What is it about this shade of pink that inspires so many industries and brands, and is universally beloved by millennials?

Millennial Pink might just be the first color to define a generation. That would explain the enduring popularity of this distinct shade of pink that has captured the imagination of so many industries including fashion, interior design, houseware, technology and, of course, beauty.

So, what exactly is Millennial Pink? First of all, here is what it’s not. Millennial Pink is not Barbie pink. It is not a pastel. It is not a saccharine, bubble gum pink that transports little girls to princess-land.

Millennial Pink is a totally different kind of pink. It is a warmer, muted shade of pink with blue notes taken out.

“Millennial Pink is a difficult-to-define hue – kind of pink, kind of beige – that kind of describes the millennial generation,” said Mark Woodman, Designer and Color Stylist, and past President of the Color Marketing Group, a global color forecasting group. “At one point we called it Blush, but it has more energy than blush.”

To confuse matters further, Millennial Pink also goes by other names including Tumblr Pink, Scandi Pink, Rose Quartz (Pantone’s name for its peachy-pink color of 2016, in conjunction with Serenity, a periwinkle blue), and ‘SHIM’, a confluence of ‘she’ and ‘him’, the Color Marketing Group’s original name for Millennial Pink when it first emerged in 2013/14.

“SHIM described Millennial Pink’s non-gender-based attitude,” said Mark. “The concept behind the color is gender fluidity, gender blending and gender-changing, as opposed to skin tone.” Pink is not synonymous with skin in today’s diverse and multicultural world, Mark pointed out.

Indeed, in this age of sexual fluidity, androgyny underlies Millennial Pink’s ubiquitous appeal. “The color has grabbed millennials because it is gender neutral. Some versions are fairly dusty, and this is what makes it work across genders. Today, it’s about gender equality, which person is right for the job, not which man or woman is right for the job. Millennials are not concerned with gender roles. It’s a new world going forward,” he said.

Millennial Pink is also a “quiet color of defiance. People may not be protesting out in the streets, but they are quietly defiant. Millennials are tired of hearing they’re not doing enough, that they don’t have enough drive. They are fed up with not being taken seriously.”

Moreover, in our globally tumultuous times, the color gains additional resonance for its ability to soothe and pacify. “Millennial Pink is a moment of quietude. There is so much uncertainty in politics and in society. Plus, technology is constantly bombarding us, pinging away, at home, at work, in our cars. We need respite, and we need to experience moments of quietude,” said Mark.

Millennial Pink continues to sell products across many different industries. The color is seen as fashion’s ‘new neutral.’. The hue is flexible enough to be paired with darker shades, such as black, grey and navy, as well as white, metallics and other pinks. Interior design companies have noticed consistently higher sales with their pink furniture items. Apple’s rose gold iPhone was a hit when it came out in 2015. On Instagram, Millennial Pink is a veritable phenomenon – there is even a popular account (#plantsonpink) featuring plants displayed against the shade as backdrop.

Millennial Pink is Glossier’s signature color, and a number of beauty brands have adopted the shade for their packaging and website design, including Herbivore, Frank Body, Kopari (coconut-powered skin care), and Australian brand Mint Skin. Kylie Cosmetics’ recently-launched Birthday Collection was packaged in Millennial Pink. The color combination of green (think botanicals) and Millennial Pink works particularly well for skin care. Moreover, milllennials are tiring of beauty brands foisting aspirational images on them, preferring instead a low-key brand identity that leaves scope for them to define their own identify.

The pervasiveness of the color is set to continue for least another couple of years, and will eventually lean toward yellow, while keeping its dirtied tone.

“The subtlety of Millennial Pink plays into the stories we are talking about for 2018/19,” said Mark. “A lot of color we see moving forward is a little muted. There’s a lot of dust being picked up. Yellow implies a tentative shift to optimism, and some forward-thinking companies have already introduced bits of yellow in their portfolios.”