Powder Blush
Psychology, History, Fashion + Interior Design, Branding & Pantone®
Happy Tuesday! This week’s color is powder rose, a soft blush pink shade that serves ballet, silk couture, and Rococo art. It’s also very Libra, making it perfect for mid-October.
Psychology
This gentle shade of pink has the ability to soothe the senses. It feels comfortable and approachable, but also composed and confident at the same time. It carries both diplomacy and grace (just like a Libra).
Brief History
This muted pink traces its roots to 17th- and 18th-century France, when blush powders and rouges embodied the era’s beauty ideals, which were very rosy cheeks and lips.
Check out this painting of Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s chief patroness of the arts, applying some blush powder:
The makeup was usually blended from rice powder or chalk with botanical or animal-derived pink pigments.
During the Rococo era, this urbane pink was essentially shorthand for cultivated luxury, a sign of refined taste and elegance. This style was seen across architecture, interiors, and fashion.
In the 19th century, this dusty pink shade continued being popular in interiors and fashion as a modest alternative to more saturated colors, and in the 20th century it began to represent ballet, cosmetics, satin, and couture.
And today, it is still very much considered timeless and used across all forms of design and art. Let’s get into it.
Fashion
Chanel Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear
In Chanel’s Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection, Powder Rose appeared in textured tweed and airy tulle in these two monochromatic looks.
Anna October Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear
In Anna October’s Fall 2025 RTW collection, the satin skirt in the pink shade softens the harshness of a structured brown blazer. Army ballerina?
Interior Design
As this pink is Rococo-inspired, it only makes sense to show a couple classic Rococo interiors. Very ornate, with lots of gold detailing, as you can see.
Now, let’s look at a couple interiors that reinterpret the shade through a more contemporary lens. Paired with bold shapes, textured finishes, and warm neutrals, powder blush feels more grounded than sweet.
Branding
In branding, this pink shade works well for industries like beauty, fashion, and decadent sweets. It communicates sophistication while maintaining a sense of calm, approachable luxury.
Speaking of decadent sweets, Ladurée uses powder pink as a signature brand color. It pairs the pastel color with gold detailing to evoke Parisian elegance (like Rococo) and delicate macaron indulgence.
Pantone® & More
If you’re interested in working with this pink shade, a close Pantone match I found was “Lotus” 14-1905 TCX. I’ve included the HEX, RGB, and CMYK color details below as well.
HEX: #E8C4C4
RGB: 232, 196, 196
CMYK: 0, 15, 15, 9
Once again, thank you so much for reading, and hopefully you learned something new about today’s Rococo-inspired pink! If you enjoyed reading, please give this post a like so I know what you guys want to see more of :)
And tell me, which color should I feature next? See you next Tuesday!