Colour is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral. With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanising and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial PANTONE Living Coral hit is responsive chord.
Leatrice Eiseman,
Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute
I love this annual exploration of all things Pantone and this years colour of the year is one which brings a sense of fun. PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral is a colour which is frequently found in nature and has been chosen to act as a foil to todays busy digital world; reminding us in a lighthearted way to reconnect. A beautiful colour (not one I would personally wear outside of make-up, although I know many who would/do), PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral is evocative of the hugely diverse and vivid aquatic ecosystem made up by reef building corals.
The colour Gurus at Pantone make a number of suggestions for colour palettes which integrate Living Coral. Sitting alongside deep greens and muted olives it adds a pop of colour; when used with pinks and oranges it creates a positively tropical feel.
Coral is a colour which is so prevalent in make-up, so here are some of my suggestions for how to wear PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral – well the green beauty equivalent...
Lips are probably the first place you would think of when it comes to coral, so I’m kicking off with Gingersnap lipstick from Bite Beauty‘s Amuse Bouche collection ($26.00). Push It satin lip crayon from Ilia Beauty is a real showstopper of a shade; a bold, punchy red toned coral which isn’t for the feint hearted. Another option is RMS Beauty’s Flight of Fancy (£30.00) from the Wild With Desire range; a beautiful vibrant coral. For those of you who prefer your corals to be on the pinker side then check out Absolution’s Papaya (£24.00). The Kjaer Weis Lip Tint in Sweetness (£35.00) is another great choice, with Coral from Couleur Caramel (£15.00) also making my list.
Bridging the gap between lips and cheeks is one of my favourites, the wonderful Smile Lip2Cheek from RMS Beauty (£34.00) – I think it was the first ever product I purchased from RMS too! Wearing coral on the cheek is something which most people can get away with as it is a flattering shade almost (but not totally) universally. Benecos Natural Powder Blush in Sassy Salmon (£5.95) is another option and at a great price point too! Another favourite is Joyful from Kjaer Weis (£41.00/£24.00).
A product which is an all rounder is always favourable and the summery Sanguinello from (M)anasi all over colour 7 (£39.00) is a recent discovery. It can be applied to lips, cheeks and eyes and worn as a stand alone product or blended with others from the range if desired. Another multitasker is Amelia Lumiere Luminous Complexion Fluid from Gressa (£27.00), a concentrated pop of colour which can be worn on the lips, cheeks or eyelids!
Coral eyeshadow is harder to come across however I have come up with a couple of options. Coral Rose from Zao (£16.00) has a lovely pearly finish. If you like a bit of shimmer then try Ere Perez’s Pausha ($15.00AUS) – I’m not sure if this is available anywhere as a refill in the UK but it is certainly part of the Chamomile Eye Palette. Finally if you don’t mind investing in a platte then try the Point Break Palette from Nude & Noir (£43.00), the shade Coral fits the theme perfectly.
I’ve come up with three suggestions if you want to keep coral to nails only. I’m loving Gypsy by Kure Bazaar (£14.00) which is a peach tone with a cream finish. Mavala are one of my favourite brands for my kit and Coral Bay (£4.95) is my pick from them. My final products inspired by PANTONE 16-1546 is Zoya’s Heidi (£11.70).
Are you planning on rocking Living Coral in 2019?
Images: (1) Pantone; (2) LJS-OMUA
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