THE PRICE OF A PROM*

Prom is becoming a very big thing for all teen school leavers in the UK. Each year, the amount that people spend on prom in the UK is increasing significantly. You would be surprised to hear the price of prom for many young teens. As I am in year 11 and have finished my GCSEs, I have just had prom too. I have to admit that it was a lot more 'fancy' and extravagant than I had actually anticipated it being. Ours took place in a very posh hotel with a buffet which consisted of very delicate food. The tables were also decorated very elegantly with wine glasses, a white table cloth and tiny little stars scattered all over the table. It was more jazzy than anything I have ever been to. I felt like a princess for a few hours. We stood out on the balcony with the sun shining down on us all. It was truly beautiful.

I wore a quite plain outfit, not the typical prom dress, but I still felt prom-worthy. I chose not to wear a dress due to the fact that a dress isn't what I wanted. I wanted something pretty but not a dress. On that basis, I decided to get a jumpsuit. Obviously, it is not the traditional thing to do, but I did receive many complements with people saying that they loved it! I definitely felt much more confident in it then I would have in a dress. I guess it is all personal opinion. All that mattered to me was that I was comfortable and content with how I looked.

Prom took up a lot of time before the 'big day', although I didn't faff around with all of the spray tanning and getting my makeup done. On the Wednesday before prom I had my nails done. I had a pink neutral gel nail on my fingers and a similar normal colour on my toes. On Thursday afternoon I had my hair done. I had a little bow with some curls and it was very pretty; small but elegant. My outfit was from Quiz and only cost about £37, which is very cheap for a prom dress. My shoes were from New Look and were about £35, which is also not a bad price. In total I spent about £143 on prom, including the prom ticket. That does seem like an extortionate amount, but I know for a fact now that it is actually quite a small sum compared to others.

Although we all think of the US as the 'big prom leaders', I think that the UK are beginning to catch up. Prom prices are increasing fast and dresses are becoming more glitz and glam. I don't really know if there is a difference between the US and UK proms anymore. Some research from MyVoucherCodes that I came across shows that in the UK, the average price spent on a prom is between £50 and £100. Compared to the US, which is between $75 and $150, this shows that the UK are catching up with them in terms with how much we spend on prom outfits. Along with those statistics it shows that 15% of people in the UK and US spend over £300 and $300 on outfits.

It is just crazy to think how much people will fork out for a prom that lasts a night. This research also found out what prom dresses people planned to buy - 26% wanted designer, 18% wanted a custom outfit and 10% were looking for hand made dresses. I would guess that this is probably why so many girls spend such a large amount of money on prom outfits. Typically, girls tend to spend more on prom than boys. Fake tan, nails, hair and makeup claims half of the money for the girls, while the boys tend to just get a suit and sometimes get their hair done. If you want to read more about this topic, here is the article I used - click here

Although prom can be very expensive, it is definitely one of the most enjoyable and memorable moments to look back on! It is a time that you will never forget. How much would you spend on a prom? What do you think your budget would be?

THE BODY SHOP BASE

If there is one brand I know will never let me down, it is definitely The Body Shop! I am drawn into their products anyway because they do not test on animals (give me a hey for animal equality), but as well as that, their ranges are just beautiful. The Body Shop has been my favourite since a very young age. My Nan actually used to sell their products so I guess I am a bit biased. Anyhow, in the Body Shop, you will never find a product that isn't adapted to benefit your skin in one way. It is the perfect place for all skin types.

Having combination skin, I really struggle with finding decent foundations and skincare products because they just either don't sit on my skin right or just make my skin look especially oily. I can never win, it's a lose-lose situation. I get myself into such a muddle when I can't find what it is I am forever dreaming about.

For example, yesterday I went searching for a prom foundation just to feel a bit more glamorous on the big day, but obviously I couldn't find one I liked. After about 2 hours of searching around the whole of Boots and Superdrug, I ended up in The Body Shop. Tah-dah, of course they had a specific range for my skin type. The lady recommended that I try the BB Cream, and she tried a few products on me. She cleansed my face with the sea weed range (good for combination skin) and it felt so good to have fresh skin and finally have someone who not just knew what she was doing, but also understood my skin type, and my struggles.

I ended up purchasing a very glamorous looking set of base products. They have been nothing but perfect for my skin. I wore all of these products for prom and I received so many compliments. They are all very natural looking and provide an illuminated look.

All-In-One Face Base
The all-in-one face base is one of The Body Shop's most popular make-up products, and I definitely know why! It is even better than the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I have never changed my powder, once I had discovered the Rimmel one I didn't want to try anymore. However, I can happily say that I have been through a conversion, and I couldn't be more content.

This product is described as 'a foundation and powder in one neat compact.' It can be used wet to make a medium coverage foundation or dry as a powder. This is ideal for my skin because it provides a matte finish which soaks up any extra oil produced by your skin. It is perfect for the summer when we all produce a lot more oil. The formula leaves a very soft feeling base, perfect for those who like the matte look. It also gives a bit more coverage for foundations or bases that don't provide enough.

All-In-One BB Cream
The BB cream is a light formula, white colored with skin colour adapting pigments.  When applied at first it is white, but once rubbed into the skin, it adapts to the skin colour. The BB cream doesn't gather on my skin and adapts to my skin tone perfectly. It is very natural looking because it doesn't have an orange tint, which is just what I was looking for. It leaves an even finish and provides a light to medium coverage, which is perfect for everyday use! This is what makes it so different from many drugstore foundations.

Being a BB cream it is also moisturising and better for your skin than foundations. It claims to provide 24-hour hydration, and I do believe that is true! Even though I get oily parts on my face, I don't find that this BB cream makes me any more oily (like I have found with some). It just gives my skin a healthy glow. I use the powder to soak up any natural skin oil that doesn't look appealing.

All-In-One Concealer
Once again, I am so glad that I came across this concealer. I also have friends who love this concealer, but I wasn't quite sure about paying £8.50 as I only usually use the cheaper Rimmel concealer. I can happily say that this concealer is definitely worth the price. It covers blemishes and spots perfectly. It has a suitably creamy formula which makes it perfect to blend into the skin without clumping or gathering on top of the skin. I found that it lasted for a good 8 hours yesterday. It is not usual to find a concealer that lasts that long. The formula also contains Vitamin E and Marula Oil which is a huge advantage for your skin. It is a super caring formula. It is also a very light-weight but high coverage product. Perfect for all skin types.

All together, I can honestly say that The Body Shop is a brand that I can always depend on, especially with my troublesome skin! When I am having a little panic, I always find what it is I am looking for in The Body Shop. Another advantage is The Body Shop card - I managed to get a £5 free gift in this purchase because I had obtained 4 stamps. That definitely works to entice me back into the store when I am considering going elsewhere. Although I do love The Body Shop, some times I am looking for something slightly different. If you haven't got a Body Shop card, I would recommend that you get one. They are very useful and it's so easy to collect stamps. 

A SUMMER SMOOTHIE!

I have got to admit that smoothies are one of my favourite things about summer...they're so refreshing! I love waking up in the morning, after a long and lazy lie in, grabbing some fresh or frozen fruit and blending it up with a bit of ice cream and milk. It provides the perfect start to a summers day! My favourite smoothie flavour is raspberry, but I have to admit that I haven't tried a large variety as of yet. It is my goal for the summer to try different flavours to find a favourite! I must do it because I can already tell that I am missing out on a whole other world of flavours. 

I made this smoothie the other day. It is a bit different from the usual ones I make, however, it was just as delicious. I used: frozen raspberries and blackberries, blueberry yoghurt, milk and coconut yoghurt! First, I combined the frozen raspberries and blueberry yoghurt and then added a tiny bit of milk just to make it easier to drink and pour. It was a bit like ice cream consistency before I added milk. After, I poured the smoothie into a cup and then topped it off with some coconut yoghurt (it goes really well). I then topped it with a few more raspberries and blackberries. It was delicious!

What smoothie flavours would you recommend? I need to make a list of smoothies to try, so I would really like it if you could recommend some to me! I like most fruits, so some strange combinations would be cool to try! What is your favourite?

P.s. Once again, apologies for not having a regular blogging routine recently. I have been very busy with exams and haven't had chance to write any posts. However, I have plenty planned for the summer, so watch this space!