As we close out 2022 and look toward a new year, one thing I am excited about is Pantone’s color of the year for 2023. If you are unfamiliar with Pantone, it’s a company that works with the graphic design, fashion, and product design industries to manufacture and support the rendering of color in raw materials like plastics, fabrics, and nylon. Their pick for “color of the year” sets trends and speaks to the general aesthetic of the times. For 2023 the color announced is “Viva Magenta”!
According to Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, viva magenta is “brave, it’s fearless, it’s pulsating, and it promotes optimism and joy.” Quite the tall order for a swatch of color. In clicking through some Google images of the shade, it is a bit hard to pin down. At first, you think fuchsia, but with less pink. It is not as orange as scarlet, and it’s far from primary as a standard bright red, while definitely appearing richer than a baby or Barbie pink. Viva magenta feels more complicated than those hues; I would be so bold as to suggest it is not really pink at all. It has more vigor than pink, and while magenta may not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of nature, it is definitely not an artificial shade.
In fact, the color is crimson red, hot pink, fuchsia, raspberry, and maroon, all at once. It’s flowery and natural, but it’s also slick and shiny, just as good for cosmetics and clothing as sports cars and cell phones. However, not being in the market for a sports car in 2023, I think I may experiment with this shade in makeup and accessories.
Unlike Pantone’s previous years’ colors of “Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray” for 2021 and “Very Peri” for 2022, this magenta can’t help but be a lipstick color that can brighten any look in the coming colder months. Glossier’s Ultralip in “vesper” is a rich fuchsia that comes close to Pantone’s “Viva Magenta.” At $18, it’s a moisturizing balm with the sheen of a gloss and is made to use as little or as much as you want, depending on how striking of a lip you’d like to sport.
Another lipstick that could fit the magenta bill is Mac’s Viva Glam lipstick. I mean, the product shares a name with the color; it’s a match made in makeup heaven. This shade is an intense brownish blue-red, so it is a bit on the dark side of viva magenta. It’s also a bit more matte than Glossier’s gloss, which may be more appropriate for those of us over 40. I am not suggesting women of a certain age can’t rock a shiny lip, but I find among my peers, less shine gives off a preferred sense of polish.
Speaking of polish, nail color is another way to play with viva magenta in the new year. Essie’s Purples Nail Polish collection comes in “Flowerista,” which is a bit of a plum mixed with a red type shade to kick off your nail game for 2023. There’s also Sally Hansen’s Therapy nail color in “Ohm My Magenta.” Again, can you go wrong with a product that shares part of the color’s name? I think not. And this nail polish also purports to be restorative and moisturizing, things anyone’s nails can benefit from during the colder season.
For accessories, you don’t have to limit yourself to jewelry, shoes, and handbags. There are headbands, bowties, cell phone cases, and kitchen items on offer in this vibrant shade. TeePublic.com has a literal Viva Magenta Color of the Year 2023 coffee mug featuring a drawing of a bunny colored in the official shade of magenta. Why a bunny? Well, you can double down on celebrating 2023 with this mug since it is also the year of the rabbit from the Chinese zodiac! Clever, no? They feature the same illustration on t-shirts and wall art. I can see a poster version of this colorful bunny on the nursery wall for any bundles of joy expected in 2023.
Other options for introducing magenta into your new year are Host’s wine freeze-cooling cups in translucent magenta from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. You can use these cups to cool wine in the fridge or keep them in the freezer for pre-chilled receptacles at the ready. Their vibrant shade will add a pop of color to any at-home happy hour.
What goes well with wine? Cornhole! Hayneedle features cornhole boards in a magenta crystal pattern for a very sophisticated take on this backyard game. With these boards, you can enjoy viva magenta into the summer and beyond!
I think the point of this color for this coming year is to have fun, be festive, and enjoy life. And what’s more fun than sporting a magenta lip, and nail, while drinking from a magenta cup and winning at cornhole with a magenta board all in one afternoon!
