End of an Era

I have a rather special OOTD to share with you all today so I really hope you like it!

Last night was my Graduation Ball held at the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and it was (I know I use this word a lot) amazing!

For those of you that have been following my blog you will know that I have been panicking so much about finding a dress over the last few weeks but, lo and behold, I managed to find one eventually! So please forgive my self-indulgence, as this post contains a lot of photos, but I had such a great night and as I don't get dressed up like this very often I figure I might as well make the most of it.

Here's the dress I finally went for...

I love it so much. I got it from a Karen Millen outlet where it was reduced from £200 to £55, which I don't think is too bad at all. I have tried so many on over the last few weeks, and I know that in most of them I would have had to have breathed in all night or kept pulling them up, and I really didn't want that. This one was great because it was floaty it I didn't have to worry about any of that. I also love the dress because of the colour. The orange is really eye catching and the gold detailing (sequins, beads and chains) around the top adds a bit of interest. I think I was one of only a couple of people out of 800 wearing orange, so I felt different which is what I really wanted. I thought maybe the dress wouldn't be 'ball-y' enough, but as it was, dresses ranged from simple summer dresses to full on ball gowns, so I fitted in just fine!

I planned on selling the dress on ebay after I'd worn it, but I enjoyed wearing it so much that I think I'm going to hang on to it for a while!

I had my make up done for free at the Clinique counter in Boots. I only really went in for them to try out foundation on me, but the lady ended up doing the whole thing! I really loved the foundation she used. The 'Superbalanced Make Up' covered up all my blemishes and gave a really even finish, but still felt really light and my skin could breathe. I loved the look at a whole, because it was really fresh and pretty, and still subtle (I'm not really a fan of garish make up).

Here's a close up of my eyes. The lady filled in my eyebrows, which I have never done before but it made such a big difference, I will definitely do it again. She used mainly bronze colours, but a hint of 'Indigo Quickliner' on my bottom eyelid. When she first suggested indigo I was horrified, but I actually think it looked really good, and brought out the blue of my eyes.

Here you can see my eyelids better. Look at my eyelashes - they've never been so long!

I wasn't sure what colour nails to go for so I asked my boyfriend who suggested grey, and I have to say it was an inspired choice! (Not that there was any real thought behind his suggestion - I know he just guesses and hopes for the best). I used Collection 2000 Hot Looks nail varnish in 'Wham!' It gave quite a matt finish and I think it went really well with the orange of my dress, although I would probably have never thought of it myself (Erin 0, Boyfriend 1).

Because my dress was pretty bright, I kept things simple jewellery-wise. I just wore a bracelet I got in the Miss Selfridge sale for £2 which has a pearl, gold heart and black bow, and my mum's old engagement ring which she gave to me which I think is gorgeous and only wear on really special occasions.

So that's pretty much my whole outfit! What do you guys think? What are you planning on wearing for any balls / proms / parties you've got coming up this summer?

I have to say I loved my whole outfit sooooooo much! It was one of those rare occasions that I really felt good in what I was wearing and wanted lots of photos taken! I've put a few more pics below just in case you fancy taking a look at what my friends were wearing and what the place was like. As I've already said the Botanical Gardens were really beautiful, with so much to explore and great backgrounds for photos!

Here's me and my boyfriend. I think he looks rather dapper!

This is me with 3 of my best girl friends who I think all looked really pretty. How well does my friend Dani on the right's bag match her dress?! (And it was from Primark - bargain! - but sssshhh, don't tell anyone!)

The boys found a play area! They may have nearly graduated but they are still little boys at heart!

I have loads of photos from last night and know that in years to come they'll bring back such great memories. I'm starting to get a little bit emotional just thinking about it! The night finished off with a beautiful fireworks display as the class of 2010 made their way home.

All in all a crazy, emotional, funny night out (with a nice outfit) - what more could you ask for?!

xx