Pantone 2018 Color of the Year Is "Ultra Violet"

One of the most highly-anticipated news events about December: the Pantone announcement for its next Color of the Year choice. OK, maybe it's not the most highly-anticipated of all news events, per se, but it is exciting because, unlike most of the news cycle we are currently experiencing, it is not incredibly disheartening and soul-crushing. And on that note, I must inform you that the color of the year is called Ultra Violet — and that it is an extremely pretty shade which will potentially convince you to try purple hair (perhaps even purple blush, as Rihanna did earlier this year).

The striking, vivid-yet-not-quite-neon purple hue was announced early on Thursday morning, according to the New York Times, which also reports that Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman says that the shade "communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking." This seems like a perfectly reasonable observation, in my opinion — after all, it has been a favorite of many famously genius creatives, the most famous of whom is certainly Prince.

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Like many editors at Allure, I have tried many hair colors in my day. In fact, I currently have entirely brown hair in my natural color for the first time since I was 12. I am 28. That is a long, long time — and I'll admit that I am quite bored. Seeing as Ultra Violet is anticipated by Pantone to be the hottest color of 2018, perhaps it is time for me to give into my urges and, at long last, try the "pangenta" hair-color trend that we recently wrote about.

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More stories to fill your day with pretty purples:

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Now, see our 2017 Best of Beauty winners in the Lips category:

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