But it also means new trends – not only in fashion, but in beauty as well.

It’s time to throw out those bright nail colors of the summer and transition back into the darker hues of fall and winter.

Purple Reign

Purple is one of the most popular colors of the season when it comes to clothing, and the same can be said for nails. Instead of the bright purples and lavendars we saw for spring and summer, look for deep shades like plum, aubergine and violet. OPI has a new French-inspired collection and also recently teamed up with Sephora to create some beautiful shades, perfect for the Fall. I’m loving Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not (a gorgeous royal purple) and Don’t Go There (a lovely muted violet). I also love Rock Royalty by Creative Nail Design, it’s a beautiful deep purple shade.

Chocoholics Anonymous

A new trend for this season, and a fun twist on the popular black nail polish, is to go the chocolate brown route. Brown nails look classic and the earthiness softens them, making them a great way to get into the autumn mood. Some of my favorite browns out there are Essie’s Wicked and Priceless, China Glaze Unplugged, Avon’s Deluxe Chocolate and OPI’s Espresso Your Style! (several of these also have a great metallic hue, another trend for fall). Jan Arnold, co-founder of Creative Nail Design suggests having rounded square nails that extend just past the tip of the finger for this trend.

Precious Metals

Metallics are another popular trend in nails this fall, whether you go with gold, bronze or copper tones, or if you infuse the metallic trend into the colors of the season (purples, browns, greys, etc.). Chanel came out with, D’or Gold Fiction, a new limited edition, high-in-demand gold polish that is extremely pricey ($30!!!), but most nail polish lines carry their own versions of gold that can look similar with an extra coat or two. Try OPI, or China Glaze’s new collection for the fall called Rodeo Diva. It really plays up on the metallic trend and you can find all sorts of colors, from green to brown to another gorgeous purple hue. You can see swatches of this collection here and here.

Vamp It Up

As is always the case with fall, vampish tones like black, wines and deep, deep reds will be popular this year. From OPI’s new La Collection de France, We’ll Always Have Paris is perfect for the fall as is Lippman Collection’s Pump Up The Jam. Of course, these deep reds and blacks are easy to find in any collection, so just check your local drugstore.

Earl Gray

The last major trend for fall is grays. Gray is always a huge color on the runways and it’s trickled down to fingernails. From soft grays all the way to gunmetal, you’ll be seeing these everywhere. For more muted grays, OPI/Sephora’s new collection has Metro Chic a matte, purplish-grey. OPI’s French Collection has You Don’t Know Jacques, and Rescue Beauty Lounge has Concrete Jungle. For more metallic grays try Revlon’s Dark Pleasures line in Steel-Eto, Patent Leather or Talk Dirty or Color Club’s After Hours. Plenty of other collections are sure to have different hues of gray so keep your eyes open.

Fall is a great chance to let your darker side out, so grow your nails out a bit, slap on some dark polish, and show ‘em your inner demon.

Save your money and forget Lasik! Glasses are now so chic that those who originally considered themselves “blessed” with perfect vision drool over their blind companions’ stylish eyewear. If you want to embrace this trend but unfortunately have no prescription for glasses, don’t worry! You can destroy your eyesight simply by staring directly at the sun for ten minutes each day.

Ok, so I’m just kidding. But if you wish you could wear glasses, wish no more. This fall, fake reading glasses are all the rage. The Michael Kors fall 2008 runway collection featured several faux eyeglass wearing models who looked HOT (as in sexy librarian hot). Glasses were also spotted in several other runway shows, including Betsey Johnson and Carmen Marc Valvo.

If you’re going to purchase a pair of glasses (fake or prescription), it is important to find the right shape and color for your face. Generally, you should buy glasses with a shape in contrast to that of your face. If you don’t know what your face shape is, or what shape glasses would flatter your face, click here for a simple guide.

After you’ve figured out what shapes work for you, here are the top five eyeglass trends for fall. Hurry up and buy them before classes start. You want to look smart and studious when you meet your new professors!

1. Thick, plastic, 70′s inspired rims – the ultimate geek chic look. This pair is Versace.

2. Fun colors! – buy several frames, coordinate them with your outfits! My Jill Stuart glasses are pink and actually look amazing when I’m wearing something pink with them. Red frames, as seen on this pair of D&G glasses, are going to be huge this year.

3. Fun and crazy shapes – try angular shapes or go really wacky with heart shaped glasses if you really want to make a statement like Nicole Richie in this picture.

4. Completely round frames – also known as “John Lennon glasses” are particularly trendy this fall. Betsey Johnson has a pretty good selection of round sunglasses, but for regular eyeglass frames Ralph Lauren is a good choice.

5. Cute details – like rhinestones or metal shapes can add a unique and stylish touch to otherwise plain glasses. For something more subtle, find glasses with a design on the inside lining (the part touching the sides of your head). No one can see it while they’re on, but when you take them off the pattern will be revealed. My pink glasses have white hearts on them, and these, which are Jill Stuart, have a cute stripey pattern.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be legally blind at night like me and don’t actually have a prescription for glasses, the fake frames can be a little tricky to find. You’re best bet would be to try Claire’s or other cheap accessories stores. You could also find them at local costume shops or iParty. Or just pop the lenses out of a cheap pair of sunglasses.

While you’re at it, why not go all out and buy a stylish case for your new glasses? Check out the huge selection of adorable eyeglass luggage at MyEyeglassCase.com and you won’t be able to resist.

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