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What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>You may be interested (or possibly horrified) to discover you ingest and inhale thousands of tiny life forms on a daily basis.</p> <p>The air and surfaces around you are home to multitudes of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012394805200004X">bacteria, fungi, viruses</a>, mites, algae and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135400004206">protozoa</a>. Your skin isn’t much better, with a complex ecosystem of organisms called commensals which aren’t necessarily good or bad, but will shift in their composition depending on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11053">where you live</a>, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/6/1/2">the products you use</a> and <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/458">the pets you have</a>.</p> <p>Most of these creatures are generally undetectable due to their microscopic size and low concentrations. But when they find a niche they can exploit, you might notice them by their smell, or the appearance of unwanted staining and colour changes. A lot of this fungal growth is what we call mould.</p> <p>We’ve all been disappointed in ourselves at one time or another, lifting a neglected orange out of the fruit bowl to discover the bottom half is covered in a velvety blue-green growth.</p> <p>But what do the myriad colours that appear on our stuff tell us about the world we try not to think about?</p> <h2>Black</h2> <p>Often black staining is quite a disturbing occurrence. The concept of toxic black mould is one many people have become aware of due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fungi-after-the-floods-how-to-get-rid-of-mould-to-protect-your-health-111341">flood impacts</a>.</p> <p>A quick online search will likely terrify you, but not all black discolouration is due to the same organisms, and almost none of it will outright cause you harm.</p> <p><em>Stachybotrys</em> is the one known as toxic black mould. It often turns up on <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/ehp.99107s3505">building materials that have been wet for a long time</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=384&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=384&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=384&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=483&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=483&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=483&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A severely mouldy wall covered in grey and black blotches" /></a><figcaption></figcaption>When the grout in your shower turns black though, that’s a different fungus called <em><a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/130453">Aureobasidium</a></em>. It’s slimy, sticky and somewhere between a filamentous mould, which grows threadlike roots through whatever it’s eating, and a yeast, which prefer a free-floating, single-celled style of life.</figure> <p>Bleaching will often kill <em>Aureobasidium</em>, but the dark pigmentation will likely hang around – harmlessly, but stubbornly.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=425&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A close-up of white grout between grey tiles with black spots on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Blue</h2> <p>That blue orange I mentioned before, you can thank <em>Penicillium</em> for that. The organism that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160512000852">gives us blue cheese</a> and the antibiotic penicillin is also responsible for producing a dense growth of mould that almost looks like smoke when disturbed, spreading millions of spores onto the rest of your fruit bowl.</p> <p><em>Penicillium</em> is a big group with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166061620300129">hundreds of species</a>, ranging from recognised pathogens to species yet to be named. However, the ones that turn up in our homes are generally the same “weed” species that simply cause food spoilage or grow in soil.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of a bright orange with a fuzzy blue mould spot on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Yellow and orange</h2> <p>We often think of fungi as organisms that thrive in the dark, but that’s not always true. In fact, some need exposure to light – and ultraviolet (UV) light in particular – to complete their life cycle.</p> <p>Many plant pathogens use UV light exposure as a trigger to produce their spores, and then protect their DNA by <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0003683814020094">hiding it behind melanin-containing shells</a>.</p> <p><em>Stemphylium</em> and <em>Epicoccum</em> turn up in our homes from time to time, often hitching a ride on natural fibres such as jute, hemp and hessian. They produce a spectrum of staining that can often turn damp items yellow, brown or orange.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A piece of wood laminate with yellow patches on it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>We’re all fairly familiar with the green spots that turn up on mouldy bread, cake and other food items. Often we try to convince ourselves if we just cut off the bad bit, we can still salvage lunch.</p> <p>Sadly that’s not the case, as the roots of the fungi – collectively called mycelium – spread through the food, digesting and collecting sufficient nutrients to pop out a series of tiny fruiting bodies which produce the coloured spores you see.</p> <p>The green tuft is often from a group of fungi called <em>Aspergillus</em>. Under the microscope they look rather like the puffy top of a dandelion gone to seed.</p> <p>Like <em>Penicillium</em>, <em>Aspergillus</em> is another big fungal group with lots of species that turn up virtually in every environment. Some are <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mmy/article/43/Supplement_1/S87/1748298">heat tolerant</a>, some <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21553769.2015.1033653">love acid</a> and some will happily produce spores that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1749461311000406">stay airborne for days to months at a time</a>.</p> <p>In the green gang is also a fungus called <em>Trichoderma</em>, which is Latin for “hairy skin”. <em>Trichoderma</em> produces masses of forest-green, spherical spores which tend to grow on wet cardboard or dirty carpet.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A pile of green grains on a small round tray" /></a></figure> <h2>Pink, purple and red</h2> <p>There are plenty to speak of in this category. And there is also a common bacterium that makes the list.</p> <p><em>Neurospora</em>, also known as the red bread mould, is one of the most studied fungi in scientific literature. It’s another common, non-hazardous one that has been used as <a href="https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.1400377">a model organism</a> to observe fungal genetics, evolution and growth.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A block of orange mouldy substance sitting on a banana leaf" /></a><figcaption></figcaption><em>Fusarium</em> is less common indoors, being <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219416302794">an important crop pathogen</a>, but will sometimes turn spoiled rice purple. It also occasionally turns up on wet cement sheet, causing splotchy violet patches. <em>Fusarium</em> makes large, sticky, moon-shaped spores that have evolved to spread by rain splashes and hang onto plants. However, it is fairly bad at getting airborne and so doesn’t tend to spread very far from where it’s growing.</figure> <p>Finally in this category, that pink scum that turns up around bathroom taps or in the shower? It’s actually a bacterium called <em>Serratia</em>. It will happily chew up the soap scum residue left over in bathrooms, and has been shown to <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/AEM.02632-10">survive in liquid soaps and handwash</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=337&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=337&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=337&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of white tile grout covered in a pink translucent film" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <h2>White</h2> <p>When fungi were first being classified and were eventually given their own phylogenetic kingdom, there were lots of wonderful and not strictly categorical ways we tried to split them up. One of these was hyaline and non-hyaline, essentially referring to transparent and coloured, respectively.</p> <p>One of the interesting non-pigmented moulds you may well catch sight of is a thing called <em>Isaria farinosa</em> (“farinosa” being Latin for “floury”). This fungus is a parasite of some moths and cicadas and is visible as brilliant white, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583150802471812">tree-shaped growths on their unfortunate hosts</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A dead bug on a green forest floor with white and yellow growths sticking out of it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>So when you notice the world around you changing colour, you can marvel with your newfound knowledge at the microscopic wonders that live complex lives alongside yours. Then maybe clean it up, and give the fruit bowl a wash. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207737/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Shutterstock</em></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, Adjunct academic, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-the-different-colours-of-mould-mean-in-my-house-207737">original article</a>.</p>

Home & Garden

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Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

<p>King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding horseback in the first Trooping the Colour since he was crowned, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday.</p> <p>Although the King’s birthday is officially in November and typically celebrated privately, the ceremonial event on June 18 showcased all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal celebrations, drawing massive crowds to central London.</p> <p>Accompanying 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians, Charles filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’ Park for the ceremony viewed by members of the royal family.</p> <p>It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years, with Queen Elizabeth II being the last reigning monarch to ride in the procession in 1986.</p> <p>Dressed for the occasion, King Charles was wearing a Welsh Guard uniform, with a leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin.</p> <p>He was followed on horseback by various royal colonels including Prime William, also donning a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December 2022. He rode alongside Princess Anne Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards.</p> <p>Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was joined by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Calary’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals.</p> <p>The traditional military spectacle was flooded with well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags ahead of the parade to claim their prime position along the Mall outside the royal residence.</p> <p>Speaking to <em>CNN</em>, broadcaster and royal watcher Bidisha Mamata, said there was “a real sense of celebration”.</p> <p>"The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military," she said.</p> <p>The ceremony saw Queen Camilla join her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers.</p> <p>The regiment carried out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing the 2022 musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions from the band written accordingly.</p> <p>After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace following the same route. They there made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

<p>From the blush pink of royal mistresses to the hot pink of tabloid party girls, pink has gained a reputation for being a provocative colour for those who dare to wear it.</p> <p>Despite its various shades and the complexities of its cultural significance, it is a colour that is often branded with the same connotations of feminine frivolity and excess – whether girlish and innocent or womanly and erotic. </p> <p>So much so that worshippers at a North London church were ordered to remove pink chairs after an ecclesiastical judge claimed that the choice of colour scheme could <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-sees-red-over-bright-pink-chairs-3trg9xpgk">“cause puzzlement”</a>.</p> <p>This pink panic invites the question: why is pink so controversial? </p> <p>A brief glimpse at its rather colourful history in the Western world reveals associations that both shape and challenge what pink means.</p> <h2>Pink’s past</h2> <p>According to historian <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-colour-9780500022269">Valerie Steele</a>, the birth of pink in modern fashion began in the 18th century. By this period, pink had become the colour of choice among courtly elites of the Western world, including royalty and aristocrats.</p> <p>Developments in dye making and the French court’s penchant for cutting-edge garments provided the perfect pairing to begin pink’s success as an emerging fashion staple.</p> <p>Perhaps the most instrumental influence on pink’s power was Madame de Pompadour – the mistress of King Louis XV. She was often portrayed by the painter François Boucher sporting her signature pink gowns and shoes, most notably in his 1759 piece <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/sep/08/art">Madame de Pompadour</a>.</p> <p>In his 1758 painting, <a href="https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303561">Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette</a>, she is shown applying rouge from a box of cosmetics – the blushed cheeks implying female sexuality. For Steele, the colour pink in this period becomes attached to both the frivolity of French high fashion and the eroticising of white femininity.</p> <p>From the 18th century court to the 20th century home, pink gained further traction in the 1950s. As British professor of design history <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/As_Long_as_It_s_Pink.html?id=By0qAAAAYAAJ">Penny Sparke</a> writes: “Linked with the idea of female childhood, [pink] represented the emphasis on distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men.”</p> <p>Whether <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjvufXu-vb7AhVJi1wKHY_RCrIQFnoECCYQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lofficielusa.com%2Ffashion%2Fhistory-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gvTMarBjpgCPRBDcV2AwN">adorning first ladies</a>, Hollywood stars or housewives, pink in this era represented a traditional femininity grounded in fixed gender roles.</p> <p>Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pink gown in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/">Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953)</a> paired with her <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stars-9781838718374/">typecast “dumb blonde” film roles</a> and her <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-visual-history-of-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-icon_n_56ba8d67e4b0c3c5504f5ee4">pin-up past</a> work together to reinforce the star as a sex symbol to be desired by audiences. As film scholar <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heavenly-Bodies-Film-Stars-and-Society/Dyer/p/book/9780415310277">Richard Dyer</a> argues, Monroe represented the epitome of sex in conversative 1950s American society.</p> <p>On the other end of the scale, the first lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower – wife of president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) – cultivated an image of the ideal housewife through her famous “First Lady Pink” looks.</p> <p>Her stunning <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/mamie-eisenhowers-inaugural-gown-1953">1953 inaugural outfit</a> was a sparkling pink gown embroidered with more than 2,000 rhinestones. She was well-known for her love of all things pink and transformed the White House with this colourful décor, so much so that the household staff called it a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/eise/Mamie/personal_interests/EISE3765_scale4.html">“Pink Palace”</a>.</p> <h2>Punk and protest</h2> <p>Beyond the 1950s, pink moved away from its associations of conformity and took on a new purpose: resistance.</p> <p>Paul Simonon, bassist for English punk band The Clash, <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/20/in-the-pink-the-fashion-history-of-a-divisive-colour">famously said</a> that “pink is the only true rock and roll colour”.</p> <p>We can certainly see this in the way that punk musicians reappropriate the sweet and girlish connotations of pink to create subversive performances.</p> <p>For her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/image/0,8543,-10704677171,00.html">1999 performance at Glastonbury</a>, Hole’s Courtney Love – notorious for her raw and raucous vocals – unexpectedly swapped her rebellious grunge girl look for a pink costume of ballet slippers and fairy wings.</p> <p>Pink is also the colour of feminist activism. The 2017 women’s march saw protesters taking to streets in pink “pussy hats”. </p> <p>They were responding to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html">a recording</a> of then president Donald Trump, in which he boasted about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiO4Z7P-_b7AhVMEsAKHdtLBAgQFnoECAoQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffrom-chaucer-to-trump-sexist-banter-has-been-defended-as-entertainment-for-600-years-84804&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dCQPpZyNUtNJACNJ7CANh">grabbing women “by the pussy”</a>.</p> <p>This explicit connection between pink, female genitalia and activism is a feminist statement that emphasises women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies in a patriarchal society.</p> <h2>Pink reclaimed</h2> <p>The connotations of pink are not fixed, but malleable. Whether worn by film stars, musicians or celebrities, the colour takes on new meanings through irony and reclamation.</p> <p>The 2001 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/">Legally Blonde</a> subverts the gendered <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Neo-Feminist-Cinema-Girly-Films-Chick-Flicks-and-Consumer-Culture/Radner/p/book/9780415877749">“dumb blonde” stereotypes </a>associated with wearing pink by following the successes of a sorority girl who goes to law school.</p> <p>When Madonna donned her pink Material Girl look, she positioned herself as <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-performance-identities-of-lady-gaga/">the new Marilyn Monroe</a>: a blonde bombshell for the era of Second Wave Feminism. She reworked Monroe’s tragic stardom into a narrative about female empowerment and survival.</p> <p>On TikTok, the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/12/10217066/tiktok-bimbo-gen-z-trend">#Bimbo trend</a> involves feminine-presenting content creators finding inspiration in the once derogatory “bimbo” label. Their videos <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/23/the-bimbo-is-back-and-as-a-feminist-i-couldnt-be-more-delighted">reclaim the label</a> as a playful aesthetic and a new feminist lifestyle.</p> <p>Despite its longstanding associations with feminine frivolity and excess, pink consistently proves itself to be a transgressive colour. It moves with the times and does not shy away from parodying its own past.</p> <p>If Paris Hilton’s <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/paris-hilton-versace-show">surprise runway appearance</a> earlier this year in sparkling pink Versace bridal wear tells us anything, it’s that pink should never be underestimated. It still has the power to shock, fascinate and make a statement.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-pink-became-fashions-colour-of-controversy-a-brief-history-196535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Multi-coloured plants are suddenly a home decor ‘must-have’. Here’s how to keep them alive

<p>Fads and fashion have always influenced the plants we keep. And so it is with variegated plants, which have become <a href="https://thatplantylife.com/affordable-and-gorgeous-variegated-houseplants/">very popular</a>with indoor plant enthusiasts these days.</p> <p>Variegated plants possess multiple colours – typically on their leaves, but in some cases on stems, flowers and fruit. Their patterns include stripes, dots, edges and patches. They’re usually green with either white or yellow, but can also feature red, pink, silver and other colours.</p> <p>Variegated plants can divide opinion. I recall a great aunt telling me many years ago of her great fondness for the variegated Aspidistra elatior growing her garden. But I’ve also heard gardeners and garden designers dismiss variegated foliage because it didn’t fit with their design or colour themes.</p> <p>Now, it seems indoor variegated plants are considered a “<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/variegated-plant-care-tips-36878935">must-have</a>” home decor accessory. But before you rush out and buy one, make sure you know how to keep it happy.</p> <h2>Understanding variegated plants</h2> <p>Most plant species are entirely green but occasionally a variegated individual arises. Some catch the eye of a dedicated plant collector or nursery worker and become a popular variety.</p> <p>Plant variegation can occur for several reasons.</p> <p>In some plants, such as the flowers of tulips, it’s due to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/tulip-mania-how-a-plant-virus-fueled-a-speculative-frenzy">viral infection</a>. The resulting streaks of different colours may be cursed or valued depending on the aesthetic effect.</p> <p>Others plants, such as those in the genus <a href="https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Stories/2019/Coleus-back-in-the-name-game">coleus</a>, are naturally patterned. Groups of cells produce different colour combinations, causing leaves to grow with attractive markings.</p> <p>Plant variegations can also arise from genetic mutation.</p> <p>When growing variegated plants, it’s important to understand how the various colours affect the way it functions.</p> <p>The green part of plants contains chlorophyll, a pigment essential for photosynthesis. (Photosynthesis, of course, is the process by which the leaves convert sunlight into oxygen and carbohydrate that provides energy for plants to grow.) </p> <p>In variegated plants, white parts of leaves do not contain chlorophyll and so do not photosynthesise. </p> <p>Yellow parts of leaves can help send energy to the chlorophyll, but can’t perform photosynthesis on their own. The same goes for some red, orange and pink patches of tissue.</p> <p>But all cells in the leaf – green or not – use the plant’s energy. That means variegated plants are less efficient energy producers than their all-green counterparts, which causes them to grow more slowly.</p> <p>Some plants have mutated into <a href="https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/how_to/science_activity_albino_plants">albinos</a> containing no chlorophyll. These normally die within a few days or weeks of germination.</p> <h2>Caring for your plant indoors</h2> <p>It’s no coincidence many popular indoor plants – such as coleus, philodendrons, monsteras, dracaenas and calatheas – are variegated. Because they’re usually far less vigorous than all-green versions of the species, they won’t be pushing against the ceiling within weeks. </p> <p>The decorative colour and pattern of a variegated indoor plant is an added bonus.</p> <p>Variegated plants can take longer than others to reach a size considered appropriate for sale at a nursery, so may be comparatively more expensive. But there are ways to protect your variegated investment.</p> <p>First, watch out for “reversion”. This can occur when a variegated plant sends up an all-green shoot. The shoot will grow fast compared to the variegated parts and can eventually take over, causing the whole plant to revert to green. </p> <p>To avoid this, vigilantly remove any green shoots before they get big.</p> <p>You don’t want variegated plants quickly outgrowing their space, but remember they’re low on chlorophyll and so need good light.</p> <p>And like any indoor plant, ensure its leaves are kept free of fine dust and you don’t give it too much, or too little, water.</p> <h2>Variegated plants in the garden</h2> <p>The popularity of indoor variegated plants will almost certainly lead to greater use outdoors.</p> <p>Their slow-growing nature means outdoor variegated plants are usually much less likely to be “weedy” and spread where they’re not wanted. </p> <p>This can be an advantage if you’ve avoided planting a species because it will take over the garden. The variegated versions of <a href="https://www.plantmark.com.au/pittosporum-eugenioides-variegata">pittosporum</a>, ficus and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/57250/nerium-oleander-variegatum-(v)/details">nerium oleander</a>, for example, are far less intent on global domination than their all-green counterparts.</p> <p>When planting a variegated plant outdoors, watch that it doesn’t become shaded by other quicker-growing plants. Many variegated plants already struggle to photosynthesise sufficiently. A bit of extra shade can damage or even kill them.</p> <p>So ensure they get enough light – and every so often give them a hand by trimming back nearby plants.</p> <h2>Growing with flying colours</h2> <p>Variegated plants are having their moment in the sun. But their interesting biology is always in fashion!</p> <p>These plants can brighten up your indoor space and provide attractive colour and pattern in the garden.</p> <p>By learning about how variegated plants function and considering their special requirements, you can enjoy them for years to come.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/multi-coloured-plants-are-suddenly-a-home-decor-must-have-heres-how-to-keep-them-alive-181163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

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Readers respond: If everything in your house had to be one colour, what would you choose and why?

<p>When it comes to our homes, the prominent colours can tell us a lot about our personalities. </p> <p>Some people prefer a neutral scheme of white, beiges and greys, while others prefer a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours. </p> <p>We asked our readers if everything in your house had to be one colour, what would you choose and why?</p> <p>Here's what you had to say. </p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - Green-tinged white or pale grey. So calming, cool and goes with everything.</p> <p><strong>Carla Blackburn</strong> - Light blue. Very calming and pretty. </p> <p><strong>Jill Harker</strong> - Blue! Have a lot of blue in my home. Blue furniture, blue curtains, blue rug and lots of blue ornaments. Plus I have a blue car!</p> <p><strong>Trish Stephenson</strong> - Yellow! It's my favourite colour. </p> <p><strong>Valerie King</strong> - No doubt, hot pink and purple. The colours of joy and happiness. </p> <p><strong>Sandra Tiplady Schellings</strong> - White, so easy to put green plants and other accessories.</p> <p><strong>Wilmi Kruger</strong> - Very light grey. I just love it. </p> <p><strong>Annette W Henderson McKean</strong> - My fave colour is red but I would choose a blue house as it's a more calming colour.</p> <p><strong>Anita Thornton</strong> -  White, and then accessorise with colours!</p> <p><strong>Jan Dower</strong> - I think a pastel colour, like lavender. </p> <p><strong>Natasha Devereux</strong> - Blue, and different tones of blue. It's a soothing and cheerful colour.</p> <p><strong>Vicki Cooper</strong> - Blue, any and every shade, love blue so bright and sunny. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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How to choose colours at home

<p>Haven’t we all agonised over how to choose colour, especially when it comes to our homes? Feeling blue? In rage with red? Both psychologists and theorists have long explored the relationship between colour and mood. Certain colours trigger particular feelings and memories. And while choosing what colour top to wear is one thing, when it comes to our homes, we often second-guess our every step. Should we go for greys everywhere? Incorporate our favourite baby blue? Or shun punchy colours for tried-and-true neutrals?</p> <p>Whatever your decorative inclination, colour can inspire a look and feel that suits both the dimensions of your home and your tastes. Colour allows you to create a welcoming and engaging environment that’s an extension of your personal style. Don’t be afraid of it, but remember to establish your colour scheme before you start.</p> <ul> <li>Start from the top down. In terms of a single point of colour reference, your roof and or ceiling are usually the largest and most obvious feature. The general rule to stick by is look up to lead your choices on the ground.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Be yourself! Unless you're looking to make a bold statement with a stand-out feature, harmony should be the key when looking to introduce colour into any room in the home. You want to choose colours that blend and harmonise with both your built and natural environments.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Observe your environment. Be sure to take into consideration what happens with the light at your house as different times of the day. For example, if you were thinking of trying a dark colour palette of navys and greys, you’ll want to consider how much natural light your home gets. If it doesn’t get much, this colour scheme might be a bit dark for your interiors.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Mood manager. Think about what type of ambience you want to create in your home. Warmer colours can create the feeling of nearness, while cooler colours make things appear further away. It is a good idea to keep this in mind in case you want to highlight particular building features.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Less is more. Too much of a good thing usually takes the good out of something. When it comes to complex designs, bright colours may cause sensory overload. Softer colours and complementary accents can help create a more classic look and style.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Decorating with colour

<p>Many of us find that we have a love/hate relationship when it comes to colour and our homes. What colour do I choose? Can I mix and match? Do I make a statement or opt for something subtle? If you have asked yourself any of these questions, you’re not alone.</p> <p>Loved by interior enthusiasts for its ability to instantly transform a room, there’s always the tricky business of knowing how to style it and, more importantly, when enough’s enough. The truth is even the most timid decorators amongst us can benefit from a little splash of something vibrant. Take the challenge to step out of the shade of neutrals and into the transformative light of colour. Here are some tips on how to approach decorating with some of the colours currently trending in the world of interiors.</p> <p><strong>Vibrant blues<br /></strong>The captivating tones of crystal blue waters makes for vibrant addition to any room no matter if you opt for a couple of decor items or go big with a blue couch or blue walls. Teamed with golden accents and a few classic staples, the hue really pops.</p> <p><strong>Earthy yellows</strong><br />Colours of the earthy variety are a great way to ensure your home imparts a welcoming and cosy vibe. Crisp white or pale grey accents, dark woods and coordinating golden tones mix well with eathy yellows and make for a sophisticated look which is irresistibly inviting.</p> <p><strong>Pretty pinks</strong><br />Forget everything you think about pink. It is not a colour on suited to the rooms of young girls. Styled with a carefully chosen palette and barely-there silhouettes, hues in this colour teamed with stylish homeware can create quite an opulent feel to a room.</p> <p><strong>Elegant navy</strong><br />An eternally sophisticated colour, navy instantly adds a feeling of elegance to any interior. Fun patterned cushions and statement-making proportions can be matched with classic touches for twist on timeless style.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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The world’s most colourful mountains

<p>Imagine taking a photo of a destination that’s so colourful that you don’t need to apply any filters. Or so bright that your camera settings only need to be changed to make sure the entire scenery is captured through your lens. Among many of Earth’s colourful landscapes, there are mountains and rock formations whose hues go beyond monotone shades.</p> <div> </div> <h2>Rainbow Mountain, Peru</h2> <p>Also known as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Coloures (the Mountain of Seven Colours), this colourful mountain near Cusco became well-known throughout the world in recent years. It attracts 1,500 visitors daily during Peru’s high tourism season. The mountain’s rainbow look is revealed as the surrounding snow begins to melt, unveiling its true colours. In part from environmental conditions, over time marine, lake, and river sediments formed layer deposits resulting in turquoise, gold, red and fuchsia colours. Visits to Rainbow Mountain often involve full-day excursions through tour operators, where it’s best to be physically able to handle high altitudes. Consider the less-travelled yet equally colourful Cordillera de Coloures Palcoyo, also within the Cusco region.</p> <h2>Landmannalaugar Mountain, Iceland</h2> <p>Iceland is known for its diverse topography and this mountain in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve based within the country’s Southern Highlands fits in quite brightly. Its hues come from rhyolite, a type of rock producing quite the range of shades, from red, pink, and green to blue and golden yellow. Collectively, Landmannalaugar Mountain is a colourful mountain that makes for a picture-perfect backdrop to be captured with your smartphone lens. Aesthetics aside, Landmannalaugar is touted as a great hiking destination, where trekkers can venture along its three major trails: Mount Brennisteinsalda, Mount Bláhnjúkur, and Ljótipollur, the latter a crater lake. Speaking of water, after a long stretch, weary bodies can relax within the warm streams heated by geothermal energy, which could be why Landmannalaugar is also known by the moniker, “Pools of the People.”</p> <h2>The Pitons, St Lucia</h2> <p>Near the town of Soufriere, on St Lucia’s southwestern coast, this pair of mountainous volcanic cones are truly green and they’re also blessed in being covered with a lush forest that is home to a number of rare plant species. Collectively they are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, each of these two spires has its own name and, well, “personality.” Gros Piton is the taller of the two while Petit Piton is shorter but also said to be steeper. These two spires can offer hearty challenges to those who wish to go up to them – a guide is a must – but also reward visitors for their efforts in reaching their summits with mesmerising views. From the top of Gros Piton, you can see Petit Piton and Soufriere; Petit Piton will have you overlooking the Piton Bay.</p> <h2>Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, USA</h2> <p>Designated in 2000, this 280,000-acre national monument in Northern Arizona and near the Utah state line makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet. Towering cliffs, slot canyons, and churned coloured sedimentary formations are found across this site’s many regions. But wait a minute: There are certain areas that require obtaining specific permits in advance to explore them, so do your homework first. Coyote Buttes are split into Coyote Buttes North, which has The Wave, a swirling sandstone formation, the Melody Arch, and the Grotto, while Coyote Buttes South is also visually striking with Paria Canyon and its petroglyphs.</p> <h2>Zhangye National Geopark, China</h2> <p>In northwestern China’s province of Gansu, within the foothills of the Qilian Mountains, this UNESCO national park is considered to be one of China’s most beautiful natural wonders. At first glance, it looks like a rainbow was carefully applied to a palette. And there’s a science to it. The striped colours within the 320-kilometre colourful rainbow mountain have been around for quite some time, in that they are comprised of deposits of cretaceous sandstones and siltstones that developed before the Himalayan Mountains were formed. These sand and silt deposits also held iron and trace minerals which created these vivacious colour formations. Then, as Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided into each other millions of years ago, mountains were lifted up and underneath sedimentary rock got exposed, thus leading to this colour scheme that’s still bright.</p> <h2>Montagne Sainte Victoire, France</h2> <p>What makes this limestone mountain ridge in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur so magnifique is that it has served as a muse for the French artist Paul Cézanne. This Post-Impressionist painter was inspired by this distinct landscape so much that Montagne Sainte Victoire became the constant subject of his paintings. Apparently, Cézanne never grew tired of capturing its appearance on this canvas, as he lived below the mountain and create a series of paintings on Montagne Sainte Victoire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.These days, Montagne Sainte Victoire can be taken in through mountain biking and rock climbing; it’s also the location for religious heritage sites such as the Saint-Ser Hermitage, a tiny chapel built inside a cave.</p> <h2>Serranias del Hornocal, Argentina</h2> <p>Translated as the Hill of 14 Colours, this jagged-looking yet multicoloured geological formation in the northwestern Argentinian province of Jujuy has gotten visitors’ attention in recent years. According to Jujuy’s tourism board’s website, you reach this colourful mountain by driving with care from the town of Humahuaca. Your ride will go along the winding and gravel-covered Provincial Route 73, traveling roughly 24 kilometres to reach this Hill of 14 Colours. At this location, visitors can view the panoramic scenery and park their vehicles at an observation point that’s 4,350 meters high.</p> <h2>Remarkable Rocks, Flinders Chase National Park, Australia</h2> <p>How could we not include this amazing rock formation found in this park on Australia’s Kangaroo Island? These aptly-named granite boulders are said to have been shaped by 500 million years of environmental impact from the natural elements. The end result is quite an abstract vision. Some of these rocks are covered with golden orange lichen, which is a fungus and algae organism that reflects the sunlight. Other spotted colours include black mica, bluish quartz, and pinkish feldspar. Interpretive signs tell the story behind these rocks plus there’s a viewing platform for those with accessibility needs.</p> <h2>Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia</h2> <p>A World UNESCO Heritage site, this national park in northern Ethiopia is a biosphere onto its own with an abundance of flora and fauna. Canyon gorges, soft turfs, deep valleys and vegetation such as a type of flowering tree known as Erica arborea are all nestled here. Wildlife can be found within the park as well. Walia ibex, an endangered species of goat that’s native to this region of Ethiopia, is a resident. Other coinciding rare animals include the Ethiopian wolf (also known as a Simien fox) and Gelada baboon and several birds of prey.</p> <h2>Seven Coloured Earths, Mauritius</h2> <p>While they’re technically sand dunes, this colourful granular grouping stands out to us because of their blended hues. Found near the village of Chamarel, this geological marvel is a result of volcanic rock becoming clay that bridged together various elements and brought forth a result of different colours that have swirled together. Surrounded by forest, this harmonious blend of shades have settled amongst each other with red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow shining in their own right.</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/the-worlds-most-colourful-mountains?pages=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

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15 winter nail colours and trends you won’t be able to resist

<p><strong>Winter nail colour trends</strong></p> <p>Even if you spend most of the winter bundled up, there are still parts of you worth showing off all year long. And let’s not forget about that moment of pure joy when you slip your hands out of your gloves to show off your favourite new nail polish. So, now that autumn is over, what are the hottest winter nail colours and trends that should be on your radar?</p> <p>From rich, jewel-toned hues to dupes for frosty snowflakes, winter nails aren’t following one set of rules right now. We’re still seeing a lot of nail art, but it’s less cutesy and more architectural. For example, according to celebrity nail artist Brittney Boyce, instead of going with an overt candy-cane look, opt for a “chic, angled half-French in a sultry red, or do a half white nail with a diagonal cut across that looks clean and elevated.” You also won’t find just the typical wintery shades this year – you might see pastels on the chicest nails. If we had to sum up winter 2022 in a word, it would be unexpected or bold.</p> <p>We asked celebrity nail artists and other experts for their take on what’s trending right now so you can take your manicure to the next level. To get salon-quality results, use non-toxic polishes and gel nail polishes.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: a hint of sparkle</strong></p> <p>Don’t overdo the shimmer on your winter nail designs – a small amount will do the trick for this 2022 trend. Even if you use polish with chunky glitter in it, add only a dab or two. The idea is to catch the light, not pile on the glitter. “Adding a bit of sparkle is a great way to put a classic spin on a French mani and is also perfect for the winter,” says salon marketing manager, Jennifer Bell.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: browns, taupes, and chocolatey shades</strong></p> <p>Winter is the time of year you can match your mani to your hot drink! “We will continue to see a lot of neutral browns and chestnuts throughout the winter,” Bell predicts. There are so many gorgeous shades in this family that you can take it from nearly nude to deep sueded shades, depending on your mood.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: a touch of grey</strong></p> <p>Expect to see a lot of steely, slate, silver, or pale grey polish this season. “We [particularly] love a wintertime grey with a shimmery finish,” Bell says. Greys look great on nearly everyone, but a good rule of thumb (as it were) is that if you’re not sure which grey shade to choose, opt for a darker one because it flatters more skin tones.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: naked nails</strong></p> <p>Believe it or not, one of the hottest winter nail looks is perfectly pampered hands and cuticles with barely any polish. “Nude nails have been a beauty staple for years and are back with a new twist that embraces the barely-there look,” says Patricia Freund, managing director for cuticle oil brand, Cuccio Naturalé. While nude or barely there polish is a classic look, it also makes sense as there’s no need to worry about chipping a nail or ruining your nail art!</p> <p>Freund advises applying cuticle oil daily “to maintain hydrated and healthy nails throughout the winter and keep the ‘less is more’ nude manicure looking fresh all season.” One more tip for your tips: while short nails make sense during glove season, a look that’s gaining traction right now is a slightly longer oval nail with the sheerest polish, perfectly groomed cuticles, and moisturised hands.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: red hot</strong></p> <p>It wouldn’t be winter without classic red winter nails in every shade from spicy tomato to deep burgundy blacks. “We’ll also continue to see classic deep reds throughout the winter,” notes Bell. If you do plan on painting the town – or at least your nails – red, opt for a chip-proof top coat so you won’t have to keep touching up your mani.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: black</strong></p> <p>Classic black will be having a moment this winter. “The opposite of the opaque white trend for spring/summer is onyx – shiny patent leather nails,” says celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders. It’s all about high contrast and showing off your sparkly jewellery with this winter nail idea. Think black tie meets high fashion. Saunders says for maximum impact, be sure to use a high-shine top coat.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: glitter ombré tips</strong></p> <p>If don’t want to go all-out with glitter, try using just a hint of it in your nail art. Boyce’s advice? “Apply a strip of glitter polish on the tip, then gently drag the glitter chunks downward with the brush. This way, most of the glitter is on the tip and you’ll get a nice ombré effect.”  You can also experiment with this effect to add a little oomph to your favourite shade. “Do this on a bare nail, a nude nail, a white nail, or even a darker one,” Boyce says. But if you’re going dark, stick to a neutral shade like a dark taupe or dark blue so there aren’t too many competing elements.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: forest inspired</strong></p> <p>While some trees may be stripped bare, your nails will look amazing in a leafy-green polish. “All kinds of greens are still in the forefront of people’s minds,” Saunders says. And while you’d think deep, lush greens were the only trending verdant hues, you can also go playful and polish your nails any shade of green for an on-trend winter manicure.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: baby shades</strong></p> <p>Despite light colours usually making an appearance in spring, Saunders says, “we are going to see a ‘pastel winter’ with muted, serene colours on fingertips.” Picture Easter-egg hues on your winter nails. If you’re not sure that light colours are your thing in the winter, opt for colours that are classic, not cutesy. Think shell pink instead of bubblegum, or shimmery apricot instead of a bolder orange.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: winter blue</strong></p> <p>This winter nail colour can be rocked all season long. “Blue will win the race for this winter,” Saunders says. She’s predicting that everything from baby blue to deep metallic blue will be on all the chic nails this season. “It’s a nod to the ’90s, and super fun to create nail art with,” she adds.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: rich jewel tones</strong></p> <p>If you love the look of lush nails, get ready to indulge. “Deep gemstone colours are always a classic during wintertime,” Saunders says, “and that isn’t changing anytime soon.” Add some oomph to your LBD with any of these rich colours. Think ruby, emerald, sapphire and amethyst for a super luxe look.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: gold half moon</strong></p> <p>“Winter is a fun time to play up shimmer and texture,” Boyce says, adding that not all winter nail art needs to be complicated. “A gold half-moon near the cuticle is simple nail art that makes a big statement. You can play up different types of metallic shades for this [trend] depending on your look, from a standard gold to rose gold to even a bright orange bronze shade.”</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: dark meets light</strong></p> <p>Create a bit of drama with mostly sheer nails and a hint of a darker colours. “For winter, I like dark, still shades because it reminds me of just how quiet it gets during the night,” Boyce says. Think muted blues or purples contrasted with barely-there colour. “While black gives a lot of edge, you can soften it up with midnight navy or dark forest green shades,” she adds.</p> <p>How can you create this look at home? “An Angled Half French can be achieved easily by using washi tape as a guide and a dry brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the edges,” explains Boyce. “You then use a glossy top coat over the entire nail for a finished look.”</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: classic French tips in metallic shades</strong></p> <p>If you can’t get through the winter without a French mani, consider mixing things up. “A classic French tip using a shimmery shade on an oval-shaped nail, either short to medium length, looks really gorgeous for the holidays,” Boyce says, adding that the easiest way to get the perfect French tip is with a silicone nail stamper. Stampers are easy to use, but they come with a bit of a learning curve, so practise before that big event. If you’re not comfortable with a stamper, try dotting on a design with a nail art brush or using a fan brush to create a softened tip.</p> <p><strong>Nail trend: all the winter colours</strong></p> <p>Still can’t decide which winter nail colour or trend is your favourite? You don’t have to choose. Simply paint each nail a different colour for maximum wow. The experts we spoke with for this story all said winter nails this season are more about self-expression rather than sticking to any particular trend.</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-792f2663-7fff-3448-7169-f7f270bb358e">Written by Rachel Weingarten. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/15-winter-nail-colours-and-trends-you-wont-be-able-to-resist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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How much colour do we really see?

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>Colour awareness has long been a puzzle for researchers in neuroscience and psychology, who debate how much colour observers really perceive.</p> <p>A new US study probably raises more questions than it answers.</p> <p>In a series of trials, researchers from Amherst College, MIT and Dartmouth College found that observers routinely failed to notice when colour vanished from the majority of their view. They had surprisingly limited colour perception in their peripheral vision.</p> <p>Counter-intuitive as it may sound, the study used virtual reality to ensure the participants had a 360-degree, real-world view of the world.</p> <p>Each wore a head-mounted display fitted with eye-trackers, allowing them to tour historic sites and watch a street dance performance or a symphony orchestra rehearsal simply by turning their heads.</p> <p>The researchers knew exactly where an observer was looking at all times and could make changes so that only the areas where the person was looking were in colour. Other areas were desaturated, right down to black and white.</p> <p>But most people didn’t notice. In the most extreme case, almost a third didn’t realise that less than 5% percent of the entire visual field was presented in colour.</p> <p>While a human’s visual field extends about 210 degrees, which is similar to if your arms are stretched out on your left and right, the study’s results showed that most people’s colour awareness is limited to a small area around the dead centre of their visual field.</p> <p>In a separate study participants were asked to identify when colour was desaturated in the periphery – and the results were similar. Many people failed to notice when the peripheral colour had been removed.</p> <p>“We were amazed by how oblivious participants were when colour was removed from up to 95% of their visual world,” says Dartmouth’s Caroline Robertson, senior author of a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/02/1922294117" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> in the journal <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>.</p> <p>The obvious question is how this can be. The researchers say they cannot offer a definitive answer but do suggest possibilities worth exploring.</p> <p>“One possibility is that as observers spend time in an environment, their brains are able to eventually ‘fill-in’ the colour of many items in the periphery,” they write.</p> <p>“Of course, providing direct evidence for this explanation is challenging since it is extremely difficult to differentiate between scenarios where a subject knows the colour of an object (i.e., ‘I know the tree behind me is green even though I currently cannot see the color green’) from instances where the subject is experiencing the colour of that object online (i.e., ‘I can see the colour green at this very moment’).</p> <p>“Alternatively, some would argue that there is no need for a filling-in mechanism at all and the intuition of a rich perceptual experience is simply misguided.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=101757&amp;title=How+much+colour+do+we+really+see%3F" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/how-much-colour-do-we-really-see/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a>.</em></p> </div> </div>

Art

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New book names royal family member who asked about Archie’s skin colour

<p dir="ltr">In his upcoming book<span> </span><em>Brothers And Wives: Inside The Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan,<span> </span></em>Christopher Andersen seemingly reveals the identity of the royal who asked about Archie’s skin colour, a claim that was originally made in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s astonishing interview with Oprah earlier this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">The book claims that following the announcement of Harry and Meghan’s engagement, on November 27, 2017, Prince Charles sat down to breakfast with Camilla and asked, “I wonder what the children will look like?”, to which Camilla responded, “absolutely gorgeous, I’m certain”. Charles then clarified what he meant by following up with, “I mean, what do you think their children’s complexion might be?”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the book, Camilla was “somewhat taken aback” by the question. While the source for these claims is “well-placed”, Andersen stops short of claiming that Charles is the unnamed “senior royal” referred to in the Oprah interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">In their March interview with Oprah, Meghan said there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born… Those were conversations that family had with Harry”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andersen presents the question as an example of Charles’ curious nature that was seized upon and distorted by “scheming courtiers” to make it look racist, pointing the finger at a group of palace advisers known as the “Men in Grey”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andersen writes, “The question posed by Charles was being echoed in a less innocent way throughout the halls of Buckingham Palace.” The gossip allegedly focused on how the royals would “look to the rest of the world” once Meghan’s blood became part of the mix.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andersen also reveals Harry’s frustration with his relatives throughout the saga, with Charles telling him he was being “overly sensitive about the matter” and William describing Charles’ comment as “tactless” but “not a sign of racism within the family”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prince Charles told the<span> </span><em>New York Post,<span> </span></em>“This is fiction and not worth further comment,” while a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Food can play a part of the colour of your poo and pee

<h1>Optimal pee and poo colour for your health</h1> <h2>Food, medications and illnesses can all play a part.</h2> <div class="copy"> <p>Out of the blue I passed bright red pee. I freaked, thinking it was a sign of terminal disease. Then I remembered the roasted beetroot tarts served at the party the night before – so delicious I’d eaten three!</p> <p>Beetroot, artificial colours, vitamin supplements and medications can change the colour of your urine or bowel motions. Knowing which colour changes are due to food or medicines can save you worry, or provide an early alert to get to the doctor.</p> <h2>Beeturia</h2> <p>Beeturia is the term for passing red urine after eating beetroot. The red colour comes from a pigment called betalain, also in some flower petals, fruit, leaves, stems and roots. Concentrated beetroot extract, called Beet Red or additive number 162 on food labels, can be added to “pink” foods, such as ice-cream.</p> <p>Whether betalain turns your pee red or not depends on the type of beetroot, amount eaten and how it’s prepared, because betalain is destroyed by heat, light and acid.</p> <p>How much betalain enters your digestive tract depends on stomach acid and stomach emptying rate (people taking medications to reduce stomach acid may be prone to beeturia). Once in the blood stream, betalain pigments are filtered out by the kidneys. Most is eliminated two to eight hours after eating.</p> <p>Persistent red urine can be due to blood loss, infection, enlarged prostate, cancer, cysts, kidney stones or after a long-distance run. If you see red and have not been eating beetroot, see your doctor.</p> <h2>What should your pee look like?</h2> <p>Normal pee should be the colour of straw. If your pee is so colourless that it looks like water, you probably drank more than you needed.</p> <p>Very dark yellow pee usually means you are a bit dehydrated and need to drink more water.</p> <p>Compare your pee colour to the Cleveland Clinic’s scale below.</p> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy Cleveland Clinic</span></span> <h2>Strange pee colours due to food, drugs or disease</h2> <p>Pee the colour of syrup or molasses needs medical investigation. While it could be due to extreme dehydration, it can be a sign of liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, where a build up of bilirubin spills into your pee. Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells; it’s also responsible for poo’s normal brown colour.</p> <p>Pee can turn bright orange or yellow when taking beta-carotene or vitamin B supplements, especially large doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2). These supplements are water soluble. What your body can’t use or store gets filtered out via your kidneys and into pee.</p> <p>Medications including phenazopyridine (for urinary tract infections), rifampin (antibiotic for treating tuberculosis and Legionnaire’s disease), warfarin (blood thinner) and some laxatives can also change pee colour.</p> <p>If you pass blue or green pee, it’s most likely due to food colouring or methylene blue used in some diagnostic test procedures and some drugs.</p> <p>But a range of medications can also trigger blue or green urine. These include antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, antibacterials, antidepressants, some nausea drugs or those for reducing stomach acid.</p> <p>Rare genetic conditions Hartnup disease and Blue diaper syndrome cause blue-green urine. So see your doctor if it persists or it happens in an infant.</p> <p>You should never see purple pee, but hospital staff might. “Purple urine bag” syndrome happens in patients with catheters and infections or complications. The catheter or bag turns purple due to a chemical reaction between protein breakdown products in urine and the plastic.</p> <p>Occasionally, pee can be frothy. It’s a normal reaction if protein intake is high and pee comes out fast. It is more likely if you consume protein powders or protein supplements. Excess protein can’t be stored in the body so the nitrogen component (responsible for the froth) gets removed and the kidneys excrete it as urea.</p> <p>See your doctor if the frothiness doesn’t go away or gets worse, as protein can leak into pee if you have kidney disease.</p> <h2>Poo colours of the rainbow</h2> <p>Normal poo colour ranges from light yellow to brown to black. The colour is due to a mix of bile, which starts off green in the gall bladder, and bilirubin a yellow breakdown product from red blood cells.</p> <p>Poo can turn green after consuming food and drink containing blue or green food colouring, or if food travels too fast through the gut and some bile is still present.</p> <p>Poo that is yellow, greasy and smells really bad signals food malabsorption. If this colour is associated with weight loss in an adult or poor growth in a child, see a doctor to rule out gut infections such as giardia or medical conditions like coeliac disease.</p> <p>Very pale or clay-coloured poo can happen when taking some anti-diarrhoeal medications, or when digestive problems affect the liver, gut, pancreas or gall bladder.</p> <p>At the other extreme of the colour spectrum, black poo could be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the stomach or upper gut. Or it could be a harmless side-effect from taking iron supplements, or eating lots of licorice.</p> <p>Red poo can also be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the lower gut, or from haemorrhoids, or harmless after having large amounts of red food colouring.</p> <p>If you don’t know what colour your pee or poo is, take a look. If you see a colour that’s out of the ordinary and you haven’t eaten anything unusual, take a picture and make an appointment to show your GP.</p> <p>Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, <em>University of Newcastle</em>; Kristine Pezdirc, Research Associate | Post-doctoral Researcher, <em>University of Newcastle</em>, and Megan Rollo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nutrition &amp; Dietetics, <em>University of Newcastle</em></p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=11561&amp;title=Optimal+pee+and+poo+colour+for+your+health" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p>This article was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by The Conversation. The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from the academic and research community.</p> </div>

Food & Wine

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How to find the best hair colour for your skin tone

<p><strong>The art of choosing the perfect colour</strong></p> <p>When it comes to always looking your best, the right haircut is important – but the right hair colour might be even more important.</p> <p>Certain shades can look beautiful or blah on you, depending on how well they complement your skin tone.</p> <p>“I have clients on a daily basis requesting a hair colour they’ve seen on an actress or model that they just must have,” says celebrity colourist, Kari Hill.</p> <p>“The obstacle isn’t the colouring of their hair – it’s understanding whether or not the colour is going to match their skin tone.”</p> <p>If you’re looking to colour your hair at home, you’ll undoubtedly find a walk down the pharmacy hair-care aisle to be overwhelming and confusing.</p> <p>And it’s too easy to make a hair mistake that ages your face or simply causes you to look less than amazing.</p> <p>Don’t worry – we’re here to help. We asked veteran stylists to explain exactly how to determine your skin tone and identify the best colours for you, whether you want to go natural or be a little more dramatic.</p> <p><strong>How to determine your skin tone</strong></p> <p>As with complexions, hair colours can be warm, cool or neutral.</p> <p>Cool-toned skin has pink, red, and blue undertones, while warm-toned skin has yellow, peach, and golden undertones.</p> <p>If your skin tone is neutral your undertone most likely matches your actual skin tone. No mystery there!</p> <p>So, how can you determine your skin tone? An easy way to find out is with a “wrist test.”</p> <p>Simply flip over your wrist and look at the colour of your veins.</p> <p>If they are blue or purple, you’re likely cool-toned. Green and yellow veins mean your skin is warm-toned. Here’s another neat trick: “Place a silver piece of jewellery and a gold [one] next to your face, near your eyes,” says celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland.</p> <p>“If silver complements you, go for a cool hair shade. If it’s gold that works best, then choose warm.”</p> <p>You may have heard that the golden rule when it comes to hair colour is to select a shade that’s the opposite of your skin tone, but that actually may not be accurate.</p> <p>“My advice is to find a colour that brings you confidence but also respects your complexion,” says colourist, Sophie Georgiou. “Lots of women dream of being blonde, but it’s doesn’t suit all complexions.”</p> <p><strong>For fair skin with cool undertones</strong></p> <p><span>Fun fact: the paler your complexion, the lighter you can go with your hair colour. </span></p> <p><span>“Cool blonde shades (like platinum and baby blonde) are great on porcelain skin,” says Georgiou. </span></p> <p><span>And you’ll want to avoid overly warm tones, like golds, coppers and caramel, which can look unnatural. </span></p> <p><span>“Michelle Williams has a very pale cool complexion, so very light, icy blonde works perfectly on her. The reason I love this is because it also contrasts beautifully with her brown eye colour. It shows that, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have blue eyes and also pale skin to wear this tone,” says Hill. </span></p> <p><span>Considering a deeper hue? Matt King, a colourist, suggests dark red violets and jewel-toned colours, such as rich true red, solid jet (blue) black, and dark deep brown.</span></p> <p><strong>For fair skin with warm undertones</strong></p> <p><span>According to colourist, Jasmin Rainieri, if you have fair skin with warm undertones, a la Emma Stone and Emma Roberts, copper red, butterscotch, rust, golden blonde, strawberry and caramel tones will bring out the warmth in your skin. </span></p> <p><span>Remember the copper red on Stone? “The warm golden copper tone [was] beautifully complemented by her very fair but also warm skin tone,” says Hill. </span></p> <p><span>“Conversely, with warmer undertones on fair skin, you want to avoid the overly blue and violet-based colours. I actually wouldn’t suggest anything in the black family at all for someone with this complexion, as it could appear too harsh against their skin tone,” says King.</span></p> <p><strong>For fair skin with neutral undertones</strong></p> <p>Blonde may seem like an obvious choice for people with fair skin and neutral undertones, given the popularity of the shade and just how well it traditionally blends with fair skin.</p> <p>Just look at Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts, who have donned blonde tresses over the years.</p> <p>But according to Ian Michael Black, global artistic director of hair colour at Aveda, it’s all about choosing the right shade of the classic colour. “[Try making] a bold statement with platinum blonde, but steer clear of having too much of a blue undertone in the colour,” he says.</p> <p>Not your style? For a “slightly softer” but statement-looking light blonde, he suggests a complimentary champagne beige tone: “It will look soft and flattering because it will finely balance cool and warm.”</p> <p>Another option, he adds, is to make a statement in the other direction with a very deep brown, which “will be feminine but with a strong edge,” he says.</p> <p><strong>For medium skin with cool undertones </strong></p> <p><span>With a medium complexion, you can experiment with almost any colour. </span></p> <p><span>J</span><span>ust avoid going to extremes, King advises. Brunettes should stick with a natural medium to light brown – something like walnut is great. </span></p> <p><span>For blondes, look for sand, wheat and beige to complement your skin tone and still look natural. </span></p> <p><span>Taylor Swift is a great example of medium skin with cool undertones. “She also has very cool blue eyes that work well with this ashy natural blonde,” notes Hill. </span></p> <p><span>And when it comes to red, you’ll want to stick with something in the medium auburn family or a cinnamon tone, according to King.</span></p> <p><strong>For medium skin with warm undertones</strong></p> <p>Blake Lively is a perfect example of medium-toned skin with warm undertones.</p> <p>“Her complexion looks even more gold and radiant because she stays with a golden tone, no matter how light or dark her hair,” explains Hill.</p> <p>“If she went pale or cool in her blonde choices, it would wash out her skin, almost ageing her, due to it being so unnatural with her skin tone.”</p> <p>According to King, people with this skin tone can’t go wrong with something in the middle.</p> <p>“Personally, I have one absolute favourite for a medium complexion with warm undertones: bronde,” she says, referring to a combination of brown and blonde.</p> <p>“I’m not sure there can be anything better than having the best of both worlds.” Warm butterscotch or light golden brown a la Jessica Alba are great.</p> <p>“Copper and golden reds will add just the right amount of pop in these situations while fully complementing the skin instead of stealing the show.”</p> <p><strong>For medium skin with neutral undertones</strong></p> <p>If your skin tone is similar to Shay Mitchell’s or Vanessa Hudgens’, try combining both warm and cool tones for a gorgeous look.</p> <p>“Let your hair gently transition in depth and tone as it goes down the hair shaft. A deeper base with a soft golden tone toward the scalp can be blended into a cooler-toned lighter end to give a complementing and gentle look that works with your skin,” advises Black.</p> <p>Or if you’re looking for more of a brunette look, try “a clean gold tone that radiates and brings warmth against the skin.” The key to making sure it works perfectly and gives you a slightly warmer look and glow? Avoiding red tones.</p> <p>One more thing to keep in mind: “When you have medium or dark olive skin, stay away from shades that can appear to be the same tone as your skin colour, specifically light brown or dark blonde,” says colourist Marie Robinson. </p> <p>“You are better going brighter, adding highlights, or adding richer tones and darker hair colour to add contrast to your skin.”</p> <p><strong>For olive skin with cool undertones</strong></p> <p>“For olive skin, living in a more brunette family is preferable – and adding in a subtle highlight can really help to add dimension and open up a look,” says King.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t really venture into blond too much here, though I think keeping a darker base with hints of caramel or a honey blonde can add incredible texture.”</p> <p>Reddish browns like chestnut, autumn and cinnamon also look great with this skin tone.</p> <p>If you want a darker hue, stick with warmer blacks like mocha, which can help cancel out any underlying pinkish tones and smooth the appearance of the skin.</p> <p>Olivia Munn’s gorgeous olive skin tone works amazingly with this dark, cool brown hair. “Her hazel eyes not only marry her skin and hair colour, but they keep her looking dramatic and not extreme or harsh,” says Hill.</p> <p><strong>For olive skin with warm undertones</strong></p> <p><span>For those with olive skin and warm undertones – think Jennifer Lopez and Eva Mendes – you can’t go wrong with deep golden and caramel hues. </span></p> <p><span>“Jennifer Lopez’s skin tone is the most golden caramel olive tone out there! Her golden-brown eyes literally glow because she doesn’t stray from the warm tones both her skin and eyes dictate,” says Hill. </span></p> <p><span>Ebony and mocha tones are also stunning. If you’re going red, stick with the violet reds – keeping colours deep and rich. </span></p> <p><span>When it comes to going blonde, you’ll want to embrace warmth and stay with tones that are more honey-based. </span></p> <p><span>“While blue-black is an option, I would stick to a more violet black for a striking appearance – it’s also just a little more fun,” says King. “Warm blacks also work here to give a very natural exotic look.”</span></p> <p><strong>For olive skin with neutral undertones </strong></p> <p><span>Rich, dark tresses are stunning on those with olive skin, from Penelope Cruz to Padma Lakshmi. </span></p> <p><span>Black agrees: “Rich chestnut and chocolate tones bring out some warmth from your skin’s neutral undertones.” </span></p> <p><span>But there’s no need to limit yourself to darker tones if you want to mix things up! </span></p> <p><span>“If you want to go on the lighter side, soft balayage works well with darker natural levels and lighter pieces that have a cool honey-colour,” Black explains. </span></p> <p><span>“This will add warmth and glow without looking too stark or brassy against the skin. It works really well to complement those with bright hazel eyes to create a well-rounded and flattering look.”</span></p> <p><strong>For deep skin with cool undertones</strong></p> <p><span>“Deep, cool complexions, like Viola Davis, are where inky black truly shines. The colour and light-catching factor really help to add to the multitudes of depth in this skin tone,” explains King. </span></p> <p><span>Other hues to consider? Espresso, blue-blacks, and deep violet shades, according to colourist, Jason Dolan. And for highlights? “Choose cool hues, regardless of whether they’re brown, blue-red, or platinum blond,” says Hill.</span></p> <p><strong>For deep skin with warm undertones</strong></p> <p><span>“The richness of a deep, warm skin tone – like Beyoncé’s and Halle Berry’s – is something that you can play up with simple colour tricks,” says King. </span></p> <p><span>Considering a blonde hue? He suggests staying in the caramel and toffee family. Brunettes should favour maple and mahogany tones, which help enhance skin’s natural radiance. </span></p> <p><span>Similarly, if you’re going dark, warm blacks are best. </span></p> <p><span>For redheads: “As contradictory as it may sound, a blue-red works best with this skin tone. It will help to appropriately balance underlying tones while enhancing the warmth that you want to see.”</span></p> <p><strong>For deep skin with neutral undertones</strong></p> <p>Deep skin with a neutral undertone looks best with a strong contrast. (Think Kerry Washington and Zendaya.)</p> <p>“A really light cool-toned blonde, from platinum to softer cool beige, can work beautifully to bring out the warmth in deep brown eyes,” says Black.</p> <p>“Brunette shades with soft warmth, from gold-toned chestnut to rich mahogany with red-violet undertones, can create a flattering complementary look that brings warmth to the face.”</p> <p>If you’re still unsure, Cleveland recommends a combination of skin tone and eye colour to determine the best hair shade.</p> <p>“The ideal look is achieved by one of these two combinations: warm, warm, cool, or cool, cool, warm. For example, if your eye colour is warm and your skin colour is warm, then your hair colour should be cool,” she says.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/beauty/how-to-find-the-best-hair-colour-for-your-skin-tone?pages=2" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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6 colours you shouldn’t have in your bedroom

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A bedroom is a sanctuary where we can be our most authentic selves. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most people want the colours of their bedroom to feel intimate and to reflect who they truly are, but at the same time, a bedroom should feel cosy and provide the best night’s sleep. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Believe it or not, colour choices in your bedroom can largely affect how calm you feel and how well you rest in the evenings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to experts, keep these colours out of the bedroom.</span></p> <p><strong>Black</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides just darkening a room, a colour such as black will create an illusion that a room looks smaller than it actually is. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the darkness may aid in falling asleep at night, it will consequently inhibit your ability to get up in the morning, as well as psychologically decreasing your energy. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I suggest avoiding painting all four walls top to bottom and instead getting creative with paint placement and choosing a feature wall or leaving the trims out etc,” said Home Décor Designer, Shani Moran.</span></p> <p><strong>Neon</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You should always avoid using neon colours such as electric lime and magenta as they bring excitement and energy into the bedroom,” explained property developer Shad Elia. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The vibrance will create a space that makes it more challenging to wind down, which is the whole purpose of a bedroom. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, Elia recommends using lighter shades of grey and beige, as “these colours are warm and help the body relax when it comes time to sleeping.”</span></p> <p><strong>Yellow</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yellow is a highly stimulating colour as we mostly associate the brightness with the sun and mornings, a time when we are most alert. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While the cheerful tone may be great for daytime, those who opt for a lemon-hued room are more likely to experience difficulty falling asleep at night,” claimed Kimberly Smith, a property marketing manager.</span></p> <p><strong>Red</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like yellow, red is a striking colour.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> While bold colours, particularly warm-toned reds and bright pinks, can look stylish, they can also evoke feelings of unrest or agitation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These colours are often used in marketing as they stimulate the senses, and this is not something you want when trying to fall asleep,” explained Karin Sun, founder of a luxury bedding brand. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These colours are better suited for places that encourage activity, like a gym, or a warmth, like a family room.</span></p> <p><strong>Orange</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the early days of our marriage, my wife and I thought it would be a good idea to paint our bedroom orange,” said Daniel Carter, founder of an online business. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not the bright, saturated shade you’d normally see on the fruit of the same name, but a lighter hue. We then added green and purple accents. It looked cool and eclectic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We loved how it turned out until we actually had to go to sleep. The room still looked bright even when we only had a night lamp on, so we had to pull the shades down and have all the lights switched off come bedtime, not always an ideal situation.” </span></p> <p><strong>Dark brown</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The darkness of the colour provides a sense of heaviness and gloom, which may decrease the motivation of waking up in the morning. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“However, if your heart is set on painting your bedroom walls with a colour that is deemed not wise, you can opt for their muted counterparts instead, or use them as an accent colour, instead of the main colour,” explained realtor Tal Shelef.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article first appeared in </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/6-colours-you-shouldnt-have-in-your-bedroom" target="_blank"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a>.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Art

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Apple iMac computers return to colourful roots

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the latest installation by Apple, their reinvented iMac design sports a throwback to the original colourful roots from over 20 years ago.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new desktop computers exhibit a slim-line design, while being available to purchase in seven different colours - </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The throwback colours are a nod to the first iMac computer, which was released in 1998, and became an instant hit.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They also donned a bold all-in-one design originally released in an unforgettable blue translucent plastic body, that has become an iconic image of the technology revolution. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This design came after Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted to reinvigorate the company’s products and global image.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This company revamp is arguably a key reason for Apple’s incredible ongoing success today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Excited customers from all over the world have been getting their hands on the new rainbow iMacs, which is unlike anything else on the tech market today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new devices include a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, which are all rechargeable devices and colour-matched to your iMac of choice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The desktop computers also boast a 24 inch screen, six built-in speakers and HD cameras.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The iMacs start at $1,899, with PC fans saying the price point is definitely justified by the quality of the colourful machine. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Technology

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Test your brain with this colourful illusion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Optical illusions can be a fun way to test your vision, and this latest one is no different. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the below image, created by David Novick, the levitating spheres might seem like they are red, purple, or green at first, but if you look closely, you will spot their real colour.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.11111111111114px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841416/colour-ball.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/957db14472df4edb87fccdec9ca1c173" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The spheres are actually all the same shade of beige, and are an example of the phenomenon known as the Munker-White illusion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How does the illusion actually work?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Novick, who is also a professor of engineering education and leadership at the University of Texas, said it is because “our acuity for shape is better than our acuity for colour, which means that we perceive the shapes with more detail and the colours with less detail.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told </span><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/these-balls-aren-t-really-all-different-colors-here-s-what-s-going-on"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Science Alert</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that, though the outlines of the spheres look identical, which they are, “the colour sort of bleeds over, or assimilates, to adjacent spaces”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The illusion relies on the hue of the stripes in the foreground rather than the colours behind the spheres.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It works as the colour of the spheres gets “pulled” closer to the colour of the stripes that cross over them in the foreground, which warp our perception of the actual hue of the spheres.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">There's a great article by <a href="https://twitter.com/NicolettaML?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NicolettaML</a> about my research on illusions now posted at <a href="https://twitter.com/LiveScience?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LiveScience</a>: <a href="https://t.co/45T2TnLOHG">https://t.co/45T2TnLOHG</a>.</p> — David Novick (@NovickProf) <a href="https://twitter.com/NovickProf/status/1395081119490617347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, removing the crisscrossing stripes will also remove the illusion, leaving only identical beige balls behind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Novick shares around two new illusions every week to </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NovickProf?s=20"><span style="font-weight: 400;">his Twitter account</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and has found that some of his older posts will get rediscovered, go viral, and sometimes make the news.</span></p>

Mind

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Is purple your favourite colour? This wine is for you

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether you prefer your wine to be red, yellow or pink, you’ve never seen wine in this shade before.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Australian winery has created a purple wine, made from a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc with an infusion of botanicals.</span></p> <p><a href="https://purplereign.com.au/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Purple Reign Wine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the vineyard behind this unique wine, says they have “harnessed nature’s rarest colour and most powerful visible wave-length to create a popular style of wine embellished with mystery and nobility.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7Jf2ij2Ck/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7Jf2ij2Ck/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The World’s First Purple Wine! (@purplereignwine)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The winery goes on to say the drop “is infused with natural, organic, plant-based botanicals to minimise the use of sulphites.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The move away from using sulphites in wine stems from a theory that avoiding synthetic additives like sulphites could lessen a hangover.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to this theory, natural wines that replace synthetic additives with botanicals have less acetaldehyde, a chemical that your body breaks down after drinking alcohol.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://www.saveur.com/story/drink/truth-about-natural-wine-and-hangovers/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2013 study</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by the University of Rome found lower amounts of acetaldehyde in blood meant the liver had less work to do and could process alcohol faster.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Co-developer Ross Stewart told </span><a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/travel/food-wine/worlds-first-purple-wine-purple-reign-developed-in-wa-and-it-might-lessen-your-hangover-ng-b881858722z"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perth Now</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that one customer claimed the wine didn’t trigger his asthma like other drops.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve had many similar stories from customers over the last two years,” Mr Ross said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We believe using antioxidant rich compounds in winemaking could also translate to a clearer, less foggy head after drinking, compared to other wines.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Ross added, “We’ve also found that when our wines are stored correctly after opening, they stay fresh for longer than other wines, all by using natural means.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for the flavour profile, Purple Reign says the “lush style wine exhibits a hint of grass and a touch of minerals with a perfect balance of natural acidity and freshness complemented by a crisp dry finish.”</span></p> <p><strong>Image credit: Purple Reign Wine / Instagram</strong></p>

Food & Wine

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Royal insider's bombshell claims surrounding Archie's skin colour

<p>A royal insider has claimed that Princess Anne is the member of the Royal Family accused of racism by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess said there were "concerns and conversations about how dark" their son Archie's skin may be before he was born during their interview with Oprah Winfrey.</p> <p>However they refused to name who the person was saying it would be too "damaging" to them.</p> <p>Now, according to UK socialite Lady Colin Campbell, the person in question is Princess Anne.</p> <p>Speaking on her podcast, Chatting with Lady C, Campbell believes it was a simple misunderstanding in a discussion about the cultural differences between Brits and Americans.</p> <p>“There were no concerns about Meghan’s colour,” she said.</p> <p>“Princess Anne was rightly concerned that if the marriage proceeded and there were children there would be huge problems, not because of Meghan’s colour, but because of Meghan’s inability and determination to remain unable to appreciate the cultural differences.”</p> <p>She added that Anne was concerned that Meghan may not “actually have respect for the institution in to which she was marrying, and the family in which she was marrying”.</p> <p>“Meghan and Harry have used that genuine concern of a loving aunt, knowing that because she is down to earth, experienced, modest, intelligent and sensible, and that you cannot make a sow’s ear into a silk purse.</p> <p>“Nobody is the guilty party in terms of racism. But Princess Anne was the champion in terms of ‘don’t marry that girl, she is unsuitable. She is wrong for the country, wrong for the job’.</p> <p>“Well, it’s turned out to be true.</p> <p>“I think it’s important that it is out there before it is weaponised by some anti-establishment, anti-monarchist organisation, who will spin things destructively to further their agenda.”</p> <p>Lady Colin added that she had “met Anne a few times,” but the pair are “not friends”.</p>

Family & Pets

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Who made the Archie skin colour comments?

<p><span>Oprah Winfrey gave an intriguing new insight into her shocking interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on <em>CBS</em>.</span><br /><br /><span>The TV host revealed that she still did not know the identity of the royal who the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said raised concerns about Archie skin colour before his birth.</span><br /><br /><span>However, she said Prince Harry wanted to make it very clear it was neither the Queen nor Prince Philip who made those comments.</span><br /><br /><span>The American TV star revealed that even she was surprised that Meghan and Prince Harry told her about the comment.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840185/meghan-harry-interview-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a5cd2367f1864e9db0c90970d8dccd4b" /></p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em><br /><br /><span>“[Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew and if I had an opportunity to share it that it was not his grandmother [the Queen] nor his grandfather [Prince Philip] that were a part of those conversations,” she said as she appeared on <em>CBS</em> This Morning just a day after the sensational interview.</span><br /><br /><span>“He did not tell me who were a part of those conversations,” she added, admitting that she tried to get more details both on camera and off.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan also revealed that the Palace did not want her and Harry’s son, Archie, to have a royal title or security detail.</span><br /><br /><span>Prince Harry also later said that the Queen had invited him and Meghan to Sandringham to talk and stay overnight after their decision to leave as working royals in January 2020.</span><br /><br /><span>However he said the invite was suddenly retracted and he was told the monarch was “too busy”.</span><br /><br /><span>She said the stories about the Queen being “blindsided” by their exit were “very damaging to them and also very hurtful” because there had been “months and months of preparation” before they moved to Canada.</span><br /><br /><span>She noted that the Queen even said this in a January 2020 statement.</span><br /><br /><span>“There are people surrounding the family who are advisers to the family who have been there a long time and that’s part of the hierarchal structure and those people have a lot of influence and input,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Harry said that after the Queen invited the couple to Norfolk, her secretary quickly got in contact to say she was “busy all week”.</span><br /><br /><span>“I didn’t want to push because I kind of knew what was going on,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Doesn’t the Queen get to do what the Queen wants to do?” Oprah asked.</span><br /><br /><span>“No, when you are head of The Firm there’s people around you that give you advice and what has also made me really sad is that some of that advice has been really bad,” Harry replied.</span><br /><br /><span>In another clip just aired with <em>CBS</em>, Oprah asked Harry if he left the UK because of racism.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was a large part of it,” Harry said.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"'I just need you to tell me. And if you tell me the truth, we can help.' And he wasn't able to do that." — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on a conversation she had with her father regarding tabloids <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OprahMeghanHarry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OprahMeghanHarry</a> <a href="https://t.co/XhPwGM0Uvl">pic.twitter.com/XhPwGM0Uvl</a></p> — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSThisMorning/status/1368920074917191690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>He revealed that a media insider at a fundraising dinner for his Sentebale charity had told him: “Please don’t do this with the media, they will destroy your life. You need to understand the UK is very bigoted.”</span><br /><br /><span>“I stopped and I said, ‘The UK’s not bigoted, the UK press is bigoted, specifically the tabloids, is that what you mean?’” Harry said he asked.</span><br /><br /><span>“And he goes, ‘No the UK’s bigoted’. And I said, ‘I completely disagree’, but unfortunately if the source of information is inherently corrupt or racist or biased then that filters out into the rest of society.”</span><br /><br /><span>Oprah revealed she had sat down with the couple before the interview to speak about their intention for the chat.</span><br /><br /><span>“I think they agreed to do it, wanted to do it, were ready to do I because when you have been lied about for a series of years, I think anybody you can understand this if in your own office or in your own family, somebody is saying things about you that are not true and how hurtful that is. or if you’re online and you read the comments from something that somebody has said about you and you continue to see those comments, how hurtful that is.</span><br /><br /><span>“Imagine that over a period of months and years, and you know that it isn’t true.”</span><br /><br /><span>Oprah said they wanted “not to be intruded upon,” when asked about the couple’s desire for privacy.</span><br /><br /><span>The talk-show host, who is a neighbour of the couple in Montecito, California, clarified on CBS that no one wants people outside their home filming their child.</span><br /><br /><span>Prince Harry said that “sadly” no one in the royal family had apologised for the fact that he and Meghan, 39, felt they had to leave.</span><br /><br /><span>“The feeling was that this is our decision therefore the consequences are on us.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Does your father think it's a toxic environment or relationship? — <a href="https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oprah</a><br /><br />"No, I think he's had to make peace with it." — Prince Harry <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OprahMeghanHarry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OprahMeghanHarry</a> <a href="https://t.co/FH9YrLMDYh">pic.twitter.com/FH9YrLMDYh</a></p> — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSThisMorning/status/1368913037617475585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>“And despite three years of asking or help and seeing or visualising how this might end, it was … it’s been really hard because … I am part of the system with them, I always have been.</span><br /><br /><span>“But I guess, I’m very aware of this, my brother can’t leave the system, but I have.”</span><br /><br /><span>Asked if Prince William wanted to leave, Harry said he did not know.</span><br /><br /><span>“But with that relationship and that control and that fear from the UK tabloids … it’s a toxic environment.”</span><br /><br /><span>Oprah asked: “Does your father think it’s a toxic environment or relationship?”</span><br /><br /><span>Harry replied: “No, I think he’s had to make peace with it.”</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke of Sussex said he “will always be there” for his brother and his family.</span></p>

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Important health hints hidden in your eye colour

<p>Your eye colour is mostly determined by the luck of the genetic draw. Although there are things you can do to improve your eyesight and keep your eyes healthy, there’s not much you can do to change your eye colour.</p> <p>However, your iris colour might reveal more about your health than you think.</p> <p>Here’s what you need to know about dark and light eyes, and all the shades in between.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837672/01-brown-eyes-shutterstock_1438302062-770.jpg" alt="Dark eyes: May have a lower melanoma risk" data-udi="umb://media/57b271b070354877ba6815722bfd6bf1" /></p> <ol> <li><strong> Dark eyes: May have a lower melanoma risk</strong></li> </ol> <p>Dark-coloured irises might indicate you have a lower risk of the skin cancer melanoma.</p> <p>In a study published in <em>Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &amp; Prevention</em>, researchers took DNA samples and gathered sun exposure data from nearly 500 white children, ages 6 to 10, for four years.</p> <p>Children with the blue eye gene were more likely to develop moles compared to children without the gene. (The number of moles people develop during childhood can predict the risk of melanoma in adulthood.)</p> <p>Other research has found that people with blue or green eyes are at greater risk of melanomas of the eye, most likely because they have less light-absorbing pigment to shield the eyes from sun damage.</p> <p>But no matter what your eye colour meaning may infer, it’s always a good idea to protect your eyes with sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of ultraviolet radiation or UV-absorbent contact lenses, says Christopher Quinn, OD.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837673/02-puffy-eyes-gettyimages-171580559-770.jpg" alt="Dark eyes: May be less likely to have macular degeneration" data-udi="umb://media/efba3ca1081347e99104da5cb9c300d3" /></p> <ol start="2"> <li><strong> Dark eyes: May be less likely to have macular degeneration</strong></li> </ol> <p>Your eye colour meaning can give insight into your overall eye health. “A dark iris blocks more ultraviolet light,” says Quinn.</p> <p>“UV light is a risk factor for macular degeneration.</p> <p>Extra light that gets into the eyes of people with light-coloured irises may cause them to have more retinal degeneration.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837674/03-yellow-spots-eyes-gettyimages-746122853-770.jpg" alt="Light eyes: May be less likely to have vitiligo" data-udi="umb://media/e929b3f8046946748e0f2cad54032c86" /></p> <ol start="3"> <li><strong> Light eyes: May be less likely to have vitiligo</strong></li> </ol> <p>In a University of Colorado School of Medicine study, researchers tracked nearly 3,000 people with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy pigment cells and causes skin blotches.</p> <p>Researchers identified 13 genes linked to a predisposition to vitiligo. They found that people with the disease were less likely to have blue or grey eyes than those without it.</p> <p>People with vitiligo are at higher risk for other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837675/04-dark-eyes-shutterstock_299269262-770.jpg" alt="Dark eyes: May drink less alcohol" data-udi="umb://media/44f3eed8c39c42f4af327f65b25c8e65" /></p> <ol start="4"> <li><strong> Dark eyes: May drink less alcohol</strong></li> </ol> <p>In a Georgia State University analysis of 12,000 white men and women, researchers found that people with light eyes drank more alcohol and were more likely to abuse it than people with dark eyes.</p> <p>(They looked at data from one study in roughly 10,000 male prisoners and a second from a survey of about 1,800 women.)</p> <p>But, why the link? Researchers hypothesise that it could be due to melanin, the pigment that makes eyes darker.</p> <p>Melanin is involved in electrical connections between brain cells. If the amount of melanin in the eye (dark-eyed people have more) correlates with the amount of melanin in the brain, it could mean dark-eyed people are more sensitive to stimuli like alcohol, which means they may get tipsy off less alcohol than light-eyed people do (and therefore less likely to drink to excess).</p> <p>Still, more research is needed. “People with light irises drink more, that’s an undeniable conclusion of this study,” says Quinn.</p> <p>“What’s harder to say is whether it’s the iris colour that determines if people drink or don’t drink. It shows an association, not a causal relationship.”</p> <p><strong>Images:</strong> Shutterstock / Getty Images</p> <p><em>Written by Kelsey Kloss. This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/conditions/eyes/4-things-your-eye-colour-might-reveal-about-your-health" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p>

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