
Color Me Millennial Pink

Just one look at the Poppy Sea'd home page, and it's pretty obvious that I'm obsessed with pink. I don't know when this love for rosy hues started, but my loyalty has been firm for as long as I can remember. So one could imagine how thrilled I was when millennial pink and rose gold dominated pop culture's color palette in the late 2010's. Almost anything I own is coated in the sugary shade of powder pink, but naturally, I was curious as to why my coveted color was making its strut across iPhones, makeup, and Disney ears.
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Sugar turned to Saccharine
My investigation soon led me to Sara Cwynar's short film, Rose Gold. Her brilliant piece was a social commentary on consumerism and the dynamic duo of pink and consumption. The lovely shade that I associated with comfort and beauty was starting to lose its rose petals, revealing a slightly wilted reality. Cwynar spotlights the use of pink in brands such as Melamine and Avon, suggesting that a consumer's desire is satisfied with what appears to be a warm and sweet color of femininity. However, like the pink plastic cups, our longing for happiness is short-lived if satisfied with material items that promote social acceptance, as opposed to self-love.
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Being an advertising enthusiast and loyal fan of baby pink, I found myself either playing evil's advocate or evaluating this new realization with grace. Does this necessarily mean I will stop painting my routine in millennial pink? Most likely not, but I will certainly be more conscious of the world around me by tilting my rosy-hued glasses once in a while. Even when Rose Gold slowly fades out of fashion, I will still be keeping my Briar Rose Gold Minnie Ears and Glossier cloud paints.
"Life is full of indulgences, and we can enjoy them even more by consuming with intention."
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Even the Peruvian horizon indulges in millennial pink once in a while.
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Credit: Sara Cwynar: Rose Gold

