Customer Reviews

Color Me Confident: Change Your Look - Change Your Life!

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book utilizes a well-respected system of color classification called the Munsell system, but then it fails to apply the Munsell system fully in its proferred color recommendations.

The Munsell system classifies colors according to three characteristics: hue (undertone), value (depth), and chroma (clarity). A color's hue may be either warm (yellow-based) or cool (blue-based). A color's value measures its lightness or darkness. A color's chroma measures its clarity or softness.

The book explains these three aspects of color evaluation but then sets out categories that fail to incorporate all three aspects. According to the Color Me Confident categories, you must select one dominant characteristic out of the Munsell system, i.e. that your appearance is deep (a value measurement) or cool (a hue classification) or soft (a chroma measurement). You are permitted one secondary characteristic, but the system does not accomodate the third category of color classification. Thus, if your color value is deep, your color hue is cool, and your color chroma is soft, you are forced to choose between 3 categories (Deep/Cool, Cool/Soft, or Soft/Cool), each of which only includes 2 of these characteristics. There is no category that accomodates deep, cool, and soft. You are supposed to choose which characteristics "dominate" your look; however, such a choice goes against the logic underlying the system. Each of the Munsell categories measures a different aspect of color; these different aspects cannot be readily and sensibly compared. Sorry for the cliche, but it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

Despite these flaws, the book may be useful in identifying your underlying color characteristics and then applying information from the different color categories to help improve your color choices.

I looked through this book at a local bookstore and decided not to buy it mainly because the color categories it presents are superficial and inapplicable to a great many people. We are categorized according to our "dominant characteristics," i.e., by our hair colors and eye colors--not according to our "season," a more subtle and sophisticated categorization that includes skin tone. Seasonal color analysis requires a good deal more training and artistry than you would need to recognize, say, a Deep type (dark hair and dark eyes).

Spillane and Sherlock's Color Me Beautiful's Looking Your Best categorizes people by both their dominant characteristics and their seasons. The problem with that book's approach is that each dominant characteristic is linked to only two seasons. For example, if you are Deep, you're either an Autumn or a Winter, but not a Spring or a Summer. This seems to be why the new CMB book, Color Me Confident, categorizes people by only two of the three color characteristics defined by Munsell. If you're Deep and Cool, it's assumed that you must be Clear as well, since Winter coloring is clear, not soft. Cool and Soft is Summer.

In the seasonal system, you could be a dark-haired, dark-eyed Spring or Summer, or a light-haired, light-eyed Autumn or Winter. So much variation is possible within each season, in fact, that the dominant-characteristic system can help in customizing your personal palette. A black Summer palette will have stronger colors than a blond Summer palette. Yet both will have the cool, soft look characteristic of Summer.

CMB's Looking Your Best defines the dominant characteristic types generally enough that you may be able to determine yours even if none of them obviously suit you. But Color Me Confident defines each type so narrowly that one type is presented as the "catch-all" for people who don't fit the other types: the so-called "Soft" type, which contains a good deal of earthy Autumn colors. I look terminally ill in earthy Autumn colors. Each of the palettes in this book is a hodgepodge of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter colors (as defined by Carole Jackson in the original Color Me Beautiful) that may be suitable to one dominant characteristic, but are not, as a group, suited to me--nor, I daresay, to many other people, either.

I'll stick with the seasonal theory for color advice, and I recommend Jackson's and Spillane-Sherlock's books over CMB's latest.

I devour all books written on this subject since it is my passion. This book is beautiful looking and talks about much more than color. About half of the book offers suggestions on how to dress your body shape, find your personal style, and apply makeup. The color theory presented here is a modern improvement on the seasonal color system introduced over 20 years ago in Color Me Beautiful. However this book no longer uses seasonal references for color types, possibly as a way to appease women who think that being a 'season' is outdated. But it is based on the very same principles of color intensity, values, and hues. I particularly liked the photos and suggestions for each type on how to wear black when it is not an ideal color for you. But I caution readers that determining your personal color type from a book can be difficult. My own coloring could fit into three different categories based on the checklists of hair, skin, and eye colors suggested. Read the book for its great information but then see a skilled colorist to be professionally typed using an objective hands-on process to confirm your ideal palette. I've seen too many people who have self-analyzed their coloring using a book who have then built entire wardrobes around a less than ideal palette. The results of an accurate color analyis are too wonderful to leave to chance.

The book is full of useless fillings. Finding your colors is limited to few hair and eye color combinations. It also depends on you doing a test with different colored fabrics & determing how the color reflect against your skin. After reading the book, I still don't know what my colors are. Besides, with so many different color hues on the market, how can one tell if what you're buying is an ever green or true green for example, confusing. The lack of pictures showing the types of collars they're recommending for different body types (e.g Mandarin
collar,cowl,bardot...)...is annoying,to say the least. Questionnaires are poorly structured, & the section on makeup, underwear & accessories is trivial. Save your money (i'm glad the book I read was a borrow from the library) and save your time. Pass.

This is a variation on the color system that assigns people to the four seasons. It is an interesting addition to that idea, I was only disappointed that they spent as little time as they did on the color information. A good part of the book is dedicated to body shape and styling tips. By the way, David Kibbe's theories in his book Metamorphosis are the best ideas ever re dressing to suit one's shape, the very best, and yet he seems to get very little attention. People interested in this book might want to check out his, as well. It is out of print, but available used and therefore inexpensive. "Color Me Beautiful," by Carole Jackson is about the original color system--seasonal--and is still a good read.

I am having so much fun with this book. I remembered the Color Me Beautiful from when I was a kid and was excited to see an updated version (mine got smuggled in from England!) I think it is so helpful to narrow down colors to buy plus think about ones body and face shape and clothing style. This can make shopping more enjoyable and help you feel confident and lovely in what you are wearing.

After I read this book in a Barnes and Noble I was so intrigued I had to buy it to keep since I kept going back to check its information. I love the photographs of celebrities that match your skin, hair and eye color and the huge spread of colors that will make you look great.

Right away I started getting complements from everyone at work and at home once I got the hang of which colors worked and which didn't. This is not the fuddy duddy old lady version advocated by Bridget Jones' mother; its a specific list of colors to use plus combinations that are particularly striking to your eyes, skin and hair.

One of my favorite experiences with this system was with a teenage student of mine. At fifteen, over two hundred pounds, she was hiding behind outfit after outfit of head-to-toe brown. I mentioned to her that she might try wearing brighter colors and showed her her pages in the book. When she made the shift to brilliant pinks, fuschias and bright blues, I started hearing kid after kid complementing her on how pretty she looked.

You'll love this book and it will make shopping a whole different experience when you can eliminate 1/2 of what is in the store by color alone and know what will look good on you.

This book has taught me how to totally "work" my natural coloring.

I never read Color Me Beautiful aside from a quick flip-through at the library years ago-- I think I was kind of put off because I fell into the "Winter" category but so did a LOT of colorings that were radically different than mine, and trying to weed out which of the winter recommendations applied to me was difficult. This book makes it much more obvious which specific coloring you are.

What I _really_ love about this book is that it not only tells you which colors are best for you, but also gives you LOTS of suggestions on combining your colors that I had never thought of before. I skeptically tried out some of the color combinations in department stores and was truly surprised by how good they looked. This book had me trying on colors I had previously passed over with great results.

I even changed out my lipstick shades and blush from warm to cool shades and it made my eye color pop and I look a lot more vibrant.

The dressing-for-your-body type was also helpful for me as well as dressing for your style (there were more great color combination recommendations there, too).

I cleaned out my closet of clothes that were in colors that don't suit me and had no regrets.

I recommend that you get this book, take note of the suggestions and put aside your personal opinions "oh that won't work on me." Get yourself to a department store and try things on in the colors and combinations they recommend. You'll be surprised!

5 stars!

The latest from Color Me Beautiful is well integrated and insightful. Simple 1-2-3 of Style. although art work on facial shapes needs more refinement / More needed on accessories... Jewelry and purses, etc...but wardrobing is excellent..even to accommodate the ubiquious, deathly Black

Lynda in Colorland

As a woman who has been wearing jeans and a black t-shirt every day for over 10 years, I can honestly say that this book is helping me change my life. Fashion has never come naturally for me and always seemed like something that would take way too much effort, yet I have always found myself jealous of stylish looking women and the attention that they get. This book is absolutely perfect for someone like me, or anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to devote to fashion magazines and shopping.
I have never been confident enough to wear colors, I mean really WEAR COLORS, and with figuring out my color type I am so excited about the changes in the way I can feel by not wearing black every day. Black has been a safety net for me and I am just now realizing this. And who would have thought peach and salmon would look good on me? I did the book's suggested exercise- holding up different colored fabrics to my face in natural light, I saw something that I had never seen before. Once you start paying attention to the effect a color can have on your skin and eyes and hair, it is like you have the ability to work magic all the sudden. I instantly looked healthier with the new colors and I am amazed, I can't believe I have missed out on this for so long, but better late than never!!!
I bought the book for the color theories but I am excited about the body shape section, too. It never occurred to me that I could use clothing to accentuate myself instead of just always wishing I had a different body. In fact one of the most special things I read in the book said that they would never recommend to anyone that they use surgery to change their look- the writers believe in the uniqueness of all women and how to bring out your best, and work with what you have been given. I just think that is such an important concept in this day and age when it seems like everyone is striving to look like the "ideal".
I am all about this book. I know it could help other women like me. But I agree with some other reviewers that if you already have a good sense of fashion, this might seem like beginner stuff to you. But for me? Life-changing!!!
:-)