‘WISHING ON A STAR!!!’: 12 FASHIONABLE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS; brilliant fashion treats great to give, receive and have!!!!
Hey Everyone!!! I have been invisible for a while now, thanks to work that seems to appear from no where an unexpected trip and the explosion of my laptop charger. I survived the explosion; THANK THE MIGHTY GOD! (I have this habit of over exaggerating, so take note while you read the rest bits!)It was horrific to say the least and took me by surprise while I was talking to my dearest best friend on the phone. The charger is quite hard to find and my wallet isn’t yet ready for unseen events so I still haven’t replaced it. Luckily for me, I found out that my cousins charger can work for mine, enough of the babbling, Anyway, I am back with vigor and so much enthusiasm for what the future holds and am hoping explosions are no where near my vision for the future. I am back with a BANG!!!!! Yes I certainly am!!....and I am excited and glad to be back. I thought it will be best to post this particular article so you all will start shopping for Christmas before it is too late!!
There is this ecstatic atmosphere when Christmas is around the corner and I absolutely love it. This is the time of the year that I am at the peak of personal happiness. I go about singing, dancing, doing everything that makes me feel good about myself. This is the time of the year when you splurge on yourself and the people you love.
This particular post ‘WISHING ON A STAR’ is about spending some of the money you worked your ass off for throughout the year all in the effort to take care of yourself, be a little bit selfish and show appreciation to the people who supported you, cried with you and smiled with you throughout the year. Enjoy!!!!
On The first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a DESIGNER DRESS:
The Nigerian fashion industry is exploding with highly talented designers left, right and center. You owe it to yourself to patronize them and keep their creative minds pumping in order to satisfy consumers. Yes, their price tags can send us, who aren’t that financial empowered to spend such amounts on clothes without getting a heart attack ,running far far way. However, it is Christmas and it is time to show love to oneself, get that dress by MYA, Iconola, Tiffany Amber or Deola Sagoe that you just love and have had your heart set on it from the very first time you saw it!
The Nigerian fashion industry is exploding with highly talented designers left, right and center. You owe it to yourself to patronize them and keep their creative minds pumping in order to satisfy consumers. Yes, their price tags can send us, who aren’t that financial empowered to spend such amounts on clothes without getting a heart attack ,running far far way. However, it is Christmas and it is time to show love to oneself, get that dress by MYA, Iconola, Tiffany Amber or Deola Sagoe that you just love and have had your heart set on it from the very first time you saw it!
On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me the HOTTEST FASHION IN FRAGRANCE:
Finding the perfect Christmas gift is time consuming, you tend to think and think before you make a decision. Perfumes always serve as great gifts to people and it won’t hurt to add a few more fragrances to your collection. As Christmas is all about feeling good, perfumes sure know how to make that happen! Here are my favorite new designer scents:
A) Prada’s Infusion d’Iris eau de parfum, 58 pounds for a 100ml (14, 500 NAIRA) Iris is one of the most expensive ingredients in any perfumery.
Finding the perfect Christmas gift is time consuming, you tend to think and think before you make a decision. Perfumes always serve as great gifts to people and it won’t hurt to add a few more fragrances to your collection. As Christmas is all about feeling good, perfumes sure know how to make that happen! Here are my favorite new designer scents:
A) Prada’s Infusion d’Iris eau de parfum, 58 pounds for a 100ml (14, 500 NAIRA) Iris is one of the most expensive ingredients in any perfumery.
B) Emporio Armani’s Diamonds eau de parfum, 38 pounds for 50ml (9500 NAIRA) My girl Beyonce is the face of the fragrance.
C) Agent Provocateur’s Maitresse Gold edition eau de parfum, 52 pounds for 50ml (13,000 NAIRA) this perfume has tiny gold particles that leave a subtle sheen on skin.
D) Donna Karan’s Essence no.1 Lavender eau de toilette, 120 pounds for 100ml (30,000 NAIRA) this is part of a wardrobe of four scents with jasmine, Wenge and laudanum.
E) Giorgio Armani’s Armani Prive Eclat de jade eau de parfum, 140 pounds for 50ml(35,000) talk about expensive, Armani reprises the classic eau de parfum with highlights of bergamot from his native Italy.
F) Tara’s Be Inspired, although I am not that fascinated about the name, but I am excited for this fragrance and it is for the woman of style! So dear fashionistas get buying!
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
Having radiant skin is a must for Christmas not only is everywhere glowing including the streets of Lagos thanks to Christmas decorations , you get to see a whole lot of people, some you haven’t seen in ages. And Personally, I like to look fab when I run into such people and my skin should look flawless. Treat yourself and your loved ones to the latest beauty brands and must-have-products! And for the fast track in skin perfection, get ready to splurge (there will be no miserly behavior this Christmas season):
Having radiant skin is a must for Christmas not only is everywhere glowing including the streets of Lagos thanks to Christmas decorations , you get to see a whole lot of people, some you haven’t seen in ages. And Personally, I like to look fab when I run into such people and my skin should look flawless. Treat yourself and your loved ones to the latest beauty brands and must-have-products! And for the fast track in skin perfection, get ready to splurge (there will be no miserly behavior this Christmas season):
A) On a serious eye cream.
-CHANEL SUBLIME EYE CREAM, 82 (20, 500 NAIRA) combats key concerns of dark circles and puffiness.
- CRÈME DE LAMER THE EYE CONCENTRATE, this ultraluxe new eye treatment quenches and conditions impressionable skin.
B) On a good body cream
- GORGIO ARMANI’S CREMA NERA is enriched with patented mineral complex inspired by odisidian, helps to actively restore and revitalize skin’s natural beauty .They claim, that from first application, the skin will feel transformed, hydrated. Texture looks radiant and refined.
- DIOR’ L’OR DE VIE, this is a skincare regime, a powerful action that continuously enhances beauty. It helps the skin glow with new luminosity , regain firmness, density and defines the skins texture as wrinkles and fine lines appear reduced and the skin will look stronger and more beautiful, they claim , it seems to overcome the signs of aging???
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me a note reading
‘Bless the child’:
Christmas is all about giving, sharing and being loving. As we all know being charitable is fashionable! And as fashionistas our closets are loaded with clothes, accessories, you name it, if it was once in vogue, we surely have it! And we know that they have been left abandoned for quite a while now! The most fashionable gift for Christmas is to bless people in need with these clothes or attend a charity fashion show which I love as you get to contribute for people in need and be hella fabulous in you show stopping outfit! Look for an orphanage near you and be a fashionable blessing to them!
‘Bless the child’:
Christmas is all about giving, sharing and being loving. As we all know being charitable is fashionable! And as fashionistas our closets are loaded with clothes, accessories, you name it, if it was once in vogue, we surely have it! And we know that they have been left abandoned for quite a while now! The most fashionable gift for Christmas is to bless people in need with these clothes or attend a charity fashion show which I love as you get to contribute for people in need and be hella fabulous in you show stopping outfit! Look for an orphanage near you and be a fashionable blessing to them!
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me A CLUTCH BAG:
I was reading a fashion trend update, and it was written that big bags are out and clutch bags in. I had always thought that a clutch bag was meant for parties and somewhat extravagant occasions, never saw them to be good for the everyday look, although I still prefer big bags for the everyday but clutches can serve you everyday too. So for Christmas, invest in a timeless clutch bag. Go for bold colours, detailing and uniqueness. I think, with clutch bags the bigger the more ‘casual chic’. It may cost you a few NAIRAS but I tell you it will surely pay off at the end of the day and you should know, that to truly love yourself or an individual hurts in all the right places!
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me PRINTS AND MORE PRINTS:
Everyone should have prints, whether its organic, floral, Ankara, leopard, zebra or cow prints. Prints express a different side of your personality; either it’s your love for greenery, your African heritage or the confident animal in you! Prints can be a dare devil and that is why it is sometimes avoided as people tend to always lean towards conventional due to the fear of being controversial! With prints less is more, one item and one item alone! This Christmas develop the love for prints, research; find the one you like and buy it for yourself or a loved one! Don’t let the price get in your way, think with the fashion freak in you and not with your price conscious brain! For Ankara prints, I advice you to patronize Jewel by Lisa, she is one designer that knows how to combine different Ankara prints perfectly. In addition, MYA is one of my favorites especially with floral and zebra prints.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me THE LATEST FASHION IN MAKE-UP!
I am sure you all know by now the need to glow during this Christmas season. And make-up is the ultimate tool used for your face to glow with pride! I will pitch to you five make-up trends that will make you glow plus the kit needed to make it happen, but, before that I will like to employ all foundation users to get the CLINQUE SUPERMOSITURE MAKEUP. 
This foundation thinks like a moisturizer and it does more than flaw-fixing, it also acts as the skins undercover moisture agent. It is lightweight, disguises unevenness and instantly puts drier skin at ease, talk about a machine!
The five make-up trends are:
The five make-up trends are:
1) BOLD BROWS AND LASHES: Ask any make-up artist and they’ll tell you that strong brows frame the face. Boost your natural brows by shading in a darkly defined shape.
To pull this look of;
- Get an expert to shape your brows
- Try MAC’s Sophisticated Brow set
To pull this look of;
- Get an expert to shape your brows
- Try MAC’s Sophisticated Brow set
- Buy: CLINQUE Gentle Light Powder
-SUE DEVIT eyebrow pencil
-LAURA MERCIER Brow Powder Duo
2) RED KISS: Rediscover the allure of classic Hollywood glamour. It’s this season’s hottest trend and come to think of it Santa Clause’s costume is red! Test the power of the pout and wear red lipstick for the true starlet style.
To pull this look off;
- Set hair in rollers for screen siren style
- Try kiss me’s Exfoliating Balm
- Buy: GHD Hair Polishing Serum
- LAURA MERCIER Lip colour in healthy Lips
- SUE DEVITT Micro Aquatic Mascara in Black and Widow.
Or you could just go for any red lipstick of your choice!
3) MODERN LINE: Nothing transforms the eyes quite like one simple graphic flourish eyeliner. It allows for one to be unique and display ones level of creativity. Learn the tick trick to tap this key retro trend.
To pull this look off;
- Make sure your eyelines match by standing back from the mirror and checking.
- Try CLINQUE Kohl Shaper For eyes in Black Amethyst
- Buy: GIORGIO ARMANI Fluid Master Primer
-LACOME Virtuose Mascara
- SUE DEVITT Micro-Aquatic Lash Liner Enhancer
4) PRETTY PALE: Super soft shades of pink, blush and peach make for the prettiest beauty palette. Pick a favourite pastel and caress chicks, eyes and lips in complementary shades. Although this looks best on Caucasian skin, I think it also goes well in black skin depending on your complexion. Pretty pale I think is best for brides.
To pull this look off;
- Experiment with a combination of cream and powder finishes fo contrast.Try CHANEL’S Camellia Lip palette
- Buy: YSL Perfect touch foundation
COVER FX Matte FX Oil Absorbing Powder
Armani Sheer Blush
5) HOT HIGHLIGHTS: Slick and chic, the trend for high gloss lips and eyelids references seventies disco style. Choose neutral shades for the modern ways to update this look.
To pull this look off;
- Apply gloss to the highpoints of the face; centre of eyelids, brow bones and centre of lips.
- Try TRISH McEVOY’S Highlights
To pull this look off;
- Apply gloss to the highpoints of the face; centre of eyelids, brow bones and centre of lips.
- Try TRISH McEVOY’S Highlights
- Buy: BECCA Crème Eye Colour in Quartz
MAC Gloss
All these make-up trends will make you glow this Christmas, and it is not compulsory to buy the particular brand mentioned to get these looks, you can always improvise, I am a big fan of improvising, it can be hell of an ego booster
Readers who are based abroad can get all products and brands mentioned at any HARVEY NICHOLS store near you. Readers who are based in Nigeria can get brands at PERFUMERY LTD located in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt. The address and number will be given in the stock lists.
On the eight day of Christmas my true love sent to me a DARING PAIR OF SHOES:
There are times during the course of the year that you entered a shop and saw a particular pair of shoes you loved, but you failed to buy it because you assumed it was a total waste of money due to its style, design, colour and possibly quirkiness. Even though you didn’t get to buy the pair of shoes, you still have its image in your head and wish you had enough money to spare at that particular moment. Well you do now, it is the end of the year so why not buy that shoe, although it has probably been sold but, I am sure there are plenty where that one came from! So go do some DARING SHOE shopping!
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me MONEY TO PAMPER MYSELF:
Some of you pamper yourselves regularly, while some don’t because their schedules are so tight that they rarely have time for themselves. If you are a regular spa client, good for you! Think of that person in your life that takes care of everybody else and never themselves, we all have someone like that in our lives, I could bet on it! And give that person a spa treatment as a gift for Christmas. If you don’t visit the spa on a regular basis, this is that time of the year when you just have to relax your mind and give your body the long awaited pampering she deserves because she has had a pretty bad ‘beat-up’ throughout the year. Visit:
- Charisma Cosmetics & Spa (Body for life)
- Priscilla’s pride Day Spa
- Beauty Concerns
To get that body pampered!
- Charisma Cosmetics & Spa (Body for life)
- Priscilla’s pride Day Spa
- Beauty Concerns
To get that body pampered!
On the tenth day of Christmas my True love sent to me a note reading WATCH-THE-WEIGHT:
During Christmas, the fridge in our home is always filled with loads and loads of heavy calorie treats which I eat like no mans business. Because the Christmas season comes with finger licking good food, we sometimes find ourselves overindulging in all these treats. I don’t know about you, but I sure do hate it when after a break someone comes up to me and tells me that I have added weight, please do I look blind to you? Why remind me of what I am beating myself over ehn? Anyway, if we don’t want to have those rhetoric questions in our heads or we don’t want to regret ever getting into the Christmas spirit by overindulging, we sure have to ‘watch- the- weight’. I am not saying you should stick to your strict diet 24/7, as a matter of fact I advise you all to cut yourself some slack and have ‘a piece’ of cake, however take note, I said ‘a piece’! One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself this Christmas is to ‘watch-the-weight’ because I certainly don’t want to witness anyone getting all sad and depressed because they have put on a few pounds and are suddenly uncomfortable in their own skin after the whole Christmas rigmarole is over!
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me a CHRISTMAS CARD:
Most people may be going ‘like dahh….’ Because Christmas cards are the norm, but, I should remind you, that they may be for you, but not for others. I personally haven’t adopted the tradition of giving out Christmas cards yet, but, I will do so this year. You can’t possibly get everyone a Christmas present maybe because of financial restrictions however; in most cases it’s due to the need to differentiate the depth of the relationships we share with people to ourselves. So in other words, a sister or a best friend gets a present and a colleague gets a card. Giving a card is very essential, it may not be big, but it shows the significance, however small, of the people in your life. So get buying, addressing and sending those Christmas cards!
During Christmas, the fridge in our home is always filled with loads and loads of heavy calorie treats which I eat like no mans business. Because the Christmas season comes with finger licking good food, we sometimes find ourselves overindulging in all these treats. I don’t know about you, but I sure do hate it when after a break someone comes up to me and tells me that I have added weight, please do I look blind to you? Why remind me of what I am beating myself over ehn? Anyway, if we don’t want to have those rhetoric questions in our heads or we don’t want to regret ever getting into the Christmas spirit by overindulging, we sure have to ‘watch- the- weight’. I am not saying you should stick to your strict diet 24/7, as a matter of fact I advise you all to cut yourself some slack and have ‘a piece’ of cake, however take note, I said ‘a piece’! One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself this Christmas is to ‘watch-the-weight’ because I certainly don’t want to witness anyone getting all sad and depressed because they have put on a few pounds and are suddenly uncomfortable in their own skin after the whole Christmas rigmarole is over!
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me a CHRISTMAS CARD:
Most people may be going ‘like dahh….’ Because Christmas cards are the norm, but, I should remind you, that they may be for you, but not for others. I personally haven’t adopted the tradition of giving out Christmas cards yet, but, I will do so this year. You can’t possibly get everyone a Christmas present maybe because of financial restrictions however; in most cases it’s due to the need to differentiate the depth of the relationships we share with people to ourselves. So in other words, a sister or a best friend gets a present and a colleague gets a card. Giving a card is very essential, it may not be big, but it shows the significance, however small, of the people in your life. So get buying, addressing and sending those Christmas cards!
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me DIAMONDS:
I know I have pushed the envelope with this one, haven’t I? Telling you to splurge, go buy diamonds just because Christmas is fast approaching, and it is the end of the year! Some of you are probably questioning my sanity, the manner in which I handle and my finances and when you read the twelfth gift you probably screamed ‘So I should starve after Christmas abi?’ My people don’t always take everything literarily; learn my fellow fashionistas to read between those threading lines! In the words of Beyonce ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ but what she decided to ignore when she made this statement was never to generalize girls, we are individual and unique in our own ways, specially carved out by our creator with different personalities and loves. Her love for diamonds may not be unanimous with the rest of the women of the world! So when I say get DIAMONDS for Christmas all I am saying is get that thing you absolutely love! What does the person you intend to give a gift to love? That is the question you should be asking. Look for the tiny things that make you or your possible gift recipient tick with excitement. Remember, big things come in small packages.
I know I have pushed the envelope with this one, haven’t I? Telling you to splurge, go buy diamonds just because Christmas is fast approaching, and it is the end of the year! Some of you are probably questioning my sanity, the manner in which I handle and my finances and when you read the twelfth gift you probably screamed ‘So I should starve after Christmas abi?’ My people don’t always take everything literarily; learn my fellow fashionistas to read between those threading lines! In the words of Beyonce ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ but what she decided to ignore when she made this statement was never to generalize girls, we are individual and unique in our own ways, specially carved out by our creator with different personalities and loves. Her love for diamonds may not be unanimous with the rest of the women of the world! So when I say get DIAMONDS for Christmas all I am saying is get that thing you absolutely love! What does the person you intend to give a gift to love? That is the question you should be asking. Look for the tiny things that make you or your possible gift recipient tick with excitement. Remember, big things come in small packages.
It was really a task combining this list, as a lot of research had to go into it. The stocklists will be posted as soon as possible outlining the contact addresses of the designers and places i have mentioned. In addition, i will give my readers list of the places to get great clothes during this christmas period. My 'IT' shops of the season and my 'IT' places...so tune in...lol... Also, if you need any fashion or beauty advice please send an email to naijafashionfreak@gmail.com I will be more than happy to help.
An anoymnous person left a comment and wanted advice on what to wear for lectures as she is starting university soon, i will advice her to refer to my earlier post on what to wear to different occasions and adopt the 'everday look'.
I hope you all have a great rest of the week....and remeber to always keep your fashionfreak on!
Yours' Stylishly,
naijafashionfreak.
1 comment:
Cool. Any great ideas for men?
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