Cruelty Free Makeup for Pantone’s Color of the Year 2016

Every year, PANTONE comes out with a “color of the year.” What is that all about? Basically, they take a broad look at pop culture, food, home decor, fashion, makeup, even movies – and try to sum it all up in a color (or more than one color). I once listened to a PANTONE executive speak on this subject at a marketing conference. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be! Consider it similar to the trends that fashion designers and makeup artists come up with – often a year or 6 months before the season. Since PANTONE is the reigning King (Queen?) of color, it’s only natural that they would come up with colors that match the zeitgeist of the year ahead.

With my background in marketing (and a little bit of graphic design), I used to always have a PANTONE Matching System (AKA PMS!) at my side. We used the colors to make sure our printed materials were the exact color we wanted. Computer screens are all calibrated differently, and choosing an exact color in Photoshop can be tricky without a guide. When using a company logo, the color always had to match the exact PANTONE color as described in the branding materials. PANTONE was a must! Now that I am a blogger and owner of a social media agency, I’m rarely working on printed material, but I still miss my PANTONE book. 🙂

For 2016, the colors are Rose Quartz (a pale, delicate pink) and Serenity (a soothing light blue). Photo above courtesy of PANTONE Color Institute on Instagram.

This is what they had to say about their 2016 color choices:

“As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.

The prevalent combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity also challenges traditional perceptions of color association.

In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design. This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumer’s increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage.”

I love the concept of harmony and calm – especially with all the craziness going on in the world right now – wars, terrorist attacks, mass shootings in public places, police violence, politicians raging out of control – we need some calm! Everyone start doing yoga and practicing meditation (and that includes me – I need to do more of that)!

I like to think the Rose Quartz shade matches the pink of a bunny’s nose! And Serenity makes me think of a relaxing spa or rippling river. Since makeup is my bag, here are the cruelty free makeup products I found that match the new PANTONE colors for 2016!

Pink, pink, pink! There are so many pink shades – you can find the shade that is most flattering for your skin tone. Rose Quartz has cool undertones, which can be a great all-over eyeshadow shade or a highlight to give eyes some dimension. And you can definitely wear Rose Quartz on your lips – whether it’s a light flush of color or a dramatic pink.

The NARS Spring 2016 limited-edition collection includes three Dual-Intensity eyeshdaows, two lip glosses, two lipsticks, one duo eyeshadow, and one blush. It has two great Rose Quartz shades – Impassioned blush and Kari Dual Intensity Eyeshadow. These cool toned pinks are so gorgeous! You can use them dry for a light touch of pink, or wet for a dramatic look. The NARS Spring 2016 Color Collection is available at NARSCosmetics.com and at NARS boutiques on January 15th, then at Sephora and specialty stores on February 1st, 2016.

These Hard Candy eyeshadow palettes are very affordable (you can find them at Wal-Mart stores). I was impressed with the formulas. Although not as highly pigmented as some brands, the shades in the Pinking of You palette are very wearable, and I’ve found myself reaching for them often. The pink shades can be layered to give a beautiful glow to the eyes. Or you can use the darker shades to create a more dramatic look. Several shades resemble Rose Quartz. I think the 5th shade from the left looks the most similar. What do you think? Tip: use the Hard Candy Eyes the Limit Shimmer Shadow Primer underneath to increase the staying power and increase the color intensity.

The Glitterazi Call Me Sparkles palette is a glitter lover’s dream! The pink glitter eyeshadow will make your Rose Quartz eyeshadow look POP! The creamy glitter shades are surprisingly full of glitter and they go on like buttah! You know how some glitter palettes are mostly a gel-like substance with flakes of glitter that don’t stick together easily? Not this palette! These shades would look great layered over eyeshadow for a big sparkle!

The Hard Candy Sassy Eyes palette comes with several very wearable shades, a mini primer, a mini Take Me Out eyeliner, mirror, sponge tip applicator and a how-to guide. You can create a subtle daytime look, or a dramatic smoky eye. The shadows can be used dry or applied with a wet brush for a stronger, deeper application. The shade “Demure” is a cool toned pink – very similar to Rose Quartz. It’s a little too light for my pale skin, but would be beautiful on a darker skin tone.

Anastasia Beverly Hills lip gloss in Pastel Pink is a very highly pigmented gloss that can be worn alone or layered over lipstick. It has a bit of a stain and a super glossy finish. And, it’s got a pretty Rose Quartz vibe – a bit more dramatic though – like a bubble gum pink. Most importantly to me – it’s NOT sticky! I can’t deal with sticky glosses!

Now for the Serenity blues! These are most wearable as eyeshadows or liners, but some of you can pull off blue lippies, so here are my cruelty free picks!

The NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in “Pacific” is a pretty, slightly shimmery blue – very similar to Serenity. You can use it as a liner or an all-over the lid color. I recommend using a primer to help it last all day. The NYX Macaron Lippie in Earl Grey (MALS08) is a beautiful, highly pigmented powder blue, but a little out of my comfort zone (and maybe out of my age group!). But I would love to see this on someone who could pull it off – maybe with a head of pink mermaid hair?

Hard Candy Walk the Line Liquid Eyeliner in Silver Sky is very pretty – a shimmery pale blue that closely resembles Serenity. It’s super shimmery and makes eyes pop! The Hard Candy Fierce Effects Daring Lip Gloss in Skyfall is so pigmented! It’s not a color I could pull off easily, but could be so pretty on the right person.

What other shades have you found that match the new PANTONE colors? Let me know in the comments below!