7 Expert-Tested Beauty Finds in Pantone's Color of the Year
Add freshness to your look with this airy shade.
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Each year, color-standardizing company Pantone picks a Color of the Year, a shade that is meant to both capture the dominant mood of the culture and set the trend for what’s to come in fashion, design, and consumer products. They announced that for 2026 they’ve chosen Cloud Dancer, a shade they describe as a “balanced” and “ethereal” white they hope “serves as a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society.” Pantone adds, “similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start.”
While a crisp white shirt is a foolproof way to start an outfit, the best way to incorporate white into a beauty look is a bit less obvious. Pantone offers a few tips, noting that Cloud Dancer is versatile and can complement “soft, dreamy pastels” or be paired with black for “high-contrast, statement-making details” on eyelids and nails.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has gathered some of our favorite and best-tested brands and products in airy shades of white to help you wear this soon-to-be-trending color in 2026.
Essie is currently the Beauty Lab’s top nail polish brand thanks to their formulas’ high shine and ease of application. Luckily, they offer a sheer white jelly polish to help you capture the “cloud” facet of Cloud Dancer on your nails. Paint on one coat for a barely-there glaze or apply multiple coats to achieve a milky white.
If you want snow white nails and prefer the opaque look of a traditional crème polish, consider the classic shade Alpine Snow from OPI. Another favorite polish brand of the Beauty Lab, OPI was the fastest-drying brand in our test of nail polish.
Pantone says in their press release that Cloud Dancer is the perfect canvas for “hearts, pearls, and shimmer.” These glittering white nails from the Beauty Lab’s best overall press-ons brand Kiss imPRESS are a case in point. They feature a highly dimensional shimmer similar to a magnetic polish over a white base. GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek says, “Kiss Impress so far has been my favorite because it works with my nail shape.” One tester said, “the nails were still in perfect condition after seven days of wear, and I didn't notice any damage after removal.” Since they are glue-free, it takes just minutes to try on the trending look.
Consider a hazy wash of cloud white over the eyelids for a fresh take on this color trend. This versatile liquid pigment from Danessa Myricks makes it simple with high-impact color that blends out easily. I have personally tried the Colorfix Mattes formula and can attest to its strong color payoff and creamy formula. The brand recommends applying a dot of the product onto a finger, tapping on the eyelid near the lash line, and blending up to the crease with an eyeshadow brush.
Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann recommends this affordable eye pencil from NYX that’s been a must-have for viral makeup hacks for years. It’s been used on lower lash lines to make eyes appear bigger and on the nose to subtly highlight. When she tried the pencil, she was impressed with how “creamy and blendable” it was. Put it to use in Cloud Dancer-inspired looks as a graphic white eyeliner or blended out over the lid as an eyeshadow.
If sharp, high-impact graphic eyeliner is your thing, you’ll want to reach for this white eyeliner in the Beauty Lab’s number one waterproof eyeliner formula. Not only does this Stila liquid liner glide on effortlessly, it held up the best to water in our Lab tests. One tester who used both the black and white versions of the liner says, “I love the sharpness of the resulting lines and the formula's staying power.”
Try out a frosty white highlight with this buttery highlighter stick. I personally use this balmy stick and appreciate that it can give my cheekbones a subtle gloss with one swipe or be built up to an icy shimmer. The formula glides onto skin for effortless application.
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