Yes, No and Maybe to These Trends

Being trendy is almost a bad word in fashion. It smacks more of sheep than leadership or individuality. But someone does set those trends. I think the best approach is to inform yourself (if you are even interested) and take what works for you.
I definitely don't like to follow everything that's hot. Why spend money on something I know I'm not going to like? If it's clothing I can try it on in a state of open-mindedness and see if it works for me. If yes, it's nice to find something new that I love; otherwise, back to the drawing board (or clothing racks, or makeup counter, etc)
I am getting excited about some of the things I'm finding for fall. In stores I am seeing some grays in varying shades. A nice dove gray sweater or a silvery gray cardigan or scarf are welcome additions to my wardrobe.
In other gray and steel-hued news, I really love the new nail polish colors I'm starting to see. I did, and still sort of do, like the bright nail color trend, but I'm not in the mood for taxi-cab yellow or hot orange any more. And the hot orange, I was frankly never in the mood for. And I don't want this in the autumn. There are other brights to try.
Yet the grays are hitting the spot. I just found two by Orly in Mirror Mirror and Pixie Dust that are adorable. I've got the Pixie Dust shade on my fingertips as I write this and I love it. In some light it looks gray, a bit sparkly, and it almost has a hint of blue to it at other times. And the blue polishes I'm seeing are attention grabbers as well. There's a nice range, from pale silvery blues to deep indigo hues. OPI's Russian Navy is a great shade, and their polishes apply well, too.
Another trend which is exciting to me is that matte is back. Even in nail polishes, and Orly and OPI have them on their websites. I have yet to try them, but it looks velvety and elegant. The textures, exciting.
I'm seeing more matte in makeup, too, but not as much as I'd like to. Matte is more forgiving if you have skin that's not perfect. Shimmers always seem to accentuate the bad spots. But matte is kinder. Done right the skin can look velvety, maybe a bit dewy (you won't look like you're overpowdered, just soft). Revlon has matte lipsticks, blushes and eye shadows. The lipsticks are great. Long-lasting and they don't feel dry on the lips. I put on a bit of Burt's Bees lip balm and then apply Revlon's matte lipstick and it looks great right away and stays looking great. It can fade off if you're sipping coffee throughout the day, but a nice stain remains on the lips and the hue looks beautiful and natural.
And along with the matte makeup I'm seeing another trend I love, which is bold, bright lips. Magazines are playing up raspberry pinks, hot fuschias and crimson pouts. I'm personally not a fan of hot pink lips but I'll take the reds, thank you very much. My favorites are the Revlon matte lipsticks in In the Red and Really Red. One's a bit closer to a burgundy hue, but not that far into goth territory, and the other is a rich red. I love the color, and I think that some women have a fear of red lipstick, that it's too intense or it's too high maintenance, but done right and the color chosen right, it does wonders. A girl's face can brighten up like you wouldn't believe. I'll follow the Gwen Stefani's in this trend and leave the lip glosses to anyone else who wants them!
I'm also seeing coppery colors and metallic shades in eye shadows. I have always found those a bit tricky, but a beautiful copper can make blue eyes really show, and the right gold can flatter just about anyone's skin. Since my eyes are green I'm sitting this trend out, preferring to stick to purples and lilacs for shadow (and that always seems to be in style - just about every year some magazine says purple is hot, and they always grab my heart with that one) and my all-time favorite - liquid eye liner. I love the modified cat eye, or a smudge of liner on the outer top lash line to make my eyes look a big larger. It can be subtle with a black-brown line just along the lashes, or out-there, drawing the lines fat and beyond the outer corner of the eye. Nice versatility. And helpful if you're into the smoky eye trend (for which companies like Maybelline and Ulta) are offering kits and instructions.
There are trends I love and trends I hate. On my 'Never" list:
I'm still seeing that open-toed boot and bootie trend, however, which I refuse to take part in. To me it's just stupid. In summer I don't want to wear that, and in Michigan's winters and autumns, and even spring, the weather is too volatile. Rain one day, sleet another. Too crazy for shoes where you can easily get some slush or water slopped in. I'll pass, thank you very much!
The skull trend is one I'm tired of. I suspect it started with the Pirates of the Carribbean franchise, but it never spoke to me. At first it was too Captain Jack Sparrow and marketing overkill. Now I think it's tied into the bad economy or something: A goth touch in tough times. Dress in mourning for the crap economy. I do have some goth sympathies, since I did listen to the Cure and others as a teen, but I never dyed my hair black or wore pounds of black eyeliner, but I don't want to jump on the bandwagon. A black sweater, black boots, pale skin, crimson lips: yes. Skulls, no!
Another trend I think is tied to the economy (and it conflicts with the goth-y looks), is the bright colors. It's like people seek cheer in bad times, which I understand, and I easily gravitate toward daffodil yellows and vivid reds, but more as accessories, as in makeup colors or a bright purse.
It's hard for almost anyone to pull off a neon-green sweater or hot-pink and black boots. If it works for you, fine, but I lived through that trend in 1984 and 1985 when it was hot for the first time (for me ... though I know brights bounce in and out of popularity through the years), and I don't want to do the fluorescent yellow sweatshirt ever again! But when it's new to you, it's always exciting. But in my mid-30s that's just asking to look sallow or gray. I need all the help I can get, so I'm more into the good moisturizer for brightness. Older is better in that case: You've been there, worn that, and know what works.
But it's all fun, whether you're observing or wearing or trying it on. That's what fashion and trends should be (at least that's what I think!)