My Top 5 Summer Purchases

I feel like recently, I've been starting just about every blog post with an apology for a lack of posts...

I have no excuses this time; I've been working 9-5, and I figured I'd have time in the evenings and weekends to spend on writing... but it turns out I can nap a whole lot. I realised earlier that my last post was over a month ago (I thought it was like last week, I've been pretty bad), so I've kicked myself into gear.

I haven't done one of my beloved lists in a while, so here are my five favourite purchases of the summer (so far!):

1. Blue Eyelet Lace Up High Waist Skinny Jeans, New Look, £27.99

I love these jeans! I spotted them when I was in Glasgow a few weeks ago and wasn't sure about the whole lace-up look going on, but I couldn't stop thinking about them. I ended up back out in Glasgow the next week for work, so I went straight to New Look to pick up a pair and I have not been disappointed! I prefer the stretchy kind of fabric rather than hard denim jeans, and adore high waists - it feels weird wearing anything at my hips now, I wear them that often - so these are perfect :)

2. Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Highlighting Kit No.1, Boots, £6.99

I knoooooow. It was only a matter of months ago that I wrote a post totally blasting the idea of home bleaching, and I still wouldn't dare try to bleach the entirety of my hair again. But things were getting desperate; I'm at home on my little rock for the summer, the few hairdressers we have at home are all in high demand, and I'm never on the mainland long enough to get a patch test done right now. My original blonde from last year is now only coming up to the top of my ears, and despite trying to pass off my roots as being a dip dye look, I know fine that they're just roots. So, I went to Boots and sourced this:

I figured if it didn't work, then I'd just purchase a darker dye and go over it - totally responsible, I know! It works by pulling strands through the highlighter cap provided (which I loved, because I hate all these new "brush through" products!), applying the bleach, waiting between 15-90 minutes (this seemed like an incredibly vague time, so about 25 minutes worked for me), and then the usual wash out - and it was a success! I was so happy with the results. I'll probably do a full review later on to make up for my bashing of home dyes...

3. Essie Nail Polish in "Ballet Slippers"

I was forever doing my nails when I was younger, and for some reason I stopped when I was about 16, so I became determined to find a nice, natural shade that meant I had pretty-looking nails without being a ridiculous colour. Then one day I read an article about the Queen having this shade as her favourite, and I mean, what 20 year old doesn't look to the Queen as a style icon? I came across it in Boots and it looked pretty promising - and it definitely was! It's a lovely pale nude colour with a slight hint of pink (pink = instant winner), and my nails definitely look better for having it on. Plus it goes with anything I'm wearing!

4. H&M Off-the-Shoulder Blouse in White

A bit of a random one given that I've purchased waaay too many tops this summer, but this one is by far my favourite. I've been working in an office over the last few months, so I set out to find something I could wear that was acceptable there, but was also fashionable-looking enough. This definitely ticks both boxes! I loved it so much that I even took a 2010-style mirror selfie (featuring the lace-up jeans!), so there we go.

5. NYX Lid Lingerie Eye Tint

Another one I'll probably talk about more in depth later! I had no idea such a thing existed, but when I was visiting my friend in Lyon, she took me to a Monoprix and I was intrigued to see what they had in their NYX display - and came across these! I bought one to try out, and ended up going back the next day for more colours; it's incredibly lightweight when applying, and the colour comes through so well. Plus it stays on all day! I've never seen the range in the UK, but a Google search suggests that Boots might do them, so I'll definitely be on the lookout from now on!

Five Dresses for the Ultimate Baller

If you're a university/college student like myself, you'll be well aware that we're coming into ball season. Being someone who shies away from signing up to things, I've never really taken anything to do with events like these, but my uni's annual Sports Ball is happening next weekend and so I figured I'd at least go to one just to say I've been. **Side note - it's worth mentioning that I'm actually just gatecrashing this ball. I can't even remember the last time I took part in a sport of any kind, and I only ever break a sweat when I have to run downstairs to meet the Dominos delivery guy.**

Because of my lack of experience, and also the fact that my high school was too small to have a prom (boo), I had no idea what kind of outfit I'm expected to wear to this kind of thing. Turns out it's pretty formal, but with a three-course meal and a load of alcohol... so my next issue was trying to find a dress that could fit around these three factors! I'll probably do a bit about my outfit next week, but for now, I've shortlisted five of my favourite dresses I came across in my search :) (links are in the headings!)

1. Grey One Shoulder Maxi Dress, Missguided - £30

I was really close to ordering this dress at first, until I realised that they'd sold out in my size :( 

One of my worries was that I'd end up in something that looked way too formal, and a lot of the off-the-shoulder styles gave me that impression. Despite this, I felt like this dress's style manages to capture the whole "this is a fancy event, but I've still managed to play it cool" kind of vibe? I really love the colour too; I'm really into pastels, and so the fact that this shade is pretty light really drew me to it. I also liked that while the design isn't too OTT, there are little features within it that add a bit of a dramatic look. Much love!

2. Pearl Embellished Panelled Seamed Mini Dress, ASOS, £45

I liked this one just because it isn't the typical traditional style you'd normally opt for with these events, but it still manages to maintain a kind of formal prom style. I'm a huge fan of high necklines right now (bit late to the party, I wasn't into them at all when it burst back into fashion a while ago!) and I think the faux pearl embellishment is so pretty :) Totally would've gone for this one had it not been for the fact that there's a ceilidh at the ball, and so I had to consider the length of my dress - this was a huuuuge deciding factor for me, I'm an islander after all!

3. Jessica Wright Sequin Lace Maxi Dress, Lipsy, £90

So this one might be a little bit more pricey than the rest (subject to opinion of course, I'm a poor student haha), but it was one that I kept going back to and considering. Sadly I ended up having to accept that this style of dress never really suits me, albeit reluctantly. Part of my choice was due to the fact that I have a big love for lace; it manages to look really elegant while still keeping things simple, even with sequins!

4. Pink Lace Sequin Bardot Scallop Dress, Quiz, £36.99

I tried this dress on when I was searching for my own, and I absolutely adored it! It appears quite pink in the photo, but I'd say it's a tiny bit lighter in person. Again, the lace was what attracted me to it, but the only thing I was worried about was whether or not it would be too tight - it seemed pretty fitted on the hanger. Turned out, when I tried it on, it actually really complimented my shape (somehow) while also allowing room to move around comfortably. I was this close to buying it, before I decided to go for a longer style - still considering going back for it anyway!

5. Red Sweetheart Neck Bardot Tie Maxi Dress, Missguided, £35

Red isn't something I usually wear out of a fear of looking too over-the-top (as I said, pastels are my thing haha), but whenever I do wear it I always find that it suits me, so I figured I'd keep it in mind when searching. I actually struggled quite a bit to find a red dress in the kind of style I wanted - and this one wasn't necessarily what I had in mind - but I still really liked it! I'm into the Bardot style anyway, but I thought the tie variation made it look really cute. I also tend to stay away from plunging styles; I found that this dress manages to pull it off without being too daring. Again, one I'm still considering - I've got a week to change my mind!