By Mimi: John Lewis Christmas Preview

John Lewis knows exactly how to do Christmas, doesn't it? With it's heart-wrenching adverts that show more love and empathy than most people show eachother nowadays and beautifully decorated shop windows that draw in every single busy shopper; John Lewis is the Christmas King.

Last week, I was invited to the annual press preview event of John Lewis in Cardiff. The occasion is always one of my favourites to attend and not just because they always have a traditional pic-n-mix on hand, but because they always get me in the mood for this season's tidings and joy.

The event showcases what the masters behind closed doors have come up with this Christmas for John Lewis. From Christmas toys, which I usually spend quite a lot of my time "testing" to the decorations and themes. (Although the new Furby did terrify me a little)

This year, I particularly fell in love with the Andy Warhol Nars Makeup which featured little embossed Warhol faces in eye shadow compacts. I love the concept of mixing art and makeup as I think the lines are fairly transparent so this for me, was pretty interesting. Going against the grain of sparkling eye shadow and season's glitter, Nars used bright greens, oranges and blues in their collection to celebrate this year. Definitely on my Christmas list.

The beautiful selection of classic vs modern decorations also impressed me. As a bit of a traditionalist (in some aspects of my life), I loved the classic Christmas tree with the crisp white and creme decorations. However, for those who liked John Lewis' Jazz collection last year, there was a beautiful black Christmas tree which looked like it had been gently sprayed with black glitter which would definitely add a little something extra to the living room!

I cannot write about this incredible event without mentioning the amazing Christmas cocktails. Yes, three of them nearly knocked me out but none-the-less, they were very enjoyable and went down a treat in the wintery surroundings. The event was also a lovely time to catch up with the fellow bloggers of Cardiff: Emily, Louise, Gemma and Chantele as well as a few new faces.

p.s John Lewis, good thinking on the endless supply of fudge; it went down a treat!

Twitter: @miaholtInstagram: Mia_Holt

Some of the delights:
All photos taken and owned by Mia Holt.