Christmas Party - Outfit Wishlist

Whilst it may still be slightly to early to be in full Christmas mode it's never to early to start thinking about festive outfits.. So when the invitation to my office Christmas party arrived last week, I immediately set about to find the perfect party look. After spending a few hours browsing online, I decided to put together a selection of dresses that have caught my eye so far...

1. Lace Maxi Dress - Boo Hoo - £25.00 [x]

2. Velvet Skater Dress - Quiz - £26.99 [x]

3. Black Tulle Dress - New Look - £34.99 [x]

4. Sequin Maxi Dress - Little Black Dress - £87.00 [x]

5. Crystal Stress - Chi Chi London - £69.99 [x]

6. Sequin Maxi Dress - Lipsy/Asos - £75.00 [x]

Each of the above dresses are gorgeous & perfect for impressing at any Christmas Party - whether with friends, family or work colleages. If only I could justifying purchasing them all!

Which dress is your favourite?
xxx

The Christmas Tag

I've found myself feeling particularly festive recently.. So when I spotted The Christmas Tag popping up around the blogging world, I knew it was something I needed to try for myself here on Small and Blonde... After all, who doesn't love a Festive post?!

1.- What are your favourite Christmas movies?

Oh my gosh.. there are so many! Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, The Holiday, The Grinch, A Muppet's Christmas Carol, Arthur Christmas, Disney's A Christmas Carol, The Snowman, The Santa Clause.. and many, many more. A month really isn't long enough to try & squeeze them all in. 

2.- Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Always Christmas morning.. I know some families open one present on Christmas Eve but this was just never something we've ever done. In fact - even at 16 & 23 years old - the presents for my sister & I don't get put under the tree until after we're asleep - always keeping the magic alive. 

3.- Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I have so many amazing Christmas memories, but my favourite(s) probably have to be watching my sisters get so excited when they walk into the living room on Christmas morning & realise that Father Christmas has been.

4.- Favourite festive food?

If I had to pick one it would probably be pigs in blankets (little sausages wrapped in bacon for any who don't know). Traditionally these are only served on Christmas Day which makes them even more special.

5.- Favourite Christmas scent?

Living in Birmingham, I love the mixture of smells that come from the Christmas German Market each year. Nuts, mulled wine, sausages, cinnamon, Christmas trees... perfect. 

6.- What tops your tree?

I technically have two trees. One in my flat & one at my mum's house. In the flat we have a star on top of our tree that was kindly gifted to us & at my mum's we have a angel. The best of both worlds.  

7.- As a child, what was the one extravagant gift you always asked for but never received?

I'm going to sound really boring now.. but I honestly don't remember ever asking for any overly extravagant as a child. 

8.- What is the best thing about Christmas for you?

The best thing about Christmas for me is spending time with family. This is especially true now that I live an hour away from my parents & siblings, so it's always nice to be reunited. 

I hope you enjoyed this tag - let me know what you love most about Christmas in the comments.
xxx

Face of the day - Christmas shopping

Today I had to use one of my days off to finish some Christmas shopping so I thought this was the perfect excuse to put together a little Christmas look.

As I was just popping into town I didn't want to go too overboard with products and really wanted to keep things pretty simple. Therefore, for the main part of this look, I went for a bright red lipstick.

I feel a bright red lipstick is perfect for the Christmas season as it's so festive... I also feel there's something about such a statement lip that builds confidence.

This may just be me, but going for a bright or bold colour always makes me feel like I'm dressed up and really boosts my confidence levels.

Pose...

Like I said, I really didn't want to go over board with the products today, so below you can see what I used to create my simple, yet festive look.

Apparently this involved a lot of Rimmel products!

On my skin I used the Rimmel Matte BB Cream in shade light. I had never jumped on the BB cream hype, but when I was sent this as a sample I was pleasantly surprised. I find the product sits on  my skin beautifully and saves the hassle of having to add a tonne of concealer after to cover up any dark circles or spots. Plus I'd heard this product, being matte, wasn't the best for anyone with dry skin. Now as a lifetime sufferer of dry skin - especially in the winter - I  was sceptical at first, however I actually found this to be very moisturising and not at all drying.. Yay! 

After applying the BB cream I used my trusty Sleek contouring and Blush Palette. This has been an everyday product of mine for a few months now and I love it. Plus I always find that after applying foundation I tend to look a little washed out/generally unwell - which is not a good look! This palette helps add some definition and a little colour to  my face again. 

The next step was to add some some definition to those eyelashes of mine. For this I used another one of my current staple items; the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara in shade 003/extreme black. I really feel this lengthens my lashes, but without making them clump together or feel weighed down. Plus it always makes me look that bit more awake early in the morning when - of course - I'm actually struggling to keep my eyes open at all! 

When it came to my brows, I really felt like being pretty lazy today. So I decided to take the easier option of pencilling them in to add some definition and shape (does anyone else feel a little naked without doing their eyebrows now, or is that just me?!). For days like today, I turn to the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in the shade 002/Hazel which does the job perfectly. 

Finally, the main product in this look.. the lipstick. This is from Rimmel's Lasting Finish collection and is in the shade 170/Alarm. This is one of my favourite shades as it's so bright and has great staying power. Plus it's very moisturising and doesn't fade in a patchy way like some other lipsticks do (which is great as I hate after an hour or so of wearing a product, ending up looking like I've just eaten a ice-lolly). 

With the exception of the BB cream, I bought each of these products from Superdrug and they're each something I'll reinvesting in when the time comes.

If anyone has any other products they use for a festive look, I'd love to know! Always on the look out for a new product to try

xxx

Birmingham Christmas Market

Each year the Frankfurt Christmas Market comes to Birmingham. During this time the usual grey city is transformed with lights, log cabins and decorations. The market is something I've looked forward to each year since moving to the city as it well and truly means Christmas is on it's way.

The shops, which are set in adorable log cabins, are full of pretty much everything you could want from a Christmas market. They sell lots of items ranging from Christmas decorations, to jewellery to adorable wooden children's toys. 

Even if you're not looking to buy any specific items, who could resist all the amazing foods/drinks on offer?! 

Think traditional German hot-dogs, a huge variety of chocolate/fudge/sweets (I'm dying to try the chocolate covered strawberries/marshmallows) accompanied with a hot chocolate, mulled wine or warm cider. 

As you can see I couldn't resist going for something sweet and chose a chocolate crepe whilst Ollie opted for a tradition of the German market - a huge pint of beer where you get to keep the glass and a burger (which had been demolished by the time the photo was taken)... If you can't treat yourself at Christmas, when can you?!

Visiting the German market has become a tradition each year during December which I love as it makes me feel so festive and is the perfect excuse to wrap up and treat myself. 

If anyone has any traditions that get you in the Christmas spirit I'd love to hear!

xxx