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Pasties

Pasties are adhesive nipple covers that make sheer, cutout and backless pieces wearable. You will find hearts, stars, X shapes and mermaid shells in glitter, sequin, holographic and rhinestone finishes, plus slogan and novelty styles.

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What is a nipple pastie?

A nipple pastie is a self-adhesive cover worn directly on the skin, with no straps, no band and nothing showing. They exist so that sheer, cutout, backless and open-front pieces are actually wearable, and so that a top that will not take a bra still works.

Two things people get wrong before buying their first pair. They are not the same as silicone nipple covers, which are thicker, skin-toned and meant to be invisible. Pasties are meant to be seen. And they are not lingerie in the usual sense, they are closer to an accessory. For most people they are the difference between an outfit working and staying on the hanger.

Most are reusable rather than single-use. A good pair, applied to clean dry skin and stored on its original backing, will survive somewhere between five and twenty wears depending on the adhesive and how carefully you remove them.

Types of pasties

Pasties vary by shape, finish and what they are being worn for:

  • Hearts, stars and X shapes: the classics. X shapes give the most coverage for the least surface area, hearts read softest, stars are the festival default.
  • Mermaid shells and novelty shapes: flames, skulls, hands, animals. Bought for the look rather than the coverage.
  • Slogan and word pasties: text across the front. The most-searched style on this page by a wide margin, and the one people come back for.
  • Glitter and sequin: the standard festival finish. Loose glitter sheds, bonded glitter does not, and it is worth knowing which you bought.
  • Holographic and iridescent: shift color with the light. Photograph better than almost anything else in this category.
  • Rhinestone and jeweled: heavier, more expensive, and the ones that need the strongest adhesive because of the weight.
  • Leather and vinyl: structured and matte, and the crossover into kink and stage looks rather than festival ones.

Two brands carry most of this category: Neva Nude and Pastease. Pasties are usually bought alongside festival wear, a mesh bodysuit or face and body jewels, and they are what makes most sheer pieces in Rave & Dancewear work.

How to choose the right one

Adhesive is the whole product. Everything else is decoration. Cheap pasties fail in heat and humidity, which is exactly the condition most people wear them in. If you are going to be outside dancing for hours, buy the better pair rather than two cheap ones.

Apply to clean, completely dry skin. No lotion, no oil, no body shimmer, no sunscreen underneath. This is the single most common reason pasties fall off, and it has nothing to do with the pasties. Press for thirty seconds with a flat palm, do not rub.

Size to your coverage, not to your bust. What matters is the diameter of the area you want covered, not your bra size. Measure once and you will know your number forever. If you are between sizes, go larger, because an edge that lifts is what people notice.

Nipple piercings need a plan. Flat-backed jewelry sits fine under most pasties. Rings and larger barbells create a raised point that lifts the adhesive, so either size up so the edges have flat skin to grip, or swap to flat backs for the night.

Removal decides how many wears you get. Peel slowly from the outside edge, never fast from the middle. A warm shower first makes it painless. Then put them straight back on the plastic backing they came on, which is what keeps the adhesive alive.

If the adhesive stops gripping, it is usually not dead. A rinse in cool water with a drop of mild soap, dried face-up and not towel-dried, will bring most reusable pasties back for several more wears.