4 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Miss Mistletoe

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Behind door number four is the beautiful and glamorous Miss Mistletoe! I was very excited to try out the month’s first sequin set and I wasn’t disappointed.

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Miss Mistletoe isn’t available to buy separately from Ciate’s site, but you can still buy sets with sequins included, like the emerald set, which also has caviar, velvet and a full sized lacquer, all in green of course!

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The sequins are pink and gold, and perfect for a luxe take on festivities! I love the name too – I definitely like getting nods to Christmas in the advent calendar, as pretty much everything I do in December revolves around Christmas, so it’s nice to co-ordinate! I really think this is a contender for a New Year’s Eve mani, too – that gold is just gorgeous.

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It’s easy to apply too, although you will end up with sequins everywhere – just like Ciate’s caviar, you simply paint your nail the desired colour, then pour the sequins over the top, press to firm everything up, then allow the excess to fall off. You may have to tidy the edges and remove any sequins not quite flush. Then, for added protection, paint a top coat over everything to keep it in place!Square logo initials

Visit Downton Abbey at Christmas!

I had a blast visiting Highclere Castle in the summer – and now the home of Downton Abbey has opened ticket sales for a very limited number of dates in December! Or rather, they will do today – I (hopefully) bagged mine when the system was working earlier this morning, but due to overwhelming demand the sales are on temporary hold until later today. Get your finger ready for a refresh session!

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Head on over to the website here to bag yourself tickets for the Christmas fair on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December. They cost £20 each and will give you a chance to do a little Christmas shopping while you’re serenaded by carol singers! And, you can upgrade your ticket to visit the bedrooms for an extra £2 or the Egyptian exhibition for £5 on the day.

Or, you can visit the house itself during the weekend in December – again, limited dates – and tickets will be available here for £18.

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Visit the website at https://highclerecastleshop.co.uk/home.

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19 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Cookies and Cream

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Today’s colour is a pretty light beige called Cookies and Cream!

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Ciate’s site says: “A light taupe pastel grey that is versatile and easy to wear. A soft nude milkshake delight that can elevate your workwear or even relax a grunge rock look.”

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This is a really lovely colour – a nice, soft neutral. I’m really drawn to polishes like this, so I was definitely pleased to see it in the calendar today! I decided to add a topcoat, and as Pirouette My Whistle by OPI was already sitting on my desk, I decided it was a match made in heaven…

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Subtly festive, right? Love it!

18 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Candyshop

Dec 18 Mini Mani Month Candyshop
18 Dec Ciate Mini Mani Month Candyshop
Inside Candyshop bottle

Yay, another bottle of Caviar Pearls! This mix is called Candyshop – fairly appropriate, I think!

Mini Mani Month Ciate Pearls bottle

This is an amazing mix of sweet colours – hot pink, light navy blue, and orange!

Baubles

So Christmassy – it ties really well into the Russian Christmas theme I’ve seen in some of the shops this season, based on the  amazing colours of the famous Onion Domes seen on Eastern European churches.

I had no end of trouble trying to capture the beauty of these colours in the dull overcast light of a miserable Tuesday…

Ciate pearls on tree

This one is probably the best reflection of these vibrant colours – lit by the fairy lights of my Christmas tree, appropriately enough!

Ho ho ho, it’s a Ciate Mini Mani Month ahead!

Well, well, well – look what got delivered to my house today!

Ciate Mini Mani Month

I decided to treat myself to an advent calendar with a difference this year, and the Ciate Mini Mani Month looked so enticing I couldn’t resist! (Especially as I was lusting after the Caviar pearls – four colours inside!) Expect an update every day in December (well, up until Christmas Eve!) with a brand new shade…