I'm not a chocoholic, but I do love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. And I love the movie Chocolat. Juliette Binoche's style in that film...I wish I had it. And I love brown eye shadow. Sure, I've been trying to play with color this summer (although I never succumbed to the frosty sky blue or mint green shadows I posted about many weeks ago), but what I love about basic brown is that it always looks chic and it's so hard to screw up. I mean, sure, if you put too much on, you might look a bit freakish, but for most of us, these shadows are no-fail. 
Yet I find myself torn about the Bobbi Brown Fall Palette. One reason might be that it's only the first of July, so fall still seems a long way off. Another reason might be that it's tough to get too pumped up about something so basic. Brown eye shadow is to the face what a white t-shirt is to the wardrobe--a staple. Brown eye shadow is a running shoe: It can be stylish and high-tech, or it can be basic enough to get the job done. I don't know about you, but even though I always feel better when I get a new white t-shirt or new running shoes--the way I feel about a full tank of gas, clean laundry, and a stocked fridge--I don't necessarily feel excited. 
I do like the shadow palette, though, because the colors are gorgeous and as purchases go, I don't think you could miss with this one. But here's what I don't like: the return of the brown lipstick. Hello 1991! I remember it seemed fresh and elegant at the time, but looking back, a lot of people looked like mud-munching corpses. I'm not against brown lipstick in general, but when certain shades become a trend, many people tend to buy whatever gets pushed at them, instead of trying to find a shade that actually suits them. Hence the mud-munchers. The chocolate-suckers. 
But what is pretty? This nail polish! I love this color for fall. It's a tough call in the south. Sandal weather persists well into October, yet my (teeny tiny) fahsion sensibility tells me to close up my toes like a summer house after Labor Day. But I've found a way to compromise: darker, heavier sandals, and a darker polish. No more sheer pink, please, after Labor Day. And while red is always acceptable, this chocolate cherry color makes just the right statement. Just picture your foot against a backdrop of turning leaves... Okay, maybe that's a bit much, but it still works for the season and will carry you into the holidays--even though it's way too early to think about that, too!*Chocolat photo from Wikpedia; Bobbi Brown photos from gloss.com
