Should you read this the day it goes live, know that I will be busy eating and celebrating this very moment. And that I wish you a wonderful time with your loved ones, time to relax and recharge, twinkling lights and delicious food. Beauty(ful) presents, should you do them and of course lot´s of sparkle both in your life and your makeup.
When I realized, my upload day would fall on Christmas Eve, I wasn´t sure whether to post at all. But then I realized that my favorite pass time after eating too much food is to sit back and watch videos, so in case any of you felt the same: Here is my Christmas makeup 2017. Reddish, sparkly and appropriate for New Year’s Eve as well.
To go with the video (that I recommend you watch on You Tube and in HD) I wanted to share some insights on how Christmas is celebrated at Casa Loca.
https://youtu.be/Ho0nMyQaf8s
Products mentioned
L´Oréal Infallible Primer
Marc Jacobs Remarcable foundation
KIKO Long-Lasting eyeshadow Stick (LE)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette (Review)
L´Oréal Super Liner Blackbuster (Review)
Catrice All Matte Plus
Tonya Crooks The BrowGal
The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzer 02
Make Up Forever Smoky Lash (Review)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Sephora Cream Lip Stain 01
The tree
Unlike others we don´t put up the tree until a few days before Christmas. While the house gets decorated starting December 1st, the tree usually goes up around the 20th. But we leave it up for quite some time afterwards, traditionally until January 6th, which marks the end of the holiday season in Germany.
And yes, we do use real candles and a real tree.
The presents
As someone that is notoriously bad at gift wrapping I really appreciate that my environmentally conscious mother suggested many years ago that we ditch the wrapping paper and the waste that comes with it. Instead we use a pretty bag for each person that we fill in advance. On Christmas Eve, which is when we do presents in Germany, we take turns. Starting from the youngest, we take turns getting one item from the bag and the person that gifted that explains the thought behind it.
Of course we do the kids first, as they wouldn´t have the patience to wait until it is their turn again and do the adult gifts after their bedtime. Which sounds wrong, now that I read it. We celebrate with my sisters, their boyfriends and my parents, so rest assured, no adult adult gifts are given under the tree…
The food
Indulgence, yes, but we save the cooking for the First and Second Day of Christmas. On Christmas Eve we have salads like potato salad, chicken salad, a huge cheese platter and other stuff you can continue to pick on even though you are already full after the first helping.
On December 25th, when we have the whole family over, my husband and my mother spend the day in the kitchen, cooking up a feast with wild boar stew, soups and numerous side dishes. Of course there are leftovers from the night before as well as an abundance of cookies and whatever the rest of the family decides to bring.
The eating starts at around 11 am, when the first people arrive, the stew is served at around 1 pm and then you just keep on eating throughout the day.
The family
On Christmas Eve it is the close family: Our two kids, Mr. Loca and I, my parents, my two younger sisters and their boyfriends.
On the 25th we have the rest of the family over: My aunt, my uncle, my cousins, their partners and their son all from my mothers side. From Mr. Locas side there is my sister in law with her husband and her daughter, my father in law and my brother in law, who comes down all the way from Norway. Where he does take amazing pictures, so go have a look at @geo_alex
Sometimes my godmother with her daughter stops by as well, so I guess it is safe to say that we have a full house and a great time.
The 26th is the day we either recover or go up to my father in law where my sister in law makes one of the best goose you will ever have tasted. I can tell you, marrying into a family that loves to cook was my best decision ever!
Again, I hope you have (or had) a wonderful time. Merry Christmas!