For the longest time, I had written glitter off.

Perhaps it's something connected to all the memories I have of being doused in Secret Weapon roll-on body glitter at school discos during the 90s. I’d firmly planted it in my mind as something tacky, outdated and only for festival-going teenagers.

That doesn't have to be the case. There is definitely an adult way to do sparkle, and the festive season is the perfect time to experiment with it.

In fact, the right glitter can have a transformative effect - a little polished, a little rock and roll, and the perfect dinner-to-disco look for an adults only evening!

Start with a smoked out, metallic eye then layer in glittering accents for an irresistible party look - here's how, step by step.

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2019 is fast approaching and huge numbers of us are planning on giving our lives a revamp.

We are coming up with all sorts of resolutions that will help to improve us as individuals - vowing to kick bad habits, pick up positive habits, and create a more positive lifestyle in general.

So, why not use this time as an opportunity to revamp your wardrobe too?

Have you been enjoying celebrating Christmas?

I can never believe another year is about to pass by, and this one has certainly been a quick one for us.
With an excited 3 year old and a new baby, we were always going to be full on festive.

In just a few short years, we've gone from having quite grown up, chilled out Christmases to the madness of seven young children in the extended family, and it's predictably nuts - in the best possible way!

It's the most wonderful time of the year…we seem to have arrived at ‘Christmas Eve-Eve’ and in my house, we're in festive overdrive.

The presents are wrapped, the Christmas jumpers are on, and we've had the visit to Santa and the preschool nativity play. We are ready for Christmas!

And what better way to celebrate than with a box of festive beauty treats?

I had been saving the December Look Fantastic box since it arrived as a little bit of fun for after all the mama duties were done.

What would Christmas be without a little self-gifting?

I've been busy buying Christmas presents (most of them via the Amazon app while trapped in a stationary car with a sleeping baby) and I decided it was high time to gift myself a little something too!

Having been eyeing up a new set of makeup brushes for a while, I wasn't sure what to get. I've been using my Zoeva set for a while now, and liking them. I also love RealTechniques brushes for their performance but not so much their looks (multicoloured is not really my thing!).

Step forward Lily England. These brushes are such a hidden gem. After clocking the heaps of gushing reviews they've attracted on Amazon, I made the decision to give them a go.

If you read those lists of things you shouldn't wear after you turn 30, I'm pretty sure that vinyl trousers would be on there somewhere.

Call me a rebel, but I disagree. They might be tricky to style, but that doesn't mean it can't be done - and I like a challenge.

Vinyl trousers have popped up everywhere from the Yves Saint Laurent catwalk to the local high street.

And I for one think they look fabulous.

The secret to styling vinyl trousers (at any age I would say) is the combine them with something very opposite.

A crisp tailored shirt, a prim tweed blazer or an oversized sweater work a treat for anchoring the edginess of the piece and balancing it's subversive vibes.

Tis the season to be dressed well! Winter fashion is so much fun in my book. It gives you more of an opportunity to play with textures, layering and proportion, and cater nicely to those of us who want to fix our figure flaws with styling.

Let's face it, we Brits understand dressing for the miserable damp cold better than anyone! I've been rediscovering the joy of clothing after spending the spring and summer in maternity wear, and may have been a little click-happy with the online purchases while feeding the baby at 3am.

So this is a collective haul of my purchases over the last few months to ‘winterise’ my wardrobe and see me through the darkest months.

As always, the style that I aspire to is a little bit rock chick, a little bit uptown and a little bit Parisienne - even if the actual reality most days is leggings and the messy mum bun of doom. It's good to have goals though, right?!

Image via Unsplash

Ok, spirituality is a weird one for some people. I get that, and we’re going to begin this post by saying that anyone who is a bit sceptical should read on, and give some of the following things a try, even if it’s only for fun.

Because you could even find out that your future holds yachts, the man or woman of your dreams, and bucketfuls of prosecco (please…). And if that’s all you get out of this, then it isn’t that bad.