Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column chronicling the latest trends in the fashion-and-beauty space through the lens of Who What Wear’s own Gen Z editors. Expect a download on the upcoming class of tastemakers, emerging designers, and shopping and style choices straight from the generation setting the trends.
At the beginning of every year, Pinterest lovers like myself are greeted by fresh trend coverage and predictions for what we’ll be seeing over the next twelve months based on consumer practices and brand intel. While I have a finger to the pulse of the beauty industry as an editor who spends half of my work days scrolling for inspiration, and the other half writing about it, I’m extremely interested in what the popular platform (which is driven by a steady source of inspiration from users), has to say about the colors that will be everywhere. After taking a closer look at the five colors Pinterest foresees populating our beauty cabinets this year—blue, orange, green, and purple—I quickly realized that there are various shades that fall into each category worth keeping tabs on as 2026 progresses.
My biggest takeaway? This year’s color palettes will be derived from the natural world, but with unexpected twists ties to wellness, nostalgia, and travel in ways we haven’t seen since the ’90s. Gen Z beauty loves are becoming increasingly enthralled with products that are multipurpose ad easy-to-use with dependable results. Drugstore favorites we all know and love that flew under the radar in the last decade are ending up on vanities right next to luxury finds that can be spotted on the runways. Enter this year’s color palette: Grounded, playful, and fashion-forward. So, what does that mean for the beauty space going forward? Well, if we’re taking notes from Pinterest, 2026 is shaping up to be a year will be a celebration of the vibrant shades that can be found in the branches heavy with citrus, the blue frost of winter, and centuries of stone talismans carves from the earth.
Keep scrolling for a beauty breakdown of the colors that, along with Pantone’s Color of the Year (Cloud Dancer), will transform the look of our shopping baskets and makeup collections. In true beauty editor fashion, I scoured the farthest corners of the internet to find the 30 of the best makeup, fragrance, and manicure must-haves needed to master 2026’s top colors.
Frost: Chilled Blue
Nyx Professional Makeup
Epic Wear Liner Stick in Chill Blue
Clinique
All About Shadow Single Eyeshadow in Lagoon
