Cloud dancer hair: Why this soft blonde is the colour of the year
The Pantone Colour of the Year can be translated into beautiful blonde shades.
Taking over from last year’s brunette-friendly mocha mousse, cloud dancer is the Pantone Colour of the Year 2026. Described by the colour experts as “a lofty white neutral whose aerated presence acts as a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world,” the pale hue can also be adapted into a gorgeous super-soft blonde shade for hair.
“It's polished, it's refined, it's subtle elegance,” says Joe Savine, artistic director at Paul Edmonds London, who describes cloud dancer as a balanced neutral. “It's like with paint shades, where you have pure white and then you have your pale greys and beiges. Cloud dancer is an ultra-clean neutral blonde that can fall on the warm or cool side of the scale. But whichever side it’s on, the colour is always muted rather than high contrast.”
Because it’s a softer blonde compared to the golden and honey shades that have been trending recently, cloud dancer suits a range of skin tones, Joe says. “It's quite a minimalist aesthetic. I can see cloud dancer working well with quite classic fundamental haircuts like a box bob – that's a one-length bob cut to the jawline – or a one-length haircut or a forward graduation.”
The cloud dancer trend can also be tailored in terms of colour technique and placement, with balayage and highlights used to create a multi-tonal look.
Wondering if this neutral hue is right for you? Here, Joe answers all of our burning questions about how to get cloud dancer blonde hair…
HOW CAN YOU PERSONALISE CLOUD DANCER BLONDE HAIR?
“Cloud dancer is an umbrella term for the colour. You can have it as highlights, balayage or a global application, meaning a scalp application and then creative toner work. For someone with naturally brunette hair, it would involve a lightening service, whether that's balayage, foilayage or Airtouch, so the cloud dancer toner would only work on the highlighted or balayage parts. The choice of toner and the placement are what create the personalisation of the shade. If you've already got blonde hair, you might want a lighter, more diluted cloud dancer palette around the face, but towards the roots at the back you might want a shade darker.”
CAN ANYONE HAVE CLOUD DANCER BLONDE HAIR?
“When lightening hair for blonde shades there is always a limit, because we would never want to damage your hair. It depends on three main factors: your natural colour, your colouring history and the condition of your hair. These are all things we would assess and talk about with the client at the colour consultation.”
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAINTAIN A NEUTRAL BLONDE HAIR COLOUR?
“Cloud dancer blonde does require careful maintenance. All hair colours fade warm, and with cloud dancer, where it's sitting on the neutral part of the spectrum, is always going to need neutralising.
Especially in London, because city life and pollution can discolour our hair. It needs to be maintained with gloss or glaze services to keep the tone topped up. I always say to my clients to do it as an interim appointment. So if you're having a colour appointment every 12 weeks, you need a gloss service every six weeks.”
HOW CAN SALON TREATMENTS HELP MAINTAIN CLOUD DANCER BLONDE?
“I always recommend K18 bond-building treatment alongside every colour appointment. As an aftercare service, I love the SAM strength and moisture treatment from Redken. For longer treatment plans for damaged or weak hair, I always swear by alternating the Collagen Infusion treatment one week and the Ultimate Protein Repair the next. That’s an amazing combination to strengthen and protect the hair.”
WHICH PRODUCTS ARE BEST FOR MAINTAINING CLOUD DANCER BLONDE HAIR AT HOME?
“Cloud dancer hair can benefit from a purple shampoo, which is like an antioxidant for blonde hair, keeping it neutralised or keeping the brassiness at bay. In the Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde range you’ve got the Anti-Brass shampoo for cooler tones and the Glow Revealing one for warmer tones. In your Oribe range, you have the Hair Alchemy shampoo and conditioner which strengthen the hair and they have the Bright Blonde range which is really nice. I love the Radiance & Repair two-minute treatment, it really helps to neutralise the hair without being overpowering. Heat protection is also really important for preventing colour fade. Shu Uemura Essence Absolute has UV and heat protection. It can be used before blow-drying or as a finishing serum. Kérastase Blow Dry Primer is another good one, and all of the Oribe styling products have heat protection too.”
Why choose Paul Edmonds London for your cloud dancer blonde?
If you’re looking for a luxury hair salon to create a customised cloud dancer look that enhances your hair and skin tone, Paul Edmonds London is the place to go.
Starting with a thorough consultation, our expert colourists can advise on the best shade, colour technique and placement tailored to your needs.
Ready to embrace cloud dancer blonde? Book an appointment with the colour team at Paul Edmonds London.
