Event: #FDXMasParty, Fragrance Direct.

Last night marked the beginning of all the Christmas festivities in the Blogosphere, with Fragrance Direct's Christmas Party at All Star Lanes in Manchester Deansgate. With Christmas decorations, Christmas crackers containing little surprise samples from Fragrance Direct's range and lots of amazing cocktails and food (including mini burgers, corndogs and breaded parcels of macaroni cheese- yes, you read that right), it was everything that a Christmas party should be; not to mention the strong waft of perfume we were greeted with when we entered the room, from the display table of Fragrance Direct's featured perfumes for the festive period. After a spritz of a few bottles it was decided that YSL's Black Opium, Valentina by Valentino and Lola by Marc Jacobs (mainly because of that beautiful bottle) were the firm favourites. As the event took place in All Star Lanes, of course we had a couple of lanes booked to show off our bowling skills, which seemed to progressively get worse as each glass of prosecco was consumed (though it was already established a long time ago that I am shockingly bad at bowling anyway, nor do I look good in those sexy silver bowling shoes).

Not only do Fragrance Direct stock perfumes, but they have also branched out into makeup, haircare and bath & body products, and us lucky bloggers were sent home from the event with a Christmas goodie bag filled with treats from the likes of Ciate, Fashionista, Essie and Schwarzkopf to name a few. Thanks for an amazing evening, Fragrance Direct! :)

Do you have any perfumes on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Frances x

Wishlist: Beauty.

NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette: £45

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Bond Girl & Glastonberry: £23 each

MAC Lipsticks in Brave, Twig & Velvet Teddy: £15.50 each

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette: £37

Considering that francescassandra.com first started out as a beauty blog, I'm not a makeup obsessive at all. I only wear a full face of makeup when I know that I am going to be out and about for the entire day, and I like to stick to what I know which is usually my wallet-friendly Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and Maybelline gel eyeliner. I rarely blow my budget experimenting with new brands or splurging on the latest product hypes, however, I am a sucker for having a bit of luxury in my makeup drawer every once in a while and Christmas is usually my opportunity to get my hands on one or two pieces from the high-end Christmas releases.

On the top of my list is the Virtual Domination Cheek Palette from NARS. After missing out on the highly-sought-after Guy Bourdin release last year, I have been keeping my eye on SpaceNK like a hawk and I'm glad to see that they have brought out a palette that is equally as beautiful this year. I have also been lusting over Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipsticks since they were released a couple of months ago, but even in all their rose gold glory, their £23 price tag hasn't been justifiable.

I haven't been impressed by any of MAC's festive collections this year (how many shades of red and berry does a girl need?!), but Christmas is always a great time to stock up on a few of the trusty favourites. I am also admittedly probably one of the only girls who doesn't own one of the three Urban Decay Naked Palettes; I did own the second release but I sold it on after it sat unloved amongst my other eyeshadow palettes for the best part of a year, but I do think that Naked 3 has the most wearable selection of shades amongst the three.

Do you have any beauty products in your Christmas wishlist this year?

Frances x

Iconemesis Sushi Palette iPhone Case.

Lily X Sushi Palette iPhone 4S Case*: Iconemesis, £9.99

Anybody who knows me will know that I. Love. Sushi. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would quite happily stock up on sashimi, nigiri and california rolls. I also happen to enjoy collecting phone cases for my rather retro iPhone 4S, so when I spotted this one on the Iconemesis website, I couldn't pass it up (nor could I pass up the opportunity to walk down to Tesco and treat myself to a few trays of their sushi... purely for photographic purposes, honest!).

Made from polyurethane which clips snugly to your phone to protect it from any scratches, Iconemesis also aim to make their phone cases a finishing touch to any fashionista's outfit. Already an owner of one of their iPhone cases featuring the super stylish bunny rabbit, Fifi Lapin, I have always been a fan of the cute and fashionable designs that Iconemesis has to offer, provided by their community of talented independent artists. This sushi case was created by Lily X, who has also brought out a couple of coffee-themed designs for you Starbucks fiends, I also particularly enjoy Gemma Correll's collection, which has nothing to do with the fact that one of her designs features an army of quirky-looking pugs ;).

Iconemesis currently makes phone cases for the iPhone 4/4S, 5/5S and 6.

Do you own anything from Iconemesis? Which is your favourite design?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.

Outfit: Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November.

Photo credit: Deni Vev

Top: C/O JOY* (buy here) | Jeans: C/O JOY* (buy here) | Boots: C/O Get The Label* (similar) | Jacket: C/O Ravi Famous* (buy here) | Hat & Scarf: Primark | Necklace: C/O JOY* | Bag: C/O Wicker Wings* (buy here) | Watch: Michael Kors

Bonfire Night is probably one of my favourite nights of the year; I love watching the fireworks and I love the smell of bonfires that is still lingering in the air the morning after. I, along with the lovely Deni plus thousands of other people, attended Liverpool's infamous firework spectacular at Sefton Park, which had Liverpool's skies lit up for twenty minutes with a breathtaking display of explosive colours.

 Of course, it was only sensible to wrap up for the occasion, and so I reached for my trusty shaggy fur jacket and huge blanket scarf before I left my house in the afternoon, teamed with my brand new knit t-shirt and skinny jeans (?!) that I picked up at the JOY Manchester launch last week.

I also thought that it was the perfect opportunity for my new winter boots to make their debut; I have a bit of a soft spot for the slightly risque thigh-high boots trend that seems to be taking off this year but I'm not quite brave enough to try them out for myself just yet, so I took a compromise and opted for this pair of over-the-knee boots instead.

Did you attend a fireworks display last night?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.

Wicker Wings: #BagforBagMission

Wicker Wings Bag in Blake Grey*: £40

It goes to show that something good could come of the awkwardness of taking outfit photos in public places, when James, the founder of Wicker Wings approached me as I posed away in Church Alley, just off the busy Church Street in Liverpool City Centre, on the off chance that I was actually a fashion blogger and not just some random girl having her picture taken in front of Primark.

A week later, we were meeting for a coffee and a business chat, and over a Starbucks Chai Latte and a Mango Passionfruit Juice Blend (can you guess which was mine?), James was clicking away at his Macbook and explaining to me the vision that him and his sister, Belinda have recently brought to life.

As well as wanting to market a unique product targeted at fashionable 18-30 year olds, James and his sister were also passionate about giving back, and fuelled by their belief that education provides the foundation to a great future, their 'Bag for Bag' campaign was born. Ever heard of TOMS 'One for One' mission? Well this is a very similar concept, but with a much more personal touch. When you purchase a bag from Wicker Wings, they will donate a drawstring "bag of inspiration" containing a book plus an inspirational message (written by you), to a child in Asia, which will hopefully inspire them to live a fulfilled and successful life. You will also have donated to Wicker Wings' non-profit partners, The Library Project, who donate books and libraries to under financed schools in rural Asia. 

James very kindly gifted me with my very own wicker bag in Blake Grey (outfit post coming soon). Inspired by their grandmother, who made wicker baskets for a living when she was younger, Wicker Wings bags are totally unique, having been designed by James and Belinda themselves and each one is expertly weaved by hand and finished with a golden metal charm depicting the Wicker Wings logo. Currently available in two colours, Blake Grey and Lulu Brown (named after inspirational figures), James and Belinda wanted to start off their journey with something simple and versatile, but would love to expand their company in to a more vast lifestyle brand and spread their message to a wider audience in the future.

If you would like to read more about Wicker Wings and their mission, you can visit their website here. Also, to learn more about The Library Project, click here.

What do you think of Wicker Wings?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.

Outfit: Casual Monday.

Photo credit: My pops

Jacket: Vintage Fred Perry (old) | Leggings: Under Armour C/O JD Sports* (buy here) | Trainers: Nike C/O JD Sports* (old)| Scarf: ZARA (old) | Headphones: SkinnyDip London C/O BANK* (buy here) 

Now, as much as us fashion bloggers love dressing up, donning our best garments and keeping up with the current trends, it's no secret that between outfit shoots and press events you will usually find me walking down to the shops, music blasting through my headphones looking far from glamorous, sporting an oversized jumper and a trusty pair of leggings. I often raid my gym drawer for a pair of my Nike or Under Armour compression leggings (because let's face it, they don't get much gym love until after Christmas), as not only are they designed to feel comfortable, suck you in and keep you warm (plus they are brilliant quality- Under Armour and Nike are my go-to brands for sportswear), but they usually feature cool designs and bright pops of colour, keeping you looking stylish even on your "dress down" days. I love the neon pink panels on this pair of Under Armour Flyby Compression leggings from JD Sports, and they match perfectly with my beloved Nike Flyknits for comfy casual outings.

How do you spend your lazy days?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.