A WAY WITH COLOUR

Hello Ladies

Hope you are all keeping well and our typical English weather isn't getting you down too much!!!!!!

Last week Laura and I re-merchandised ( moved all the clothes about ), oh we have great fun we when we do that!!! Should we put white and blue together, orange and yellow or stone and green, the options are endless!!!

So it got me thinking, do we ever take any notice of what colour we are wearing and how it makes feel? Are there some days when you feel really down so you put on a bright colour to cheer yourself up or are you having a stressful time so you wear a calming soft colour??

So I thought I would do a little research........

Warm colours often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism and energy. But some can slightly irritate the eyes and increase appetite.

Cool colours are usually calming and soothing but can also express sadness.

RED is the warmest and most dynamic of the colours - it triggers opposing emotions. It is often associated with passion and love as well as anger and danger. Red is a very complicated colour, unlike say yellow, which is sunny whether its a pale or bright yellow. But red is a whole different story. If you lighten red it becomes sweet and innocent pink! And if you darken red it becomes sophisticated burgundy!! Red also stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing, not good if you're a woman of a certain age who gets hot flushes( like me!! ) Also red can make you look heavier, so try not to wear it all over! A fab pair of red jeans with an understated top speaks volumes!! Or try a red bag, red nails or red lipstick!!! As the saying goes " less is more!"

ORANGE enhances a feeling of vitality and happiness. Orange marries the sunniness of yellow with red's depth. It's a perfect substitute if you're not happy wearing red. Orange is more casual than red and is your best bet when you want to perk yourself up or channel creativity. Orange is considered edgy without being too ' in your face' and it's fun and different without being too different.

YELLOW is perhaps the most energetic of the warm colours. It is associated with laughter, hope and sunshine.Wearing the the bright fun colour helps you stand out and puts people at ease. It creates a very open atmosphere. But be careful that you don't go overboard on the whole yellow thing, you don't want to look like a banana walking down the road!!! Check out which shade of yellow suits your skin tone because if you get it wrong it's going to make you look decidedly ill. Yellow can sometimes be difficult for the eye to take in.

GREEN from grass to leaves to verdant vegetation, the colour green is closely linked to the environment, which can put you in a relaxed or refreshed mood. Green looks good on every skin type and has a wide range of shades that allow you to modify your mood from serious and sophisticated to fresh and bright. Think of the dark green of old stately home libraries, where you can sit down and relax and concentrate and read to a springlike yellow based green, which symbolises new birth or new growth, the beginning of something new.

BLUE the colour of the sky and the sea, blue is one of the most popular colours. It causes the opposite reaction to red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, which lower blood pressure. Red picks you up and blue brings you down, but not down to depression level. So if you need to de-stress after a particularly stressful day, put on something blue!!! As blue conveys tranquility you also project when you wear it. Blue is also associated with trust, worthiness, strength and dependability. So it's a good colour to wear if you're going for an interview or meeting someone important.

BLACK is the colour of authority and power. It always popular to wear as it makes you look thinner!!! And it also goes without saying that it is stylish and timeless!!! But beware wearing black can also affect you in two distinctive ways. It can be a downer, think funerals or make you feel chic, think Audrey Hepburn in ' Breakfast at Tiffany's!' Black is defiantly the colour to go for if you want to look chic and elegant, it plays everything down so you stand out and shine.

WHITE is the colour of Summer. It is always popular to wear as it's light, neutral and goes with everything. Need I say more.....

At Therapy we love colours, as you all know!!! We have a feast for your eyes at the moment with all the lovely summer colours. Come and have a play with trying on different colours and see how they make you feel.....

Take care
Louise