Mochi StyleHow to build a kawaii pastel colour palette
Soft pink, mint, lilac and cream are only the start. Here is a simple five-step way to pick cute colours that work together, with hex codes you can copy.
In this guide
A kawaii pastel colour palette is a small set of soft, light colours that look sweet together, usually pink, lilac, mint, baby blue, butter yellow and cream. The easy recipe is one light base colour, two soft partner colours and one brighter pop colour, plus white to give the eye a rest. Keep it to four or five colours and repeat each one at least twice so the look feels planned.
Pastel colours are the fastest way to make anything look cute. A pink hoodie is nice. A pink hoodie with a mint skirt, lilac hair and a cream bow is kawaii. The difference is not the clothes, it is the palette.
This guide shows how to pick colours that sit happily together, why some pastel mixes feel muddy, and how to test your palette on a doll before you try it on paper, clothes or a bedroom wall. The hex codes below come straight from the colour sets inside Mochi Style, so you can copy them into any drawing app too.
What makes a colour pastel and kawaii
A pastel is a colour with a lot of white mixed in. It keeps its hue, so pink is still pink, but it feels lighter and softer. That softness is what gives kawaii style its gentle, friendly mood.
Kawaii palettes usually share three things:
- Light values. Most colours sit near the top of the brightness scale. Very dark colours are used only as tiny accents, like an outline or a bow.
- Warm and cool together. A warm pink next to a cool mint or baby blue feels fresh. All warm or all cool can look flat.
- One small pop. A single brighter colour, such as hot pink or sunny yellow, keeps the look from fading into the background.
If you are new to the style itself, our simple guide to kawaii fashion explains the shapes and accessories that go with these colours.
Five classic kawaii pastel colours
These are the colours you see again and again in cute fashion, stationery and toys. The hex codes are real swatches from the game's hair, clothes and makeover colour rows.
- Candy pink
#ff9cc8: the heart of most kawaii looks. - Lilac
#c9a4ff: dreamy and a little magical. - Mint
#8be0b8: fresh and cool, great next to pink. - Baby blue
#8fd6ff: calm and sky-like. - Butter yellow
#fff08a: sunny without being loud.
Add white #ffffff or a lavender cream like #f2eaff as a resting colour. It sits between the louder pastels so they do not fight.
How to build your own palette in five steps
Use this order whenever you start a new look. It works for doll outfits, drawings, party decorations and real clothes.
- Pick a base colour. This is the colour you will use most, often for a dress or the biggest piece. Candy pink and lilac are easy first choices.
- Add two soft partners. Choose two pastels from the other side of the colour wheel. If your base is warm pink, pick cool partners like mint and baby blue.
- Choose one pop colour. A brighter shade for a small item: shoes, a bow, a pet or glasses. Hot pink
#ff4f9aor sunny yellow#ffd24dboth work. - Add white or cream. Use it for a top, socks or trim. It gives the eye a break and makes the pastels look brighter.
- Repeat every colour twice. If the hair is lilac, put lilac on the shoes or a hair clip too. Repeating colours is what makes a palette look planned instead of random.
Ready-made kawaii palettes from the game
Every daily theme in Mochi Style has its own five-colour palette. Some are bold, but several are perfect pastel sets you can borrow for any project.
Unicorn Dream is the softest one: white, candy pink #ff9cc8, lilac #c9a4ff, baby blue #8fd6ff and butter yellow #fff08a. It is basically the classic kawaii set in one theme.
Pyjama Party feels cozy: periwinkle #9fb6ff, lavender cream #f2eaff, candy pink #ff9cc8, sunny yellow #ffd24d and purple #a17cff.
Candy Party is sweeter and brighter: candy pink #ff9cc8, sunny yellow #ffd24d, sky blue #5cc8ff, white and rose pink #ff7eb6.
Mermaid Lagoon shows how to make pastels feel watery: sea green #3fc6a8, soft pink #ff9cc8, sky blue #5cc8ff, white and purple #a17cff. Our Mermaid Lagoon outfit ideas turn that palette into five full looks.
Try your palette on a doll
A doll is a quick way to test a palette, because you can change one colour at a time and see the whole look at once. Here is how to do it in Mochi Style.
- Open the theme sheet and pick a theme whose palette you like, such as Unicorn Dream.
- Open a closet tab, for example Tops, and tap a swatch in the colour row above the items to recolour what your doll is wearing.
- Recolour the hair. The Hair tab has its own row with pastel pink, lilac, baby blue, mint and cream white. Hair is the biggest shape on a chibi doll, so it sets the mood.
- Add your pop colour to shoes, a hat or a small extra.
- Tap Judge. Miso the cat scores how close your outfit, shoes, hair and headwear are to the theme's palette, so the stars tell you how well your colours match.
Our guide to how the three judges score your look explains exactly which colours Miso checks.
Want more shades? The colour row also shows six extra colours, including a soft pink, mint and lilac, that you can unlock by choosing to watch a short video. A rainbow picker lets you slide through every hue, and it unlocks the same optional way. In the makeover studio, the hair dye spray has its own six colours: pink, lilac, sky blue, mint, coral and butter yellow.
Common pastel mistakes and easy fixes
- Too many colours. Six pastels at once look busy. Drop back to four plus white.
- Everything the same lightness. If every colour is equally pale, the look goes flat. Make one colour a little brighter.
- No resting colour. Without white or cream, pastels crowd each other. Add a white top or socks.
- A dark colour in a big area. Black or navy works as a tiny accent, but a whole black skirt pulls a pastel look out of kawaii and into cool or spooky.
- Hair that ignores the outfit. Bright green hair with a pink candy outfit can clash. Match the hair to one of your palette colours.
FAQ
What colours are in a kawaii pastel palette?
Most kawaii pastel palettes use candy pink, lilac, mint, baby blue and butter yellow, with white or cream as a soft resting colour. One brighter pop colour, like hot pink, keeps the look lively.
How many colours should a kawaii outfit have?
Four or five is a good number: one base colour, two soft partners, one pop colour and white. Repeat each colour at least twice so the outfit looks planned.
Which pastel colours go well with pink?
Pink looks great with cool pastels such as mint, baby blue and lilac, because the warm and cool mix feels fresh. Butter yellow and white also work well as partners.
Can I use black in a kawaii look?
Yes, but keep it small. A black bow, outline or pair of glasses can make pastels pop. Large black pieces push the look towards a cooler or spookier style.
Which Mochi Style theme has the most pastel colours?
Unicorn Dream has the softest palette: white, candy pink, lilac, baby blue and butter yellow. Pyjama Party and Candy Party are also good themes for practising pastel looks.
