Periwinkle vs Cornflower
Can you tell them apart?
#CCCCFF
#6495ED
Perceptual difference (ΔE): 32.6 — clearly different.
Periwinkle and cornflower blue are both blue-purples that get confused in fashion and interiors, but their tones differ considerably. Periwinkle is a very pale, desaturated blue-violet — soft, quiet, almost pastel — named after the small purple flowering ground-cover plant. Cornflower blue is more vivid and medium-toned, a clear, confident blue with a slight violet lean named after the wildflower that grows between cereal crops. Periwinkle recedes and feels delicate and dreamy; cornflower stands out and reads as a real, distinctive blue with presence.
How to tell them apart
Periwinkle is pale and soft, almost like a faded lavender-blue; cornflower is richer and more vivid. If it looks washed out and delicate, it's periwinkle; if it looks like a proper blue with personality and depth, it's cornflower.
Color values
| HEX | #CCCCFF |
|---|---|
| RGB | 204, 204, 255 |
| HSL | 240°, 100%, 90% |
| CMYK | 20, 20, 0, 0 |
| HEX | #6495ED |
|---|---|
| RGB | 100, 149, 237 |
| HSL | 219°, 79%, 66% |
| CMYK | 58, 37, 0, 7 |
FAQ
- Is periwinkle more blue or more purple?
- It sits right between them — pale blue-violet — though it often reads as more purple than cornflower blue, which reads more clearly as blue.
- Is cornflower blue darker than periwinkle?
- Yes, and more saturated. Cornflower is a richer, more vivid blue; periwinkle is very pale and muted.