– EVENT INVITATION & GIFTED COLLABORATION –
When Debenhams invited me to the Jingle Bell Ball, I literally died and went to Princess heaven. What a year I’ve had with my blog and I’m so very grateful for every opportunity that I’ve received.
Getting an invite to the Jingle Bell Ball was just the cherry on top and I immediately responded with an ‘OMG YES PLEASE!’. There was a group of around 15 bloggers in total, including myself and we had been invited by Debenhams to lounge in one of the O2’s luxury VIP Suites.
It was a very humbling moment for myself. I used to do temping work when I first moved to London and that included working in boxes such as these at the Emirates Stadium. It was definitely a surreal moment to be the one actually being wined and dined on. We were kindly gifted some Debenhams vouchers to kit ourselves out for the Jingle Bell Ball.
I had in mind to get an outfit that was full of sparkles and I think I found the perfect ensemble whilst shopping in-store. I spent a good few hours on a busy Thursday night, in the Debenhams store on Bond Street looking through all of the different brands that the store has to offer. From Mango to Quiz, J by Jasper Conran to Nine West, I was spoilt for choice.
I came across this gorgeous Juliet Sequin Dress from Monsoon which was a part of their party dresses selection and since I was shopping on a Black Friday weekend, the dress just £99.00. I never really shop at Monsoon and in the past have only shopped their bags and purses range.
What impressed me the most was that the fit of the dress was spot on. It wasn’t tight anywhere on my body which is a rarity especially when it comes to my chest size and broad shoulders. The dress doesn’t appear online so it may well have been an in-store product or limited for just the Black Friday weekend.
I then headed on downstairs to pick out a bag to go with the dress. I matched the bag with the grey elements within the dress and bought a Carvela ‘Dina’ Winged Tote bag in a light dusty grey. I really can’t do small bags as I have just so much stuff that I carry with me, so this was the perfect in between. This was also from the sale which I think was reduced from £69.00 to £43.00.
The shoes I actually got a few days before the event and this was actually the best bargain of all. Reduced from £90.00, they were just £19.00. They are a coppery gold glitter with a thick, medium heel. They rubbed slightly (but then again my feet rub with most shoes) but they felt super comfortable throughout the entire evening.
I arrived at the O2 fairly early and met up with the Debenhams team near the entrance of the O2. The venue is pretty near to where I live so I had no problems getting there. The suite was a gorgeous room decorated with plush brown sofas, a seated bar island area that looked out onto the arena and we received a yummy selection of food and endless drinks from our host Mohammad.
I was a sucker for the chips and dip, a typical comfort snack for the Winter along with the Mac & Cheese and delicious Chocolate Filled Doughnuts with extra chocolate for dipping.
We were free to come and go as we pleased within the suite and for the majority of the show, I sat down in the viewing area.
There were several acts that I was excited to see, the first up being Rita Ora. She had this incredible yellow tartan outfit on (that only she could pull off) and rocked around the stage, getting the audience on their feet. Others acts like Dua Lipa, Jonas Blue and Niall Horan were incredible and last to perform was Sam Smith, who was highly anticipated and didn’t disappoint.
I also bought from Debenhams, the new Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette which I used to create a subtle sparkly eye. I bought a Mac ‘Pro’ Lipstick called Diva which I’ve been lusting over and is a deep rich dark-toned red. I finally also got myself the Mac Fix Plus Spray which I’m now in love with, to set the look.
I want to thank Debenhams for inviting me on such a wonderful night out as I truly felt like a Princess.
Be sure to shop the look below and let me know which of these pieces are your favourites in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – I was invited to the Jingle Bell Ball and gifted vouchers from Debenhams in exchange for a blog post. This post also contains affiliate links. All words are my own.
