Happy Christmas Eve! While today may be overshadowed by Christmas Day, I think it’s just as special. It’s the first full day I spend reunited with my family: happily chattering away with my mum; comparing clothes with my sister; talking business with my dad, and; trying to act cool around my teenage brother!
While I spend the day chilling with my family, I thought it would be nice to post a sneak preview of the dress I’ll be wearing on Christmas Day. Say hello to my bright red vintage dress! I purchased it from Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney about a month ago on a whim; I stopped in to try it on and after seeing how well it fit, I had to have it!
The joy of shopping
Shopping at Paper Dress Vintage was one of the first times I’ve enjoyed an impulse buy since starting to buy ethically. I’m usually really careful about what I purchase, researching the clothing’s composition and where it’s from before heading to the shop to buy it. I’m also very financially conscious having just gone full-time writing my blog. Spending £34 on this dress did make my head spin a little when walking out onto the street, but I’ve since come to love the dress fully – especially after this shoot!
In the red
I decided to accessorise this dress really minimally, with no jewellery at all. I had a moment after sliding on a gold bangle from So Just Shop – it looked nice, but overly done. That age-old Coco Chanel quote came to mind, “When accessorising always take off the last thing you put on”. Instead, I went for a simple pair of black stilettos (my only pair of heels, if I’m honest!) a second-hand thin black belt. I wanted to cinch in my waist a little to complement the flirty, floaty nature of the skirt.
Matchy matchy makeup
While my accessories were minimal, I went all out with red in my makeup. I also committed the cardinal sin of lips and eyes – I ask for forgiveness from the cosmetic gods, but I do think it looks good!
For my lips, I applied RMS Beauty Wild With Desire Lipstick in RMS Red using an EcoTools lip brush, paying special attention to my cupids bow when lining the lips and then filling them in. For my eyes, I went for my trusty PHB Eyeliner in Black. It’s the only eyeliner I’ve consistently worn that doesn’t itch my eyes when on and when washing off, I would recommend it to anyone with sensitive skin. And then for my nails, I used Zoya Nail Polish in America. I was quite fortunate that they all matched so well – both the lipstick and the nail polish have the same orange undertone as the dress.
The final accessory…
My family dresses up for Christmas, so I’m glad to have an ethical dressy option for tomorrow… although everyone can expect to see me swap my heels for fluffy socks, and top it all off with a Santa hat! I hope you have a wonderful holiday, however you’re spending it.
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