Christmas Advert Run Down: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Christmas season is here and every British house hold brand with a pot to piss in has thrown squillions of pennies onto their Christmas Adverts. Some have got it very right, and some not so much.

The Good

Let's start with the good. John Lewis "The Long Wait."



Less of an advert, more of a mini film, (with a budget to match) this one's been hot on the lips of every tweeter, newspaper and X Factor viewer of middle England.

It firmly shows the John Lewis way of thinking, putting the family at the heart of things and reminding us that "it's better to give than to recieve", a message that resonates particularly hard giving the economic turmoil we find ourselves in.

Is this entirely true? Over romantised and seeing life through John-Lewis-green tinted glasses? Yes, but it's Christmas and I can forgive them. I defy anyone to not feel a flutter of emotion when they watch this and for me, it's one of the most memorable, note-worthy and moving ads I've seen.

The Bad



An ad which the concept of the magic of Christmas has clearly been lost on, Littlewoods seem to have shattered millions of children's dreams. In one fowl swoop they've dispelled the myth that a magical man dressed in red riding a sleigh pulled by reindeers delivers Christmas presents to little boys and girls all around the country, and instead shown us what they think Christmas is all about, lots and lots and LOTS of expensive branded goods, all paid for over a 12 month period. Fantastic.

This ones also caused a bit of a furore over at netmums, who've had to have lots of conversations explaining to their children that Father Christmas really does exist. But beyond that, it's just a bit bloody annoying.

The Ugly



The Ugly has to go to Iceland. As much as I love Stacey Solomon, and her "I'm from Dagenham what am I like!" persona, there is just no way in hell she's going to persuade me to buy 500 sausage rolls for a quid.

Maybe Iceland should take a leaf out of John Lewis' book and offer the song for download, because I quite like it!

What's been your favourite Christmas ad this year?

A coeur vaillant rien d’impossible

Sugar Plum Fairy

A certain colour has been on my mind recently, and it's plum.

Bright coloured hair was everywhere over summer, particularly with dip dying the ends lavender, jade and electric blue. It was cute and quirkie, and easy to get rid of my lopping off the bottom inches.

I was tempted, but not quite sold.

But now that Winter's a'coming a deeper purple hue all over has got me thinking...

Alot more wearable than the neon's that the likes of Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj have been sporting, it's got a certain something which I'm tempted by.

A temporary dye hopefully wouldn't leave me looking like a goth circa 1999 and would wash out after a couple of months, but home dying sessions have never had a happy ending in my experience...

Does anyone know a good dye for glossy, rich colour that will wash out after a few weeks and not leave my locks in a state of disrepair?

Rather crude mock up below:

Oui or non?

Twinkle Toes

Now it won't come at a surprise to learn that I can't resist a good shoe. And something that's been getting my attention recently is the amount of glittery, sparkly and generally fabulous shoes there is out there at the moment.

Perfect for the party season, I need a pair of these bad boys on my feet NOW.

I'm struggling to pick out just one favourite, but Dune, a shop I walk past every day on my way to work and can often be found with my nose pressed up against the window, have a particularly broad range. My personal favourite is the Bedazzled, a glittery court shoe, not too high and not too low, which comes in black, silver and gold.

Also worth a mention is their Sparkling Shoe. These are an irresitible glittery pink pair costing £90, but for each pair sold £50 is donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust, so it's win win!

Twinkle Toes by kayleya featuring fur shoes

Platform high heels
£80 - office.co.uk

Carvela fur shoes
£120 - kurtgeiger.com

Aldo shoes
aldoshoes.com

Women's Red Schuh Prince Court at Schuh
£65 - schuh.co.uk

High Heel | Dune
dune.co.uk

High Heel | Dune
dune.co.uk

Will you be taking inspiration from Dorothy and investing in a pair of sparkly heels this party season, and if so what will you be wearing them with?

Champagne Supernova

The party season is just around the corner and a trend that's been putting in the odd appearance at the red carpets of late is the champagne coloured dress.



Glittery, glamourous and show stopping, stars including Jennifer Lopez, Lea Michele, Freida Pinto andCarrie Underwood have all sparkled their way down the red carpet in these fabulous, full length dresses.

My favourite look so far is Lea Michele at the Glamour Woman of the Year Awards. She wore a Jenny Packman dress paired with a deep red lipstick to really ooze glamour and looked stunning.

A high street dress which fits perfectly in this category comes from the Pearl Lowe collection at Peacocks. I haven't really paid much attention to Pearl Lowe's collection, but this dress really caught my eye as it's something you'd never expect to see from Peacocks.

The full length dress has what looks like a beaded bodice at the top and falls down into a golden waterfall skirt, not to mention Daisy Lowe models it beautifully. At £80 it's a bit pricey for a lower end high street retailer, but if you're attending an event posh enough to call for something like this you may as well get your money's worth!

Will you be adopting the champagne dress trend for your Christmas soiree?

Deer Stalking Season is open...

Things have been feeling particularly autumninal recently. The nights are drawing in, the wind has a definite bite to it and my feet are never far from a good thermal sock.

Unless I am very much mistaken, it's time to whip out the Winter Warmers.

I'm the first to admit I'm a continually cold person, all of the time, cold, which is why the news that faux furs, knits chunkier than a pregnant Mariah Carey and fluffy ear muffs are vogue this year is something I am getting straight on!

The deer stalker is a staple for this season and the options are endless. River Island have a delectable selection of faux fur, knitted, pom poms and those with fluffy bits on. With one of these cuddly beasts on my head, my ears will definately be staying safe from frostbite this year!

My personal favourite is an offering from ASOS, for £25 you can get this adorable hat and never be cold again!

Are you wearing yours yet?

Deer Stalking Season is Open... by kayleya featuring animal hats

Image credit 1, 2, 3, 4

Cher Lloyd Sticks + Stones

Cher Lloyd, the 16 year old who blew us away with her first X Factor performance, only to transform herself into a stroppy, angsty, try-hard teenager in front of our very eyes throughout the rest of the competition, has something to say, but that’s nothing new.

Her debut album, Sticks + Stones, is finally here, and whilst those young people I see on twitter, who collectively term themselves “Cher’s Brats” (vom) and constantly TALK IN CAPITALS are wetting themselves with excitement, the music industry however, is experiencing that marmite effect only ex reality TV stars seem able to elicit.

Her cover art sets her up as very much as the edgy teen star, there are bright colours, kisses, stars, she’s even got a hash on her tights for God’s sake! No doubt a reference to the hand Twitter has had in nurturing her fan base. Don’t dismiss this girl; she’s going to mess with the discourse no end, she’s even upside down, against a brick wall!

As for content, unfortunately even the talents of the crème de la crème of producing unprecedented hits, max Martin, Red One, The Runners, aren’t going to be able to silence some of the critics out there who take great offense at Cher.

You thought Lloyd had a chip on her shoulder with Swagger Jagger declaring “You can’t stop looking at me so get off of my face”? Wait until she’s shouting at you about how she’s going to “finish off these MCs like they were my cup of tea” in “Grow Up.” Unfortunately, Nicki Minaj she is not and this track certainly isn’t my cup of tea.

“Playa Boi”, a reboot of the 80s classic Neneh Cherry ‘Buffalo Stance’ is a convincing rework of the original 1988 hit, but coming from the young Cher, seems to do nothing to convince of her musical prowess.

But between the misses there are some strong tracks in there. I’m unashamed in admitting I can’t get enough of “Want U Back”, a good, old fashioned pop song, and the single “With Ur Love”, with a helping hand from Mike Posner, will be a good performer on the charts later today. It is this unadulterated pop where Cher undoubtedly performs best.

Overall the album performs very much like a box of celebrations. You’ve got some Malteasers and Truffles in there yes, but then there are also Bountys. And no one really likes them, or do they?

Lots of leggings

Yes, printed leggings. Stay with me....

Now you might, as I intially did, already be thinking, "No, too busy, leggings are black and that's the way it's always been" but slow down there sister! Here's an interesting concept for you to try on for size: they don't have to be black!

I'll let you sit on that one for a while....



Yep, it's happening. You're going to have to get on this bandwagon and here's why:

• Black leggings are boring


• They're really dull


• I've fallen asleep


• BRING ON THE PRINTS

I'm thinking of going all out, neons, leopard prints, aztecs, the possibilites are all there!

 

Patterned Leggings by kayleya featuring floral leggings

River Island printed legging, 22
River Island legging, 22
TopShop rainbow legging, $40
Miss Selfridge floral legging, 20
Leopard legging, $40

Where do you sit on the black legging vs. patterned legging debate?[polldaddy poll=5664853]

Image Credit: 1,2,3,4,5