Dr Hue Blog

I went on a course that was designed to help me to find make-up colours that work for me. I was told certain shades complement your natural colouring more than others. Basically, everyone has their ideal hue – you could say there is a hue for you!

We considered all colours and compared them to my dominant colouring in order to find the colours that suited me. We then had a set of colours that made up my personal palette and used them to complement my unique colouring.  We looked at the combination of my skin tone, eye and hair colour and how they worked with my dominant colour. After trying some different combinations we found what was right for me. The chance to challenge my preconceptions about what I thought worked for me was invaluable. I now have my favourite make-up colour combinations that complement my skin tone and features along with a list of suitable shades that make me feel a great deal more confident about myself and the way I look.

In the past haven’t enjoyed looking for make-up in the shops.  There is the hustle and bustle of other shoppers and the intimidating sales staff ready to pounce. I often ended up buying shades and colours that weren’t right for me because the purchase was pressured. I’ve found it much easier looking on Dr Hue to help me search a range of colours in many different brands. I can take my time and shop in the comfort of my own home or during my lunch hour.  I’ve also been able to match certain accessories and clothing.

I think there is loads more for me to learn about clothing colour combinations. . . . .but that is on another course.

Fashion is an art. Even if you don’t consider yourself artistic, understanding a few simple colour principles can result in successful colour combinations to create stylish outfits for every mood and occasion.

Why should the average person care about color matching? Two reasons come to mind: Dressing and shopping. Given that adults and older kids are expected to be able to dress themselves, one might as well look as nice as possible. And one must not forget that many products do come in a wide choice of colors.

Remember back in middle school art class when you learned about complementary colors? Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are of “opposite” hue and therefore are those opposite each other on the colour wheel —red and green, orange and blue, and purple and yellow.

Pairs of complementary colors have one popping color and one more subdued color, normally combining a “warm” with a “cool” colour. Yellow, in particular, is a fantastic way to add a point of visual interest to your outfits, especially in a handbag. A fantastic yellow bag with a purple peacoat or purple dress will draw a lot of second glances—in a good way—and you can do the same with the reverse of a rich, royal purple bag and a yellow skirt or shoes. If you don’t go for bright, try a goldenrod hue or a purple so dark that it’s nearly neutral.

At first glance, these colors do not appear to go together at ALL. But if you take some great pieces from each color palette and stick them together, the results can be surprising. Take orange and blue, for example. Since the advent of denim, blue has almost become a neutral, and I bet you wouldn’t bat an eye at anyone wearing an orange shirt with jeans. Yet the thought of wearing blue heels with an orange sundress is intimidating to some. But is it really that different? Either way, you have a pop from the bright color—orange—and a visually interesting pair of colors.

Red and green might be the two trickiest complementaries to pair because of the dreaded Christmas tree look. No one wants to look like a walking holiday, but it is possible to put these two shades together without looking like an ugly sweater party. The key is to pick shades that are a bit off—camo green with maroon, for example, or, if you’re really adventurous, neon green with a bright berry red. It’s also important to remember that these touches should be subtle.

Rather than coordinating your whole outfit with alternating reds and greens, sling a bright-red bag over your shoulder and wear an emerald scarf or a dark-green pencil skirt with it. The feeling you get when looking at bright complementary colours next to each other is a vibrating or pulsing effect. Mixing brilliant complementary colours gets attention.  Color-coding your closet already? I know I am!

Every year, the citizens of Buñol – a small town near Valencia – gather on the streets for a tomato-launching fiesta: La Tomatina.

Huge trucks, each carrying several tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes, drive through the roads of the city. At the sound of a canon, the truck empty their cargo, and the tomatoes spill out into the street…. and then… chaos. Before long, the sun is blotted out by thousands of flying red orbs.

The population of Buñol triples in size in anticipation of La Tomatina. The origins of this festival aren’t clear, but many people believe that a group of youngsters were fighting near a vegetable stall, and started throwing vegetables at each other. Every year, the people of Buñol did the same, and today, La Tomatina is a world famous event. All of the tomatoes are provided by Dr Hue*

*not really

Contrary to popular belief, the lovely people here at Dr Hue didn’t actually invent colours…

The first people who used colour to cure ailments were the ancient Egyptians. Their papyrus lists dating back to 1550BC talk of ‘colour cures’. They worshipped the sun, knowing that without its light there could be no life.

Of course, the study of colour is closely related to the study of light, and it was Aristotle who formed some of the earliest theories about light. He discovered that mixing different colours of light (e.g. blue and green) could produce a third (yellow). Plato and Pythagoras also studied light extensively.

Isaac Newton was a pioneer in the study of colours and light, and he was the one who discovered that white light is made up of the rainbow of colours that you can find on Dr Hue! A long time ago, the pigments used to dye fabrics purple were very expensive and people in positions of royalty would wear violet garments, to demonstrate their power, nobility and authority. In those days, normal citizens couldn’t buy clothes of any colour that took their fancy. If only Dr Hue was around then!

Maradona’s team of blue and white were mercilessly knocked out by Germany, Brazil’s yellows have been cast aside, and the Italians and the French are surely feeling as blue as their players’ shirts… will Holland take home the trophy?

Holland have never won a World Cup, despite two appearances in the final. They lost 2-1 to Germany in 1974, and 3-1 to Argentina in 1978, both of whom have been knocked-out… could 2010 be their year? Only Spain stand in their way.

Their victory against Uruguay showcased some brilliant play, which we’re all hoping to see more of in the final. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s opening goal served as a wake up call to the Uruguayans, who replied in kind with an excellent shot from Diego Forlan.

However after Sneijder’s deflected goal and Robben’s beautifully placed header, both into the goal off a post, there was little hope for Uruguay. The team in light blue managed to get a late goal, but when the final whistle blew, it was the Dutch who were smiling.

You may have noticed, as I did, that the Dutch flag doesn’t feature the colour that its players wear… Orange is actually the colour of the Dutch Royal Family, and dates back to William van Oranje (William of Orange). Today, it’s an identity for the Dutch players, and their countless supporters, who will surely flood the streets of Holland if Spain can be vanquished on Sunday!

Get ready for the orange invasion… Not surprisingly a particularly popular colour on Dr Hue…

It’s all about ‘Red’

The colour of passion, anger, blood, Stop signs, tomatoes… and a huge pavilion, bang in the middle of Hyde Park? Surely not!

World-renowned French architect Jean Nouvel has unveiled the tenth in a series of pavilions at the Serpentine Gallery of modern art in London’s Hyde Park. This is Nouvel’s first completed building in Britain, and it stand alongside the gallery for part of its 40^th anniversary. Nouvel’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion will be the venue for Park Nights, which attracts up to 250,000 visitors each summer. The gallery is open to the public from 10^th July until 17^th October 2010.

Nouvel has clearly taken the phrase “paint the town red” to new heights. A 12m tall sloped wall towers precariously over the pavilion, giving the building a sense of threatening drama. The structure consists of bold geometric forms, and retractable awnings, and provides a stark contrast with the greenery that surrounds it. And feel free to judge this book by its cover, because the interior is just as red as the exterior. The inside houses red floors, chairs, hammocks, table-tennis tables and chess sets. Even the fridges in the café are red!

Want one of these for your back garden? Not sure if Dr Hue can help you there… just yet.

Colours are all around us; they are inescapable, much like England’s exit from the World Cup. But unlike England’s defeat, colours bring about feelings other than just sadness.

Here are some things you probably didn’t know about how colours can affect our mood…

In China, green hats indicate that a man’s wife is cheating on him.

People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

The most romantic colour, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy. Pink is also used to subdue prison inmates. When a violent inmate is put in a room that is painted a very soft pink. His pulse will slow, and he will immediately calm down.

Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

Shine a green light on criminals and you’ll elicit a confession much quicker than other colours.

While blue is one of the most popular colours it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.

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What’s your favourite colour? Why do you like it? Do you know any more fun colour facts? Where should you write them? In the comment box of course!

We know you spend most of your time secretly celebrating the colours we offer at Dr Hue, but once a year, in India, Hindus, Sikhs and others celebrate the beginning of spring with an energetic explosion of paint and colour!

Although Holi is in fact a religious festival; there are very few religious activities involved. It is a festival filled with fun and good humour, people celebrate it by covering each other with paint, and throwing coloured powder and dyes around. Nobody is spared, and anyone on the streets during the festival is fair game!

In some places, the festival can last up to 16 days, and dancing and singing accompanies the throwing of paint. All distinctions of age, gender, and caste are put to one side during the festival, and once everybody’s covered in paint and powder, it’s pretty hard to see these differences anyway!

But be careful trying it outside India, I’m not sure a London businessman would react favourably!

Laptops have become so common that people have started finding ways to make theirs stand out. Dell launched a series of ‘candy-coloured’ laptops and tower units, including Cherry Red, Pretty Pink, and other mouth-watering “flavours”. Coloured sleeves and cases for laptop have been around for a while, but Dell have taken it a step further buy adding splashes of colour to dull grey offices around the world.

Their new online design studio offers over 100 designs to choose from. Ranging from abstract designs to graffiti-style art.

Which one will you choose?

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t a post about Skittles… Although it seems they had the right idea. The advice to eat a rainbow is based on solid science: you get different nutrients from different coloured fruit and vegetables. Yep – we never run out of colourful things to write about – even fruit and veg, which we don’t stock – just yet!

Let’s now focus on the health benefits of colours, starting with…

Red

The natural pigment that gives red food its colour is lycopene, which reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

Orange/yellow

Orange/yellow fruits and veg contain carotenoids, which help maintain healthy eyes and can also help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and can improve immune system function.

Green

Green foods contain lutein, which reduces the risk of cataracts and keeps eyes healthy. Some green vegetables contain indoles, which protect against some cancers.

Blue/purple

Anthocyanins give foods a blue/purple colour, and they protect cells from damage and they may help reduce risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Other studies have shown that eating more blueberries is linked with improved memory function.

So ideally, your plate needs to be jazzed up with different natural colours – remember, tomato ketchup doesn’t count!

We’re never short of colourful tips!!