  We study the colors and orientations of structures in low and intermediate
inclination barred galaxies. We test the hypothesis that barlenses, roundish
central components embedded in bars, could form a part of the bar in a similar
manner to boxy/peanut bulges in the edge-on view. A sample of 79 barlens
galaxies was selected from the S$^4$G and the NIRS0S surveys. The sizes,
ellipticities, and orientations of barlenses were measured and used to define
the barlens regions in the color measurements. The orientations of barlenses
were studied with respect to those of the "thin bars" and the line-of-nodes of
the disks. For 47 galaxies color maps were constructed using the SDSS images in
five optical bands, u, g, r, i, and z. Colors of bars, barlenses, disks, and
central regions of the galaxies were measured using two different approaches
and color-color diagrams sensitive to metallicity, stellar surface gravity, and
short lived stars were constructed. Color differences between the structure
components were calculated for each individual galaxy, and presented in
histogram form. We find that the colors of barlenses are very similar to those
of the surrounding bars, indicating that most probably they form part of the
bar. We also find that barlenses have orientations closer to the disk
line-of-nodes than to the thin bars, which is consistent with the idea that
they are vertically thick, in a similar manner as the boxy/peanut structures in
more inclined galaxies. Typically, the colors of barlenses are similar to those
of normal E/S0 galaxies. Galaxy by galaxy studies show that in spiral galaxies
very dusty barlenses also exist, along with barlenses with rejuvenated stellar
populations. The central regions of galaxies are found to be on average redder
than bars or barlenses, although galaxies with bluer central peaks also exist.
