The paint colours Ireland and the UK looked at in September

Between 15 and 30 September, people in Ireland and in the UK opened the same paint colour on Swatcher more than any other: Dulux's Egyptian Cotton, a pale neutral. After that, the two lists part ways.

Both lists are in the order the most people opened each colour's page, counting a person once a day rather than once a tap. Ireland here is the Republic; the UK list includes Northern Ireland.

Ireland: pale, and staying pale

1. Egyptian Cotton, Dulux. A pale neutral.
2. Shell Cove, Colourtrend. A white.
3. Ivory Tusk, Colourtrend. A pale grey.
4. Timeless, Dulux. A white.
5. Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball. A pale grey.
6. Jitney, Farrow & Ball. A light neutral.
7. Setting Plaster, Farrow & Ball. A pale neutral.

Every colour in Ireland's top seven is a white, a pale grey or a soft neutral. Colourtrend, the Irish brand, holds two of the top three.

The UK: further into the card

1. Egyptian Cotton, Dulux. A pale neutral.
2. Timeless, Dulux. A white.
3. Natural Hessian, Dulux. A pale neutral.
4. School House White, Farrow & Ball. A pale neutral.
5. Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball. A pale grey.
6. Preference Red, Farrow & Ball. A deep red.
7. Brave Ground, Dulux. A mid-tone neutral.

Three colours are in both lists: Egyptian Cotton, Timeless and Skimming Stone. The difference is lower down. The UK's top seven has a deep red and a mid-tone; Ireland's has nothing darker than Jitney.

What to make of it

It is half a month, from a site that is still new, so read it as a first look rather than a verdict. The live ranking moves as people use it.

From this quarter, the colour demand report tracks this properly: the island of Ireland and Great Britain side by side, every brand in the catalogue, quarter on quarter.