Yellow

YELLOW

Good for sharing factual information, promoting conversation, sociability, family harmony

Joy, happiness, intellect, energy, inspiration

When asked to look at being happy or angry and then attributing a colour to it, Yellow was automatically the colour for happy, Red for anger.  The child was about 6 at the time.  A purely instinctive reaction, from the heart.

‘There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot but there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into sun’ – Pablo Picasso

It’s a colour recognised to be good for harmony – is that why we love primroses and daffodils so much in the spring?  Energy and inspiration abounds when the newness of spring approaches and I can feel it as I sit looking out to sea with the sun shining down on the golden sands.  One of my favourite memories is stopping by a field in Tuscany and absorbing the sunshine and warm energy of the sunflower fields.  Sunflowers adorn our walls and a stained glass window adds interest to the view of the neighbours’ wall!

I once heard statistics from car insurance companies that stated yellow cars were less likely to be involved in Road Traffic Incidents.  The implication was that the high visibility was effective in raising attention and thus ensuring people kept a safer distance.  Never having been a lover of yellow and particularly not yellow cars, I did wonder whether this was more to do with the distinct lack of yellow cars on the road, I can’t see any in the car park! The bright and reflective nature of high visibility clothing certainly ensures that many people are kept safer in potentially dangerous environments.

And yet, while every season has a yellow, like orange, it is another colour which is primarily the domain of the warm toned seasons, spring and autumn.  But, unlike orange, each season has a yellow – enjoy yours!  If it’s not a 2* colour, then use it for accents and complementing colour schemes.

Try these combinations for something a bit different:

Spring (warm & clear)	With anything from your palette!
Summer (cool & soft)	Primrose, Coral Red and Hyacinth
Autumn (warm & soft)	Yellow Ochre, Orange and Amber
Winter (cool & clear)	Mole, Stone and Acid Yellow

Returning from the hairdressers where people were admiring the natural blonde highlights that adorn my son’s head when the summer arrives, I recognise that many people want to replicate the blonde hair that adorns so many young heads.  Apparently, it is the change in hormone levels as we get older which causes most of us to lose the blondeness and turn darker.    I recall a very humorous moment when I was in my 20s when someone described me as having dark, curly hair – my program of me says I have blonde, I have the photo to prove it, I was 4!  

I believe everyone is lucky to have their natural colour -  what we need is learn how to choose the clothes, make-up and hair style that will show it off in its best light!  Watch as mousy grey turns to distinguished silver and ‘bleached yellow’ turns a stunning shade of honey beige purely by changing the colours of your clothes and make-up.  It is, however very personal and some are not ready to change - if that’s the case, consider temporary colour to help the transition as mentioned in an earlier blog. 

‘Without my Johnson trademark mop of yellow hair, I think I would be nothing’ – Rachel Johnson

© Tatler

It’s clearly an emotive colour, I’d love to be a fly on the wall as they get into the nitty gritty of what shade of ‘pastel’ this yellow house needs to be repainted! 

And on a practical note, thanks to a school t-shirt, I’ve learnt that yellow needs to be washed with whites to avoid it absorbing all the colours in the wash and turning grey.  

  

Your Yellows range from:	Strong to:	Light / Bright
Spring (warm & clear)	Daffodil, lemon	Lemon
Summer (cool & soft)	Primrose
Autumn (warm & soft)	Old Gold,	Yellow Ochre
Winter (cool & clear)	Acid Yellow	Ice Lemon

As for lipsticks?  If in doubt, wear your red but if you aren’t wearing any point of red with your yellows, your favourite colour will harmonise well.