Christmas must-haves for men. Clothes Show Live style!

 The Clothes Show Live, at the NEC in Birmingham, is not the place to go if fashion runs your life, however, it is the place to be if you just like to get an idea of what to wear and what’s currently on trend.

 The fashion show was more about the performance and entertaining a crowd full of eager Tweens and industry wannabies than it was hard-fashion. In-spite of this, there were a few excellent pieces for guys this Christmas.

 The most exciting items had to be the shoes. Guys normally get a bit of a bad deal when it comes to shoes and trend; they’re either too sporty, too jazzy or just boring. This time though, they were just right.

Military Boots from All Saints, £165.

They may cost a fair bit, but they will last a long time.

Dr.Martens (DNs), £70-£150  from Dr.Martens.com.

  How can you say no to such an icon? You may have had a pair as a child, so you can have a pair as an adult. This pair cost £70 on the site. They come in plain colours and in patent too, but you could go for classic black. Dr Martens were a big player at the Clothes show, some of the guys wore pink patent.

Circus fashion crept upon us last winter. This Christmas it’s back and it’s on E. There were a lot of sequin and patent pants on the catwalk, but don’t appeal to most guys. Here are some other options, which are a bit less ‘uhoh!’ and a lot more ‘bravo!’ 

Silver Super Skinny Trousers, £50, from Top Man, also available in bronze. Wear them with military boots and a black blazer to tone them down. Wear with the burgundy blazer below and a tweed bow tie as a festive statement.

Metallic pants may not appeal to you right now. These Religion Slim Trousers are exclusive to Asos.com, £65. Great because you can wear them all year and aren’t metallic.

Dandy is making a long awaited come back. In honour of this, blazers and dikkie bows are now essential. Here is a Burgundy Poachers Jacket, £140, from Top Man. This would look dandy with most pant choices, but I would suggest sticking with skinny jeans or trousers to get a sleek silhouette.

Not feeling the Poachers Jacket, then how about velvet? The classic-cut of Asos’ tipped velvet jacket is soft, looks great open, and looks even better closed. £70, Asos.com 

Could it really be Christmas without tartan thrown in somewhere? Top Man, £36. This would look great, open, in the summer with a band t-shirt, bleached denim three quarters and military boots.

If you need to accessorize, shop around for bow ties. Velvet or tweed in a neutral or rich colour will make a subtle but alternative statement. Wear with white shirts, or if you dare to be a little more impactful, find a contrasting print which will add a little more interest to the ensemble.

 Although it was a bit of a theatre, the Clothes Show was inspirational, a great way for the younger or ignorant to see what fashion can be, which is, what you want it to be.

Inside my make-up bag

Unfortunately, I’m rather poor at the moment so my make-up bag isn’t as exciting as it usually is. Hopefully after Christmas, it will be full of gorgeous goodies since I feel I’ve been a good girl for Santa this year!

Currently I mix cheap and cheerful with some brands.

I use 17 super wear long lasting foundation, £5.37, in soft ivory. Normally I find foundations too cloggy but this one feels light on skin but gives a through coverage. When I have the money I usually use Bobbi Brown’s tinted moisturiser, £27, in porcelain.

Since I have many a late night (although lately this is due to lots of homework rather than partying!) and many an early start, I need an excellent concealer to hide my bags. Recover, anti-fatigue concealer by Rimmel, £4.88, gives amazing results and I start to look human again. Now all I need is Red Bull or coffee to keep me awake through lessons!

Next, I use either Barry M or Rimmel eyeliner in black for my bottom lashes. Again I usually use Rimmel or even Avon liquid eyeliner for my top lashes if I want a more dramatic look.

For university, I generally just add mascara to my eyes. At the moment, I am using Colour Trend by Avon curling mascara in Jet. This is a great inexpensive product, which makes my lashes just as long as any other branded product for less money! It’s only £2.50!

For a different daytime look, I use Bobbi Brown’s basic eye palette with 3 small eye shadows and one shimmer wash shadow. I love using these to make a different slant on the smoky look by using brown eye shadows. It’s pricier at £31.50, but does come with a dual-ended mini eye shadow/eye liner brush for easy application.

My going out look consists of black and grey eye shadow from my Good girl/Bad girl box set by Too Faced.

On my cheeks, I use Bobbi Brown blush, £16, in pale pink, giving that just-pinched look. For night times, I use Bobbi Brown pot rouge, £16, in Calypso Coral, for a darker look.

Also for nighttimes, I absolutely love Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, which can be used over cheeks and décolletage, for a slight sparkle to your look. It is slightly pricey at £29 but they do last for ages. I’ve had one of mine for 2 years now! I’ve tried pink, limited edition gold and limited edition rose quartz. A new one comes out every Christmas.

My current perfumes are Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and the DKNY summer fragrance. My signature scent I would say was girlie and flowery

For lips, I use whatever lip-gloss I fancy at the time. I’ve just found a great cheap place for make-up if you want to experiment with colours … Asda! I got a red lipstick there for£1!

And there you have my make-up and me! Fingers crossed its a jam packed make-up bag in January!

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