In my first Christmas round up I talked about how the fast-approaching holidays create a palpable festive feeling. Now that feeling has come to a crescendo and it’s actually Christmas. I have to admit, celebrating Christmas wasn’t actually a part of my culture when I was growing up, but I’ve come to love and appreciate the holiday over the years.

 

It’s funny, but in my culture we have very similar motifs for the holidays, they just apply to New Year’s. For example there is actually a version of Santa Claus, but he’s (my best translation) Grandfather Frost and he wears blue and white. His origin is the myth of Morozko, a frost demon with both good and bad sides. There are still presents placed under the tree, but this is done on New Year’s.

 

Now Christmas and New Year’s have bled together into a cohesive whole in my mind and I fully enjoy celebrating both. And to get into the festive spirit, I’m going to share some more of my festive style moments.

 

A Subtle Version of Holiday Nails

A festive manicure is a great way to up the holiday vibes of your outfit even if you want to keep the holidays out of the rest of your look. This is a great way to subtly indulge in the holiday spirit. This is especially true if you go for a mani that is festive, but not really directly related to the holidays. An easy way to do this is to use glitter. A silver (or gold or any other color) glitter French is a great way to add some sparkle to your look. You could always stop there or add something subtle like flowers in a neutral color or the ocean-motif I have on my nails. Your nails are still festive, but they’re not all about Christmas.

 

 

 

 

If it speaks to you, I used:

China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, here

China Glaze Fast Forward top coat, here

Zoya “Electra” nail polish (limited edition and I only found a similar polish on eBay), similar here

Sea shell decals, similar here, here and here

 

 

Christmas Nails

The previous manicure was more subtle and lacked the typical Christmas motifs. This one is the opposite. Flying reindeer with red scarves are the theme here. Since the decals have a black theme and I wanted to choose a more unusual option for the rest of my nails; I went with a black polish. To make things a bit more interesting, the black I chose is a textured polish. These were really popular a few years ago, but I still use them from time to time. I love the way they look and I would use them more, but they take quite a while to remove. In the case of a holiday manicure though, a textured polish is a great way to add more depth to the set.

 

 

 

 

If it speaks to you, I used:

China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat, here

China Glaze Fast Forward top coat, here

Essie “Belugaria” nail polish, (limited edition and I only found this on eBay) here or similar here

Christmas nail decals, as part of a set here, similar here and here

 

 

A Sequin Skirt and Oversized Knit

I had a sequin dress in my previous Christmas round up and now it’s time for a sequin skirt. This option is more versatile than a dress (though potentially just a tad less dressy). To dress it up, you can add a pretty blouse and a blazer (if your blouse has short sleeves). There are also so many possibilities to dress it down, but my favorite for this time of year is with a cozy oversized knit. To me this look is the perfect combination of casual and comfortable meets feminine and dressy. I love looks like that, but in case you’re looking for other ideas you could always use a t-shirt and cardigan, a chambray top or a plaid shirt.

 

 

 

 

If it speaks to you, I’m wearing:

Sequin skirt, similar here, here and here

Oversized knit, similar here, here and here

Tan jacket, similar here, here and here

Tan boots, similar here, here and here

 

 

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

 

Thank you for reading. Be kind. Be you.