#BAFTATV Celebrations with House of Fraser

Ordinarily, my Sunday nights involve cosy loungewear and a catch up session with whatever series I'm knee-deep in by that time.  However, this Sunday went in a slightly more dignified direction thanks to House of Fraser!  As the official sponsors of this year's BAFTA event, they've been celebrating in various ways, and one of which involves my favourite thing to do - getting dressed up!  You'll probably have learned by now how I go pretty much everywhere in heels, and so it's safe to say I was very much on board with the concept of wearing an embellished gown and Lancôme makeup while raising a glass (or two) of champagne!


House of Fraser have been promoting their coined term 'Slow Glam', the idea of taking your time in getting ready and enjoying the process - two things I had fun combining last night!  Though sure, no amount of time seems to help me create the perfect flick of eyeliner, it was really enjoyable taking time over my makeup, as opposed to finishing it as quickly as possible before driving off somewhere.  Though, who wouldn't want to take their time when it involves a ribbon-tied bag of Lancôme treats?!    

I'm already a longterm fan of Lancôme cosmetics, however these new products have pushed that love up to a whole new level!  I've been converted to their deliciously feminine fragrance La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum c/o.  Encouraging fragrances to linger on my skin is a difficult task, and so it was a very nice surprise to find the scent lasting many hours later.  In a refreshing, springtime-way, the ingredients of iris pallida, jasmine sambac absolute, orange blossom absolute and patchouli essence truly do match the scent's philosophy of 'happiness and a universal declaration to the beauty of life'!

Let's face it, you couldn't be much closer to my lips right now - put it down to my excitement at having discovered such a gorgeous lip shade!  I've been using a lipstick from the Lancôme L'Absolu range on repeat for the last few weeks, and so to skip over to their Rouge In Love range feels like a natural progression.  The shade I'm wearing in the above photo is Rouge In Love Beige Dentelle c/o, a subtle meeting of nude and rose; definitely a shade I can see myself wearing throughout the season. This gorgeous colour also brought a friend along with it, Rouge In Love Rouge Saint Honoré c/o, which is undoubtedly the boldest and most vibrant shade of red I've ever seen; it seems less sultry and more 'meal out on a warm summer's evening'.  

Next up to be swooned over is Lancôme's first ever liquid cushion compact, Miracle Cushion Fluid Foundation c/o (SPF 23). It's applied by pressing the sponge into the liquid cushion and patting onto the face; the harder you press, the heavier the coverage.  The size is ideal for slipping into your clutch and whipping out whenever needed for touch-ups, something that will definitely come in handy during the warmer months when keeping makeup to stay on your face becomes a battle of its own!

Personally, when I think of anything remotely glamorous, sweeping eyelashes ready to be fluttered immediately spring to mind.  So, having been loyal to Lancôme's Hypnose Mascara for the best part of four years, the Lancôme Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara* sitting prettily in the gift bag received a very warm welcome.  I'd been curious about it for a while now, though continued playing it safe with my longterm fave.  Long story short, it's amazing!  Less application is needed thanks to the generous brush and it certainly achieves the promised, coveted 'wide eyed look'.    

Ta-dah!  After taking my time to enjoy the process of 'Slow Glam', all that remained was to slip into this gorgeous JS Collections Jersey Gown c/o from House of Fraser.  As I mentioned earlier, I love getting dressed up, and so throw an embellished neckline into the mix and you can imagine how pleased I was.  Jersey is a material I've shied away from in the past, however this beautiful gown has shown me how well the material falls when worn in dress-form.  The length also gets two thumbs up from me; at 5'9'', a pair of heels usually turns a floor-sweeping dress into an ankle-grazer, though not in this case!   

Above all else, I adore the embellished neckline.  Particularly as the party is mostly around the front - so there's no need at an event to break your back trying to show off the embellishment to your friends, it's right beneath your nose! Anything halter-style tends to catch my eye, as I find it flatters my fairly broad shoulders - and speaking of which, it is so nice being able to go out with bare arms these days.  Hooray for warmer weather!

So, what did I think of last night's BAFTA awards?  Entertaining, of course!  From beginning to end there were a lot of laughs, tons of glamour and a returning focus to the future of the BBC - something I'd admittedly not given much thought to until then.  Watching the striking, embellished dresses twinkle throughout the night was a highlight and in my opinion, there could be no better host than Graham Norton!  I love his tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, which made viewing the awards all the more entertaining - similar to the effect he has on Eurovision Song Contest (Sat 14th May).  Out of the many well-assigned awards, the two that had me nodding with appreciation were:

Leading Actress Award - Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster)

Radio Times Audience Award - Poldark 

  

What better way to enjoy the BAFTAs  than with a tray of treats?  As rounds of applause rolled into the next, a bottle of Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne c/o (official Champagne Partner to BAFTA for 14 years) was on the cards, along with a refreshing bowl of strawberries.  It was the perfect combination for seeing through the evening!  Ah, any excuse to whip out my glittering gold tray...

Last night's 'sparkly' night in thanks to House of Fraser was a fabulous way of ending the week on a high and welcoming in this new one.  Though, I have a sneaking suspicion the winners of this year's BAFTAs will be continuing their steady stream of champagne over the next few days!  Cheers!

With love,

Gabrielle x