5 Ways to Keep Your Festive Fizz

beautiful girl at christmas

So the time is finally here take a break from your normal every day life and start thinking about Christmas and all the joy – and stress – it brings. Being a California girl at heart (in a west London girl’s body) I feel a little less excited about Christmas than I do hot sunny holidays and beaches – especially now my children have grown up and Santa and innocent nativity plays have made way for eye watering expensive present lists, snap chatting selfies and hangovers (and that’s just me and Stressed Husband!). I’m not a total bah humbug though as I can definitely understand the excitement about eating and drinking all the chocolate and champagne you can get your hands on – without guilt – and spending time with loved ones and chilling out in onesies infant of the TV.  One thing I do believe is that where there is celebration, there is glamour and happiness (even in a onesie) and here’s how to keep your own festive fizz bubbling this holiday…

1. Get the outfits planned: There’s no point in buying the most gorgeous frock for Christmas day if you’re going to get hot under the collar with the sprouts and feel like a trussed up turkey. No fun at all. Think comfort with a touch of glam. Don’t panic about dressing up to the nines, I’m talking simple touches like adding a gorgeous statement necklace to an otherwise casual black jumper, jewelled or animal print flats, stretchy jeans with a hint of sparkle or sheen coating. Think sparkle, animal print and colour – not necessarily all at once but hey ho ho ho – it IS Christmas so why not?! After seeing the gorgeous Boden leopard print top on lovely Sharron’s blog from Style At Every Age I saw every reason to copy her – she has it spot on (ha! Leopard spots) once again. I just hope mine arrives in time for Christmas. It’s now just £18.90 from £35.00! Quick…it’s here!

leopard print Boden top

2. Get Your Makeup Glam ON: I do believe I’m beginning to channel my inner Joan Collins but I strongly believe that if your nails, makeup and hair are on pointe, then you’ll feel great. It might take a little longer than your everyday maquillage but who cares if dinner has to wait when you turn up looking fab! Don’t worry about the dry turkey, overdone roast potatoes and slushy brussel sprouts – you can always fill up on cake, Quality Street and bubbles – they’re the most fun part of Christmas dinner anyway! 

Keep nails shortish over Christmas so that breaks are limited and paint them red, deep berry or add a topcoat of glitter. Eyes must be one thing – smokey and sexy – well, that’s two things – but your eyes must be both. Now is the time to have a little practice for the big day and I find an easy pattern like this works perfectly: brush on a neutral shade of subtle glimmer over the whole lid, add a touch dark brown or gunmetal grey in the crease and outer corner of lids, a creamy black liner smudged close to the upper lashes and 3 coats of your favourite blackest black mascara to top lashes. If you haven’t checked out Essence eyeshadows yet – you have to. I love their 3D palettes – especially the duo of Irresistible Caramel Cream below. The texture is creamy yet highly pigmented and I reckon it gives much higher end brands a real run for the money. I haven’t got an exact price but it’s around £5 and you can get Essence products from Wilko stores and various other outlets such as Westfield in London – where there’s a well stocked stand featuring the whole range.

essence 3D eyeshadow

 

By the way, I love the new generation of beauty budget brands popping up now…but that’s a whole new post that I’ll write about in the New Year!

Again, lips must be glossy and red if possible – Joan, you hearing me?! And hair must be BIG! I’ve just fallen in love all over again with using an airstyler that dries hair the same time as styling it. I’m useless with a regular brush and hairdryer so this suits me. Saving time and giving big, sleek bouncy curls. My favourite is the John Frieda Luxurious Volume Full Volume Airstyler – take a breath – which is really reasonably priced for how good it is at £24.99 in Boots down from £29.99. Bargain! Click here for more info.

John Frieda AIRSTYLER

3. Be Kind to Yourself: Putting glamming up aside for a moment, looking your best is great of course, but feeling good is even more important. So, at this time of year particularly, you really need to look after yourself. Even though you might sometimes not believe it, you mean so much to so many people and no doubt have a lot to do to help make your family have the best Christmas possible, but if you aren’t feeling your best, then it’ll rub off on everybody else too. It may be difficult but make sure you schedule in some time just for you over the festive season. Take a long, luxurious bath (Sadly, I can’t because my bathroom’s being renovated so I can dream about it and take a hot shower instead with some fabulous smelling products), read a book or go and see a film on your own or with a friend. Take time to replenish your energies and you’ll have more fun and be less inclined to snap when the going gets tough.

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4. Escape the Panic: Just because everybody else is running around like the proverbial headless chicken – or turkey – doesn’t mean you have to. This year is probably one of the first Christmases I haven’t felt like I’m doing something wrong if I’m not pulling my hair out or jostling other bodies in a packed shop for a table setting that I really must have…mustn’t I? No. I don’t have to have it. In fact, there’s a lot of things we could do without but feel we must have them because it’s Christmas…turkey, extra presents, the latest trainers for the kids etc… Just chill! Life will not stop if we forget something or just don’t buy it. Getting outside for a daily dog walk no matter how busy I am is the one thing that keeps me calm, allows me to collect my thoughts and puts the day in perspective for me. Don’t follow the crowd.

chiswick house

5. Be Thankful and Grateful: Stop and think about what it all means. Yep, there might be a whole lot of stress and impossible logistics involved with where you’ve got to be, how many you’ve got to cook for and how much money you will probably wind up spending. But that’s not really what it’s all about is it? This Christmas, take time to think about your friends, your family and those who sadly can’t be with you because they’re ‘up there’ spending their Christmas singing at the bar in Heaven with Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole (my lovely Grandad) and be happy. Happy that in your life, you have people you love more than anything and who love you more than anything. Nothing else really matters, does it?

So, all that is left for me to do – apart from wrapping a million pressies, drinking copious amounts of champagne, cuddling my Stressed Husband, kids and family as tightly as possible – is to wish you all a big Glowology Merry Christmas and a gorgeous, fantastic New Year….REMEMBER, YOU ARE FABULOUS! 

 

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