Purple and pink are two popular colors that complement each other beautifully. By mixing the right shades of purple with other colors, you can create stunning pink hues. In this article, we’ll explore what you can mix with purple to make pink and provide tips for getting the perfect pink shade.
Using Red to Make Pink
One of the easiest ways to make pink from purple is by adding red. Red and purple are opposite colors on the color wheel, so they balance each other out and allow you to create a range of pink shades.
Start by choosing a vivid purple, such as violet or fuchsia. Add small amounts of bright red and mix thoroughly. Keep adding red and mixing until you achieve the pink hue you want.
Too much red will make the color lean more towards red. But adding it slowly will give you more control over the pink tone.
This technique works best with paints, dyes, frostings, cosmetics, and more. For example, mix a few drops of red food coloring into purple icing to create pink icing for desserts. Or combine purple eye shadow with a red-based blush on your eyelids to get a pink shadow.
You can also do this digitally by using photo editing or design software. Select a purple color and slowly increase the red tones until you get the ideal pink variation.
Mixing Purple with White
Another way to dial down the intensity of purple and make it more pink is by adding white to it. White lightens and softens purple, making it less saturated.
Start with a dark or bright purple and stir in white paint, dye, ink or frosting. For paint, start by adding just a few drops of white and mixing thoroughly. Keep adding white until it lightens into your desired pink tone.
When working with darker shades of purple like eggplant or plum, you’ll likely need to add more white to make it noticeably more pink. But go slowly, as too much white will make the color look washed out.
This method also works great for cosmetics. Combine a bright purple lipstick with a white lipstick or gloss to create a custom pink lip shade.
Using Pink to Make a Lighter Shade
You can also lighten purple and give it a pinker look by mixing in a lighter shade of pink. This is useful when you want to slightly subdue a purple but maintain its reddish-pink tone.
Choose a pink that’s lighter than the purple you’re starting with. A soft baby pink works well for many bright or vivid purples. Mix the pink into the purple little by little until you achieve your desired color.
This technique is great for pastels, watercolors, and washable kids’ paints. It allows you to easily customize your own pink pastel palette starting from basic primary paint colors.
With cosmetics like eyeshadow or blush, use a fluffy brush to lightly dust a lighter pink shade overtop a purple base. This will sheer it out while keeping its pinkish hue.
Using Yellow for a Warm, Peachy Pink
Mixing yellow and purple yields a vibrant pink with warm, peachy undertones. The yellow offsets the blue tones of purple, leaving you with a pink that leans towards red-orange.
When mixing yellow and purple, start with equal parts of each. You can use paints, dyes, frostings or other colorful mediums. Add more yellow to make the color warmer and lighter. Add more purple to create a bolder pink.
For a pastel peach-pink, use a lighter purple like lilac. For a neon pink, opt for a brighter purple like neon violet. Adjust the amounts of each color to reach your perfect pink.
This technique is ideal for coloring frostings and candies. It also works well for fabrics, yarn and cosmetics. Mixing opposing colors like yellow and purple always produces eye-catching results.
Combining Purple and Orange
Along with yellow, orange is another color that complements purple beautifully. Mixing purple with various shades of orange yields pink hues ranging from salmon to coral.
Start with about equal parts purple and orange. You can use paint, food coloring, makeup or other colorful mediums. Adjust the amounts of each, adding more orange for lighter, warmer pinks. Add more purple for bolder fuchsia tones.
For a bright coral pink, use a vivid orange like neon orange. For a softer salmon pink, use a lighter orange like peach. Keep mixing until you achieve your ideal pink shade and intensity.
This technique is great for adding custom color to baked goods, candles, lip products, and handmade soaps. The purple and orange balance each other out while creating a lively pink color.
Mixing Complementary Colors Green and Red
While not a direct mix of purple, you can make pink by mixing the complementary colors green and red. Red and green are directly across from each other on the color wheel, so they counterbalance to create a perfect neutral.
Start by mixing equal parts of true red and green. Add more red for warmer, bolder pinks. Add more green for cooler, lighter pink tones. The resulting shade will be a vivid neutral pink.
You can use paints, food coloring, cosmetics or other colorful mediums. Adjust the proportions to reach your desired shade of pink.
This method provides a great way to make custom pink hair dyes or bold pink makeup looks. It gives you full control over the pink color result.
Diluting Grape Juice with Water
For an all-natural way to make pink, you can actually dilute purple grape juice with water. The pigments in concord grape juice produce a vivid purple hue. But when diluted with water, the shade lightens to a pleasing pink.
Pour a small amount of grape juice into a glass. For a lighter pink, dilute with more water. To make the color bolder, use less water. Mix together and adjust ratios as needed to get your perfect pink tone.
For the best results, use 100% pure concord grape juice with no added sugar or ingredients. You can also experiment with other purple fruit juices like acai or plum juice.
This method provides a fun way to make edible pink paints or dyes. But keep in mind that it may stain porous surfaces.
Mixing Food Coloring
Another handy way to make pink from items likely in your kitchen is by mixing red and blue food coloring. Red and blue are the other two primary colors, so combining them makes a vibrant secondary color – pink!
Add a few drops of red and blue food coloring into a bowl. Adjust the ratios until you get your desired shade of pink. Use more red coloring for warmer tones. Use more blue for cooler pink hues.
This is a great option for coloring frostings, candies, baked goods, and DIY projects at home. You likely already have red and blue food coloring on hand.
You can also mix red, blue, and purple coloring together. This allows you to easily customize the pink tone and intensity.
Combining Eye Shadow Colors
For makeup lovers, mixing eyeshadow is an easy way to create custom pink shades. You can combine various purple, red, and pink eye shadows to get signature pink looks.
Using a small brush, sweep one eyeshadow color onto the eyelid. Then lightly blend in a small amount of the second shade. Keep mixing and adjusting until you achieve your perfect pink.
Some color combinations to try include:
- Pale purple + nude pink
- Lavender + coral
- Eggplant + peach
- Lilac + cherry red
- Grape + peach pink
Having a good matte and shimmer shade of each color will allow you to make both matte and shimmery pinks. Get creative and make pink tones to match any makeup look or outfit.
Mixing Pink and Purple Lipstick
In a similar vein, you can blend together purple and pink lipsticks. This allows you to create a customized MLBB (my lips but better) shade of pink.
Select one cool-toned pink lipstick and one purple-toned lipstick. Apply the pink lipstick first as your base. Then use a small brush to pat on and blend the purple shade into the center of your lips.
You can also apply the purple lipstick first, and blend the pink into the center of the lips. Blend the two colors together for a seamless ombre pout.
Some lipstick pairings to try include:
- Mauve pink + plum
- Bubblegum pink + lilac
- Rose pink + violet
- Nude pink + lavender
Play with mixing lipstick shades to invent custom pinks that enhance your unique lip shape and skin tone.
Using Blush and Highlighter
For a quick and easy way to get a pink glow, sweep a purple-toned blush onto the apples of your cheeks. Then apply a peachy-pink highlighter on top.
Look for a cool-toned blush in a berry, mauve or pinkish-purple. Dust this on the upper half of your cheekbones. Next, blend a warm, shimmery highlighter like champagne or rose gold on top.
The two colors will mix together to create a lively pink flush. You can control the intensity by adjusting the amount of highlighter you apply.
This technique also works well with eyeshadow. Use a matte eggplant shadow as a base, and blend a shimmery peach shadow into the crease. The colors mix to form a gorgeous pink hue.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many creative ways to make pink by mixing purple with complementary colors. Whether you’re working with paints, makeup, food dyes or other colorful mediums, combining purple with reds, oranges, yellows and pinks produces stunning pink tones.
Keep these color mixing techniques in mind next time you want to create a custom pink shade. With a little experimenting, you’ll be able to invent unique pink hues to use for any project or look.
So explore the interactions between purple and other colors. You may discover a new favorite pink that becomes your signature shade.
