It might be 2025 — and we may be getting older — but our creative juices haven’t dried up just yet. This year, we’re taking a peek into the wonderful world of Pantone to find inspiration. Get your polishes at the ready because there are so many looks to try and only 12 months to do it!
Mocha Mousse Is the Shade to Sip On in 2025
From Viva Magenta to Peach Fuzz, Pantone’s had its eye fixed on bright hues the past few years. This go-around, it’s back to basics with Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse. This very warm and subdued brown evokes a calmer, more meditative energy we’re hoping to embody all year long.
We're ready to sip on this nail shade for the next 12 months, and we hope you are too!
Give Mocha Mousse a try with OPI's Espresso Your Inner Self crème formula.
Mix & Match Mocha Mousse With Other Neutrals
Mocha Mousse is a subtle shade that fits right in with other warm-toned neutrals. While a plain Mocha Mousse manicure will always do the job, mixing and matching it with the other neutral shades in your collection is a great way to make the most of what you already have.
Take a page out of Mocha Mousse’s earthy groundedness with this easy-to-apply stash-busting manicure.
Cool Things Down With a Coffee-Inspired Look
From dark espresso beans to steamed milk, the coffee color palette is a beautiful one to behold. Put a frosty spin on Pantone’s Mocha Mousse with a coffee-inspired look.
Dedicate your whole hand to the color of your iced latte or spread the love across your fingers with a cluster of creative coffee-inspired colors.
Dark Brown Speckles Are Egg-tra Unique
One look at Mocha Mousse and we can't help but conjure images of rolling hills, muddy trails, and little birds peeking through treetops. Bring the beauty of nature to your manicure with a Mocha Mousse base and a few dark brown speckles.
Cardinal eggs with their brown speckling offer the perfect reference for this egg-citing nail look.
Match Mocha Mousse to Your Skin Tone
Don’t worry, we’ll say the quiet part out loud — Mocha Mousse won’t match perfectly with everyone’s skin tone. Neutrals can be tricky, and you shouldn’t toss Mocha Mousse down the drain if it clashes.
Instead, match Mocha Mousse to your skin tone! There are so many neutral brown shades to choose from, and one is sure to bring your skin to life.
Related: 8 Nude Nail Ideas That Make You Want to Bare It All
Give a Whisper of Mocha Mousse With Ombre Nails
Mocha Mousse is already a subtle shade, but if you’re not a huge fan of brown lacquer, give your nails just a whisper of it with an ombre tip. Coat your nail in any neutral, from pinks to champagne shimmers and beyond, and then add a touch of Mocha Mousse at the tip.
Ombre nails do take some skill, but layering the shades with sponges is a great technique to start with.
Add a Pop of Blue to Subtly Stand Out
Pantone knows you can’t stay satisfied with only one color so Mocha Mousse isn’t the only standout shade of 2025. Rather, they’ve built color palettes of complementary and contrasting shades to keep those creative juices flowing.
Blue is a great contrasting shade to Mocha Mousse, and adding pops of it to your Mocha Mousse manicure will help yours stand out in the crowd.
Take a Break From Brown With Cornflower Blue
Burnt out on brown? Cornflower Blue is at the heart of another 2025 Pantone palette called Floral Pathways. Landing somewhere between blue and violet, cornflower still sits firmly in the natural realm making it a welcome — but thematically consistent — deviation from Mocha Mousse.
Don't have anything close to cornflower blue in your stash? Grab a bottle of essie's Ripple Reflect crème polish for that flowery goodness.
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Sprint Into Spring With Pantone's Kashmir
Since Mocha Mousse will fare best during the fall and winter months, there are other Pantone shades you can turn to. According to Pantone’s New York Fashion Week 2025 color report, neutral shades are couched in a sea of green and blue.
Sprint manicure-first into springtime with a fashionable muted grey-green set in the Pantone shade Kashmir.
Hop Across the Pond With a Coral Monochrome Mani-Pedi
Meanwhile, London’s color report showcases brighter, more typical springtime colors. Spring greens and blues and summery yellows and corals give color-loving folks more range to work with.
Do things the London way and set your little piggies free with a coral monochrome mani-pedi with essie's crème polish in the shade Check In To Check Out.
Indulge Your Eyes in Mocha Mousse Deliciousness
The past few years have been awash in color, and it’s time to go back to the basics. Fall back in love with neutral shades that never fall out of style with these new takes on them. If it’s worth doing your nails, it’s worth doing them right, and you can’t go wrong with some Mocha Mousse goodness.
