Here’s How to Wear Pantone’s 2019 Color of The Year For All Skin Tones

Pantone recently dubbed “living coral” as the official color of 2019, a highly anticipated announcement we look forward to every year. Naturally, the color of the year announcement is especially exciting to the beauty industry, as it often helps shape and influence major trends in color cosmetics. Unlike last year’s ultra violet election, this year’s coral hue is so much more wearable when it comes to beauty.

The color institute describes living coral as “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.” We couldn’t agree more, especially since coral makeup is flattering on virtually any skin tone. According to LA-based editorial and celebrity makeup artist Bree Stanchfeild, “Coral and peach makeup is universally flattering because it’s a neutral color; meaning it’s equal parts cool and warm….It gives everyone a very youthful fresh faced look.”

Living Coral, of course is a distinctive iteration under the multifaceted coral branch, with slightly golden undertones, but you can rock the Pantone-approved hue regardless of your skin coloring with a few slight tweaks to make sure it pops. “Fair skin types should stick with the softer corals and peaches, [like] Bobbi Brown’s lipstick in guava,” Stanchfeild advises. Olive and medium skin tones on the other hand can really get away with any shade of coral makeup. “YSL lipstick in peach passion is one of my absolute favorites.” Unfortunately, it looks like YSL discontinued this shade, but we’ve linked a similar hue in the same creamy formula below.

According to Stanchfield, dark and deep skin tones are able to pull off brighter corals and tangerine shades; “Dose of Colors matte liquid lipstick in coral crush is a show stopper!” she says. There are also plenty of staple coral cosmetics that will work for all skin tones and undertones, including Stanchfield’s favorite new addition to her makeup kit. “MAC strobe cream in peachlite [can be used as a primer or moisturizer] and it’s an amazing base for literally everyone. It gives a subtle peachy glow.”

While pink and rose gold eyeshadow looks became wildly popular this year, opting for a coral hued eye is a bit more user-friendly and universally flattering if you’re curious to try the trend without running the risk of looking like you caught pink eye (there’s a fine line between chic and looking sick with pink eye looks, after all). Armed with an array of various gradients of corals, peaches, and pinks, Too Faced’s Just Peachy Velvet Matte Eyeshadow Palette offers a broad spectrum of buttery cream transition shades, bold and muted peach and corals, and rich brown and burgundy shades to add dimension.

This palette’s impressive range of color choices that will with a wide range of skin tones from ultra fair to deep. “[It’s] one of the best palettes to play with,” says Stanchfield. Another favorite? For medium, olive, and deeper skin tones, Stanchfiled loves the newly launched Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette by Huda Beauty because it includes an array of highly pigmented tangerine shades for a pop as well as transitional shades in both mattes and shimmers.

Ahead, more products for taking on this year’s color du jour.

Nordstrom.

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick in Guava

This true coral shade pops on fair to light skin tones.

$37 at Nordstrom

Nordstrom.

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-in-Stick Lipstick in Corail Intuitive

This muted coral is a great alternative to a traditional nude lip.

$38 at Nordstrom

ULTA.

Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick in Coral Crush

This longwearing formula is great choice for a bold statement lip, and is especially flattering on deeper skin tones.

$18 at Ulta

Nordstrom.

MAC Cosmetics Peachlite Strobe Cream

A peach-infused spin off to the multi-functional cult status product.

$34 at Nordstrom

Sephora.

Huda Beauty Obsessions Palette in Topaz

The perfect mixed of richly pigmented mattes and shimmers for warm coral eye.

$24 at Sephora

Sephora.

Too Faced Sweet Peach Papa Don’t Peach Blush

This bronzy peach blush has a slight shimmer and offers buildable color payoff, making it suitable for fair to medium skin tones.

$30 at Sephora

Glossier.

Glossier Cloud Paint Blush in Dawn

This sheer, buildable gel-cream blush in the orange-coral shade “Dawn” looks downright stunning on deep skin tones.

$18 at Glossier

Sephora.

Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes Eyeshadow Palette

The most versatile and universally flattering matte coral palette we’ve found so far.

$45 at Sephora

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