Life in Color: Visual Therapy's Guide to the Perfect Palette--For Fashion, Beauty, and You!

by Joe Lupo and Jesse Garza

Book Overview

At long last, a fresh take on color! Jesse and Joe, stylists to the stars and fashion consultants on The Oprah Winfrey Show reveal their secrets for finding personalized palettes for each individual... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811865231
• ISBN13: 9780811865234
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Colour Therapy Revisited

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.

Enjoyable, but needs more depth

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 fo

Realistic and Most Helpful

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!!

Great Color Guide!!!

I LOVE the color palettes presented in this book. They are perfect, especially in terms of applying to my wardrobe and explained in a updated and easy to understand way. I am a chic sun who was wearing a lot of the wrong colors (and neutrals - eek) before, so thank you Visual Therapy!

Excellent Book!

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.