are
discordant. The reasons for this are based on natural laws and are
explained in a very simple manner in a learned article by Dr. W. K. Carr
which originally appeared in Shop Notes Quarterly. Impressions continue
upon the retina of the eye, says Dr. Carr, about one-sixth of a second
after the object has been moved. For this reason a point of light or
flame whirled swiftly around appears as a continuous ring. Or take a
piece or red ribbon, place it on white paper, look intently at it for
thirty seconds and suddenly remove the ribbon. The portion of the paper
which was covered by the ribbon will then appear green. The explanation
is that the color sensation in the eye is caused by the almost
unthinkably rapid whirling of electrons around their atoms, and that the
retina, becoming fatigued by the vibration of the red, is therefore less
sensitive to them. When the ribbon is suddenly removed, the eye sees,
not the blue, yellow and red which produce the white surface of the
paper, but, because of the fatigue of the eye to the red, it sees only
the blue and yellow constituents of the white light. But blue and yellow
produce green; hence the tendency at the eye to see the complementary of
a color. This may be referred to as the "successive contrast of colors."

Colors for Blondes and for Brunettes.

Now, for a practical application of this knowledge.

The hair of the blond is a mixture of red, yellow and brown. As a rule
the skin is lighter, that is, it contains not so much orange, and the
tinges of red are lighter. Nature, therefore, very properly made the
blond's eyes blue, since the blue is complementary to the orange of her
hair.

The brunette's skin, on the other hand, has more orange in it, and hence
a color favorable to one would not be becoming to the other.

What would be the effect of green upon a complexion deficient in red? It
would certainly heighten the rose tints in the cheeks, but the greatest
care should be exercised in the selection of the proper shade of green,
because the brunette's complexion contains a great deal of orange, and
the green, acting upon the red of the orange, could readily produce a
brick-dust appearance. Green, therefore, is a risky color for a
brunette, and so is violet, which would neutralize the yellow of the
orange and heighten the red. But if the orange complexion had more
yellow than red, then the association of violet would produce pallor.
Yellow, of course, is her color, si