In 2005, Iman published her makeup book which she co-wrote with Tia Williams called “The Beauty of Color”. I remember sitting at Barnes and Nobles and reading it along other books and magazines and thought it was good. Then as soon as I walked out of the door, I promptly forgot all about it. Until years later, I saw this book at the local library that I remembered of that day.
I’ve always loved Iman as a model: she has this fierce and ageless look that not many models, regardless age or race, can have. I know Tyra Banks is the current epitome of fierceness but before her, Iman owned the term. It’s just that she didn’t say it.
“The Beauty of Color” is a beautifully photographed and well-written book on makeup. As the name implied, this book focuses on beauties in different skin tones. From light skinned to dark skinned models and celebrities, this book is a good source of inspiration to makeup aficionados.
How to get a good foundation match(click to zoom)
The book can be roughly divided into three parts: skincare, makeup basics, and makeovers on celebrities and regular folks. On top of that, it was written in a friendly girlfriend to girlfriend tone. Sounds familiar? I think so, too! As I leaf through this book, I can’t help but have a sense of déjà vu. And what does it remind me of? The other two books that Kevyn Aucoin wrote: “Making Faces” and “Face Forward”.
The Fab Four face looksFrom the way the looks were illustrated to this FabFour faces, it all screamd “Kevyn Aucoin” to me. When Kevyn did the makeup and took most of the photos in his books, “The Beauty of Color” was teamed with a ton of makeup artists and photographers. Whether they used IMAN Cosmetics products on the models is still unknown to me. Also, I can see some hints of photoshop here and there. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a good book but who can really write a makeup book these days without emulating Kevyn Aucoin. It’s hard when the last book he wrote, which was published nine years ago, is still considered an inspiration to the makeup industry today.
Inside “The Beauty of Color”, there are some familiar faces of models and celebrities that were still unknown back in 2005. I recognized Selita Ebanks and Oluchi, two current Victoria's Secret models, and Padma Lakshmi – pre Top Chef. It also featured some of my favorite celebrities: Liya Kebede, the Ethiopian supermodel and former face of Estee Lauder, Alicia Keys, my lovely Kimora Lee Simmons, and of course, Ms. Tyra Banks.
The fabulous Iman with a feather capLove it!
Liya Kebede
Tyra
...and Kimora
Here's a makeover of a woman in her 20sWhether you are black, white, Asian, Latina, you can find at least one face that’s similar to yours. However, as my beauty philosophy is geared more toward “beauty without borders”, I think any look can be applicable on anybody – regardless of how you and the model look. This book is well written and the looks are not complicated. I highly suggest you to take a look at it the next time you go to the bookstore or your local library.
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