Tag Archives: party season

A French Woman’s Guide to Dressing For the Party Season

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By Fanny Moizant, Managing Director, vestiairecollective.com, the luxury resale clothing site
A French Woman’s Guide to Dressing For the Party Season
In Paris we don’t have a big tradition of dressing up during the party season – it’s not that we’re humbugs exactly, of course we adore fashion, but you won’t find many groups of girls dolled up to the nines for the office Christmas party. I love the effort British girls make to look festive, it’s fun and celebratory, but there’s no denying that the showy ‘sparkles and sequins’ look year on year can get a bit tiresome.

Here are my thoughts on how you can inject a little Parisian ‘insouciance’ into your outfit to create a point of difference.

Minimal bling. As Coco Chanel, our unofficial French patron saint of minimalism famously said: “Before I leave the house, I always remove one piece of jewellery so I don’t look overdone”. A good amount of glitz seems only right at Christmas so at least one eye-catching piece of jewellery is a must, but ‘earrings and no necklace’ or vice versa is a good fashion mantra to follow.

Masculine tailoring. This is sure to make you stand out amongst the sea of sequins at the boss’s Christmas do. A crisp white shirt can look great tucked into a pair of tuxedo trousers or a bright silk vintage skirt. The more feminine you are, the more impact a masculine aesthetic can have. Keep it really feminine with bright red lips and a soft hairstyle.

A small chic clutch. An oversized Hermes bag can look smart while you’re out shopping but it isn’t right for the evening – you never want an accessory to overshadow an outfit. A small quilted Chanel-style bag on the shoulders or an envelope clutch will work with whatever style of party outfit you’re wearing.


Fashion Classics. The French may occasionally be criticised for being a bit too classic; we definitely don’t jump on new trends each season. I have a few classic little black dresses from different eras in the wardrobe I revive for parties, and love leopard print which is fun and timeless.

Experimental but muted. The French tend to favour blacks and navys for evening dresses rather than ‘look at me’ brights. We do however love to experiment with all shapes and styles, so if you’re wearing an evening maxi dress or jumpsuit then try keep it to a dark base colour and let your accessories or your sexy fur stole create a bit of added drama.

For more luxurious and vintage French party looks from brands from Isabel Marant to Maje, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and more, check out the partywear section on the homepage of vestiairecollective.com.

 

ShopStyle Christmas Giveaway

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Image from Shopstyle

Image from Shopstyle

With party season officially here, ShopStyle is on the hunt for someone who can create sparkle and shine with the ultimate festive party outfit.

Enter the ShopStyle Christmas Giveaway and you’ll be in with a chance of winning £1,000 worth of retail vouchers of your choice. The winner will also be invited to make an exclusive Editor’s Pick collection on ShopStyle based on your party style!

All you need to do is browse ShopStyle in order to produce a visual representation of your best Christmas party outfit, using products from the site. Whether you go for prim and proper or fun and flirty, we’re looking for a show stopper of an outfit. Your visual representation must be published within a blog post on your own blog. All of the outfits entered will be judged by POPSUGAR’s Fashion Editor, Gemma Cartwright, and the winner will be announced on the StyleNotes blog.

To enter simply email shopstyle@shopstyle.com with your name, email address, full postal address, phone number and a link back to your entry blog post. Entries must be received by midnight on 16th December 2013. Read further information about the competition here.

Don’t forget to share your Christmas party outfit on Twitter and ShopStyle’s Pinterest Board with the hashtag #ShopStyleParty.

Office To Party in 5 Minutes | Beauty

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Jourdan DunnFrom Office to Party in 5 minutes; Amanda Elias of Bravura London shares her DO’s and DON’Ts for an effortless transition from Day to Night this party season.

  • DO use a toner if you don’t have time to remove your make-up. Spritz over the face and blot away or gently wipe over with a cotton pad, this will remove any excess oil and the bulk of your make-up. Then apply your foundation and powder.
  • DO exfoliate your skin in the morning or use a product containing AHA; this will remove the dead skin instantly leaving your skin looking fresher and your make-up will go on smoother and last longer.
  • DON’T worry about having to tie back hair for work. Invisibobbles are plastic rings which allow you to tie your hair back without leaving kinks.
  • DON’T apply heavy makeup first thing. Keep your makeup light in the morning, that way it will be easier to touch up in the evening. Use tinted moisturiser or a BB cream and keep the eyes light or neutral.
  • DO apply a good primer in the morning as this will help your foundation last longer.
  • DON’T be afraid of hairpieces, for a quick and elegant updo they can really transform your look in minutes- just be sure to match your hair colour as closely as possible. If you’re not a fan of faking it, a bun ring can create an elegant look with minimal effort.
  • DON’T have time to fix your eyeshadow? Keep it neutral and apply a bold lip colour. If you have dramatic, bold eyes, keep your lips neutral.
  • DO give yourself a basic manicure the night before; polished and evenly shaped nails can really complete a look without much effort.
  • DO get those false lashes out, they don’t have to be overly long or dramatic. Popping on a pair of lashes can instantly transform your tired eyes to look brighter and sexier. If you’ve never applied lashes then practise, practise, practise- 5 minutes before you’re due to leave is not the time to try false eyelashes for the first time.
  • DO drink plenty of water thought the day and cut back on the caffeine, hydrated skin looks more youthful.
  • DON’T suffer in silence. If you’re nervous about how to apply make-up properly or fancy a new look, Youtube will become your new best friend! Pixiwoo gives the most amazing, easy to follow make-up tutorials.

Esteemed within the skincare industry, Mum-of-three Amanda is an expert when it comes to all things parenting, skincare and beauty