beauty
Every year there is a hue that rules the fashion scene. Fashion enthusiasts’ and beauty gurus eagerly look forward to what ‘global colour authority’ Pantone will dub the ‘Colour of the Year’, as it has an influence over popular trends in the industry.
For 2023, we have “a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength.” According to Pantone Color Institute, ‘Viva Magenta’ is brave and fearless, and a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.
Last year’s ‘Very Peri’ courageous presence encouraged personal inventiveness and creativity, this year’s hue will stand out with its vibrancy in your closets and makeup in many unique ways...
With tons of ‘vivacious’ makeup options everywhere, makeup is the easiest (and most exciting) way to delve into what this shade has to offer. Don’t be overwhelmed by its boldness and vibrancy, you will be surprised to see it will end up looking flattering on all skin tones. It is a hybrid colour and strikes a balance between warm and cool, red and purple, which means there is something here for everyone. You just need to know the right techniques and you’ll find how a little effort can turn into a gorgeous masterpiece.
The minimalist: If it’s only a subtle hint of pink you want on the eyes, add a touch of magenta eyeshade on the inner corners to open them up. Keep your face makeup minimal but opting for a CC cream or tinted moisturiser. For the lips you can go either bold or soft, depending on what mood you want to exude.
Simply chic: Take an inspiration from Florence Pugh’s look, which is the easiest to create. Pugh had the berry shade blended over her lids complemented with merely a black liner. To make it fancy, you can put on some falsies for a dramatic effect. Keep the lips muted with a rosy pink nude.
The smokey: For a smokey look, lean towards a matte taupe pink as your crease line and begin blending the berry tone over your lid. You can add a touch of gold in the centre of the lid for a little sparkle.
The cat-eye: Another effortless look is to make a bold magenta cat-eye. Similar to the minimalist look for your, create a cat-eye with a liner and you’ll be good to go.
Makeup Galore
Now, one may ask, where can you find this hue? There are a number of beauty products that offer this hue. Starting from eyeshadow palettes: Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette Volume 2; Huda Beauty Obsessions Palette in Ruby and Amethyst. And if you are looking for a bright pinky glow, Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lip & Cheek Glow in Colour of Passion is the way to go. It has a chiffon-sheer texture and is easy to blend on skin which is a perfect everyday blush you need. For the perfect liner: NYX Professional Epic Wear Liner in Pink Spirit and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil shade in Woodstock. For the lips, we have M.A.C Retro Matte Lipstick in Flat Out Fabulous and M.A.C Amplified Lipstick in Just Wondering; NYX Professional Makeup Shine Loud High Pigment in Another Level; Color Studio’s COLORPLAY in Love Song, Twisted and Smooch; Luscious Cosmetics Lipstick in shade Raspberry.
Powerful and empowering, this hue embodies the sort of confidence that will make you want to conquer the world. So, a boss lady surely requires a wardrobe well-suited to her.
As mentioned, even though the colour may seem leaning towards warm a skin tone, it has some cool undertones that work effortlessly for all skin tones.
A plain shalwaar kameez or a simple shirt paired with white or black trouser will work whether you are out for a casual outing or a business meeting. Magenta pants are also a good choice to pair with a patterned shirt. It’s not too in your face but it’s fashionable enough to get you noticed.
If you are a bride-to-be looking for a traditional look without the red, this is the colour you’re looking for. The versatility of this hue will work on any kind of undertone whether you want to pair it with gold, silver, or rose gold. It exudes a kind of elegance that is perfect for evening wears also.
Splash your tresses
“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” We all have heard, read and devoured the infamous words of Coco Chanel, because Coco knew the kind of power changing your hair has on you. And what better way to have a fresh start for the New Year, then with amazingly gorgeous hair.
This colour is bold and will bring out a new found confidence in you, encouraging you to welcome experimentation. This hue is not quite red but works in complement to it. You can try an ombré look. Leave your roots natural and incorporate this colour in an ombré style. The great thing about an ombré style is how beautifully it grows out. Because the style starts off with your natural colour, you won’t have to return to the salon for touch-ups so soon.
Moreover, if you want to go all out, you can also consider diving in and adding red highlights to your whole head of hair. Ask your colourist to start the colour about a half-inch away from your roots to ensure that your base colour still comes through.
As for your nails, there is so much you can do with this colour – nail art, simple manicure or French tips, you name it. This trendy colour is quickly going to become a fave and some shades that you can already find are as follows: OPI shade ‘Feelin’ Berry Glam’ and ‘Aurora Berry-alis’; Essie shade ‘Mrs always-right’ and ‘Big Spender’; Oriflame OnColour Nail Polish in shade ‘Vivid Raspberry’; Color Studio Haute Nail Color –in shade ‘Collide’; Revlon’s ColorStay Gel Envy in shade ‘Royal Flush.’
Accessorise & accentuate
If you are not willing to full-on embrace this colour, you can still get on-board with some accessories, like shoes, bags or sunglasses into a casual, everyday look. All you have to do is find the right pieces and voila, you can sneak the trendy combo into your overall ensemble.
For the chilly weather, you can opt for a berry shade scarf over a dark solid colour like black, navy or even dark green paired with simple black jeans. It will add oomph to any plain outfit. During summers, you can style your attire with some amazing stone jewellery atop light colours such as white or any shade from the pastel family. It will also be perfectly elegant at a formal event.
For some pretty trinkets, chunky stone jewellery is the way to go. An amethyst is what you’re looking for when it comes to statement earrings or a pendant. Paired with gold or silver, it will complement both metals equally. It will add a subtle touch of the colour trend to your neutral ensemble. And for the easiest and effortless way to try on the trendy hue is a handbag. Carry it anyway, it is bound to get noticed in a crowd.