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hartreuse is a bright, eye-catching color that is halfway between green and yellow. I tend to like shades like this, those in between two primary colors, for their versatility. Chartreuse does not disappoint on visual impact, making great pairings with grays, purples, oranges and blues.
Then there is the name itself, a French word that just sounds fancy and elegant. As it turns out, the name "chartreuse" has quite a history. It comes from a liqueur made by Carthusian monks in the French Alps. As you probably already guessed, the color of the liqueur is a beautiful, clear yellow-green. The monks have been producing the herbal liqueur for 400 years; it's named for their Grande Chartreuse monastery. Three monks from the order each know just a third of the recipe, and each monk has taken a vow to never reveal his third of the ingredients.