Every fashion girl or pumpkin spice lover’s favorite season is upon us. I’m a little late to the fall things party, as I have been revising my novel. I can’t wait until I am able to do a whole post on what this process has been like. I thought I knew a little bit about traditional publishing going in but there are so many layers to it. I’ll share my journey soon but just know, my book is better for it and I couldn’t be more proud of how far it’s grown from the tiny seedling of an idea. It’s been a long-time dream of mine.

So back to fall- we all know it’s Cozy Season. The older I get the more I appreciate summertime the way that I did as a kid. I’ve enjoyed reveling in its foot-loose and fancy-free vibes, but it is nice to slow down and savor the moments too. Fall is a fan favorite for that reason and here are a few things I am loving this season. 

Fashion loves

Fall and fashion go hand in hand. I love coats, boots, hats, and the structured put-together look of a good fashion outfit. But this year I want to take a look at two other trends that have really sparked my interest.

Silver– metallics have always been big for the holiday season but silver has seen a major resurgence this year. I don’t think we’ve seen as much silver since the 70s, my favorite fashion decade by the way. And I promise I was going to try not to reference Beyoncé in this post because I have mentioned her in the last two regarding the Birkin Bag, but she’s solely responsible for making silver the color of the season- just like Taylor Swift has inspired a whole new generation of football fans. I love this bucket bag and these Leona Slingbacks and I recently wore this dress to a birthday party and felt spectacular in it. It’s sold out but this one is similar.

Speaking of the 70s I am loving the flowy wide-legged denim trend. I have these Fuji Jeans and these 60 inspired St.Monica Jeans (pro tip wait for a sale) but you can find wide-legged or flares jeans almost anywhere right now. Here is a more affordable pair.

Beauty loves–

Most of us tend to lean towards slightly darker shades in the fall- reds, plums, and chocolate shades come to mind. The two trends I’m sharing here come in all the fall shades.

Lip oils- If you haven’t tried a lip oil, think cozy feeling colored gloss for your lips. Lip oils gained popularity last season but I believe fall is the perfect time for all the feel-good things. They not only give you a pretty pout, they’re hydrating too- perfect for the cooler temps and dryer air indoors. I love the Merit lip oils. I have also tried the one from Hermes, which I also really loved but wouldn’t buy again. The Merit Oils are just as good and half the price.

I also love the Solo Shadows from Merit. I haven’t been a big lover of eyeshadow. It has always felt like a step too far for me. But the solo-shadows are so easy to use. They’re cream to powder meaning they settle in nicely and don’t crease and they’re so easy to use you really don’t even need a brush. Fall is all about layers and their Brun color is the perfect moody fall shade to add to your beauty look. I think this color looks great on everyone but it comes in seven beautiful shades.

If you’ve been watching my stories on Instagram you know Merit has actually taken over my everyday makeup look you can explore the whole collection here.

Book loves (and Streaming too)

Snuggling up with a good book is a no-brainer on a crisp fall day. Here are my top picks for fall:

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks– this book has a protagonist that you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s hailed as a book for people who love books. It has all the cozy town/bookstore vibes, a fresh take on the classics vs contemporary books debate, and secrets to uncover, making it perfect for fall. I enjoyed this read so much that I also read the author’s debut –Must Love Books, which is centered around another flawed but loveable protagonist. This one is also about books (which you can surmise from the title) but it gives you a little peek into the world of publishing too. It’s really a look at coming-of-age career exploration. It touches on the main characters’ struggle with mental health too. There are very strong romantic elements in both of these books.

And my to-be-read- The Fraud by Bestselling Author Zadie Smith- I loved White Teeth and so I was excited about this release. It’s historical fiction, which is my favorite, and based on a famous trial. It’s said to be “a dazzling novel… exploring the ideas of fraudulence and authenticity, and the mystery of other people.” I think it would be a wonderful story to lose yourself in this fall. As I said, I haven’t read this one yet but it’s next up on my list.

And if you’d rather watch than read- Lupin. The third season has dropped on Netflix and it’s just as captivating as seasons one and two. George and I finished it in two days. It definitely has fall vibes- close relationships, uncovering secrets, slights of hand, and even costumes (disguises)- hello Halloween feels. If you haven’t watched it yet I highly recommend it and pro-tip watch it in French with subtitles. To me, it feels more layered and nuanced than the dubbed version.

So that’s my fall crush list. I’m going to spare you the candles and throws, (even though I’m partial to them too) because there have been plenty of blog posts highlighting those over the last few weeks. And if you’re like me you already have your fair share. I might circle back with my favorites around the holidays because they do make excellent gifts. 

I’d love to hear what you’re loving for fall. 

Until Next Post,

Xo Tonya Parker

P.S. I spoke at The Influencers of Midlife Summit in Vegas this fall which is where I got that cool Lady Boss tee. I love this photo I took with some of the other speakers too. You can learn more about the next conference here

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