Brighter
pinks are youthful, fun, and exciting, while vibrant pinks have the same high energy as red; they are sensual and passionate without being too aggressive. Toning down the passion of red with the purity of white results in the softer pinks that are associated with romance and the blush of a young woman's cheeks. It's not surprising that when giving or receiving flowers, pink blossoms are a favorite. Pink is the color of happiness and is sometimes seen as lighthearted. For women who are often overworked and overburdened, an attraction to pink may speak of a desire for the more carefree days of childhood.
•The pink ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of hope and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
•Marrakesh is another city associated with the color pink. It is sometimes refered to as the "Rose City" because of its salmon-pink colored buildings and the red clay of its terrain.
•In Japan, the color pink has a masculine association. The annual spring blooming of the pink-blossomed cherry trees (the Sakura) is said to represent the young Japanese warriors who fell in battle in the prime of life (the Samurai).
•Jaipur City is a foremost tourist attraction in India because of its superlative forts, grandiose palaces, vivacious temples, multicolored bazaars, pulsating streets, and its distinguished pink color to which the city owes its oft-used name "The Pink City".
•The Chinese had not recognized the color pink until they had contact with Western culture and the Chinese word for pink translates as “foreign color.”
•In 1947, fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli introduced the color "hot pink" to western fashion. She dubbed the shade "Shocking Pink," though today the color is more well-known as "magenta."
•Pink encourages friendliness while discouraging aggression and ill-will.
•Since the color pink is said to have a tranquilizing effect, sport's teams sometimes use pink to paint the locker room used by opposing teams.
•Some studies of the color pink suggest that male weightlifters seem to lose strength in pink rooms, while women weightlifters tend to become stronger around the color.
•Pastries taste better when they come out of pink boxes or served on pink plates (it only works with sweets). Pink makes us crave sugar.
•The water lily (Nymphaea) has been casting its spell on humans for thousands of years, enchanting even the earliest civilizations. This mysterious beauty rises from the deep, with leaves floating serenely on the surface and exquisite blossoms suddenly appearing, as if by magic.
•Once the province of grand palaces and public gardens, the water lily is finding its way to the home garden. Better Homes and Garden teaches you how to plant and care for waterlilies.
•A tropical citrus fruit, named because it grows in grapelike clusters, Grapefruit is a cross between a sweet orange and a pummelo. It came to Florida from the Bahamas in 1823. There are two main varieties: seeded and seedless. They are also split into color classifications: white (yellowish-white flesh) and pink (flesh ranges from pale yellow-pink to bright, ruby red). Pink grapefruit has a higher amount of vitamin A. The skins of all varieties are yellow, though some have a pink blush. -Recipezaar.com
•Cotton candy was invented in 1897 by William Morrison and John C. Wharton, candy makers from Nashville, Tennessee, USA. They invented a device that heated sugar in a spinning bowl that had tiny holes in it. It formed a treat that they originally called "Fairy Floss." As the bowl spun around, the caramelized sugar was forced through the tiny holes, making feathery candy that melts in the mouth. -Enchanted Learning.com
•Victoria's Secret PINK® Eau de Parfum Spray. Bright. Effervescent. Sophisticated. Sexy. Modern. Confident. Playful. Dab it on. Expect the unexpected.
•Grapefruit: A tart, citrus scent. A great refreshing summer scent. Aromatherapy benefits: Balancing, refreshing, cheering. -Scent It.com
•Peony: A scent as sweet and fragrant as the flower itself. A great spring and summer scent. Aromatherapy benefits: Soothing, Romantic, calming, uplifting. -Scent It.com
•"Bubblegum" was the original scent of the pink colored Magic Scents Crayons from Binney & Smith Inc., introduced in 1994 with mostly food scents. However, there were numerous reports that children were eating the food-scented crayons, so the food scents were retired and replaced with non-food scents. The scent for the color pink became "shampoo."
•Tickled pink: to be happy
•In the pink: in good health -- this phrase hasn't always had this meaning. The phrase originally came out of the English fox hunting tradition where a rider was not granted the right to don the scarlet colored jackets, called "pinks", until he demonstrated superior horsemanship and service to the hunt.
Being “in the pink” meant the rider had reached the pinnacle of achievement or status in the hunt.
The use of the phrase “in the pink” evolved to be used more broadly to mean "the very pinnacle of" something, but not necessarily the hunt during the 18th century.
This meaning of the phrase is seen in literature beginning in the mid-1700s and continuing throughout the 19th century. It isn’t until the early 20th century that we see the phrase being used with its current associations.
It is unclear how it transitioned into a phrase that is now specifically health-related, but possibly, as it came into use among those not familiar with the hunt, it was thought that “pink” referred to the rosy glow of the complexion that is indicative of good health.
In researching this phrase, I was especially interested in delving a bit deeper into learning why scarlet was the color of the jackets worn in the hunt. I found this explanation:
“Formerly no man might hunt even on his own estate until he had a license of free warren from the Crown. Consequently he merely hunted by the pleasure of the crown, taking part in what was an exclusively Royal sport by Royal permission. And for this Royal sport, he wore the Kings livery of scarlet.” -- Michael J O'Shea, James Joyce and Heraldry (SUNY 1986, p. 69)The same paper also sets straight the thinking that scarlet was the color worn so that the rider could easily be seen or identified on the fields:
“it is interesting to note the curious legend that the pink of the hunting field is not due to any optical advantage but to an entirely different reason.”
Gray is the color of intellect, knowledge, and wisdom. It is perceived as long-lasting, classic, and often as sleek or refined. It is a color that is dignified, conservative, and carries authority. Gray is controlled and inconspicuous and is considered a color of compromise, perhaps because it sits between the extremes of black and white. Gray is a perfect neutral, which is why designers often use it as a background color.
•The New York Times is sometimes called “Gray Lady."
•Gray represents non-involvement, giving it a formal authority.
•Gray is associated with intellect and the brain is composed of “gray matter."
•Gray is representative of pessimism.
•The human eye can distinguish about 500 shades of gray.
•“The fundamental gray which differentiates the masters, expresses them and is the soul of all colour.” -- Odilon Redon
•“The man who can see all gray, and red, and purples in a peach, will paint the peach rightly round, and rightly altogether. But the man who has only studied its roundness may not see its purples and grays, and if he does not will never get it to look like a peach; so that great power over color is always a sign of large general art-intellect.”
•The Magic Scents Crayons from Binney & Smith Inc. were introduced in 1994 with mostly food scents. However, there were numerous reports that children were eating the food-scented crayons, so the food scents were retired and replaced with non-food scents. The scent for the color gray became “campfire."
•Yankee Candle Company offers a variety of scented silver and gray candles. Among them are Sun & Sand and Sage & Citrus.
•The Jerusalem Sage has sweet-smelling gray leaves with yellow flowers during the summertime.
•The Salvia Leucantha Silver Edge has beautiful gray flowers.
