Secret Beauty Hoarder: Graduation tips

After four years of student life i finally donned my cap and gown, whoop!

I had a very busy weekend, there were 9 family staying at my house - yes 9!- the weekend before the ceremony and it was beautiful to have everyone together. As you can imagine everything was a little rushed organising so many people but when i finally arrived the sun shone and i had a fabulous day.

There are a few tips i would like to share for graduation which i wish i had known previously. Some are self explanatory but with being so busy the weekend before i forgot a few things

Wear something you are comfortable in. Do not worry about what other people are wearing, just make sure you are wearing something that you feel nice in. I bought a selection of 'proper' graduation dresses, shirts pencil skirts, they did not flatter me at all and i would have been conscious all day. So i went with a Navy and flowery dress bought from Marks and Sparks for £20 in the sale. Actually i would say that 70% of the girls at my Uni went for smart but colourful dresses, you don't have to stick to black and white!
Do not over think your make up, try to look like you just a little more polished. I noticed lots of girls who had done their make up like they were going clubbing, this event is about you and your cleverness not a night on the tiles. They stood out but not in a good way, keep it neutral - saying that i went for pink lippy. That said i saw one girl with bright pink short hair, very loud dress and lots of piercings. She looked great - if you are a little more adventurous on a daily basis don't change yourself for this day, it is celebrating you as you are now.
I have naturally very straight hair and i knew under a cap it would make me look a little bit flat, but a friend with curly hair straightened hers so it did not look big. I would 100% recommend whatever style you choose avoid hair completely up, your hat will cover any elaborate styles at the back and you will look pretty bald on your pics. Also avoid making your hair too big on he top, i saw one girl taking out 20 pins from her perfectly back combed hair as her hat would not fit.
Take extra hair grips to hold your hat in place, i totally forgot to take any and my hat was slippy slidey - although you give measurements they are never going to be a perfect fit, the pins will give you some security while walking across the stage.
Get there EARLY! We were advised to get there an hour and a half before, that time goes nowhere - there is lots of queuing to be done, to register, collect gowns, pictures, parking... if you want to truly enjoy your day beat the crowds and have more time to be with your friends and family.
There really is some truth in the benefits of wearing a shirt - the buttons really help hold on your graduation hood. The hoods have teeny loops on the end of the V which fit around a button and secure them in place. This can be rectified by sewing a little button onto whatever you are wearing, i saw a few clever ladies had done this, i was jealous. I was constantly putting mine back into position and made it a chore to wear, get sewing!
Wear comfortable shoes, my shoes were not very pretty but were formal, comfy and i could walk in them easily. If you are not one of those girls (like me) who can wear 9 inch heels on a daily basis (like my cousin) i would not risk it for the day. I felt really sorry for beautiful clever girls stumbling across the stage because they are not used to higher heels.
And finally smile - you really deserve it. University is fun but it is blood hard - take this moment to shine.