Customer Reviews

Life in Color: The Visual Therapy Guide to the Perfect Palette--for Fashion, Beauty, and You!

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I know practically nothing about color. I love fashion and style and own several books regarding these topics, but very few of them address color, and if they do at all it's in passing. For someone with as rudimentary knowledge as I have, Life in Color has been a great help in understanding what suits me and why. The color type quiz is fun and easy, and the four types, Sun, Moon, Earth and Star, are pretty and inspiring; much more so than seasons if you ask me! The palettes are varied, and I particularly enjoy how the authors also went on to describe various iconic styletypes and hair and makeup options and how to blend them with your palette.

It's true that when they feature before and after pictures of women wearing the wrong colors versus wearing the correct ones that the "before" pictures are always without makeup and boring poses, while the "after" ones are done with flattering makeup and dynamic poses. However, this is true of every book I've ever seen that has before and after features, and as far as I'm able to tell the lighting hasn't been changed at all, which is really the most crucial element in photography. And the women still look pretty in the "before" ones, if you ask me. I'm certain they've been photoshopped, but it's only the cynic in me, not because it's overt. For all of the women the "right" colors certainly do look better on them than the "wrong" colors, with or without makeup and editing, and that's the real point.

However this book does have its flaws. Personally, I'm a little confused about their color typing. One of the authors classes himself as a Star (cool tones) when he looks warm toned to me. They claim that it's because the undertones have nothing to do with ethnicity, but then perhaps I'm bad at reading undertones. Either way, yellow-toned Bai Ling does not seem cool to me at all. I wonder if I'm missing something. I wish they would be more specific as to why they chose some celebrities as being cool-toned while others were warm. They do have a little blurb on how to classify yourself as either warm or cool, but I feel like they didn't apply it to some people correctly, or I don't understand it very well. One of their Asian models is showing off an "iconic Star outfit" in bright white and she looks fabulous, but she looks very warm-toned to me! And they themselves classify Gwen Stefani as a Star (and I agree), and optic white being a Star color, but they then later claim that she would look bad in white and it would wash her out (which I also agree with). So, not all the colors on your palette suit you?

I'd also like to know the difference between the warm-toned types (Sun, Earth) and the cool-toned types (Moon, Star). For both Sun and Moon the palettes are less saturated, whereas for Earth and Star they seem to be richer or clearer. I would like to know what it is about the different skin types that makes them suited to these different hues.

They tell you how to make sure your colors are the right ones for you, but the test is really subjective (hold up the color to your face and see if "your eyes pop, your skin glows, etc."). If it was that obvious, I wouldn't need a book on color! According to their test I'm a Sun who loves Moon/Star colors, but when I hold up colors from all of these palettes they look the same to me!

Overall though, I found this book really enjoyable. I pick it up all the time and the photography is really beautiful. They have a lot of good advice and a strong voice. Even if you don't agree with their color choices for your palette, they offer a lot of good ideas on how to wear colors that are "bad" on you, and some of the ideas are quite refreshing. This is a very pretty, unique addition to my fashion book addiction, and I would recommend the buy. In fact all this talking about it makes me want to go read it again...

This book puts a fresh new spin on the concept of choosing colors that suit your personal body and hair coloring. Without totally abandoning the concept of warm/cool, and seasonal color types as first revealed in "Color Me Beautiful", "Life in Color" goes beyond yet is somehow more specific, tying in the colors that suit you with your personal style. After reading and studying every book I could find on the subject, and even working as a color consultant, I finally found a book that made absolute sense, and gave a new clarity to choosing the colors in your wardrobe. Lots of great photos, well-written, a really enjoyable read.

I had a terrible time trying to determine my color type according to their guidelines. I found myself in three different categories! It was very frustrating. In general I look better in warm colors, but there are many cool tones that are also beautiful on me. Their palettes simply did not work for me. I also agree with the reviewer who pointed out the "dishonest" photos and silly and irrelevant digressions. Don't spend good money on this book. Borrow it or wait until it hits the bargain bin.

This book starts out with a brief description of the science behind color. However, unless you're an art student who already has a background on color theory, this section will probably feel too brief and unclear to you.

Next, there's a quiz to help you determine which ColorType you fall under: Sun, Moon, Earth or Star. The quiz is also supposed to help you determine whether your skin tone is warm or cool. However, I found the quiz to be confusing since, at the end of it, I ended up falling into 3 categories...when you're only supposed to fall into one.

Luckily, I know my skin tone is warm, so that left me being either a Sun or an Earth, but they both seemed so similar that I'm still not sure I've got mine right. The ColorTypes Moon and Star also felt very similar, too.

Once you discover your ColorType, you'll be presented with the colors that work best with your skin tone. Some of the colors under my ColorType I know look good on me, but others I've never tried before, so I'm looking forward to experimenting. I disagree with the authors, though, that black is universally flattering. Black against my warm skintone makes my face look washed out.

Next, there's examples of models demonstrating the wrong color for their ColorType and the right color for their ColorType. However, this is very misleading since, in the before photos, the models aren't wearing makeup, they're sitting under harsh lighting, and they're not smiling. In their after photos, they're wearing makeup, they're sitting under flattering lighting and they're smiling (some are even laughing). So, of course, the after photos are going to look better! Anyone would look better under more flattering conditions.

Strangely enough though, on page 54, I actually thought the before photo of the model looked better than the after. I thought the bright turquoise dress they put the model in was too bright against her skin (the bright color looked like it was sitting on top of her skin, rather than sinking beautifully into it). The green-colored top in the before photo actually looked more natural on her.

The section that follows ColorTyping is StyleTyping. Here you take another quiz to decide which of the following styles you fall under: Chic, Bohemian, Avante-Garde, Classic, or Whimsical. However, I've seen other looks besides this, like Goth and Sporty that aren't mentioned here. Once you know your StyleType, you're given advice on which colors can go with each StyleType.

The StyleType section of this book was actually my favorite part of this book. I liked looking over the different styles (although I would've liked more examples). After looking these styles over, I realized I'm actually a blend of Chic, Bohemian and Avante-Garde, if you can imagine that.

Next, there's advice on which colors in makeup go with your ColorType and which hairstyles go with your StyleType. For makeup, I actually thought the after photos for Sun and Moon looked awful...but the makeup selection for Earth and Star turned out well.

Finally, at the end, there's a page of stickers that duplicate the colors recommended earlier for your ColorType. There's no mention of what to do with these, so I'm just going to stick them on paper and have them laminated, so I can take them to the store with me when I go shopping.

Overall, I thought this book was fun, but also too brief. I wouldn't preferred more examples for each and just more clarification in general.

I own almost every book written on this subject but this gives a modern take on the subject with additional helpful information on clothing items for your particular style and colour. A slightly different method of analysing a person's colour but it worked for me. Definitely one for the bookshelves if colour is a passion for you.

This is a very fun book but I am still feeling a bit clueless. I can't tell the subtle differences between some of the colors in the book, and I'm still not sure what color type I am even with the book. Plus the style types were a bit confusing, and seemed like a plug for the authors' other book. The style types all seemed kind of unusual to me - I didn't feel like I fit into any of their style catagories. So over all, a fun book, perhaps for a coffee table book or for a gift to someone, but not as useful a book as I had hoped for.

First I want to say that I disagree with the previous reviewer that claimed that before and after photos were done so that models in before pictures looked sullen and devoid of any makeup while after photos had smiling models with full makeup. I thought the before and after shots were pictured surprisingly even handed. Because I am passionate about this topic, I read every book someone writes about finding the best colors to compliment your personal coloring (and have done so for over 20 years) and this one did not change my opinion that it is very difficult for most people to figure out their best palette by reading a book that provides color charts and quizes to help you pinpoint where you fall. I consider myself far more color aware than the average person due to my profession and I could not put myself into any of the color or style categories in this book. I think it is a shame that people often buy a book like this for the purpose of self-analysis and as a substitute for seeing a professional color consultant. They are looking at printed color charts (never very accurate) and answering questions to quizzes that are supposed to help you figure out the color and style type that you are. Like cutting your own hair...I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying it is difficult. People would be better off spending their money on a professional color analysis by someone who has studied personal color theory in depth and can provide them with color swatches (preferably made of fabric) to use when they shop. It's not that I don't believe in color 'types'. Types are just related harmonies. They can be called anything. Sun, Moon, Summer, Winter, Diamond, Sapphire, Water, Metal......it doesnt matter. These are just labels. Finding your color harmony is an extremely worthwhile pursuit and is best left to a color professional who makes that determination for you in person under controlled color-balanced lighting. Not in a book. Not on line. Not in a video. And not from behind a makeup counter at a department store. On the positive side, the book has a lot of pictures of professionally made up models and actresses.

I'm the type of person that always sticks to browns, beiges and neutrals and always avoided colors because I didn't know how to wear them. This book was very helpful to me bring out the right colors in my wardrobe. After taking the quiz, I was able to identify my style type as a Whimsical and my color type as an Earth. Now, I know what colors are flattering on me and which ones to avoid. The style swat team has done it again!!! Good job boys!!

This is a dishonest book. The examples are manipulated to their advantage. To explain: the models in the pictures with them wearing the *WRONG* colors are shot with sour expressions, unattractive poses and clothing and little makeup NO lipstick or blusher etc.
The models shot wearing the *RIGHT* colors are shot with huge smiles, very attractive poses & outfits and full total airbrush makeup.
The tone of this book is smarmy, who cares what Rita Wilson thinks about color (is she known for anything other then Tom Hanks wife and a bit part in Sleepless in Seattle?) and their friend, shown dressed to the nines in the beginning of the book looks like a train wreck. If this is the advice they are pushing, I pass.
An expensive book that is cheating, I do not trust their advice.

I think every single woman should know her color type in order to look beautiful and stylish without spending excess amount of money on clothes that won't flatter them. It even can help you with designing interiors, etc. Very beautiful, quality book.