As we mentioned in our post about warmer colors, understanding color psychology can help you convey the perfect impression, no matter the setting. While warmer colors remind us of fire and the sun, cooler colors evoke the coolness of earth, sea and sky. When you’re picking out an outfit and makeup style for your next interview or big date, use these insights to your advantage and ensure that your look is making giving the feeling that is intended.

Blue calms the mind and lowers blood pressure. The opposite of red, it is often associated with loyalty and trust, making it an ideal color choice to use at the workplace. Lighter and softer blues create a sense of quietness and protection, while darker blues suggest intuition and femininity. Grey-blues and pastel shades are perfect for interviews as they convey calmness, ruthlessness, and dependability. To portray authority and power, go for deep, royal blues for your wardrobe or eye shadow instead. However, be aware that too much dark blue can create a depressing effect, so be sure to mix up this hue with a brighter pigment if you are going to a party or on a hot date.

Violet and Indigo have long been used by psychologists and professionals around the world to help balance the mind, as it combines warm red with calming cool blues. Softer tints of purple are calming, pacifying and even can help people banish irrational fears. Perhaps the most creatively-inclined of all the colors, it can denote imagination and enigma and spirituality. Darker shades like plum are recognized as a symbol of royalty, power and wealth, violet and indigo express sophistication and success. Too much deep purple can make you seem detached and ruthless, so it’s best used sparingly. This is a great eyeshadow shade for irises of all tints and can achieve a wickedly bold, flirty look; for an aesthetic that is slightly more subdued, apply purple to the crease of your eye and blend with browns or grays, or try indigo eyeliner.

Green is great to wear when you need to comfort someone or need to come across as nurturing. Reminding us of nature, fertility, and life, green is a restful color that encourages well-being and good health. Proven to help minimize stress, green is often used in offices to relieve stomachaches. Though it signifies self-respect, green should be avoided if you need to convey an energetic air, as it can have a lulling effect. Also the color of money, darker shades can represents possessiveness and jealousy, so be careful when wearing it at work. The hue’s harmonious shades best bring out the depth and luster of brown eyes and hair, and is especially flattering to those with olive skin.

Gray combines the seriousness of black and the innocence of white to create a hue that can be authoritative and practical, as well as soft and enigmatic.  Associated mostly with independence, self-reliance, and self-control, gray signifies intellect and wisdom. Gray is best used in conservative situations when you want to appear classic or dignified. However, this hue in a monochrome outfit can be fairly underwhelming, so add a splash of bright color look an aesthetic that is both modern and strong.