Christmas Gift Guide - Sleepwear and Lingerie

The next categogy of potential Christmas gifts I'm going to explore is that or sleepwear - covering pyjamas, slippers, dressing gowns and underwear. Things that, at their most basic level, are not a million miles away from being necessities, but are available in so many delightful varieties there is no need  for them to make boring presents.

Slippers

I've always received slippers for Christmas, so to me they have always been one of the quintessential Christmas gifts. Everyone in the family seemed to get a new pair so you could spend the rest of the day wearing them in the spirit of Christmas cosiness. My mum likes the likes the bootie kind, like these snowflake print slippers from Barratts, or the fluffy leopard print ones from New Look. My brother likes novelty slippers, massive padded things in the shape of some sort of animal usually, and the tiger claws from Monster Slippers reminded me of him, while the cute bunnies from Accessorize are a more delicate alternative. I tend to prefer the ballerina style - keep your feet warm without overheating, pretty and practical. I like the fair isle knitted ones from Tesco, and the butterflies and buttons from Next.

Pyjamas

Another common Christmas present in my house, you can never have too many pairs of pyjamas! the pretty butterfly print pjs are from New Look (£8.99), and more traditional and Christmassy red check ones are from Topshop (£30). Everyone seems to be going nuts over onesies at the minute and though the look like they might get a bit over hot for sleeping in, they look incredibly comfy for lounging around in - the cupcake one here is from BooHoo (£25). Finally the classy bird print pyjamas are Dickens and Jones, available from House of Fraser (£48).

Robes

A nice warm dressing gown is another essential in these winter months (gas prices keep going up so need to find another way of keeping warm!). Two of my favourite snuggly looking ones at the minute are both from Dorothy Perkins: this cute cat print one (£28) and the cosy looking feather print (£28) both look like they'd keep the chill off. The silk kimono from Topshop (£58) isn't as warm looking but is absolutely beautiful and would make a gorgeous gift.

Lingerie
Buying lingerie as a gift is something that can quite easily go wrong, and I'm sure I remember more than one sitcom scenario dedicated to the likelihood of causing offence, but if done right lingerie can make a much appreciated gift. The key is getting something the receiver will like, not just what the buyer wants to see her in - Christmas morning is not the time for revealing any previously undisclosed unusual preferences, so unless you know she's appreciate something a little more 'out there' it may be best to stick to slightly more 'classic' styles and materials. It's also important to get the right size!

A range of options here to suit a variety of preferences. The Stella Babydoll in black (£39) and the pale pink Ida bustier (£45) with matching Brazilian Thong (£16), both from Affinatas, would make great gifts for many because of their classic colours and flattering designs. For those that prefer a bit of colour, the gorgeous turquoise set from Claudette (£45 for the Bra, and £19.50 for the matching briefs) or the vintage-inspired set from Parfait (£30 for the bra and £14 for the high waisted briefs) would make equally lovely presents for a special lady at Christmas.
And of course ladies, if you don't think you can trust your fellas to get you the right thing, you can always treat yourself!

A-Z of Fashion: E

E, says Glamour Magazines A-Z of Winter Fashion Trends, is for Expensive Luxe Fabrics.
Their 'how to get the look' suggrestions state "This trend is all about the tactile touch of silk, cashmere and velvet. In early autumn, mix your breezy cottons with a chunky knit scarf and wool-cashmere mix jumper for the ultimate in chic layering."

It may be a little late to reasonably say we are in 'early autumn' now, but a cashmere mix jumper is still great for winter layering, and despite being classed as a 'luxe fabric', these are available to suit a range of pockets. The first one here, admittedly a viscose-cotton-cashmere mix rather than a wool cashmere mix, does still contain 5% cashmere and is available at Matalan for a purse-friendly £30. The middle one, 5% cashmere and merino wool is reduced at Coast from £75 to £45, and for more of an extravagant delve into the world of cashmere, the gorgeous star jumper, made of 100% cashmere by Chinti and Parker is available from Harvey Nichols for £365.

It was so hard to narrow down to some of my favourite velvet choices, as there are just so many wonderful pieces out there at the minute, from shorts to dresses, shoes to hats. I love velvet as a fabric, I love how warm and soft it feels, and many of the seasons pieces add to it with warm, rich colours, like the navy blue of the embossed skater skirt from Miss Selfridge (£34), and the deep red of the River Island blazer (£20). Of course is there are still plenty of choices in classic black, such as the gorgeous devore playsuit from Topshop (£50).

Silk is one of those special fabrics where just having it against your skin makes you feel good. Just looking at the silk shirt from Oasis (£60), you can imagine how soft it would feel to wear, as well as looking great. The tunic from Monsoon (£69) also incorporates an oriental theme that often seems synonymous with silk, and the tie back dress from Dorothy Perkins is currently on sale for only £30, proving that 'expensive luxe fabrics' don't actually have to be expensive. 

Curlformers Blogger Competition

I know my last post was a blogger challenge, and I really did mean to get another couple of posts up before doing another one, but I just came across this fun competition and as it closes tonight I hope you'll excuse me putting it up now! Curlfomers are hosting a competition to win a whopping £100 of ASOS vouchers, to be judged by Lillia Loves.

Curlformers are a 'hair curling revolution', a product designed to to give perfect neat and lasting curls without damaging the hair by using heat on it. As well as curling naturally straight hair, they also say that 'hair that is naturally curly can be tamed into defined smooth curls' - great news for me as my natually curly and slightly crazy hair could definately do with some taming!

They are a number of ways to enter this challenge (and details of all can be found here if anyone can get an entry done before closing time!), but I decided to take the option of putting together an outfit including a curly hair style.

Henry Holland Tights - China Glaze Nail Polish in Ruby Slippers - Asos Gothic Prom Dress - Iron Fist Shoes - Topshop Beaded Clutch Bag - Alice in Wonderland Charm Bracelet

Helena Bonham Carter is one of my curly-haired idols. No matter how wild her curls are, she rocks them. I think she may have subconsciously inspired the gothic tones of my outfit a little, and had to include the Alice in Wonderland bracelet in her honour.

To achieve this look, I would use the long and narrow curlformers, but because we don't want the curls to look 'too' neat, I'd use my fingers to pull some of them apart a little, and scrunch in some volumising product at the roots to give them a bit of 'lift'. The best thing is no need to worry about your hair looking a little worse for wear after a night out as this look is meant to be a touch on the dishevelled side!

What do you think? Anybody planning on rocking curls over the festive season?

Glamorous Blogger Challenge

I do love a good blogger challenge! It's not that I enter them expecting I have any chance of winning, I think it's just fun window shopping and the challenges usually give you a bit of focus for that - which I need!

So when I heard about the Glamorous/EtailPR blogger challenge, obviously I wanted to have a go. The idea was to create a collage of your Glamorous Wish List, to the budget of £200 - and look how much you can get for £200!

1 = Blue and Red Tartan Check Belted Dress = £28.99

2 = Anne Dress in Cream with Pink Pineapple Print = £29.99
3 = Black Organza Sheer Dotty Dress = £32.99

4 = Blue Mixed Wool Jumper = £22.00

5 = Leather Look Heeled Ankel Boots in Tan = £29.99

6 = Owl with Glasses White Tea = £13.99

7 = Navy with Square Gold Studs Knit Jumper = £25.00

8 = Navy Heart Print Scarf = £5.99

9 = Skull Detail Ballet Shoes = £10.00

Total = £198.94

Dresses are my favourite, no matter the time of year, and had to find a space for these three in my budget. The cream one might not scream 'A/W', but I'm a sucker for a cute print, which this has. As it's getting cold, a couple of jumpers and a scarf needed to be on there, and the cute owl t-shirt to wear under the jumpers - layers for warmth! And of course you need shoes, two pairs along with everything else for less than £200 - amazing! 

If you would like to enter, you can find all the details here, (or on the facebook page here) but be quick, you've only got til the 12th to get your entries in! 

I know i'm cutting it a bit fine but if you've entered too please feel free to leave you links so I can check out your entry! thanks x 

Gifts Vouchers Blogger Challenge

Recently I found about a blogger challenge run by giftsvouchers.co.uk (unfortunately I can't remember where so I can't give full credit, sorry!), asking bloggers to create a post with ideas for Christmas gifts priced under £35.
I do love a challenge, and I love Christmas presents! So thought I'd give this a go!
Instead of finding five things that came in at just under £35, I though I'd try to cover a a few different price ranges up to that limit - There are plenty of people I'll be buying for that I will be spending significantly less than £35 on and wanted to show you can get really nice things for any price. As such, I looked for presents that would fit into the price categories £0-£5, £5-£10, £10-£15, £15-£25, and £25-£35, and this is what I came up with:

1 - Jelly Baby Necklace @ Jelly Button Jewellery £4.00 2 - Beauty Salve Collection @ Rose and Co £10 3 - Elaine Cat Slippers @ Topshop £14 4 - Bonjour Moustache Watch @ ASOS £22 5 - Sugar Coated Owl Handbag @ Little Moose £30

The Jelly Baby necklaces by Jelly Button Jewellery are not only competely adorable and extremely well priced, you also get the added feel-good factor of buying from a really lovely independant British company. Also, they come in a range of colours so can pick one up in the receivers favourite!

The Rose & Co salves collections includes three of their most popular salves and balms -  Rose Petal Salve, Cherry Kiss Lip Balm, and Sweet Vanilla Salve, for moisturing lips and dry skin on other areas. They come in the most gorgeous vintage inspired tins and would make a great gift.

I always used to get slippers every year for Christmas so im my mind they are one of the quintessential Christmas gifts. I love these incredibly cute and cosy looking kitty slippers from Topshop.

Moustaches are everywhere I look at the minute, and this watch from ASOS seems like a perfect on-trend choice for a gift. I love how simple and classic looking it is, with a bit of a frech twist for added sophistication - ooh la la!

Finally, the most expensive item here, is the lovely Sugar Coated bag. You can never have or give too many bags, and this one is gorgeous as well as practical and incorporates another one of my favourite recent trends with the lovely little owls.

I'd love to hear what you think of my entry! Would you be happy to find any of these in your stocking?

If you have already entered this contest then please leave your link in the comments, I'd love to see what you came up with! And if you haven't entered yet and would like to all the deatails can be found here.