Smart Lady

So it’s nearly Christmastime and who doesn’t want to get all dressed up for that party, where he is going to be? We thought as much! And in that case, it’s time for a style overhaul! Christmas is a great time to debut a new look, and this doesn’t have to be as extreme as you might think! You could follow all our advice below, or just mix and match to suit you!

We’ll start at the top:

Hair – CHANGE YOUR COLOUR! Red and brown tones are on trend this season, and great for warming up pale skin in the cold Winter. Remember this doesn’t have to be a permanent change, in fact it is always advisable to try a semi permanent first – if you really hate the colour it will shift rapidly after a couple of washes with Head’ N’ Shoulders and Fairy Liquid.

Eyewear - Glasses wearing girlies will understand what I mean when I say what you wear (or don’t!) on your face can make a huge difference – how many of you have looked back at those awful frames from 2 years ago that were so cool…? Or look at yourself now and barely recognise your face without your glasses? Well, now’s the time to change that. Online contact lenses store, getlenses.co.uk have some great offers for first-timers and are so much cheaper than your regular high street supplier. For Christmas, why not get a trial pack, not only will your eyes pop you’ll be able to wear a sexy side swept fringe without it getting caught on the top of your frames!

For those with perfect eyesight – go the other way and try some geek-chic frames with a little black dress and killer heels.

Clothes – If a complete style swap scares the life out of you, then make one small change at a time. Start to accessorize your clothes; the details make all the difference y’know! A good trick would be to start with a plain (not necessarily black) shift dress and add a belt, scarf and plenty of bangles. Gold is as popular as ever at Christmas but just be sure not to over-do it! Try to wear just one shiny statement piece and find complimenting colours or textures for your other accessories.

Legs – Patterned tights have been popular for years now, and there’s no sign of this changing. This Winter we see a move from the ‘80’s inspired prints and flowers of the Summer to a more demure patterned black sheer option in the form of sports, stars and love hearts. ‘Fake’ stocking tights ooze style but must be worn with a knee length dress or skirt – anything shorter will just look plain tacky.

Shoes – Platforms are huge for Winter, and so much easier to walk in than regular heels. Wear a coloured pair with a black shift dress and a tiny gold belt to and work the ‘60’s look. For those who loathe the idea of heels, brogues are a great option and are available in some lovely colours at Office on the high street.

If you are wishing to invest in a new scent then look no further than the Cosmic Radiance fragrance from the singer Britney Spears.

As woman, we naturally wish to look and feel our best at all times!  However sometimes we need that little extra push to make us feel confident, empowering and super sultry!  Not too mention inspired and beautiful.

Celebrating the beautiful woman you are is a must and shouldn’t be ignored, it is also now even easier!

The new scent from Britney Spears, which is entitled Cosmic Radiance really works to bring all the above feelings to the surface.  Many woman of today’s generation are constantly on the go, have both ambitions and dreams and also a crazy hectic schedule.

This new scent is meant to create the empowerment in order to stand up and say ‘nothing will stop me!’

This is possibly due to the dreamy infusion of dazzling white flowers, citrus notes and fruits.  All of these sweet smelling scents are combines with a dash of sexy amber, sandalwood and vanilla in order to create a scent that will bring out the ultimate woman in you!

Celebrating the power of being female is a must and all woman should be able to create their own world, where they are able to shine their brightest, having both the confidence and power to be at peace with yourself at all time!

The scent itself comes in a stone and gem enthused bottle, which will look super cute on your dressing table.  The actual inspiration for this scent came from Britney’s recent European tour.  It offers a fun and fearless bold scent that is suited to woman everywhere!  Go on spritz a little on today!

We have a few pre-party make-up tips you may want to experiment with, especially as the Christmas party season is fast approaching!

Make-up secrets are every girl’s must-haves!  This is of course the time to look fabulous, so listen up girlies!

A popping red pout is a very festive make-up move and will guarantee to turn a few heads, whether you choose to wear it to the office or out on the town!

Max Factor’s new Colour Elixir Lipstick is a must-have investment if you wish to create the perfect ‘wow factor’ pout.

It doesn’t just look great it feels great too!  This is possibly due to the fact it contains a range of skin friendly ingredients.  These ingredients include the likes of avocado and aloe butters as well as Shea butter, which is said to be extremely moisturising!

All of the above with create a hassle-free and smooth looking pout!

Getting the look yourself is easy and if you follow a few simple tips, you will be able to create a fuller looking pout!

Use a lip liner prior to applying the full colour, invest in something that offers a Red Rush type shade, as this will emphasise the colour of the lipstick.  Begin by tracing the lip edge and go just over the upper lip edge to create a rounded ‘m’ shape.

The next step requires you to apply the lip colour lipstick, opt for a shade such as ruby Tuesday for best results and a perfect pout!

Finish by loading your lashes with lashings of Max Factor False Lash Effect Gold Mascara in Black, which can be purchased at an assortment of beauty counters nationwide.

The vintage trend has swept the world of fashion over the past few years, bringing back and reinvigorating many trends of decades gone by with a twenty-first century twist. However, the very nature of “vintage” clothing can make it hard to shop for – one of the greatest places to look for vintage style clothes and vintage dresses is in your local charity or second hand shop, but these items are not always the best quality and you may prefer to find something new. Shopping online is a great way to access hundreds of items otherwise unavailable to you – but where should you look to find vintage clothes online?

An obvious online alternative to a physical second hand store is, of course, to browse online bidding sites such as eBay. This allows you to search for any keyword you fancy – “vintage” itself is a good place to start, and you can then filter through the results to find a particular item or style. If you know more specifically what you are looking for, you can use a related keyword to search for it directly. However, the same problem arises with any second hand clothing, as you cannot guarantee their quality.

For brand new clothing in the latest vintage fashions, you could try shopping online at Joe Browns. Having established itself as a reliable catalogue retailer, Joe Browns now has an extensive online range. The brand is best known for its appropriation of vintage and retro fashions to create an entire catalogue of new generation clothing for both men and women, so whatever you are looking for you are sure to find some great ideas at their website, www.joebrowns.com. You can use the search bar at the top of the page to search for your favourite trends, or the navigational links on the left hand side to filter through different categories of clothing and accessories.

If you are the ultimate fashion girl then you will most certainly already know all the hot news from the latest fashion shows!

However if something came up and you unfortunately had to miss any one of these shows, do not fear we are here the fashion team are here to help!

So what are the go to items for this season?  Well there is in fact an assortment, so make sure you have those fashionable wish lists at the ready!

First up has to be the ultimate Christmas cardigan!  Not only is this item super stylish for both girls and guys, it is also extremely warm, which in turn keeps those winter chills away!

The cardigan is a great investment as the granddad style is once again proving to be uber cool and right on trend for the new season!

Wear it with any one of your skinnies and cute winter style boots or alternatively with skirts and tights.  If you are feeling a little braver and wish to bare those pins, work the look with a pair of cutesy winter knee high socks!  There is an assortment of styles available.  Some have poms poms as an added extra detail whilst others have super cute ribbs!  Socks are sold in a variety of styles and come in several thicknesses.  There are also an assortment of tights on the market, some that offer different patterns and thicknesses, some which are great for an evening on the tiles and others that come in a crazy variety of prints!  All are a must have for your new season wardrobe.

Wear them with knee high boots so that they appear just poking over the edge or alternatively with heels for a preppy school style!