Shades of Purple: Names, Uses, and More!

Want a regal, magical color? Mixing blue with purple yields the rich, bold intermediate color called indigo.

Want the color of a ripe, juicy plum fruit? Layer some brown into your purple and there you are! This ends up with a slightly reddish hue, since browns are created from mixing all three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

Time to get wild and in your face! The tertiary color magenta is formed by red plus purple, and is on the edge of pink and purple, but I'm counting it in the purple category here because you can modify the ratios. Use this color sparingly in decor and fashion -- unless you want to really stand out, in which case, put it everywhere!

Time for a softer mood. The shades of purple called lilac, lavender, and periwinkle, are all made by adding pink (or red and white) to blue in different amounts. The effect is like a delicate field of fresh spring flowers -- happy and comforting, but not too bright.

The bright pinkish purple is called fuchsia, and has a lot of similarities to magenta. Just be careful not to misspell it as "fushia!"

Ready to get deep and mysterious? The dark purple shade called midnight purple is created by adding in a ton of black until you get a color that's almost like night -- but more exciting. This is a popular choice for car wraps, and for business outfits that are aiming for professional flair, without being boring.

To get the dusty brownish purple called mauve, add some orange (or even a dash of yellow) into the mix. This color is often associated with an older or stately flavor, and can seem a bit stuffy if not styled well. (This could just be my bias for brighter colors talking, though!)

Finally, to circle back to the classic primary purple color created by mixing red with blue, let's just keep in mind that the shade changes depending on the ratios of the ingredient colors, so play around with it.