The Price of Prom

Morning folks, after I uploaded my trilogy of #PromPicks posts and my little overview on how my Prom went, I was contacted by the lovely Sian from MyVoucherCodes, who gave me a few details on some research they have been doing on the increasing expenditure that comes from your end of school party. I know that I definitely associated the kind of ridiculous prom spending with American teens, but as A Girls World discovered, the UK is quickly catching up on their extortionate spending habits. I'll link their full article here as I'll be quoting their results throughout, as I attempt to contrast some of the more expensive choices with my own investment in my prom! 

One aspect of the prom fiasco in the US that hasn't quite reached British shores yet, in my opinion, is the 'Promposal.' Apparently it is no longer okay to simply ask your date to prom, and even asking over dinner or perhaps accompanying your question with a small gift will now result in you being shunned by the cool kids, 'Mean Girls' style. According to AGW, Promposals in the US account for a third of the overall cost, with a frankly insane $300 being shelled out by thousands of unwitting young boys, all in the name of a date. I cannot even comprehend how the figure reaches that level, but thankfully this trend is not yet echoed in the UK. Sighs of relief from teenage boys across the country no doubt. 

Our venue, The Dunkeld Hilton Hotel

My first actual cost for prom was the ticket to the event itself, which was paid in instalments throughout our final year, and totalled £55, which seems to be on par with many across Scotland, the UK and indeed the US. Not cheap, but considering that our ticket included transport to and from the venue (in the form of the much loved Stagecoach buses) a three course meal, the use of the venue and grounds, and a CD disk with pictures taken by the professional photographer. This was my favourite addition to the cost of the ticket, with the photographer staying from the moment we arrived until well after the meal had finished and the embarrassing dancing had begun.
(Total Cost: £55)

Now onto my outfit, I toiled for ages finding a dress, but that wasn't due to lack of choice. I set myself a budget of under £100, which I felt was totally reasonable and there were thousands of options. My personal favourite online retailers were ASOS, Debenhams, Miss Selfridge and Little Mistress- which is where I eventually found my dress. I paid £70 for it, plus a little bit for postage, and I already owned a lovely little pair of black heels from Dune, which aren't online but I'll link a fairly similar pair here. I therefore didn't have to spend any extra cash on shoes, and with my dress being so long, I didn't feel like there was much emphasis on anyone's shoes, meaning that if you're looking for an area to skimp on, that'd be my advice!
(Total Cost: £135)

In terms of accessories, I kept it fairly simple, with only a pair of drop earrings from Topshop to jazz up my outfit. I also avoided a large cost as I did my own hair and make-up, which shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone as I do run a blog focussing on all things beauty. Many of my friends had hair and make-up done, with treatments ranging from £15 for nails or fake tan, up to the £100 mark for hair styles and full face make-up looks. Some girls hair in particular was especially beautiful, so it's easy to understand why so many opt for something professional! AGW found that the average hair spend in the UK for girls is £70, with beauty coming in at £30- and I can definitely back up these figures with what I've seen!
(Total Cost: £155)

As our transport to and from the venue was provided, we didn't really explore any other options. However, one group of friends in my year did choose to hire a large pink limo to take them to and from the venue, which is something that I would find entirely too embarrassing to even consider. However, they all seemed to be pleased with their choice, posing for pictures and no doubt having a much classier drive to the venue that I did on the top deck of a double decker bus that usually frequents that back roads of central Scotland. Some of the most expensive travel options can see parents shelling out hundreds of pounds for their children, with helicopter travel becoming increasingly popular. I can't help but feel like the headphones you wear whilst in the air would probably ruin your no doubt professionally done hair. Gotta think these things through logically!

All in all, I had a wonderful evening at my Prom, and feel like I spent enough to make me feel glamorous, without breaking the bank. As a word of advice to any girls reading who are yet to attend their Prom, feel free to spend as much as you want, but at the end of the day nobody was judging anyone else on the pricetag of their dress or how nicely their make-up was done. Prom is a way of celebrating the fact that you've survived high school, an evening to spend with your friends having a brilliant time, so if you feel like you can't afford to wear designer clothes, don't worry about it ruining your evening.

Go check out the article from A Girls World, and MyVoucherCodes page too, for loads of savings. Have a lovely week and I will be back soon with another post!

Summer Style and Beauty Wishlist

Afternoon all, I've bumped up Sunday's post to today as I actually have a little post that's going up on Monday, hence why I've thrown all my loyal fans off track by posting early. Ha ha ha. Despite the fact that it is currently absolutely pissing it down in Scotland, unsurprisingly, it is in fact officially Summer. I have T in the Park coming up in the next couple of weeks and lots of other exciting summer activities planned for when it does brighten up a little! Therefore I am gonna need a whole bunch of new clothes and make-up to see me through, some of which I've selected and put down below for you all. Don't say I'm not good to you!

Topshop Heart Sunglasses (£18.00)

H&M Beige Sandals (£39.99)
River Island Bright Pink Swing Sundress (£46.00)

ASOS Vintage Shorts  (£22.00)

New Look White Laser Cut Floral Print Contrast Heels (£39.99)

Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette (TBC)

Revlon Ultra HD Lipsticks (£7.99)

Charlotte Tilbury Film Star Bronze and Glow (£55.00)

I'm absolutely going to be bankrupt by the time the sun actually comes out at this rate, I feel like I might have to hunt for most of this kind of stuff in Primark before I actually go for the pricey spicy versions, although those New Look heels are absolutely calling to me. I'll be back on Monday but until then, have a lovely, and hopefully sunny weekend!

June Music Favourites!

Evening all, terrifyingly we seem to be back round to the time of month where I have to collate all my favourite songs from the month and tell you about them. It's been a good month for music, although I will say that I feel like my summer is missing that one song that you hear in late May/early June which just becomes the anthem for the summer. I refuse to let it be 'House Every Weekend' so I really need Calvin Harris or someone similar to come out with something that I can get very drunk to in the near future. Poor show from the music industry all round. Despite this hole in my musical needs, I have some great songs that I've been listening to all month so without any further rambling, here they are!

The Hills // The Weeknd
How Hard I Try // filous 

Shut Up and Dance // Walk the Moon

Can't Help Falling in Love // Twenty One Pilots

Trouble (Stripped) // Halsey

Friends // Eliza and the Bear
Powerful // Major Lazer ft Ellie Goulding

Crystals // Of Monsters and Men

Want to Want Me // Jason Derulo 

Take Me Home // Bryce Vine

Wanderlust // The Weeknd

Trip Switch // Nothing But Thieves 

As always I keep my Spotify updated on an almost daily basis so you can follow my monthly playlists as they go up, I'll link my profile here x, I'll be back on Sunday with a beauty post but until then, have a lovely week!

Prom!

Morning folks, I'm back to blogging properly this week after what was one of the busiest weeks of my life last week. I had both my school Leavers Day and my Prom, both of which were just lovely, and hence I have a whole bunch of really lovely pictures, especially from Prom, that I thought I'd upload here today. I'll do a little OOTD bit on my dress, shoes etc, but the rest will be totally photo heavy- lucky you! 

OOTD : Prom 

Dress: Little Mistress
Shoes: Dune

I had a really amazing time, even if it was a little bittersweet as it signified the end of an era really, but I'd happily get dressed up like that all the time! I'll be back on Thursday with another blog post but until then, have a lovely, lovely week!

#PromPicks : Accessories

Evening all, it's time for the third and final post in my #PromPicks series, and today I have a little look at all my favourite accessories for you guys to use as inspiration for prom, a wedding or any kind of fancy event you may be lucky enough to attend! Since the word 'accessories' is a little broad, I've narrowed my choices down to three pieces of jewellery, three bags and three pairs of shoes for you all, and have tried to choose a budget, bargain and splurge choice price wise, ranging from £2 to £100. So without any further ado, let's have a nosey at my favourites!

Jewellery 

Budget : Gold Leaf Drop Earrings

I still haven't a clue what I'm going to do about my hair for prom, but if I were to put my hair up I feel like some gorgeous drop earrings, similar to these ones above. The gold leaf is fairly basic and would be unlikely to distract from an outfit, but equally the metal would likely catch the light and make these earrings look far more expensive than their £2 price tag.

Bargain: Topshop Coin and Chain Necklace 

If you're planning on wearing a dress with a ton of embellishment or a high neckline, then a statement necklace is definitely not the way to go but this kind of necklace would look absolutely stunning with a v-necked or sweetheart neckline-d dress, and would instantly glam up any kind of look, and it is fairly good value at only £20. The only downfall would be that you are likely to whip either yourself or your prom date at least once during the slow dances. Be warned.

Splurge: Thomas Sabo Karma Beads Bracelet 

This is definitely a splurge, with this stunning Thomas Sabo bracelet coming in at £116, however that is in line with these types of bracelets, along with four gorgeous charms so it's not unreasonable. This would perhaps be a lovely gift from maybe your parents or a significant other before a big event, or could make a nice birthday present if you are planning in advance. This is definitely my favourite Thomas Sabo bracelet, but there are loads of varying sizes, colours and styles to suit whatever you're wearing! 

Bags

Budget : New Look Purple Gathered Clutch Bag

If I were going for a truly cheap bag in the UK, I'd likely head to Primark as they always have some great buys- however, New Look is probably the next best shout, and they can be equally great value, particularly if your item is in the sale, like this lovely like blue/purple clutch, which is only £6. The metal trim is classy and makes it look pricey, and the choice to use the slim gold chain as a handle is extra handy, plus this is just the right size for your lippie, phone and purse!

Budget : Love Weave Black Embellished Clutch

My second choice, this black clutch from Love Weave, a brand sold by T K Maxx, is much more versatile in that black suits nearly every shade, and the combination of silver and gold embellishment means it will likely match whatever jewellery shade you choose! Considering the quality of the metal box and the jewels that make us the clutch, I don't think its £14 price tag is anything other than a bargain! 

Splurge : River Island Silver Mirror Stone Clutch 

This isn't a huge splurge, with this clutch coming in at £35 from RI, however I think it looks like it could be worth 5 times that easier, the silver stone work and chain would look amazing with a nude dress, and despite being flashy- it is fairly plain, and therefore wouldn't necessarily mean you had to limit your jewellery or wear a plain dress. This is also a fairly small bag, meaning it will detract from your outfit even less!

Shoes 

Bargain : New Look White Strap Heels

These are very, very basic but for prom you are likely to be wearing a full length dress, and in my opinion these are still beautiful shoes- the simplicity won't take away from your dress, white always gives the skin a more healthier look, and you are free to experiment with nail polish, jewellery and bags as you please. Not bad for £17.99!  

Budget : Carvela Black Heeled Shoes

 These are an extremely similar pair of shoes to the ones above, but as they are made by Carvela, they come in at over double the price, £40. A classic example of paying for the label, however when it comes to shoes, I often find that the most expensive options are comfier, better made and will last longer, so consider this pair an investment. 

Splurge : Dune 'Head over Heels' Sandals

In all honesty, the only reason I am not wearing these shoes to prom is that I don't think for one second that I'd manage a full evening of photo posing and Scottish country dancing in shoes with that slim a heel. One slip in the champagne drinking and I'd be faced with a broken ankle. However, many of you will have a more refined skill of walking in heels and will no doubt adore these, a beautiful colour with enough embellishment to look gorgeous without distracting from the rest of your outfit, well worth their £65 price tag!

There we go, my (rather length) prom accessories choices, I adore all of these picks and think I've represented a fairly wide range of prices and choices, with the cheapest combination coming in at £26 for jewellery, bag and shoes, keeping a possible outfit at well, well under £100. Equally, if you wanted to splash out, there is a £220 combination too. Whatever you choose, I'm sure all you ladies will look absolutely stunning at your big events, so until next time- have a lovely week!

#PromPicks : Make-Up

Morning all, it's time for a second update in my #PromPicks series, with my focus for this blog post being on make-up looks. I have one full face look to show you, but I also have a few hints, tips and product recommendations for making your make-up last through the dancing, laughing, eating and general nonsense that prom involves. I'll start with my tips and then show you the full look in the format of my usual FOTD posts!

Prom Make-Up 101

1. Primer

I'm not usually a huge fan of primers, I feel like my skin doesn't normally need them to hold make-up in place, however I know that for others they are a holy grail that ensures your make-up doesn't end up closer to your heels than your hairdo by the end of the day! I currently use the Maybelline BabySkin Primer, which I slagged off in my Maybelline haul earlier in the month, but have since come to appreciate. However, my ultimate primer favourite is the Benefit Porefessional Primer, which has a similar silicone-like consistency to the Maybelline dupe, but leaves your skin feeling insanely soft too. The Benefit version is fairly steep, coming in at around £23, however some Boots stores now offer mini tubes of the product for an un-economical but much cheaper price of £9. 

2. Eyes vs. Lips

It's one of the cardinal rules of make-up application that you should never have a bold lip and a bold eye combination, choosing either one or the other. However, I live in bold lipstick whilst also enjoying a smokey gold eye look so often (always) I break this rule. I recognise however that for most people, it is best to stick to one or the other. Perhaps you might see the silver eye look in my FOTD below and love with, but feel it would look better paired with a nude lip, or love the bright lipstick but think you'd suit it best with only a sweep of eyeliner or a few coats of mascara. Each to their own, however you're looking for longevity, and if you're not used to wearing lots of make-up, then the most photographed evening of your high-school experience probably isn't the time to start. 

3. Practise makes Perfect

Following on from my above comment about not mixing up your make-up routine too much for prom at risk of messing up, you absolutely must practise your prom make-up before the night, there is absolutely no point in planning a gorgeous winged eye liner and then being completely unable to pull it off on the night. Maybe your gorgeous new gold eye-shadow is a fall-out disaster or your new red lipstick clashes with your dress. Practise makes perfect is a cliche, but it's also crucial to ensure you don't end up being a stressed out wreck on prom night!

#FOTD : Prom Night Silver Eyes

What I'm Wearing

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
Collection Lasting Finish Concealer
Maybelline Better Skin Foundation 

Max Factor Creme Puff Powder
Maybelline Brow Drama
Rimmel Brow This Way
Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder
Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio in Silver
Topshop Liner in Black 

Benefit Roller Lash

Mac All Fired Up 

Have a lovely day folks, enjoy the nice weather we've been having in the UK this week! I'll see you guys on Sunday for the final part of my #PromPicks series!

#PromPicks : Dresses

Afternoon all, I'm finally getting round to writing my long planned post on prom dresses,and not only am I completing this, the first on a long list of 'to do' tasks, but I'm happy to report that I'm writing whilst sitting in my garden on a frankly gorgeous day. I'm fearing for my 'peely-wally' Scots skin already. Hopefully this weather will continue into next week, as my prom is next Thursday- and I'm sure that many of you in the UK will have your prom over the next month or so too, hence why I have a little series of posts all themed towards finding the perfect makeup, hair and dress for the height of your school social calendar. 

Here are my five top dresses for prom (well, my 2-6th favourites, since my dress isn't included!) These are all under £100 and are from 5 different brands!

1. Little Mistress Nude Halter Neck Dress (£92.00)

Little Mistress are one of my absolute favourite brands, especially for dresses, they have a huge selection that are brilliantly made, and also have a really good 'Curve' and 'Tall' section that caters for all your needs. Their regular dresses come in sizes 8-18 and they usually cost around £60-£70. This dress I've chosen is slightly more expensive as it's from their exclusive section, however I think you'll agree it is totally worth it, especially for the flower detailing at the bottom of the dress. Nude colours suit both the paler skin tones and those with a bit of a tan, which I'm sure many of you will be resorting to some fake tan for, given the usually rubbish weather in the UK. One of my favourites and a serious show stopper. 

2. Quiz Black Velvet Sequin Dress (£54.99)

From one end of the colour spectrum to the other, we have a really glamorous black cocktail dress, which has a thigh high leg split which you can't really make out in the picture. Despite this, the dress is cut high on the chest and is full length, so would completely avoid looking inappropriate for a school event. The swirly flower print with hide any lumps or bumps you don't want showing up in your treasured prom photo and is really classy too!

3. Jessica Wright Black and White Maxi (£80)

This certainly isn't the dress for everyone but if you had the right figure, this dress would literally make you the stand out Prom Queen on the spot. Figure hugging whilst not being particularly revealing and strangely flattering with the black panels on the side. Plus with this dress all you would need is a statement necklace and your look would be completely ready to wow your pals. 

4. Virgos Lounge Sarah Grace Maxi Dress (£98)

I'm not going to lie to you folks, 90% of the reason I fell in love with this dress is that it looks like something Princess Jasmine would wear in Aladdin, the other 10% is because its the prettiest darned dress I've ever seen. It's fairly expensive, coming in at just £2 under my limit for this post, but you can see where your money has been spent, with incredible detailing on the bust and a two layer skirt that falls far enough that you could probably wear sandals and get away with it. The bardot neckline is insanely flattering too.

5. ASOS Mesh One Shoulder Dress (£75)

I personally feel like prom is a long dress event, but each to their own, so I've included one short dress here, and it's quite the beauty. This is probably the girliest dress on here, with white floaty mesh and the one shoulder cut making it look like something a fairy princess should be wearing to do her bidding. This would look amazing with minimal gold jewellery and a milk-maids braid in your hair. Very classy and uber pretty but not as full on glam as a floor length gown!

There we go, my top five prom dress picks for you all! I hope you enjoyed seeing the dresses I love, and if you are inspired by any of them for your own prom, wedding or any other fancy event you have to go to, then do let me know in the comments! Have a lovely week and I'll be back soon with the makeup installment of my #PromPicks series!

Maybelline Haul

Afternoon folks, another month has passed and therefore it's time for another makeup haul. My latest adventure into Boots was under the guise of purchasing a new foundation. Which I did, however I also purchased an eye-liner, two cream shadows, a concealer and a primer, all from Maybelline. Some of my new finds are brilliant, but some are fairly disappointing- so let me walk you through my thoughts. 

Better Skin Foundation (£8.99)

I've had this foundation before and really loved it but I am noticing now that I'm used to the matte finish of my l'Oreal infallible matte foundation, so this feels very, very dewy on my skin. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and with a little bit of powder it looks great on the skin, but it was a sticking point for me over the first couple of uses. Overall though this is one of the better purchases, it has great coverage and looks lovely on, whilst not going cakey or sliding off half way through the day!

Maybelline Color Tattoos (£4.99)

I picked up another two of my favourite type of products from Maybelline, their cream 'tattoo' eye shadows. I already owned three of their shades in 'On and On Bronze,' 'Permanent Taupe' and 'Metallic Pomegranate' so I grabbed 'Pink Gold' which as you can imagine is a creamy light pink with a gold shimmer running through it, which is great as a base for any of the Naked 3 shades. I also got one of their 'leather effect' shadows in the shade 'Vintage Plum' which is a slightly chalky formula and goes on matte. The colour is somewhere between a chocolate brown and a deep purple, which makes for a lovely base or on its one as a low maintenance smokey eye. 

Instant Anti-Age Under-Eye Concealer (£7.99)

Another purchase I've made before, and normally I adore this product for its concealing properties, however I made the mistake of buying the shade 'nude' rather than the lightest shade, which means that it's got much less brightening magic than normal. I still love the product and despite the unhygienic nature of the twist up sponge cap, I think it's quite quirky and gives good product coverage. No doubt this will go back to being my favourite when I pick up a little bit of a tan in the summer. 

Baby Skin Primer (£7.99)

I used to adore the Benefit Pore-fessional primer, and have been told several times that this is supposedly the 'high street dupe' of that, however, upon trying it, I think that's possibly a little generous to the Maybelline version. This stuff feels similar, the kind of silicone magic that can't possibly be healthy for your pores, but upon application and paired with the dewy Better Skin foundation, it felt greasy, and no amount of powder could prevent me from feeling like I was going to smudge everything if I touched my face. Perhaps better with a matte foundation, but they tend to have more staying power anyway. 

Master Duo Eyeliner (£5.29)

If I'd written this post yesterday this product would have gotten good reviews, a deep black eyeliner that is easy enough to apply and didn't seem to fade during the day. My only complaint would have been that it tended to come off in chunks when removed at the end of the day. However, upon going to apply it before work this morning, I found that it was almost dry, and had to work really difficult to get any product out. This may well have just been a one time issue, but if the product really is running out already, after less than a week, or it has dried out without being left without the lid or anything, then I'll be very, very disappointed. Maybe I just have a dud product but the formula is fab, whilst it lasts!

So there we go, a very hit and miss haul from Maybelline. I'll be back tomorrow with another post (on prom dresses OOH) but until then- enjoy your week!