Two very different lavenders
The CSS keyword lavender is #E6E6FA: hue 240°, which is technically blue, at 94% lightness. It works as a cool page tint but looks nothing like the flower. The community colour-name list goes the other way, with a vivid #B56EDC at hue 279°. The lavender in fields, soaps and bedroom walls sits between them.
| Name | HEX | Hue, lightness | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| lavender (CSS) | #E6E6FA | 240°, 94% | Backgrounds and table stripes |
| thistle (CSS) | #D8BFD8 | 300°, 80% | A dusty, greyed lavender |
| Lavender (list) | #B56EDC | 279°, 65% | Buttons, illustrations, packaging |
Lavender vs lilac
Lavender leans blue-grey and feels calm; lilac (#CEA2FD) is pinker and brighter, like the spring flower. If you hold them up to a pink, lilac looks related to it and lavender does not. The lilac page compares lilac with mauve as well.
Pairings
Lavender and sage is the herb-garden pairing, gentle and natural. Charcoal makes lavender look modern. A small gold accent turns it luxurious, especially in beauty and wellness branding.
Questions
What is lavender in RGB?
CSS lavender is rgb(230, 230, 250). The deeper list value is rgb(181, 110, 220).
Is lavender purple or blue?
Depends which lavender. The CSS one is a blue tint; the flower and most products are a light purple.