Marsala Pantone Color of the Year 2015

The coming new year brings us a brand new Pantone Color of the Year. After much deliberation for the lucky 2015 hue, the committee settled upon Marsala, a reddish-brown shade. Pantone believes that Marsala will "embody a certain amount of confidence and stability."  Typically Pantone's announcement is made to great fanfare but this year the reaction has been more subdued. It's been compared to rust, dried blood, and 90's lipstick, not to mention what the blog The Cut had to say about it:
It's a color that makes you want to go to Olive Garden or order Tampax in bulk.
Personally, I'm fine with Marsala. In my eyes it's a base or foundation color, it's there to make another color pop out somewhere. However, I believe Marsala is going to have limited uses. Pantone has envision the color everywhere, from furniture to cosmetics but ultimately, I don't think it's going to do well. The comparisons to a Clinique lipstick from the 90's isn't too far off; Marsala really does feel dated despite its more or less classic shade.

I'd also like to issue a warning: when it comes to cosmetics, Marsala and similar shades can be aging. It's fantastic and very wearable as eyeshadow, but you should be wary around lipsticks and blushes. Granted, I loved the 90s very much--I spent more time in raves then I'd care to admit to--but I don't feel the need to return to the cosmetic aesthetics.

If you'd like to see more selections in Marsala, head over to my new Pinterest board!