Look 1: Wine Shades

I was really inspired by the luxe feel of the maroon velvet on this stunning bodycon dress from Chiara Fashion, and went for a variety of dark jewel tones for this night-out combination. I chose some big chunky boots to clash with the super glamorous silhouette of the dress and add a bit of what I like to call “bad-ass-ery” (it’s an excellent phrase, I know). I picked out a fake tan, which is of course optional (and quite unrealistic, given the weather), but would look extra glam against the maroon. I chose a deep purple polish by OPI; I’m really loving dark nails at the moment, and it’s nice to mix up your jewel tones for a more festive (but glamorous) look.

For makeup, I picked out a shimmery highlight from Nars (which is too expensive for me to own, but hey, this is a dream outfit, okay?) and a gorgeous purple lip lacquer from Moxie. A night out is a perfect excuse to whack out the extreme makeup – you’ll definitely stand out on photographs for the right reasons (not because you’re having a bit of a wardrobe malfunction or anything…).

Look 2: Keep It Casual

This is a go-to outfit for when you’re unsure of the dress code. You know that horrible feeling of “what if everybody else is more dressed up than me??!” or worse, “what if I’m more dressed up than everyone else??!”. I hate those feelings. With this casual outfit, you can easily amp up the dressed-up factor with heels and fabulous makeup. I chose a pair of ripped skinny jeans because I’m in a serious long-term relationship with them, but you can go with non-ripped ones if you want to look more polished. The forest green of this Topshop jumper makes the whole outfit nice and Christmassy without having to actually wear an ugly Christmas jumper (I’m confused by the concept of deliberately wearing the most ugly jumper you can find). I chose some gorgeous nude lip products to add a bit of frostiness to your makeup, and a gel eyeliner to create a really crisp defined winged liner. Add a bit of bronzer and you’ve got a winner.