How to Incorporate Ultraviolet into Your Outfits This Season

“A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”

— Pantone

Okay, I have to admit. I'm not exactly a big fan of the purple color group (except for lavender). But when I learned about what ultraviolet, 2018's Pantone color of the year, stands for, I started seeing the hue differently. "Originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking" are qualities that a creative mind should possess. So I now see it as a motivational color, because those are the elements I hope my work contain and reflect!

If you'd like to join me in embracing the color, here are some fun and simple ways to incorporate ultraviolet into your looks this season:

Wear It

I don't own a violet dress but I found a nice midi one on Rent the Runway, and styled two looks with it.

The first look is for a warmer winter day when the sun shines bright like the day I went for this shoot. I simply put on a black cutout knitwear from Asilio that I got on Asos (and is now on sale, by the way!) over the dress. And then I paired it with my over-the-knee boots from Stuart Weitzman (similar here and here). This look is more minimalistic, with a touch of edginess, thanks to the cable knit.

For the second look, I wore a thermal t-shirt and heattech leggings from Uniqlo under the dress and a warm faux fur-lined moto jacket from J.O.A. (similar here). I think ultraviolet is an intense color so I like that the suede and fur from the blush coat softens the overall look.

Nail It

A lot of nail polish brands came out with new ultraviolet shades. Butter London, for instance, actually launched a whole "Pantone Color of the Year" collection.

The color I have on is called Kimono Over from Essie.

Wing It

My daily eye makeup usually just involves an eyeliner and some mascara; I only use eyeshadow once in a while. So instead of applying ultraviolet eyeshadow all over my eyelids, I'd go for an ultraviolet eyeliner! If you're a makeup guru, you should definitely give it a try!

When using ultraviolet on your eyes, I personally prefer to tone down my lip color to avoid any color clashes.

Accessorize It

Purple jewelry reminds me of my grandmother; she has a large collection of earrings and rings in different shades of purple. I probably would have borrowed some of her pieces to wear if I was in Taiwan. But I gotta work with what I have, and luckily (and coincidently), I got a pair of fun earrings in ultraviolet from Earfleek earlier this week!

For those of you who haven't heard of Earfleek, it's a monthly subscription service that sends you a pair of earrings every month! It's so affordable, too, which is amazing. If you want to try it out, use HAPPILY50 for 50% off your first month!

Decorate It

If you really can't see yourself wearing, using or applying anything ultraviolet, then consider buying some purple flowers to decorate your space instead!

A few days ago, I received a bouquet named Ultraviolet from UrbanStems, an online flower boutique that offers same-day delivery and subscriptions. The bouquet arrived in a neat package that protects the flowers and keeps its up straight.