A hue and cry for simple makeup names

Dear Readers: Today’s sound off is about makeup names.

“Dear Heloise: Why do makeup and hair- dye companies try to be trendy with the names they give to colors?

I was looking for eyeliner in a dark- purple shade, but had no idea what shade Mystic Night or Tahitian Seas was. What’s wrong with just saying ‘ purple’ or ‘ dark purple’ on the packaging?

The tiny square on the package, which was supposed to be a representation of the color, looked identical to three other eyeliners by the same manufacturer. It’s the same with lipsticks. It’s impossible to tell the difference between French Rose, Honeysuckle Pink and Hawaiian Sunset. Turns out, they’re actually red.

Women just want to know what they are buying with names that represent the actual color, because the color charts are never correct.”

If you enjoy frozen dinners in which food is steamed in a slotted tray set inside another tray for the liquid, here are some things you can do to reuse the plastic trays:

■ Use the top and bottom trays, which don’t have slots, as a drying station for sponges and bars of soap in the bathroom.

■ Take a slotted tray to the beach and let kids sift sand with it.

■ Use to wash shells and rocks in when your kids bring home their little treasures.

■ Use the top and bottom trays, which don’t have slots, as pet- food dishes while traveling. They’re small and lightweight, and fit in the glove box.

■ Use the top and bottom trays as seed starters once they’re filled with soil.

Please give me an idea of what to do with squeaky shoes. They are not old.

Sprinkle some talcum powder, cornstarch or a baby powder under the shoe liner, if it is removable. If you don’t have any powder, then try a dryer sheet under the insole, if it’s removable.

You also can try wearing socks with the shoes that squeak. The moisture from your feet perspiring may be the cause of the squeaking. Leather shoes might make noises if the leather has dried out. Try using a leather conditioner, left on the shoes overnight to soak into the shoes. As a last resort, you can take them to a shoe- repair shop for help.

The bride must walk into her new home by the front door, and must not trip or fall. This is how the tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold started. It was said to be a good omen if the bride entered her home for the first time as a wife without stumbling.