“Purple does something strange to me” said the German-American poet Charles Bukowski. Purple does something strange to me too.
Purple, whose aura began because of its rarity in nature and the expense of creating the dye, is often associated with spirituality, mystery, and magic – which is exactly why it became our brand color.
Alchimie (pronounced al-shee-mee) is the French word for Alchemy. And alchemy, is the medieval science that pre-dated chemistry. Part of alchemy was chemistry, part was magic. My sister Cyrille and I chose our brand name specifically because skin care is part science, and part mystery. (We also loved the fact that the alchemists were the first to look at plants as having healthful benefits). And we chose our brand color because of its association with magic.
The more I learn about purple, the more it continues to fascinate me. Apparently, I am not alone, as Ultra-Violet (a shade of purple) was chosen as the 2018 color of the year by Pantone.
Why is purple so special?
- Purple is a non-spectral color, meaning it does not have its own wavelength of light – rather it is a composite color made or red and blue.
- Purple is the color or royalty, nobility, luxury, power and ambition. “Born to the purple” means being born into a royal or noble family.
- Purple is also the color of sophistication, romance, and sensitivity.
- Purple was chosen by George Washington in 1782 as the color for a badge of merit and bravery awarded to soldiers (known today as the Purple Heart).
- Purple was the color of the first synthetic dye, created by William Henry Perkin in 1856.
- Purple has inspired iconic musicians, including Jimi Hendrix (Purple Haze) and Prince (Purple Rain).
- Purple has also inspired sports fans to “bleed purple and gold” (think LA Lakers and the LSU Tigers fans).
- Purple fruits and vegetables are particularly healthy (packed with anthocyanins); specifically, blueberries are purple, and it just so happens they are the signature antioxidant used in Alchimie Forever products.
So next time you come across something purple, notice its magic. As one of the characters in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple said, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”