Style up for the party season

When it comes to festive season parties, it’s not only your outfit that takes centre stage, but your whole look. Your appearance will be judged, and while the saying goes ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, unfortunately we do. To help you sparkle this festive season, we have put together the top looks you need to take note of.

FIND THE FOCAL POINT

No matter how many parties you’re attending this festive season, you need to decide on the focal point of each of your party looks. There’s no need to buy a new outfit for each party, but mix it up with different accessories, and makeup and hair looks. If you want the focus to be on a stunning pair or shoes you just bought, go for a more understated dress, or play up the dress by wearing minimal jewellery.

And when it comes to your makeup, there are many trends at the moment, from crazy glitter looks to coloured eyeshadow. Or tone down your makeup completely and go with the nude makeup trend.

OUTFITS THAT WOW

For many women, an important aspect of any night out is their outfit. This season you’re in for a treat, as lace, sequins and velvet are hot trends that will add luxury and glamour to any look. But don’t limit your choice to dresses, there are gorgeous tops, trousers and jumpsuits that will look elegant and sophisticated at any Christmas or New Year’s Eve party.

Lace fit and flare dress in red £28.00 at Bonmarché
Teal velvet wrap front mini dress £9.99 at New Look
Women’s blue sequin frill sleeve dress £28.00 at Peacocks
Silver foil one shoulder bodycon dress £55.00 at Dorothy Perkins

Black glitter tie front jumpsuit £44.99 at Quiz
Wine D-Ring belted wrap jumpsuit £42.00 at Dorothy Perkins
Bardot skinny jumpsuit in black £19.99 at Select
Women’s black velvet jumpsuit £20.00 at Peacocks

Velour wide leg trousers in wine £20.00 at Bonmarché
Black tapered tie trousers £25.00 at Dorothy Perkins
Jersey pleat peg leg trouser in wine £12.99 at Select
Black glitter wide leg trousers £35.00 at Evans

Glitter long sleeve blouse in pale pink £22.00 at Bonmarché
Rose gold sequin T-shirt £19.99 at New Look
Grey velvet camisole top £25.00 at Evans
Curve bottle green velvet Bardot 3/4 sleeve top £24.99 at Quiz

SHOES TO LOVE

Good shoes are an important part of any night out. You can’t dance the night away in shoes you can hardly walk in. You might have a favourite pair of shoes already in mind, but if you’re looking for a new pair of dazzling heels for this party season, you are spoilt for choice with colour, style and accents this year. Fur detailing on your shoes is one of the trends of the moment, as well as glitter and suede and velvet finishes.

Lilley women’s silver platform diamante court shoe £17.99 at Shoe Zone
Catwalk grey platform heels £24.99 at Deichmann
Curtain shine black suede sandal £60.00 at Clarks
Gold glitter fluffy heel £16.00 at Primark

MAKE-UP HEROES

Glitter has also made its way into make-up this season, with a big trend being glitter eye make-up, together with bright and bold colours. As the saying goes, ‘Go big or go home’. This season don’t be afraid to experiment with your make-up looks and go crazy with your glitter. There are numerous eye palettes on the market that can give you the perfect festive season party sparkle without breaking the bank.

NYX Professional Makeup Pigments (available in multiple colours) £5.50 at Boots
Barry M Fine Glitter Bust (available in multiple colours) £4.59 at Boots
Freedom HD Pro Refills Eyeshadow Shimmer 10 £2.00 at Superdrug
Rimmel Mono Eyeshadow Gold Record £3.99 at Bodycare

And to bring a glow and shimmer to your complexion, there are Silver and Bronze Glow Drops from New Look for £6.99. You can use this alone or mix it with your foundation and apply them together. Use a little to highlight your cheek bones, or build it up to create an intense shimmery finish.

Silver and Bronze Glow Drops £6.99 each at New Look