Feeling nostalgic? Watch these black-and-white movies in your cozy socks with a cup of hot chocolate. Here are the5 black-and-white movies from the first 100 years of cinema that you should experience this holiday season.

1. Mildred Pierce, 1945

   1. ‘Mildred Pierce’ is a 1945 crime-drama film starring Joan Crawford in the Oscar-winning title role. The style in this movie is UNREAL, and I love that the Max Factor makeup creator worked exclusively with Joan Crawford on this film—such a cool piece of film and makeup history.

2. All About Eve, 1950

   1. ‘All About Eve’ stars Bette Davis. The director and screenplay creator is Joseph Mankiewicz. Bette plays a stage actress named Margot who is slowly but surely being edged out by her protegee, Eve. The monologues! The hairstyles! The shade!

3. A Raisin in the Sun, 1961

   1. ‘A Raising in the Sun’ is the film starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Diana Sands following the Younger clan in Chicago as they navigate their future as a family unit and as individuals. 'Based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry, the scoring in this film accents the theatric foundation of the story.

4. Madame Bovary, 1949

   1. Based on the controversial 1856 novel ‘Madame Bovary’ by French author Gustave Flaubert, the 1949 adaptation challenged public ‘morality’ and the Motion Picture Production Code fought to censor the film.

Show me what you're watching by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

Before you re-watch ‘The Office’ or ‘Scandal’ from the beginning for the 10th time, check out these Netflix hits before everybody else.

1. If you liked ‘The Crown,’ you’ll love ‘The Last Czars’ - Costume drama meets historical documentary in this 6-part show.

2. If you liked ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’, you’ll love ‘The Taco Chronicles’ - A Netflix original that profiles tacos and culinary culture around Mexico.

3. If you liked ‘Parasite,’ you’ll love ‘Burning’ - Investigate what it means to burn for acceptance with this mind-bending thriller-drama.

4. If you liked ‘You',’ you’ll love ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ - I’ll admit, ‘Romance is a Bonus Book’ is a 180-degree change from ‘You,’ but once you’re thoroughly sketched out by Joe Goldberg, run to Dan-i for bubbly, sweet notions of unrequited love.

5. If you liked ‘Marriage Story,’ you’ll love ‘Take This Waltz’ - This film is cringe-y, sexy, and touches perfectly on the universal fear of commitment and unfulfillment.

Show me what you're watching by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean your green thumb has to wither up and die. Turn your nurturing and love inward with these houseplants that will keep your urban jungle growing even in the depths of winter. If you want more gardening inspo, check out this episode recorded with gardener and creator ABeautifulNestTV all about the book “The Garden in Every Sense and Season” by Tovah Martin.

@BriBooksPod’s Houseplants in @TheBriGarden

1. Pilea peperomioides - The pilea peperoioides has circle-shaped leaves and prefers well-draining soil and partial light.

2. Indoor herb like basil or cilantro - I repotted and over-wintered the basil and cilantro growing in the garden. Choose an herb you love and plant it on your kitchen windowsill for an instant injection of freshness.

3. Small parlor palm - Preferring 55-70 degrees, moist soil and filtered sunlight, the small parlor palm adds density to any indoor garden. The mini-trees create a faux forest look.

4. Pothos - Pothos is arguably the easiest of all houseplants to grow and the most recognizable houseplant. It does well in rooms like offices, dorm rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens (yes, it even grows under fluorescent lighting). Pothos tend to vine, so I love to use them to take up area and create a living web of plants.

5. Philodendron - Philodendron plants like bright, indirect sunlight, and regular fertilization to grow into its best self.

   Show me what you're growing by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

How many times have you gone into a wine shop, perused bottles and labels with glazed-over eyes, and left unfulfilled and over budget? Here are four categories I consider when planning what wine to bring to an event, serve to guests, or buy for myself: 

Brionna’s @BriBooksPod Wine Menu Tips 

1. Bubbles or no? (shoutout to Sarita of The Swirl Suite podcast for always encouraging bubbles to kick off the night)
2. Learn the rules, then break them. I choose wines based on my own flavor principle: the lighter the flesh, the lighter the wine. Hence white wine with fish and creamy pasta dishes, red wines with tomato dishes and red meats, and Rosé flows best with vegetables. From there, I forget everything I know and opt for a left-of-center pick such as Pinot Gris in place of a classic white wine or an orange wine in lieu of Rosé. 
3. Pick up a wildcard--perhaps a liquor--that you can use to create quick cocktails
4. Think about analogous and complementary flavors relative to the meal

Brionna’s @BriBooksPod Wine Menu Recommendations 

1. Bubbles recommendation: Vigneto Luciano Saetti Rosso Viola Lambrusco Salamino, 2018 ($20-$23), available at Simple Syrup Wine and Spirits in Brooklyn 
2. Meal pairing recommendation: Meinklang “Mulatschak” Weisser Pino Gris ($17-$20), available at Simple Syrup 
3. Easy, delicious red to compliment every dish recommendation: Adega de Penalva Idigena Branco, Dao ($13-$15), available at Simple Syrup 
4. Wildcard: Letherbee Charred Oak Absinthe Brun ($38-$40), available at Simple Syrup 

Show me what you're sipping on by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

Want to plan a weekender getaway but don't know where to start? Here are the fool-proof steps I took to explore Ithaca, New York along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail in the Finger Lakes, NY region.

To accompany this episode, I’ve produced an IGTV video on @bribookspod and @brionnajay Instagram accounts sharing my recommendations for Ithaca, NY.

@BriBooksPod Tips for Planning the Perfect Weekend Getaway

1. Choose how far you’re willing to travel

2. Choose where you want to be vis-a-vis the ‘action’

3. Choose a destination with a unique natural history, culinary tradition, art scene, etc.

4. Bonus: Visit a museum and support local artists at a market while traveling

Where to visit in Ithaca, New York

RESTAURANTS:

• Just A Taste Wine Bar and Tapas

• Waffle Frolic

• Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar

EXPERIENCES

• Ithaca Farmers Market

• Fall Creek Gorge

• Wineries

  • Americana Winery

• The sunset over Cayuga Lake!

Show me your holiday photos by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

On today’s episode, I’m sharing my travel dream list for 2020 and beyond. As I reflect on 2019, I realize that international travel was (welcomely) replaced by domestic adventure this year. I left the country only once(to attend the Myleik Teele MTY Retreat in May, here’s a link to the podcast all about the retreat!). In the spirit of adventure, here's a peek at my personal worldwide bucket list. Show me yours by using #bribooks on Instagram, and @bribookspod on Instagram and @bribookspod on Twitter. 

1. Korea
2. Costa Rica
3. Puerto Rico 
4. Uruguay/ Chile/ Peru
5. Mexico
6. Senegal
7. Morocco 
8. Zanzibar 
9. Portugal
10. Bordeaux
11. Ghana 

Let's raise a glass to those restaurant trips that leave us wanting more. When dining out, these are the tips that’ll ensure you always have the best experience possible.

1. Sit at the bar, it's like being at the theater 
2. Research the menu and specials on the restaurant site and Instagram 
3. Read the menu, and ask questions
4. Go for the gold standard 
5. Pre-dine and pre-game your dinner

Two restaurants I mention in this episode: 

1. Endswell, a French-American Bistro in Brooklyn, New York
2. Lowerline, a Cajun restaurant and oyster bar in Brooklyn, New York

What are your restaurant hacks? Show me by using #bribooks on Instagram when you're out dining next time, and check out bribookspod.com and join the newsletter for more restaurant tips and recommendations. 

It's time for the Sephora VIB Sale--everyone gets $15 off $75 until 12/17, and VIB Insiders earn $20 of $75, and VIB Rouge members earn $25 off $75. Here's what I'd stock up on if I were you: 

MAKEUP

1. Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer natural skin perfector SPF 30 in shade Mocha, $47
2. Ilia limitless lash mascara, $28
3. Sephora cream lip stain 01 Rouge, $14
4. YSL Rouge Volupte shine lipstick, $38

SKINCARE

1. Caudalie Premier Cru Ultimate Anti-Aging Trio, $99

FRAGRANCE

1. Maison Margiela “Replica” (I recommend “Lipstick On,” “Whispers in the Library”), $126
2. Clean Reserve, “Solar Bloom” $98

GIFT SETS 

1. Clean Reserve giftset $48
2. Maison Margiela giftset $68

TRIAL SIZES 

1. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Treatment, $24 

I’ve curated the 5 best beauty books (say that five times fast!) that I relied on this year. They’re a great starting place for digging deeper into something we all practice—caring for our body’s biggest organ, our skin—and a bit of natural health. Hope this inspires you to investigate what you’re using, and discover the ingredients you didn’t know you needed. Let me know what your skincare routine looks like at @bribookspod on Instagram and Twitter, and by using #bribooks while you listen! 

1. “The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out” by Caudalie founder Mathilde Thomas (June 2015): Mathilde founded the skincare company Caudalie with her husband after taking inspiration from her family’s vineyard in Bordeaux. Not only is “The French Beauty Solution” filled with recipes, but it’s also filled with research about the composition of skin, how it changes over time, and how to care for it at every step of the way. I especially love chapter 5, “Your Skincare Ingredients,” where Mathilde teaches us how to decode skincare ingredient labels. (Link to “The French Beauty Solution”) 

2. “Plant-Based Beauty: Your Essential Guide to Detoxing Your Beauty Routine” by Jess Arnaudin (Sept. 2019): Jess moved to upstate New York after working and studying on an active farm, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for plants. “Plant-Based Beauty” book breaks down operates from the understanding that nature is the master chemist. (Link to “Plant-Based Beauty) 

3. “Wild Beauty: Wisdom and Recipes for Natural Self-Care” by Jana Blankenship. It’s more of a science-based resource that I revisit before investing in any skincare or new products. (Link to “Wild Beauty”) 

4. “Seeking Slow: Reclaim Moments of Calm in Your Day” by Melanie Barnes focuses on injecting a sense of slowness, purpose, gratitude, and reflection into every single day. (Link to “Seeking Slow”)

5. “Recipes for Self-Love: How to Feel Good in a Patriarchal World” by Alison Rachel is a balm for your soul. The recipes aren’t for food, but for something more sustaining…YOUR well-being. (Link to “Recipes for Self-Love”)

Here are the skin care products in my current rotation that I’m reaching for every day. 

AM skincare:

1. Cleanser:Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser, $10 (Body Shop) 
2. Toner: Heritage Stone Rose Water, $10 (Target) 
3. Essence/ Serum: Lumene Nordic C Glow Boost with Vitamin C Glow Boost Essence Serum, $25 (Target, Lumene)
4. Moisturizer: Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Moisturizing Cream, $42 (Caudalie, Sephora) 
5. Sunscreen: Neutrogena Helioplex SPF 70, $7 (Target), $12 (Ulta)

PM skincare

1. Cleanser #1: Farm to Skin by Patricia Walker Organic Retinoid Oil Cleanser, $48 (Farm to Skin)
2. Cleanser #2: Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser, $10 (Body Shop)
3. Mask: Glamglow Super Mud, $59 (Sephora, Glam Glow) 
4. Mask #2: Caudalie Instant Detox, $39 (Caudalie, Sephora)
5. Rosehip oil, $14 (Whole Foods)
6. Sisley Paris Black Rose Precious Face Oil, $235 (Sisley-Paris)

Brionna’s reviews on Glamour.com

1. Body Shop Carrot Wash face cleanser review
2. Sisley Paris Black Rose Precious Face Oil review 

Whether you're having a gloomy day or need something uplifting to watch in the background, here are the laugh-out-loud-worthy movies you need to revisit.

1. Devil Wears Prada 
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 
3. The Breakfast Club 
4. Moulin Rouge 
5. Matilda 
6. Coming to America 
7. 500 Days of Summer 
8. Harold and Maude 
9. Eve’s Bayou 
10. Atlantis: The Lost Empire 

I'm still smiling ear-to-ear after an evening spent shopping uber-chic French clothing brand Sézane's winter and holiday collections. I've loved attending readings, shopping experiences (and yoga!) at the Paris-based clothing brand's New York City's L’Appartement Sézane, and here's a look into the trends I spotted (and fell in love with) in Sézane's highly-curated winter and holiday collections. 

• The story of Sézane: The brand began in 2013 founded by Morgane Sealroy. Morgane started selling her vintage faves online and created "Les Composantes", then started filling in her vintage finds with pieces she designed herself. In 2017, Morgane founded DEMAIN to raise money for Pencils of Promise, La Voix de L'Enfant, Sports dans la Ville. 

Here are the vintage-inspired and retro-yet-ethereal trends I spotted from Sézane's exceptional Winter/Holiday 2019 collection. 

• • Season-agnostic silk and jacquard pieces were the stand-outs of the collection
  • Plum red, navy and gold were the eye-catching colors, along with tapered colorful trousers 
  • Jacquard trousers I tried on (Gustavo trousers, $190), jacquard blouse (Gabrielle blouse, $125) 
  • Tulle Misty Copeland-esque caramel tulle skirt I tried on (Masha skirt, $190) 
  • LBD meets rainbow (Doha dress, $190), so many gorgeous silky LBD pieces (Gabin dress, $200)
  • Victorian necklines (Maureen shirt, $125) and sleeves, pussy-bow dresses (Selena dress, $185), streamlined looks
  • High-neckline dresses (Eleanor dress, $150)

Go behind-the-scenes of my Sézane shopping adventure on @brionnajay Instagram Stories highlights, as well as the @bribookspod Instagram Stories highlights. Shop it up at Sézane site and obsess over the Sézane  feed on Instagram. 

I'm getting vulnerable AF for this episode of "Bri Books" briCember, and I'm sharing my personal journey with therapy--a 20-year-long relationship that's at the heart of my health. 

Resources: "Therapy for Black Girls" podcast and site for help finding a therapist, "Naptime is Sacred" podcast for fantastic storytelling by the ever-creative Fousia Abdullahi. 

Where does your therapy story begin? Tell me at @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter. 

I'm revealing my “Pushing Past Procrastination” hacks:

• 2:00 - The 5 steps of recording “Bri Books,” procrastination-free 
• 4:45 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #1: Remember all the times you’ve done something from scratch, and it worked out. 
• 5:05 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #2: You're not creating for yourself, so don't let yourself get in the way.
• 6:25 - Pushing Past Procrastination Tip #3: Remember what it feels like to be on the other side.

Where are you procrastinating in your life? Tell me at @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter. 

Today’s episode explores history, one drink at a time with Ashley Warren, co-host of The Kindred Spirit podcast. “the Kindred Spirit” covers everything from obscure cocktails (Monkey Gland, anyone?) to urban legends (who was the original Hot Toddy?) 

Primarily we dissect the cocktail book we’re both obsessed with, “Movers and Shakers: Women Making Waves in Spirits and Wine” by Hope Ewing

• 4:10 - Ashley’s “behind-the-bar” upbringing (her childhood house had a keg!) 
• 5:45 - #BriBook: “Movers and Shakers” by Hope Ewing, which dismantles the white, corporatized way that beer and drinking was packaged post-Prohibition. 
• 8:45 - How to get experimental? Play Bartender’s Choice and ask for a recommendation,  and always sit at the bar. “Sitting at the bar is a great way to not feel alone.” - Ashley Warren, “The Kindred Spirit” podcast
• 12:45: #BriBook: “The Please Don’t Tell Cocktail Book”, 1888 “Bartender’s Manual,” “Hoffer’s Brewing Guide,” “Savoy Cocktail Book,” “Imbibe,” “Drinking Like Ladies”
• 25:30 - How to get plugged into your local cocktail and spirits scene 

Follow @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter

Bri Books Top 5 Cookbooks of 2019 

1. Cooking for one (for yourself on a regular basis): “The Living Kitchen: Healing Recipes to Support Your Body During Cancer Treatment and Recovery” by Sarah Grossman and Tamara Green

2. Cooking for a crowd (two or more): “Cravings: Recipes for all the Food You Want to Eat” by Chrissy Teigen

3. Guest flex (for when it’s your turn to host it’s delicious and looks good): “Everyday Is Saturday: Recipes + Strategies for Easy Cooking, Every Day of the Week” by Sarah Copeland

4. Technique (how you present your food): “That Photo Makes Me Hungry: Photographic Food for Fun and Profit” by Andrew Scravini

5. What’s up next (new release) "Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries Of African American Cooking:” by Toni Tipton-Martin 

Pssst, check out my “How to Shop the Farmers Market” IGTV for more info about seasonal eating.

Follow @bribookspod on Instagram, Twitter, and bribookspod.com/newsletter

Welcome to #BriCember--31 days of daily podcasts, for the rest of the decade.

I was inspired and encouraged by podcasters Amanda Miller Littlejohn ("Package your Genius" pod) and Emma Gunavardhana ("The Emma Guns Show") to challenge myself to daily episodes. Nothing's off-limits--leave a review of the podcast and tell me what you want us to discuss! We'll chat my best beauty lessons learned this year, how I spend my money, wine favorites, what’s in my cookbook collection, my AM and PM skincare beauty routines, how I deal with procrastination, falling in love with vintage shopping, my favorite creators and podcasts, a few of the books I've read in 2019, and even my own career story. 

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter! The theme music is "One Way"  by Jenn Mundia, fall in love with her here: https://soundcloud.com/jennmundia