutral color palette but would still like a darker accent color then this earthy brown pastel color combination might suit you!

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#B8AB8E

#D3C7AD

#C7C3AE

#F4F0E6

And Last But Not Least…

As mentioned, pairing pastel colors with darker accent colors can really create a dramatic effect in your designs.

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Conclusion

There are many ways to get creative with pastel colors and I hope that this collection of color palettes has inspired you to play with these beautiful soft colors! If you would like more color palette ideas then don’t forget to check out our color palette library where you can search all the color palettes created so far by color!