MAC Lipstick | Brick o La Review

It has been quite a little while since I have done a new MAC lippy review for you and unfortunately there has been a reason, and it has not been sensibilities about money, revelations about finance or general practicalities, oh no it has actually been my disdain and overall experiences in MAC the last couple of times I have attempted (yes I do say attempted) to buy a MAC product from my local in Union Square, but that's an issue I will tackle another time as I fear we may be here all day!

On to lighter and brighter things, the ladies from work were so lovely as to gift me a MAC voucher for my birthday back in May and for what feels like a long time now, I have hummed, haaed and hoed about what exactly I wanted to buy. I had been thinking on beginning an eyeshadow palette, or purchasing one of their mascaras and I briefly toyed with the idea of starting my own MAC brush collection, but then I thought, 'who am I kidding? I want more lippy!'

So in the tradition and spirit of searching for a new shade I invented a few pretty clever excuses for reasons I needed pretty specific shades in my ever expanding collection. This time I needed a 'golden berry colour' to warm up my summer without going to autumn / winter, much like my shade Party Line....basically and in short I wanted a light everyday red! Having previously fallen in love with the Beauty Collections, ' Call the Hairdresser ' but after a string of bad luck and poor timing it just seemed it wasn't meant to be I found my match in the form of Brick o La which according to Mac is a 'mid toned berry red' just up my street for summer.

Part of their amplified creme range, this colour is highly pigmented and doesn't dry out your lips as I hear matte Mac shades are pretty notorious for. This range isn't new to me, I'd say I have played it pretty safe as 3 of my other shades have an amplified creme finish, I'm not sure what is it, it's perhaps the allure of the shade going on to the brush or how slick the colours look in their tubes, either way  I'm always wary and a bit put off by how dry and used the matte testers look. As I say I love the feeling of this lippy on and it isn't drying at all and tends to last an entire evening on the town with say one minor touch up if you're wining and dining!

The shade itself I feel really 'pops' against my pale complexion and comes out as more of a burnt / golden red, which is exactly what I was looking for. I very rarely now wear a lipstick without a liner as I usually think this is how you can really make the most of the colour and you can get some amazing effects and colour combinations and really just have a little fun with it, but in this case the colour is so deep and pigmented you really don't need a thing. Although to style this for a night on the town or special occasion, as I recently have, I use Rimmel's 'Red Diva' liner to line and fill in my lips which just offers a bit more depth to the colour.

This is a shade I really think is going to get a fair bit of use throughout the rest of summer and during my upcoming summer 'va-cay' should it be cool enough that it doesn't melt! What do you guys think of this shade? Whats your current make up / lippy obsession, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below! Otherwise I hope you have enjoyed this review, as you've seen I have been trying to cut down on my Mac reviews so as not to bore you too much, but bear with me ladies and gents it is a process!! Be sure to leave your thoughts below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to keep up with the latest posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, heading down Mac's brick o la road.

H.Elizabeth x

Aberdeen Events | Coast to Coast Launch Night

As you guys have probably guessed, I love food, I mean who doesn't love food? Anyway, just thought I would do a quick little life update / post to let you know about this (fingers crossed) awesome event I will be attending this evening in Aberdeen to celebrate the launch of Union Square's brand new restaurant Coast to Coast. 

Coast to Coast are an American style restaurant and bar who opened in Aberdeen a couple of weeks ago now I believe and from the outside look a bit like the Filling Station so I'm looking forward to see how the food compares. The invitation promises an evening of fine food and drink with some entertainment sprinkled in with a bit of philanthropy thrown in there too so there seems to be something for everyone and I'm super excited to have been asked along.

I must say so far I have been loving the events Aberdeen and particularly Union Square have been able to put together this year in terms of food and beauty, I really feel like the Granite City have upped their game when it comes to keeping things interesting for the locals.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on the evening and of course you can keep up with the party on goings and happenings on my instagram feed @granite_city_girl or as always you can keep up with my chatter on Twitter and the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm going costal.

H.Elizabeth x

Scrub a dub dub | Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub Review

After bumping a little bit of this product from my friends shower a few weeks ago, yes really and I am terribly sorry but I couldn't resist, I have been obsessed and quite honestly on the hunt for one of these to call my own, yep from the title you've guessed it, it's the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub and I am head over heels!

Ever since my courtship with Soap and Glory began all of those years ago I have forever been a scrub em and leave em type of girl, the cleanliness and soapiness of the fragrance enticed me in and from then I have been a goner, swearing I would try nothing exfoliation wise every again. Oh boy was I wrong, it's safe to say now I'm a Sugar Crush convert and this is one infatuation that's built to last.

Upon opening the Sugar Crush body scrub I wouldn't blame you if you thought it looked more like a chip n dip than a beauty product, but don't let first impressions and looks deceive you there's more to this little goodie than meets the eye. Boasting a make up of fresh lime, lemons, vanilla musk and almond oil with exfoliating properties like sea salt and brown sugar and moisturising agents like macadamia oil (I'm a sucker for skin oils!) Sugar Crush will leave your arms, legs, elbows, booty and general body buffed to a high sheen and silky smooth.

The lemon and lime properties are what really make the shower experience come alive, particularly in the mornings, afterwards you feel so energized and awake it's hard not to fall in love as well of course to be ready to greet the day. I now use this scrub twice a week, usually after my weekly hair minimizing rituals and it leaves me feeling smooth for days and ready to take on the world - now can your shower scrub do that?! I follow this with my trusty nivea moisturiser and I'm good to go!

Whats next for Granite City Girl and Soap and Glory? I don't know, perhaps I may venture forth into shower gels and moisturising creams but we shall see, what is your favourite Soap and Glory product? I'd love to hear what your picks from the brand are! Be sure to leave a comment below, come share your faves with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to see more from me be sure to follow the blog on Bloglovin'

Until next time folks, scrub a dub dub.

H.Elizabeth x

   

Granite City Fashion | Cocktails with the Girls

Can you believe it has been over eight months since one of these posts has been published on this very blog? Well what can I say I've been roaming the Granite City as a nudist and haven't had very much in the way of styling, so in light of my newly found clothes and obsession with the summer sales that have suddenly came into play I thought I would share a what I wore post revolving around my recent dinner and night out with the girls in Dundee because I must say I was pretty pleased with myself!

What I wore on my body

Whistles Jumpsuit - John Lewis Sale

This has to be one of my favourite purchases as late, I got it for the bargain price of £48 in the John Lewis sale, marked down from £120, who cares about last season right?!? It may not look like much but the fit and shape of this jumpsuit when I wear it is just perfect. Truth be told I have completely given up on trying to fit in with the summer shades, in style patterns and seasonal trends, I have fully embraced the dark side if you will and now focus on the style and cut of clothing rather than what the magazines are telling me is 'in' this month. Statement pieces for all seasons I say! 

Statement Necklace - Lisa's Wardrobe! 

No, sadly this isn't the name of a boutique, though I imagine if she did happen to open one from her wardrobe she could make a killing! As you guys undoubtedly know by now I'm pretty rubbish with accessories and jewellery and such and tend to just wear the same thing on a daily basis, but what can I say, inspiration struck Lisa seeing my jewel-less self and the rest as they say is history!

What I wore on my head and face

 

Head - Backcombed Pony

Having been told this looked 'mental but in a good way' I had to somehow sneaksy this hairstyle into a post, despite not actually getting a decent picture - ain't that just the way though. This style is super messy and super easy to do, and bonus for getting all of this hair out of my face for an entire evening. All you need is a bobble, hairbrush and thousands of kerbie grips, and you wish I was kidding!

How I made my face
Eyes -    L'Oreal Colour Riche Liner
              Benefit's 'Roller Lash Mascara'
              Make Up Revolution Iconic 2 Shadow Palette (1 & 8)

              Eyelure Enchanted Lashes in Posie

Brows - Sleek Brow Palette 'Light'

Face -    Smashbox Primer 

              MAC Pro Longwear Foundation NW15

              Collection concealer in Cool Medium

              Smashbox Contour Powders

Lips -     Rimmels Red Diva Liner

              MAC Brick o La Amplified Creme Lipstick

We had such a lovely chilled out time in Dundee and we looked 'too glam to give a damn' doing it (sorry guys I have recently discovered that phrase and have been looking to sneak that in for weeks!) I hope you enjoyed reading this post and having a nosy in my wardrobe as much as I enjoyed writing it, please let me know what you thought in the comments below and of course if you have your own OOTD posts those are one of my favourites to read or look at rather so be sure to leave me those links. As usual I look to respond to every comment left so be sure to drop your below, come chat with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more of my postings and hostings come find me on Bloglovin'

Until next time folks, feeling too glam to give a damn (yes thats right twice in one post!)

H.Elizabeth x

#Hayfever Problems | Things people with hayfever are sick of hearing

In case you hadn't guessed from the title of this post, I am a hayfever sufferer, and I stress the word suffer with great emphasis and general pain, because I honestly don't think this is stressed ENOUGH throughout summer! Every year, without fail, ever since I was seventeen years old I have been foiled by the countless television adverts and magazine articles on the build up of summer, how amazing it's going to be, how warm, how stylish and oh so disney-esque and wonderful, but when it does come, it feels like the firey, itchy inferno where dreams of carefree summers go to die as I'm struck down with the plight of my hayfever yet again!

So in light of how depressing and generally sniffly, itchy and painful my summers are I thought why not share this joy with you lovely people on the blogosphere and keep you safe out there, safe not from pollen, oh no, safe from those you are potentially, in fact, if you don't suffer with hayfever, really I mean safe from those you will undoubtedly anger from the following phrases they really don't want to hear right now:

#1 Have you tried Benadryl?
What you really should be asking seasonal sufferers is if there is anything they haven't tried, trust me this disease is so irritating we've tried everything, eye-drops, nasal sprays, plug ins for the house, showering twice (sometimes thrice daily) so by asking if we have tried the most common hayfever relief on the market, all you're really asking for is a swift kick in the nads.

#2 Try eating local honey
This does not work. Trust me I've tried all of the tricks, and I don't even like honey, so really I subjected myself to months of spoons of warm honey and lemon water, honey in cereal and even honey on toast for naught!

#3 It's because you don't eat the right kinds of foods
Diet has a great deal to answer for, somehow all of the 'health blogs' of the world have it in their heads diet is the cure for all of your ailments, well let me tell you this honey, my diet is A - OKAY - I eat healthily, barely ever drink and still I sneeze.

#4 It's because you don't exercise enough
See above and apply to exercise.

#5 Just stop itching

Really its the only very naive who think this is helpful, and all I can really do is tilt my head and say 'really?!'

#6 Why don't you go to the doctors?
Have you ever tried walking in to your doctors office with a case of hayfever? I have, thrice! The outcome is always the same, a new tablet that does little to nothing to help me but is somehow 'as strong as you get' every time, or sometimes you're practically laughed out and told to come back with a 'real illness'

#7 Why don't you get rid of your outdoor cat or just keep her inside?
Perhaps the most infuriating and narrow minded of all - yes, in fact why don't I just live inside a bubble and wait out the summer!? Better yet I'll seal myself off from all human contact because believe it or not pollen grains don't just cling to fur it's all over yo face!

#8 My hayfever is so much worse
Great, let me blow your nose and itch your eyes since you have it so much worse. I don't care!

#9 You look awful
What's next comments about my weight and shape? No matter the time of the year, how swollen, puffy and red my face gets it's never an invitation to comment on my appearance, least of all when I KNOW how I look, not only does it look terrible, it feels terrible.

#10 Hayfever isn't that bad
Ignorance truly is bliss and if this statement doesn't sum it up for all you seasonal sufferers, then I don't know what will. Pass judgement on things you know, like being a douche!

Alas the hunt continues, today I can merely dream of a day where outdoor BBQ's don't bed me for days, a day where I can open my windows freely in summer with only the fear of bees coming in to launch an all out war in my home, and a day where I can cuddle my hairy baby freely without sneezing, itching, oozing and wheezing. So now that you guys have that lovely mental picture I'll bid you farewell - off to my icy tower of concealment where pollen goes to die. Be sure to leave your (helpful hayfever) comments below, come share your thoughts with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to keep up with the latests be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm off where summer dreams go to die!

H.Elizabeth

Granite City Girl and the #BloggersBlogAwards

Hello everyone, coming at you with something a little different today revolving around, yep you guessed it, the Bloggers Blog Awards. Since as many have said the Cosmo Blog Awards seem to have done a disappearing act this year undoubtedly in favour of the more recent in social trends it seems we bloggers have banned together and came up with our very own sort of bloggers choice awards.

Spearheaded by Hayley of Tea Party Beauty and with categories ranging from long the best long standing blog and takes recognition of all of the little newbies and part timers like me. I feel like awards like these mean so much more than being awarded from a big conglomerate or corporation as it means something that little bit more to be nominated by your peers and you know it's just all round nice!

So in light of all of that if you have been reading Granite City Girl from the very beginning and have like what you have seen so far I'd love it if you'd give me a nom in the 'Best Up & Coming Lifestyle Blog' category.

For more information and to vote for your bloggery favourites head on over to Hayley's blog Tea Party Beauty

BLOGGERS BLOG AWARDS CATEGORY RULES

Best Long Standing Blogs
Bloggers who have been blogging for MORE than 18 months from 1^st July 2015. Must be UK based & have at least post published from 1^st July 2015
Best Up & Coming Blogs
Bloggers who have been blogging for LESS than 18 months from 1^st July 2015. Must be UK based & have at least post published from 1^st July 2015
Best International Blogs
Blogs of any age, must be based OUTSIDE the UK & have at least post published from 1^st July 2015
Best Social Media Account by a Blogger
This can be any form of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.

Until next time folks, you can om nom nom for your favourites.

 

 

H.Elizabeth x

Beauty How To | How to (correctly) apply false eyelashes

Lets be honest folks, this post has been a long time coming. It seems these days I can't go anywhere without somebody asking me how to apply falsies from friends and family members to the girl washing my hair at the hairdressers. So I thought given the increase in you folks asking I would do a quickie tutorial to give you a little helping hand and I can almost promise you that by following these simple steps you'll be lash wearing pros!

Often I find people say to me, 'Oh I just CAN'T put on false eyelashes, can you do it for me?' and instead of doing it for them (as this serves to be even more difficult - imagine someone coming towards your eyeball with glue and something furry...) I actually watch them try to apply them to see where they're going wrong, and usually it's nothing to do with the actual application of the lash but the duration of the glue setting time that appears to be the issue. So today I'm going to act as lash guru extraordinaire and talk you through just how to apply false eyelashes without the faff!

Now just before I get in to the nitty gritty here are some relatively common sense tips I have learned (often the hard way) Never put glue directly on to your natural lashes or lid, if you are going to be wearing eye make up that day apply it prior to your lashes and touch up afterwards, for a more natural look I recommend putting a thin layer of black liner along your lash line and finally always make sure the smaller lashes on the line are along your inner corner.  Pick your lashes and you're all set to go.

1. Carefully remove the lashes from the lash tray, most people recommend taking them off directly with tweezers but I pick gently at the corners of the lashes until they wiggle free. (You otherwise risk yanking clumps of the lashes off thus ruining your lashes before application)

2. Shake the small glue you will have been given as it can be quite runny in consistency when you first open it. Apply a relatively thin line of glue to the lash line only, you should have as much for it to be noticeable but not dripping off. Put the lash down on a clean and clear counter space then apply your glue to the other lash. (Giving the glue a chance to dry ever so slightly and become 'tacky')

3. Hold your first glued lash in the middle of the last and place along the centre of your natural lash securing that along your original lash line. Adjust according to your own lash line and press down gently. To adjust it slightly when secure you can push the inner and outer corner - it shouldn't come off but it will make the lashes more comfortable. Repeat the process with your second lash and you're good to go!

Stage 2 is usually where most people go wrong and they often think the sticky mess they've created all over their face and lashes is because they are missing a steady hand but the trick really is getting things right with the glue. These tips should work on all types of lashes you buy in store but just for disclaimer purposes I am using Eyelure Limited Edition Enchanted in the style 'Poise' at the moment, I use these on a near daily basis and if taken care of properly these will last me for about a month.

Okay guys I really hope you have found this 'how to' guide helpful in some way, shape or form and of course I would love to see your eyelash efforts so be sure to share your thoughts, tricks and tips in the comments below, come share your experiences with me on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more from me you can follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, batting my perfectly applied lashes.

H.Elizabeth

Granite City Summer | Happy Snaps

TOP L - R: Our honeymoon in Paris and our jaunt to Disneyland
MID 1 L - R: After completing the Colour Me Rad 5K in Aberdeen and straightening up our flat
MID 2 L - R: Taking on a BooTea tox and a trip to the theatre
BOTTOM L - R: My brand new spectacles (in love!) and off seeing Elton outdoors at the AECC!

As we're (I'm) still easing back into this whole blogging malarkey after my blogging hiatus I thought that rather than explaining myself in full and generally boring you to tears with every little thing that has happened and gone on in my life I thought I would just share a few of my recent snaps from May - June that show some Granite City Girl highlights shall we say. I am of course planning on doing a little bit more about Paris, what we saw, what we did and how we got on in the city of lurve but I wanted to save those juicy bits for another time!

Just in case you were wondering these snaps are all from my Instagram feed, you can find me @granite_city_girl but as you know you can also find me on Twitter and Bloglovin if you want to see more of my face.

Until next time folks you know where to find me.

H.Elizabeth

#KeepTheBan | Save the hunting act

Hello everyone, so today I just wanted to share a quick post today on a petition I have signed by change.org regarding the #KeepTheBan hashtag. As I'm sure those of you in Britain are all aware we are facing an animal welfare crisis in the UK at the moment with members of parliament attempting to abolish the Hunting Act therefore legalising fox hunting. As I'm writing this today you have until tomorrow to express your support, ring your local MP, sign the online petition here or demonstrate your support by helping the #KeepTheBan hastag trending. You have until tomorrow (Wednesday the 15th of July) to sign this petition, please do if you think fox hunting is a barbaric and outdated activity that really ought to be a public issue.

Granite City Child | Childhood Quirks and Musings

One of my favourite programmes on television has got to be You've Been Framed particularly the cat and children segments because they do and say the funniest things, in fact it has quickly become one of my favourite past times to watch such videos on You Tube and I could literally waste hours laughing myself into a sleepy stupor with my iPad, and most nights I often do! But as you know, writing inspiration strikes in the damnest places and I thought it might be fun to share some of the sillier things I remember from my childhood that I used to think were true or real or just generally some silliness.

1) Before the age of 5 I used to call a dressing gown a 'gasshing goon' which now saying it out loud as an adult sounds like a wound or something quite disturbing to say the least. I'm not entirely sure why I thought this or said it like this but it just happened to be one of my earliest quirks.

2) When I was much younger my family rented the animated version of Charlotte's Web in which at the end (spoilers) Charlottes' babies (spiders in case you didn't know) fly away on little parachutes leaving Wilbur alone with only 1 baby spider left (who can't fly)... and I literally thought baby spiders were born with little webbed parachutes attached to them. The fact they didn't in fact fly away when they hatch was only brought to my attention 2 years ago, needless to say my reality was shattered and I was also slightly relieved!

3) I used to think that when I hit the age of 16 that I would magically become tanned with long blonde hair just like Barbie because that's what most girls were in the movies and of course that's what Barbie and Britney had! (This is a sad state of affairs for beauty standards in children!)

4) As a kid I used to think you could get sucked down the drain when you took the plug out of a bath - this is due to a very poorly constructed episode of Sesame Street (or the Muppets) in which the baby is sucked down the drain.

5) Whenever I was getting something taken off over my head for example a vest or jumper I used to scream, and I don't just mean a little, I mean blue murder! Again I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen, but I still do this if I get stuck in a dress in New Look or somewhere the clothes are ridiculously small... (true story)

Well guys I hope my little life musings have cheered you up today, my reminiscing has cheered me up no end and I have to say that these little quirks and musings are what I'm looking forward to seeing when I have my own kids some day, you know as long as the quirks aren't loud or disgusting...

 

 

As always if you have enjoyed this post be sure to leave your comments below, I would love to hear if you had any childhood quirks or just plain stupid things you used to say or do as they make me smile, or of course if you'd just like to keep up with me and the latest Granite City Girl posts you can catch me on the Twittersphere or the blog in Bloglovin'

Until next time folks, I'll be chilling in my gasshing goon (which thankfully does not go over my head!)

H.Elizabeth x

Blogging | Back to the Drawing Board

Bonjourno to all of you reading (procrastinating) as you can probably tell from the title of this post it is another little update for all of you who do tune in week on week and care about my ramblings, musings and general goings on of the Granite City Girl and today I'm afraid we're going to get a little bit real with ourselves (me) and add a little note on taking on more than you can handle.

As you'll have known if you've been reading these last couple of months have been a little bit difficult between all of the events, life moments and holidays we have been preparing for (yes I know, it's a hard life!) I just haven't been able to give my little corner of the internet the time and dedication I feel it deserves and so I'm bringing myself back down to Earth in the coming months and getting back to basics, in that I am going to be limiting my posts to twice a week once again because it's just a bit more practical between work and a few other exciting life developments. Remember that you can also keep up with me on Twitter and Bloglovin for your daily dose of Hannah!

Until next time folks, we're going back to basics.

H.Elizabeth x