Having a birthday three days before Christmas lends itself to some joint gifts, so my main present this year was a long weekend away in Krakow with my family in the Spring. My lovely boyfriend has also gifted me a trip to York for us both to enjoy in February, alongside a cabin max bag rucksack, that'll be perfect for travelling with just hand luggage when we go to Poland.

With the festive season fast approaching, I can’t help but notice my social calendar filling up and the need for new festive outfits in my wardrobe becoming apparent. Now that the uni term is over, I’ve finally got the chance to dress up and wear something other than jeans and trainers. Femme Luxe have kindly gifted me some pieces that have done just the trick to up my winter outfit game - making it look like I’ve made an effort with my appearance when in reality it’s taken seconds. I also want to take the opportunity to share my favourite playsuit from BooHoo, which are great paired with tights for the festive season.

BLAZERS

I’ve always loved being able to pair a blazer with an outfit to smarten it up and make it look like you’ve made an effort for the occasion. Admittedly, when I picked this out, I was expecting it to be a blazer dress, however, unfortunately I was majorly catfished by the Femme Luxe website when I tried this on and it only reached my waist. As a double breasted blazer, however, I love how I can pair this with my striped bodysuit, or wear it alone as a top, with jeans. This is such an easy way to smarten up a casual uni day outfit with minimal effort . Although I love this new blazer/top, I do hope that one day Femme Luxe will sell this in a realistic dress length!

ONLY £18.99

SHOP THE BLAZER “DRESS” HERE 

SHIRT DRESSES

Winter in the UK is unpredictable. Whether it’s raining, snowing or inevitably freezing, having long sleeved options in your wardrobe is a must. To switch up from my usual strappy floaty tops, I opted for this comfortable yet chic black shirt dress. For the photo I’ve paired it with the Farrah Nude Cycling Shorts, but I’d usually wear this with jeans or leggings and the shorts are a little too risqué and sheer for me. The shirt is so easy to wear, but can really smarten up a casual look fastened up and paired with the belt, or used to layer up over a t-shirt or bodysuit (FemmeLuxe has a great selection to choose from on their site!)

ONLY £17.99

SHOP THE SHIRT DRESS HERE 

FAUX LEATHER LEGGINGS

This is not a material I'd usually opt for, but as I’m on the lookout for the perfect pair of leather-look trousers, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the PU leggings that I’d picked out from the Femme Luxe website. I love the idea of leather-look leggings due to their versatility, being able to dress them up for a night out with the girls or dressed down with trainers.

I couldn’t believe how stretchy these leggings would be. I normally wear a size 14 in jeans and struggled to fit in a size 12 bottom, so the fact that these leggings in a size 14 were too big for me is a testament to the elastic in these (even on the hips). These leggings fit high on your waist and are very easy to move around in without feeling restricted (although they do squeak when you work). If you are considering ordering these, I’d definitely urge you to drop a dress size as I wouldn’t normally wear a 12 , but a size 14 was far too baggy on me. As I continue to hunt for the perfect leather-look trousers/ leggings, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

ONLY £15.99

SHOP THE LEGGINGS HERE

PLAYSUITS

I am IN LOVE with this patterned playsuit. I love the mixture of monochrome base with coloured flowers layered on top. This playsuit is super comfortable, affordable and extremely versatile. I’ve worn this to the races, my boyfriends graduation and would definitely reach for this if out for Christmas drinks. The material belt can be tied around the waist to hug you in at the waist and is extremely flattering on a curvy figure. If you're looking for an evening outfit, BooHoo has your back when it comes to playsuits.

ONLY £8 (Usually £10)

SHOP THE PLAYSUIT HERE 

What is your favourite winter outfit piece?

Beth x

I recently had the opportunity to try some Mouthcare products from Waken*. Waken are a vegan friendly brand, whose mouthwashes are made from natural mind, alcohol-free and bottled in recyclable aluminium. I had the chance to try the spearmint and lemon mint flavours.

The product looks great on your bathroom side. I really like the concept of an alcohol free mouthwash and use of aluminium packaging. The spearmint gives a minty fresh feeling, but I did notice it was weaker than standard mouthwashes. If this was on offer, I’d definitely make a purchase, however, otherwise it is quite expensive for a daily-use product.

The concept of lemon mint, however, I am still unsure about. I’d usually use mouthwash after my toothpaste ( which is mint flavoured), however, I can’t get used to using a mouthwash that tastes to me like lemon sherbets as I don’t feel like the flavours mixed well and I miss the minty fresh feeling.

Have you tried alcohol-free mouthwash?

*Gifted