Hello, friends! Have you heard the news? The official Pantone Color of the Year has been released! And guess what? There are TWO colors this year! The colors are Rose Quartz (a warm, pale pink) and Serenity (a cool, powder blue).
On their website, they say it coincides with our eternal quest for gender equality. I appreciate that, but if we're talking about equality, I think like a vibrant, punchy red is a good feminist color. Like, when I want to feel like a powerful woman, I put on red lipstick--I don't wear a baby pink sweater, you know? Don't get me wrong, I like having multiple options, and I think that women should be equal to men, but this whole thing is still kind of silly to me. If anything, couldn't they have done something more original to represent gender equality that baby girl pink and baby boy blue? I told my brother about this and even he said, "That's like we're doing something special this year for Christmas--the colors are RED and GREEN!" Ugh, sometimes I wish a color was just a color, and didn't have an agenda behind it. Or if it did have an agenda, they at least tried to get creative. Come on, people.
On their website, they say it coincides with our eternal quest for gender equality. I appreciate that, but if we're talking about equality, I think like a vibrant, punchy red is a good feminist color. Like, when I want to feel like a powerful woman, I put on red lipstick--I don't wear a baby pink sweater, you know? Don't get me wrong, I like having multiple options, and I think that women should be equal to men, but this whole thing is still kind of silly to me. If anything, couldn't they have done something more original to represent gender equality that baby girl pink and baby boy blue? I told my brother about this and even he said, "That's like we're doing something special this year for Christmas--the colors are RED and GREEN!" Ugh, sometimes I wish a color was just a color, and didn't have an agenda behind it. Or if it did have an agenda, they at least tried to get creative. Come on, people.
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| *Snores* I'm terrible, I know. |
1) BOBBI BROWN Shimmer Brick in Pink ($47) - The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks seem to have quite the cult following! These powder highlighters have been around for years--way before "strobing" became popular again. You can swirl all five shades together, for use them individually. They even work as eyeshadows! I've been wanting to get one of these for awhile. Dior used to make a similar highlighter called Rose Diamond (which seems to get overshadowed by their more popular Amber Diamond shade), but it has since been discontinued. Grab it if you can find it at an outlet somewhere!
2) LANCOME Juicy Tube in Marshmallow Electro - These lip glosses have been around forever, and they're a cult classic for a reason--they offer a sheer wash of color with a ton of shine and no stickiness. This particular shade is a sheer cool pink with some shimmer particles. I've never tried these, but I want to, and this might be the year I finally do!
3) STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Periwinkle ($22) - So many people in the beauty community talk about how much they love these liquid liners, with their fine felt tip and long-lasting color. I just ordered one for myself in the Indigo shade, I'm excited to find out if what they say is true! If all goes well, I might go ahead and pick up this shade, too. If the price is too steep for you, Sephora also makes a liquid eyeliner in a similar color for about half the price.
4) ESSIE Nail Polish in Saltwater Happy ($8) - When you buy an Essie polish, you know you're getting quality stuff. This color is from the Summer 2015 Collection, but since nail polishes are always coming and going, you might not be able to find it in stores. Luckily, it's on Amazon, as always.
5) LAURA MERCIER Caviar Stick in Pink Opal ($28) - Laura Mercier is a highly regarded brand by makeup artists, and I've been wanting to try one of her products for awhile. I've heard good things about these cream shadow sticks, and they've been on my wishlist for quite a bit. I was excited to see they make a pale pink shade--as a cream shadow fiend, I'll probably own it one day.
6) PHYSICIANS FORMULA Nude Wear Nude Glow Blush in Natural ($11.79) - Even though Physicians Formula is one of the most expensive makeup brands at a drugstore, I have to say I've never tried a product of theirs I didn't really like. I have their Happy Booster Blush in Natural, which is well-loved, and I'm sure this one is just as good. This one seems to be cooler in tone, and I've heard a lot of good things about this blush from my blogger buddies. It's on my list for sure!
7) MAC Power Blush in Full of Joy ($22) - This is a lavender blush from MAC's Frost line that is neither Rose Quartz nor Serenity-colored, but I think it'll compliment both of them. Sometimes it's hard to find a blush to pair with your makeup look, but I think this one is worth a shot. Especially if you're wearing powder blue on the eyes, this might be a good blush to try so you don't look like you've come straight out of the '80s (or like Mimi from The Drew Carey Show). You're also welcome to pair your powder blush with a warmer, pinker blush if you want. You do you.
8) STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Perwinkle ($20) - I'm sure you're not surprised to see another Stila product on this list, seeing that I rarely go a post without talking about them nowadays. I have this pencil eyeliner in another shade, and it is so easy to use. It's incredibly creamy without falling apart, and the staying power is awesome. If you're more of a pencil person like me, you might want to go this route. This liner and the liquid liner above both come in the shade Periwinkle, so you don't have to choose between color and formula! Best of all--this one is mechanical so no sharpening is required!
9) MAYBELLINE Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Inked in Pink ($7) - As stated earlier, I am a cream shadow fiend, so of course I've tried the Color Tattoos from Maybelline. If you want to get your Rose Quartz on, this is a great option. This color might be a bit darker than Rose Quartz, but the formula is awesome and these don't budge once you apply them. They also make great primers or bases for your powder eyeshadows. My only gripe is that since it's in a jar, it dries out after about a year or so if you don't use it frequently enough, so be sure to give it some love!
11) NAILS INC Gel Effect Nail Polish in Mayfaire Lane ($15) - I received this nail polish in my Lovely Day Birchbox, and I've grown to really like this formula! I find that these last longer on my nails than Deborah Lippman polishes, so I guess the "Gel Effect" in the name really does mean something. The color is pretty and neutral for every day, and the square-shaped top gives you more control when painting your nails. I reviewed another color in this range called Porchester Square if you want to hear more about the formula.
2) LANCOME Juicy Tube in Marshmallow Electro - These lip glosses have been around forever, and they're a cult classic for a reason--they offer a sheer wash of color with a ton of shine and no stickiness. This particular shade is a sheer cool pink with some shimmer particles. I've never tried these, but I want to, and this might be the year I finally do!
3) STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Periwinkle ($22) - So many people in the beauty community talk about how much they love these liquid liners, with their fine felt tip and long-lasting color. I just ordered one for myself in the Indigo shade, I'm excited to find out if what they say is true! If all goes well, I might go ahead and pick up this shade, too. If the price is too steep for you, Sephora also makes a liquid eyeliner in a similar color for about half the price.
4) ESSIE Nail Polish in Saltwater Happy ($8) - When you buy an Essie polish, you know you're getting quality stuff. This color is from the Summer 2015 Collection, but since nail polishes are always coming and going, you might not be able to find it in stores. Luckily, it's on Amazon, as always.
5) LAURA MERCIER Caviar Stick in Pink Opal ($28) - Laura Mercier is a highly regarded brand by makeup artists, and I've been wanting to try one of her products for awhile. I've heard good things about these cream shadow sticks, and they've been on my wishlist for quite a bit. I was excited to see they make a pale pink shade--as a cream shadow fiend, I'll probably own it one day.
6) PHYSICIANS FORMULA Nude Wear Nude Glow Blush in Natural ($11.79) - Even though Physicians Formula is one of the most expensive makeup brands at a drugstore, I have to say I've never tried a product of theirs I didn't really like. I have their Happy Booster Blush in Natural, which is well-loved, and I'm sure this one is just as good. This one seems to be cooler in tone, and I've heard a lot of good things about this blush from my blogger buddies. It's on my list for sure!
7) MAC Power Blush in Full of Joy ($22) - This is a lavender blush from MAC's Frost line that is neither Rose Quartz nor Serenity-colored, but I think it'll compliment both of them. Sometimes it's hard to find a blush to pair with your makeup look, but I think this one is worth a shot. Especially if you're wearing powder blue on the eyes, this might be a good blush to try so you don't look like you've come straight out of the '80s (or like Mimi from The Drew Carey Show). You're also welcome to pair your powder blush with a warmer, pinker blush if you want. You do you.
8) STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Perwinkle ($20) - I'm sure you're not surprised to see another Stila product on this list, seeing that I rarely go a post without talking about them nowadays. I have this pencil eyeliner in another shade, and it is so easy to use. It's incredibly creamy without falling apart, and the staying power is awesome. If you're more of a pencil person like me, you might want to go this route. This liner and the liquid liner above both come in the shade Periwinkle, so you don't have to choose between color and formula! Best of all--this one is mechanical so no sharpening is required!
9) MAYBELLINE Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Inked in Pink ($7) - As stated earlier, I am a cream shadow fiend, so of course I've tried the Color Tattoos from Maybelline. If you want to get your Rose Quartz on, this is a great option. This color might be a bit darker than Rose Quartz, but the formula is awesome and these don't budge once you apply them. They also make great primers or bases for your powder eyeshadows. My only gripe is that since it's in a jar, it dries out after about a year or so if you don't use it frequently enough, so be sure to give it some love!
10) MALLY Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eye Liner in Pink Champagne ($18) - Let me tell you how awesome this eyeliner is. Like the Stila Smudge Sticks mentioned above, this shimmery pink eyeliner is the perfect color for brightening your eyes. I like to use it on my lower and upper lash lines. You can also apply a thick line of this to your upper lash line, followed by a line of black liquid eyeliner over it on the top, to make your eyes really stand out. Sometimes I'll apply it all over my eyelid, too, just for some extra pinky goodness. These pencils also have great staying power and are very creamy (the shimmery ones might actually be a little too creamy if you apply too much pressure). I own about eight of these in different shades, if that tells you anything.
11) NAILS INC Gel Effect Nail Polish in Mayfaire Lane ($15) - I received this nail polish in my Lovely Day Birchbox, and I've grown to really like this formula! I find that these last longer on my nails than Deborah Lippman polishes, so I guess the "Gel Effect" in the name really does mean something. The color is pretty and neutral for every day, and the square-shaped top gives you more control when painting your nails. I reviewed another color in this range called Porchester Square if you want to hear more about the formula.
12) BARE ESCENTUALS Blue Eyecolor in Blue Moon ($14) - BareMinerals (the mineral line of Bare Escentuals) definitely has their eyeshadow formula down to a science. They have great pigmentation, a huge color range, and can be used wet or dry without affecting the rest of it like some pressed powder eyeshadows. I have quite a few of these, but not this color specifically. I don't use them as often as I should, just because the loose powder can get messy and cumbersome at times, but when I have time to really sit down and do my makeup, I like having fun with these. They used to make a great color, "Cherish" that I mentioned in my Spring Product Picks, which would have been great for Rose Quartz. But, sadly it was only sold for a limited time.
Are you shocked by the fact that there's only one lip product on this list? Honestly, I could have gone on all day when it comes to pink lipsticks, but I think those are the easiest to find, and I didn't want this post to get any longer than it already is! If you're looking for a recommendation, NYX might be a good first place to check out. I can never get over how inexpensive their products are for the quality! Check out their Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sydney ($6), or if you're more of a traditional lipstick person, you might like their Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Baby Pink ($4). I've had my eye on both of these, but haven't been able to make the plunge yet, since I already have so much in my collection. What's your favorite pink lipstick? As some of you said in the comments of my most recent Lipstick Collection post, you love your pinks!
What do you think of the Pantone 2016 Colors of the Year?
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Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. Some affiliate links included. Top two images are from Pantone's website.
