Liquid crystal mixtures containing a coloring substance which comprise about 5 to about 40 weight % of trans-p-[5-(4-alkylcyclohexyl)-2-pyrimidinyl]benzonitriles, about 10 to about 60 weight % of trans-4-alkylcyclohexane carboxylic acid phenyl esters and about 0.1 to about 15 weight % of one or more coloring substances of the formula ##STR1## wherein m stands for the number 1 and X is alkoxy and Y is nitro; or m stands for the number 1 or 2; and X is p-alkoxyphenyl and Y is nitro or dialkylamino, or X is alkoxy and Y is -p-nitrophenyl or -(dialkylamino)phenyl; or m stands for the number 2, and X is alkoxy and Y is alkoxy, nitro or dialkylamino, or both X and Y are dialkylamino; and wherein the alkoxy denotes a straight-chain group containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms and the alkyl groups in the dialkylamino each denote a straight-chain alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms are described.