Christmas Sparkle

A very Happy Christmas to all These Girls Turn Heads readers. (How long are we allowed to wish people a Happy Christmas once the big day is over?) Did you all have a lovely day? I spent mine at home with my lovely Mum and Santa spoilt us both rotten. I got a new SLR Canon Camera which I cannot wait to start using, a flat screen TV, some Mulberry gloves, the Grace Coddington autobiography and lots of bits and pieces including some lovely dresses from ASOS. I certainly must have been a good girl this year!

I thought I'd share my Christmas Eve outfit with you all. I can't resist a bit of sparkle as you know and every year my friends and I gather together for lots of wine before heading to our local pub. It's been a tradition for the past 8 years and is a chance for us all to get dressed up and see in Christmas Day together. The sequin dress I wore was from ASOS Curve, a little steep at £150 but definitely one of the nicest dresses I own. With a dipped ribbon tie back and sheer beaded front it was just the right amount of sparkle to see in Christmas Day. Sorry for the quality of the photos - my Mum took these quickly before I left and she was already on the champagne!

Dress: ASOS

Pointed metallic shoes: Topshop

Necklace: c/o Accessorize

Rings: ASOS

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year. I am off to Lisbon, Portugal on Friday to see in 2013 with my 4 best friends. Apparently it's a lot warmer there than in the UK at the moment so I am pretty excited. I may even start packing now!

See you next year.

My Westfield Christmas Wish List

Westfield London - The mecca of London shoppers recently got in touch to ask me to put together my Christmas wishlist. With every major high street brand under one roof it was going to be a tough job (I know, shopping with a £100 gift card. Someone's got to it!) deciding on what to put on my wish list. This year I haven't asked for anything. Ok, a tiny lie. The only thing I mentioned to my family was the Grace Coddington autobiography which I am dying to read. Now I'm starting to see some pieces I like but Santa aka Mum has told me "it's too late. You're all done". Oh, okay then. Thankfully the wonderful team at Westfield have solved my problems.

Westfield is literally on my door step and houses 388 shops! It's probably worth mentioning that tonight and tomorrow they are opening their doors until MIDNIGHT for those of us who like to leave our Christmas shopping until the last minute (like myself). On Saturday opening hours are until 11pm so sharpen those elbows and be ready to get your shop-on. I for one will definitely be there Saturday afternoon picking up my last remaining Christmas presents for my Secret Santa, my Dad and Stepdad. 

Below is my Christmas list all of which is available at Westfield London and with a Westfield gift card I'm free to roam around and choose some of my pieces below. The gift card is ideal if you're stuck for present ideas, as it allows your loved ones the freedom to shop for something they really want.

The gift cards are available in any value, in a range of designs (including seasonal sleeves for Christmas) and are redeemable against all purchases, including sale goods at participating Westfield stores.*

*Sponsored post

Christmas from Umberto Giannini

With Christmas coming up, why not take part in some Umberto Giannini festive advent calendar fun. Go online everyday between now and Christmas Day to find out instantly if there's a prize waiting for you behind each door.

Prizes range from Gothic Chic Hair Decorations to a Luxury Makeover Session for you and a friend at the Umberto Giannini flagship salon in Selfridges.

Good Luck!

Baroque and Roll

Sorry for the cringe-tastic title of this post but I figured it was quite relevant. I picked up these gorgeous gold baroque slippers from Topshop last weekend and they are so comfortable. Sure, I'm getting a few "why aren't you wearing socks/tights it's freezing" on the train in the morning but that's okay. I love the gold foil effect and lace overlay. I paired these my burgundy New Look jeans, ASOS Raccoon print shirt and vintage studded denim jacket. My handbag is one that most girls on the high street seem to be carrying at the moment - the Accessorize Mari Tote. There are so many colour options available and it's such a gorgeous bag. You can check out the full range here.

Gold slippers: Topshop

Jeans: New Look

Shirt: ASOS

Jacket: East End Thrift Store

Faux Fur: Dune (now in sale!)

Necklace: New Look

Handbag: Accessorize Mari Tote (gifted)

A few weeks back I was gifted some amazing Sony headphones to review. I'm so used to using earphones as oppose to headphones and had been thinking of purchasing some Beats but they're a little out of my price range. I wouldn't say I'm massively into music so investing that much on headphones seems a waste. These Sony ones however are ideal. Retailing for around £22 with a sleek burgundy metallic outset they are perfect for my morning commute. The sound quality is much better than the iPhone earphones and I can block out other noise and still have my music relatively loud without disturbing anyone around me. The only problem I had was there was no volume control so you have to reach for your iPhone every time.

Headphones: Sony (gifted)

Rings: ASOS

Bracelets: Mulberry, Accessorize and Mel's Boutique

Massive thank you to Three mobile for sending me these to review.

The AW collection from Bonmarche.

Bonmarche might not be a regular destination for plus size ladies, but recently I was asked to have a look at the AW range on their website and I was really impressed. Not at the very fore-front of plus size fashion, but certainly a very worthy competitor, Bonmarche offer some fabulous pieces for the season including an exclusive collection with David Emanuel.

As a designer, David Emanuel understands the struggle that plus size women often face when shopping for winter essentials and finding wardrobe staples that will flatter their shapes. I've chosen my top pick’s from his Bonmarche collection – all of which are available on the website.

Maxi Dress with Pearl Trim £39.50

This elegant Maxi dress with pearl trim is ideal for Christmas parties. I love the detailed neck line with a pearl trim and also a silk ribbon belt to give waist definition. Bonmarche evening dresses like this one certainly do not disappoint. Also available in black.

Ponte Print Dress £28

If you’re more of a classic LBD kinda gal why not go for this lace detail Ponte dress.  I love the lace overlay on this and the short sleeves.

Rose Print Kimono Jacket £38

This Rose Print Kimono jacket is an ideal cover-up if you’re afraid to show off your arms. I love the bright rose detail and would be tempted to wear this with some tailored trousers when I’m out for cocktails with the girls.

One of the things that shocked me most about Bonmarche were the great prices. I tracked down a beautiful knotted lace dress for only £35 and a Chanel-esque tweed jacket for £22. I've actually been trying to find a smart tweed jacket for a while and I think this may just be the one. My favourite item from the site has to be this AMAZING glitter/velour dress. I like to think of this as Grandma - chic. It looks as though it’s stepped right out of an 80’s TV show, which I think is why I love it. Huge shoulder pads AND glitter – bang on.

L: Rose Glitter Velour Dress £29

R: Lace Knot Dress £35

Textured Classic Jacket £22

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post however my review of the website and product is completely honest.  

I have NOT reviewed these products in person.

Partywear at Simply Be

So, a couple of weeks ago I was swooning over this on Simply Be. A perfect choice for New Year’s Eve celebrations (which FYI I’ll be spending in Lisbon, Portugal so if anyone has any recommendations – hook a sister up). Anyway, for some reason something was telling me to hold back on making a purchase and thank goodness I did as I was contacted by the team at Simply Be to ask if I wanted to take part in a blogger feature. I was asked to choose a dress from the website and write a partywear review. Er, YES and I knew exactly what I was choosing. The fashion gods were obviously looking down on me that day. A couple of days later, the dress arrived and I couldn't have been more thrilled.

I am head over heels for Simply Be. Along with ASOS Curve they are my go-to guys for fashion forward pieces and Simply Be’s party wear section has so many choices for bigger girls this season. You know me, I love a bead, jewel, sequin anything that stands out. I try and avoid black most of the time because I like having fun with colours, detailing and prints. 

The dress is a perfect fit. I went up a size as I don’t like things clinging onto me and I’m glad I did. There is a silk under-dress to avoid any “oh my bum is on display” moments and the quality is amazing.  The hand sewn embellishment made up of pearls and cylinder sequins give the dress that extra bit of sparkle and the flapper details create a 1920s feel. The only problem I had was with the length (and this is a body conscious problem). Personally, I’m not keen on anything that comes above my knees so I felt it was a bit short. I’m 5”8 and it fell at the back just below my bum but teamed with a pair of chunky wedges I felt this made my legs look slightly longer so problem solved.

You can check out the full collection and read more of my review here!

Dress: Rise Annie Beaded Dress at Simply Be

Necklace: Accessorize

Wedges: New Look

Gold band rings: ASOS

Bracelets: Mulberry, Accessorize, Mel’s boutique

NEWS: Mawi coming soon to Amazon.co.uk

As we all know, I'm addicted to jewellery. The bigger the better and I can't leave the house in the mornings without adding an extra bit of bling to my outfits, so imagine my delight when these images of some gorgeous Mawi pieces landed in my inbox. I own one of her rings from the Disney collaboration but am seriously considering adding a necklace to my expanding jewellery collection.

Amazon.co.uk are delighted to announce they will be offering the new range of Mawi jewellery (at competitive prices!) from December. Just in time for the festive season - start adding these babies to your list to Santa!

My favourite piece is this pearlescent and diamante number with gold detailed spikes. The perfect update to your LBD.

Statement Heart Necklace £570

These droplet earrings are so beautiful. Loving the blue and pink ones below!

 Heart and Leaf earrings £215

Heart drop earrings £160

Shop the full collection from Amazon.co.uk from December.