Shocking pink
A vivid magenta-pink named for Elsa Schiaparelli’s 1937 perfume box
Shocking pink is a striking, bright shade of magenta-pink. The name comes from the lettering on the box for Elsa Schiaparelli’s perfume, inspired by a famous pink diamond. Its boldness has made it a symbol of daring style and youth movements, and it is known by different names in various countries.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Named after Elsa Schiaparelli’s 1937 perfume box
- Inspired by a famous pink diamond owned by Daisy Fellowes
- Known as 'rosa-choque' in Brazil
- Shirley Muldowney raced a shocking pink dragster
- Called 'hot pink' and 'kinky pink' in North America
What colour is Shocking pink?
Shocking pink is a very bright, eye-catching pink with a strong magenta tone. It stands out from softer pinks by its intensity and almost electric look. The colour is often used to make a bold statement and is instantly recognisable for its vividness.
Where does Shocking pink come from?
The name comes from the perfume 'Shocking', created for Elsa Schiaparelli in 1937. The lettering on the perfume’s box used this particular pink, which was inspired by a large pink diamond called the Tête de Belier, once owned by Daisy Fellowes. The colour’s name and style were linked to the world of high fashion and luxury.
Where Shocking pink is used
Shocking pink has been used in fashion and design to stand out and attract attention. It has also appeared in popular culture, such as on the dragster driven by Shirley Muldowney. The colour’s boldness made it a symbol in youth movements and style revolutions.
Pink around the world
What the pink and magenta family means from country to country.
The president's office in Buenos Aires is the Casa Rosada, the Pink House. A popular story says its paint once had ox blood mixed in, though this is not proven.
Politics and protestSource: Casa RosadaThe third day of the New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground is Jane McGrath Day. The crowd wears pink to raise money for breast cancer nurses.
Protection and healingHopeSource: McGrath FoundationThe Rose Valley near Kazanlak grows pink damask roses for rose oil. The harvest in late May and June is marked by a festival and the crowning of a Rose Queen.
Nature and renewalFestival and celebrationJoySource: Rose Valley, BulgariaToulouse is called la Ville Rose, the pink city, for the soft pink brick of its old buildings.
Nature and renewalSource: ToulouseIn November 2003 protesters entered parliament carrying roses, and the president resigned without bloodshed. The change of power is called the Rose Revolution.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Rose RevolutionAt Holi, the spring festival of colours, friends and strangers smear each other with gulal, a coloured powder. Pink and red gulal are the best known shades.
Festival and celebrationJoySource: HoliShades and relatives of Shocking pink
In British English, the name 'shocking pink' stayed the same. In North America, the same shade was later called 'hot pink' and 'kinky pink' at different times. In Brazil, it is known as 'rosa-choque' and sometimes 'rosa-pink' for similar bright pinks. In German, 'shocking pink' is simply called 'Pink', while lighter pinks are called 'rosa'.
Colours that go with Shocking pink
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FC0FC0. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Shocking pink
What colour is shocking pink?
Shocking pink is a very bright, intense pink with a strong magenta hue. It is much more vivid than most other pinks.
Where does the name 'shocking pink' come from?
The name comes from the pink lettering on the box of Elsa Schiaparelli’s perfume, created in 1937. The shade was inspired by a large pink diamond.
Is shocking pink the same everywhere?
The name and meaning can change. In Britain, it is still called 'shocking pink'. In North America, it was also called 'hot pink' and 'kinky pink'. In Brazil, it is known as 'rosa-choque' or 'rosa-pink'.
What is shocking pink used for?
It is used in fashion and design to make a bold statement, and has appeared in youth culture and on famous vehicles like Shirley Muldowney’s dragster.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shades of pink" (the section "Shocking pink"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the pink and magenta family
All of pink and magenta
#FF00FF
Magenta
A purplish-pink colour named after a battle and key to modern printingNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +4
#FF0080
Rose
A bright colour halfway between red and magenta on the colour wheelNamed shade
#FA8072
Salmon
A warm pink-orange shade named after the flesh of the salmon fishNamed shade
#DE3163
Cerise
A dark pink named after the French word for cherryNamed shade
#997A8D
Mountbatten pink
A muted pink-grey once used as naval camouflage in World War IINamed shade
#FF91AF
Baker-Miller Pink
A strong pink once used in prisons and sports to try to calm aggressionNamed shade · 🇨🇭 Switzerland +1
#F56FA1
Cyclamen
A pinkish flower colour named after the Cyclamen plantNamed shade
#E4007C
Mexican pinkrosa mexicano
A vivid purplish pink seen throughout Mexican art and traditionNamed shade · 🇲🇽 Mexico
More colours tied to Brazil
The colours of Brazil
Orange
Annatto
A yellow-orange dye and flavour from the seeds of the achiote treeDye · 🇲🇽 Mexico +5
Red
Brazilin
A red dye from brazilwood and sappanwood, used in textiles and paints since the Middle AgesDye · 🇧🇷 Brazil +4
#86A1A9
Tourmalineටෝරමල්ලි
A mineral group prized for its rainbow of gemstone coloursColour named from nature · 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka +5
Black
Onyx
A banded stone, usually black and white, prized for carving and jewelleryColour named from nature · 🇲🇽 Mexico +5