Here at HCX, we’re always on the lookout for new trends, and nothing quite says “trend” like the Pantone Colour of the Year announcement. You can guarantee that whichever colour Pantone singles out will be found across every red carpet and catwalk throughout the year. 2015 brought us “Marsala” – a deep, rich brownish-red – and the year before saw a bright purple named “Radiant Orchid” in the spotlight.
This year, Pantone did something they’ve never done before; announcing that the “Colour of the Year” would actually be two colours. The colours Pantone introduced to us this year are “Rose Quartz” and “Serenity” – Rose Quartz is a soft, pale pink, and Serenity compliments the pink as a dusty, muted blue. Pantone explains on their website that the colours evoke feelings of “mindfulness and well-being”, and this is certainly true of these tranquil shades. They also make a point of saying that the colours reflect the “gender blur” happening at the moment in the world of fashion, coinciding with changing attitudes to gender equality and fluidity. If this doesn’t convince you that the Pantone Colour of the Year is more than “just a colour”, we don’t know what will.
Though Marsala dominated Autumn/Winter in 2015, Rose Quartz and Serenity lend themselves perfectly to the warmer seasons, and the airy tones make us wish we could just skip February. Your Spring make-up can have an instant boost of colour with these two shades, so here’s a few tips on how to make best use of them.
Lips
Sephora has developed a new range dedicated to the Pantone announcement, and the easiest way to get the gentle pink shade into your make-up looks is to pick up one of their “Color of the Year Matte Lipsticks”. The Rose Quartz lipstick is a dusty, pale product that should look good on a variety of skin tones, and though Serenity on the lips would definitely be a bolder look, we’re sure those of you confident enough will really pull it off.
Sephora’s lipsticks will undoubtedly sell out fast, so if you miss the chance to get one, a great dupe can be found either in L’Oreal’s Color Riche Collection Exclusive Nudes in Doutzen Kroes’ shade “Barely Pink”, or Shade 03 of the Rimmel Kate Moss Collection.
Nails
Serenity on your nails is one of the most fool-proof ways to incorporate these shades into your Spring looks. The colour is pale enough to provide an illusion of tanned skin even in the earlier months of the year, and will easily carry you through to Summer. We’re certain the soft blue hue will still look amazing in Winter, giving Serenity a place in your nail polish collection all year round. Try Essie’s Virgin Snow from the 2015 Winter Collection, or Barry M’s Huckleberry.
If you’re talented enough at nail art, why not try a gradient of the two colours? They compliment each other so well, and your nails can become the perfect canvas to showcase this.
Eyes
Beauty gurus raced to create make-up tutorials after the announcement, and some of their creations have shown us it may not be as hard as you think to get a blue shade to look nice on your eyelids. The pop of colour provides any make-up look with a unique, standout element that really captures this colourful trend.
If using both colours is a little too much for you, Rose Quartz can be used beautifully on its own, swept over the entire lid, or simply used as an inner corner colour with a rich brown through the crease. Try Rimmel’s Mono Eyeshadow in 006 – Poser, or Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow in No.05 – Rose Dragee.
Hopefully these suggestions will provide you with some inspiration for how to jump on this trend with ease, and how to bring these beautiful colours to life in your everyday make-up. We can’t wait to see how designers and celebrities make use of Rose Quartz and Serenity this year.
Photo Credits:
http://beautydesk.com/sephora-pantone-color-of-the-year-2016/2/
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-hNEPNxAFY/VoEeOUTHg0I/AAAAAAAADDA/FHNWqD9s5D4/s400/Pantone2016w.JPG