Pantone's 2022 Color of the Year "Very Peri" Actually Makes a Pretty Good Hair Color

Every year, we get excited to learn what Pantone chose as its Color of the Year for one reason: we can immediately take it as hair color inspiration.

Luckily, 2022 has given us a real delight with its periwinkle shade "very peri." Part of the blue and violet family, periwinkle is the flattering in-between shade that forms a stunning pastel purple hue. The color isn't brand-new to the beauty scene (though Pantone's take on it is), it picked up steam in 2019 as a perfect pastel shade, but we're thrilled with its return.

"As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of Pantone 17-3938 'Very Peri' brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "'Very Peri' displays a spritely, joyous attitude, and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions," she added. This joyous element is exactly what makes it a great hair color choice. Even more so for the new year, which I'm sure we're all hoping brings more joy than the last two years have.

Now, as with most hair colors (especially big transformations or super colorful hues), we recommend leaving the job up to the professionals because it will always give you the best outcome. But, we know that these hues can come at a high expense, plus getting involved with some DIY dyeing can be fun. So if you're looking to try this out at home, we love Bleach London's Violet Skies Semi-Permanent Color Cream ($12) and Good Dye Young's Semi-Permanent Hair Color Lighter Daze in Stoned Pony ($20).

If you still need a little inspiration to make your mind up about Pantone's 2022 color of the year, read on to see some of our favorite periwinkle hair color ideas.