Pantone Color of the Year 2022: Very Peri

For the first time in the history of Pantone's Color of the Year, a new shade has been created - PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri. This joyous blue with a violet-red undertone displays carefree confidence and daring curiosity. Very Peri fuses color trends in modern life and the digital world - drawing from trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and the digital artistic community. According to Pantone, Very Peri represents a landscape of possibilities in transformative times, placing the future ahead in a new light.

​But who is Pantone? 

Pantone was originally a printing company in New Jersey that specialized in color charts for the cosmetic, fashion and medical industries. Keeping color consistent was not an easy task. Just think about it in the salon - one client’s request for “brown hair” could be interpreted many ways. Do they want gold undertones? Or a cooler shade? Chestnut? Auburn? Espresso?

This confusion is what led Lawrence Herbert, one of Pantone’s employees, to buy the business in 1962 and create a universal language of color with specific formulas (just like when you mix hair color) to standardize exact color matches. If someone wanted a color, they’d ask for a Pantone number, and it would be the same exact color across the globe. His first Pantone Matching System had 10 colors in 1963. With thousands of colors today, Pantone is the industry standard world-wide for color with over 10 million users. 

This simplifies the process for graphic designers who are working with manufacturers and retailers. It helps in branding, logos, nail polishes, car colors and any product that has a color involved. Pantone keeps colors consistent.

​How is the Color of the Year Chosen?

Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute, a consulting service within Pantone that forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color in brand identity and product development, has selected a Color of the Year. To choose the Color of the Year, Pantone’s color experts examine world-wide trends. This can include the entertainment industry, popular art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design and popular travel destinations. Factors such as the economy, street life, social media politics and beauty trends in different areas are huge influences, as well.  

“The Pantone Color of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. As society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication and as a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red-violet-infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lie before us.” 

VerY Peri and the Beauty Industry

In a press release announcing the Color of the Year, Pantone also breaks down each industry and how the Color of the Year relates to it. Here are two industries of interest for beauty professionals and stylists.
 

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From hair color shades to nail lacquer for clients, here are three featured products with the Very Peri color palette to introduce to your clients.
 

Rusk Deepshine Direct, 3.4 oz
Easily mix a custom Very Peri shade using these vibrant cream colors, no developer required.
 
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OPI Nail Lacquer, .5 oz (You're Such a Budapest)
This periwinkle-purple creme shade is also available in OPI Gel Color.
 
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GiGi Relaxing Lavender Hard Wax Beads, 14 oz
Infused with relaxing Lavender essential oil, this shimmering periwinkle wax is ideal for sensitive skin.
 
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