Wand Wars | Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara VS. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Though I am a false lash fanatic and have been now for many, many years I am still partial to 'false lash' effect mascaras and love trying new brushes, formulas and brands. So it was no surprise that when I found myself with two highly coveted samples from two of the beauty worlds heavy weight brands one thing sprang to mind instantly. Wand wars! (what else?)

After quite an extensive haul from Sephora in Barcelona last year I found myself being gifted with a plethora of products including the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara original (RRP £19.00). Admittedly this was something on my list to try out 'one day' anyway however being a Benefit Roller Lash girl through and through I decided not to purchase the full size Better than Sex Mascara - but was of course chuffed to have a sample to give a whirl before committing fully. 

The big pull for this mascara seems to not only be the formula itself, but their unique brush applicator, which has an 'hourglass' shape inspired by Hollywood Bombshells of the golden era. The carbon black mascara with its collagen rich formula promises full, defined lashes that take your lashes to all new lengths. Too Faced say that you can achieve three different looks depending on how many coats you decide to give your lashes - I decided to try all three and I felt for me 2 light coatings was quite enough - lest you risk getting into spider lash territory. I love the way the formula and brush feels on my lashes and the feel of the brush - unlike the Roller Lash which, if you catch your skin or eye is VERY sore, my only peeve would be how flaky it can be if you accidentally use too much and it'll go all over your face, otherwise, I give this mascara two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Again I then found myself at Christmas buying a special edition box from Urban Decay which included a whole host of new and old product samples, lip gloss, eyeshadow, blushers and of course a sample of their Perversion Mascara (RRP £19.00). This product wasn't something I'd heard terribly much about, however when I opened it up for the first time quite recently, I kind of fell in love with the brush. Full of soft bristles and with a great tube that handily removed much of the product before application, for that alone I was pretty impressed.

With this mascara Urban Decay promise, bigger, blacker, badder lashes through their ultra creamy formula and to deliver great length and volume, and the big, big pull? It 'glides' on in one stroke! I found that the formula was quite 'wet' in comparison to the Too Faced one and took a while to dry - so if you're prone to blinking right after applying mascara then maybe this one isn't for you - unless of course you enjoy the clean up...and panda eyes! I wouldn't say you need as much of this mascara to achieve a similar look to what you get using the Better than Sex formula and due to the creamy, wet feeling formula it doesn't go clumpy in the same way. 

Would I purchase a full size of either? Yes I would, however which one I would recommend definitely depends on the type of person you are - if you like a quite make up routine then Better than Sex is for you - if like me, you don't mind spending a little more time on your routine, and can afford to be a bit more careful then I'd definitely go for Perversion. (Though I may buy Better than Sex JUST for the tube because come on it's beautiful!

Sorry if with a title like wand wars you were expecting a wizarding story of epic proportions but you guys know that's not how I roll! Have you ever tried the mascaras above? If so I'd love to hear what you thought of them - or maybe theres something out there even better than them, let me know in the comments below, come sneak the links to me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see me play with make up a bit more you can find me on Instagram and more of my words on Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Blogging Pet Peeves | Beauty Edition

You may remember back in the times of yore when I wrote a post ranting about my biggest blogging pet peeves. From overly obvious tweet and social media scheduling to auto DMs and of course straight up stealing images and fellow bloggers work to further your own blogging platform, there is a great deal to be peeved about when it comes to blogging in general. However, recently I have found myself becoming increasingly annoyed by the beauty blogging community so today in order to therapeutically cleanse myself of these thoughts, feelings and annoyances and maybe pass some of them along to you!

No swatches

More often than not I'm quite drawn to blogs with beautiful imagery. I am a sucker for a good, well lit product shot despite having never quite mastered the art myself, but there is one thing a beauty blogger can do when taking photographs that will make me instantly click off, unlike, unfollow and never return again. No. Swatches. It's all well and good telling me how amazing the pigment on your new eyeshadow is or how a lipstick's colour has changed your life, but if you don't show me then... it's all lies!!! Admittedly this is something that new beauty bloggers are perhaps not used to doing, however for seasoned pros surely this is just good practice?

'I was kindly sent this by Too Faced...' 

Psst...you forgot to add - 'in exchange for the money I paid for it,'

When this comes from a brand new beauty blogger with a small following you've got to know they're pulling your leg. I have seen countless young girls trying to draw folks in by saying, Anastasia Beverley Hills got in touch with me to review this product... yeah via an advert on Beauty Bay!

Review your damn hauls

I love a good haul post. I like a good nosy in my peers baskets, particularly when it comes to beauty and fashion. However some follow up would be great - or at least a little test of the product before posting your haul, else it's really just, 'hey guys I bought this,' and cue the crickets! 

Ever found yourself guilty of the above? Probably - I know as a beginner in both beauty and blogging I have been guilty of more than I would really care to admit - it's a learning process that is never ending.

What are some of your blogging pet peeves, beauty, lifestyle or otherwise? Be sure to share your peeves and comments in the box below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd just like to see who I'll write another peevey post about next then make sure you're following me on Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Three Wishes | Luxury Beauty Wishlist

Have you ever thought about what you'd wish for if you found a genie....I of course mean if genies existed (cough) I've often had musings about this myself, from being gifted unlimited riches, to ensuring my loved ones never fall ill to any sort of ailment, to you know having a long lost relative come find me and tell me I am the rightful ruler of Genovia. Sometimes granted, my wishes can be quite extravagant but sometimes we could all use a little luxury. So with that in mind, and given my obsession for all things beauty and make up I thought it would be fun to share my current three wishes when it comes to luxury beauty items available right now.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Pillow Talk Lipstick £24.00

Pillow talk is of course the lip liner that put Charlotte Tilbury on the map when it comes to cult beauty products. With the shade being hailed as a beauty gurus 'must have' and given that it suits ever skin type in the whole entire world, it isn't any wonder Charlotte has chosen to branch out with the shade into a matte lipstick colour, which naturally I need like yesterday!

Anastasia Beverley Hills Modern Renaissance Palette £41.00

Sold. Out. Everywhere. A couple of months ago I remember swithering on buying this highly coveted palette but soon decided against it. Could this be considered my biggest beauty non buy regret? Probably yes. Since it's release this palette has dawned the collections of some of my favourite beauty gurus and they have created some looks that are to die for and I want to too!

Marc Jacobs (Under)cover Perfecting Coconut Face Primer £32.00

In what way does this NOT sound amazing? I think I would buy this for the scent alone. It is on my wishlist, however I haven't even had an opportunity to swatch or give it a go in any way. This one therefore is a bit of a silly one to include but how could I not?

If a genie appeared to you right now...or a beauty guru more realistically, and offered to grant you three beauty wishes what would they be? Be sure to leave your three wishes in the comments below, I'd love to hear about more products I want but can't afford! As always though you can catch me with my regular old drug store make up on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Killer Kyshadow | Royal Peach Palette Swatches & Review

When I heard Kylie Cosmetics were releasing a 'Kyshadow' and 'Kyliner' range, I was skeptical to say the least. Despite falling head over heels for the lip kits last year and building up quite a substantial collection (about a dozen or so and counting...) I just felt that branching into eyeshadows, liners and goodness knows what else was getting a bit gimmicky, you've found your thing, stick to it. So I held back and waited. I waited for the terrible reviews courtesy of the worlds biggest and best beauty gurus, I waited for critiques ever lack of pigment, patchy, slippy shadows, something, goodness anything! Nothing ever came.

What did however come were more and more eyeshadow palettes, more and more rave reviews, swatches and glowing endorsements from some of my You Tube favourites. Naturally I caved. I recently purchased a Kyshadow bundle which offered the relatively new Royal Peach palette alongside one of their newer lip kits in the shade 'Apricot' for $65 (which is about £52 ish) which considering how much I have previously paid for just an eyeshadow palette it really isn't bad.

Top L - R
Sorbet, Seashell, Peachy, Royal, Queen Bee, Duke
Bottom L - R
Duchess, Sandy, Mojito, North Star, Crush, Cinnamon

The palette boasts 12 shades in a variety of matte, metallics and satins- mainly metallics however you pretty much get the only matte shades you would ever need to create a warm smokey eye in this palette so no complaints there. I have swatched all of the shades down below for you to check out the colours and just what they each have to offer. The shades are all highly pigmented though when you go into the palette with a brush you get quite a lot of fallout from a couple, namely the matte shades as opposed to the metallics. The only shade I can say was quite disappointing would be 'Sorbet' which didn't deliver a great colour pay off, however used as a base or light transition colour it works quite nicely. My favourite shade so far has to be 'North Star' as I'm going through quite a big pink / purple girly phase when it comes to my make up North Star has been right up my street and is great as an inner corner pop of colour and metallic, glittery goodness.

I feel like you can get this sort of quality from other brands such as Too Faced, Urban Decay and of course Make Up Geek so if this is a little out of your budget (particularly when you factor in customs and postage fees) then there are plenty of 'dupes' on the market. For me this has been worth the money as I will use literally every shade in the palette, perhaps not for regular clients and brides but it certainly fits my personal aesthetic. I can't see myself buying another Kyshadow palette any time soon unless of course something is done to DRAMATICALLY reduce the customs fees (not possible I know but a girl can dream!)

Have you ever tried anything from the Kylie Cosmetics range? Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments (good or bad) below, come share them with me on Twitter - oh and as a side note if you've ever created any looks with this or any other Kyshadow products be sure to direct me to your Instagram!

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Budget Beauty | KIKO MILANO City Filter Sunscreen SPF 50 Primer

Now I'm getting older, and hormones are ravaging my body (and not in a nice way like in the teen years!) I've been making some conscious efforts to look after myself a little more, particularly when it comes to my skin - especially since I've started developing some pretty impressive under eye bags! After changing my moisturiser around a little and getting more rigorous and particular about make up removal and maintaining a solid routine I started digging a little deeper and decided to turn my attention to primers.

Many in the make up industry (bar those making and selling it of course) are pretty skeptical about the effectiveness of primers and to be honest after using the same one for almost a year I understood why. Due to the ever changing nature of skin I found my last primer was beginning to feel quite slippy, silicone like and unpleasant to layer on to my skin every day - in short it pretty much just stopped working, and after that I went on the hunt for ' the one ' 

I knew what I wanted, something that wouldn't totally mattify my face, but also not cause my foundation to slip and slide around, something that would protect my skin and preferably have something on the label that said 'brightening' or better yet, 'anti aging' It took a while but, guys, I think I've found it.

At the spectacularly low price of £6.40 for a 30ml bottle, the KIKO MILANO City Filter Sunscreen Primer promises to create an invisible shield for the skin, protect against the first signs of aging (though for me it may already be too late) and soften and brighten the wearers complexion. Oh and of course acts as a smooth and silky base for your foundation (you know like you'd want a primer to do)

The first thing I noticed about the primer was how gorgeous it smells, it reminds me of suncream from my childhood without the oily, sticky mess that used to come alongside. It also has a silky, lightweight feel which means a little can go a long, long way, I have found I only need one dot on each cheek and one on my forehead to prime my whole face. My foundation sits really well once applied with a spritzed beauty blender and since using this primer I haven't noticed any clogged pores or spots or dryness as a result which is of course the goal.

One of my favourite parts of using the primer is the SPF 50 sunscreen aspect - as I'm quite pale (the palest) it has always been recommended that I wear an SPF daily and given my love for make up and disdain for suncream or heavy moisturisers in general it just never happened- but combine my primer and SPF? Genius!

If you are currently in the market for a reasonably priced primer, need to start using SPF more, or just want something a bit more lightweight for the summer then this might be the primer for you, at the very least do give it a swatch in your local KIKO MILANO store.

Have you ever tried any products by KIKO MILANO? I have swiftly fallen in love with the brand since their descent on the Granite City just last year and luckily so far they haven't been to harsh on my bank balance. Be sure to leave your own KIKO picks in the comments below I'd love to try out even MORE of their products, come share your faves with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to watch the decline in my bank balance in the coming months be sure to keep up with the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Words of Wisdom | Some of the Worst Life Advice I've ever followed

This post was prompted though looking back at some of my more questionable life decisions and looking through some throwback pictures from 2007 onwards (I still have and love big hair so #noregrets there!) Today I therefore thought I would share some of my more embarrassing moments and some of the worst advice I sadly chose to follow throughout my youth and teenage years.

'Wear a bra two sizes smaller so your boobs look bigger' - courtesy of a flat chested friend.
This is something I genuinely did for a period of time when I was about 16 / 17 I stocked up on bras that were simply way, way too small for me in an effort to make my (already pretty sizable) boobs look even bigger. I'm not sure whether I was going for the Dolly Parton look or what between my babydoll dresses, big boobs and giant hair but either way this was so uncomfortable and not to mention quite bad for my back so if any younger ladies are out there reading this - heed my warnings!

'Get a better pout by pulling and stretching the corners of your mouth for one minute each day' - courtesy of either Mizz or Bliss magazine.

I actually remember reading this article when I was younger, it revolved around how to get boys to like you (I was about 12 at the time) and this was genuinely one of their tips. I remember it as if it were yesterday, I used to sit after eating my coco pops before school and pull at the corners of my mouth to achieve the perfect pout - needless to say that while this is safer than the Kylie Jenner lip challenge I've since found more effective and less painful ways to improve my pout.

'Drinking black coffee will sober you up' - courtesy of the friend who led me astray.

The first time I ever had an alcoholic beverage with my friends I freaked so hard (internally of course I had to maintain my ever cool exterior and rep...ahem) and they all agreed they'd be going home to down black coffee. Despite being an avid coffee lover and regular coffee drinker this did nothing for me and if anything the terrible 30p a bottle cider mixed something awful with the black coffee and made me feel ill - not one to replicate.

Sadly this is not the end of the list as we've only begun to see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to life advice I have naively followed throughout the years so let's simply call this part 1 of what I imagine will be many, many more posts of a similar nature.

What has been some of the worst advice you have ever received or followed? I'd love it if you'd leap out with me on to this branch of shame, embarassment and general throwback fondness. Be sure to leave some of your advice in the comments section below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to wait on tender hooks for embarassing life advice part 2 then be sure to keep up with me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks,

H.Elizabeth x

Pregnancy Probs | S**t People say to Pregnant Women

'You shouldn't be going back to work that soon, or ever'

Genuinely something that was said with regards to my going back to work after my baby is born. As a woman I apparently ought to pack in any and all activities that don't revolve around the development of my newborn human...forget about you know, money, bills, keeping a roof over my baby's head or acting as a role model, no no, that all has to go now I've brought life into the world. 

'Well that'll have to stop'

Getting my hair cut? Eyebrows shaped? Oh no that'll have to stop...for some reason. I'm of course quite aware of the work it's going to take in caring for and raising a tiny human, I am also of course quite aware of how exhausting the process will be, however I ALSO know it has taken two to create this human and I have the utmost confidence that I won't be alone and not everything in life has to halt.

'You're going to breastfeed right?'

Sort of leading with your own opinions there I see. Maybe? Who knows what's going to be best for my baby, if she is anything like her mother she'll be raised solely on a diet of doughnuts and melted cheese and if anything like her dad then pizza and McDonalds it shall be. But if I'm honest what I'm really trying to say is... it's nunyabusiness.

'You've not got much of a bump' / 'Wow your bump is HUGE'

Ah yes I forgot, as soon as I peed on that pregnancy test all of those months ago I SUDDENLY thought it was okay for strangers to comment on my size - way to go personality transplant - you cretin!

'Why are you so tired / sick'

You know...if you've never been through it, just please don't ask a pregnant woman this.

'Oh well...you can always try for the next one'

Said after we told some folks that our baby was a girl (insert middle finger emoji right here)

*Bump touching of any kind without permission*

Fancy keeping those grabby, grabby hands of yours? Then off off off! I never have and never will be a touchy touchy person, even squeezing past people in the streets is enough to eek me out and send me into a spiralling rage so if you value those chubby digits I suggest you keep them to yourself.

Pregnant women go through a lot, pelvic exams, several blood tests and vaccinations that will leave you feeling like an overused pin cushion and let's not forget the squeezing of a rugby ball through a keyhole...but I'm betting the most irritating and painful part of pregnancy in particular is dealing with small minded individuals that only have enough of an IQ to let their mouths open and idiocies such as the above to fall right out. 

Feel free to leave all of the idiocies you've been asked / heard through the grapevine in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to hear my musings, rants and more visit me on Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Know the skin your're in | My 8 Step Skincare Routine

Eight steps sounds like a lot but bear with me on this guys. In aid of knowing the skin you're in following Wednesdays post I thought I would share my own skin diagnosis with you and the steps I take to ensure my skin stays in tip top condition.

My skin is characterised by minimal pores, flakiness and dry patches on my cheeks with the occasional feeling of tightness when I use chemical rich products, meaning my skin is dry and quite sensitive.

1. Gentle daily make up removal
No matter if I'm blind drunk, sick as a dog or more tired than ever I will always take my make up off before bed - really Armageddon could be pending and I'd still be removing my make up. I use a gentle cleansing balm by the body shop which you can read more about here, and when I'm feeling super motivated I'll pop a warmed, damp cloth over my face to open up my pores.

2. Exfoliate weekly
Admittedly I'm an over exfoliator, I like nothing more than the polished feeling a rough exfoliator gives you but ideally you should exfoliate once a week to avoid damaging and scraping your skin. As my skin can be quite dull I use a vitamin C scrub from the Body Shop again to give me a bit of brightness. I usually do this in the shower as it tends to get a bit messy!

3. Cleanse daily

Foaming cleansers usually aren't the greatest for folks with dry skin, but I'm happy to say I have found one that works for me by all natural brand Arbonne. Their calm range is specifically formulated for people with my skin type and I use the Calm daily cleanser in the shower every day. I often switch my cleansers around and use Angels on Bare Skin by Lush which is one of my first loves in the cleansing world, which you can throwback to my review of by clicking here.

4. Moisturise twice daily

In keeping with the all natural, specifically formulated for dry skin theme I again use the Calm daily moisturiser by Arbonne though I do switch it up every now and again to some by Lush as my skin can get used to a product after a certain length of time and it'll just stop working 

5. Eye cream twice daily

Well eye gel! I use a cooling eye gel by the Body Shop which helps eradicate any puffiness I have (particularly in the mornings) and is also much gentler on the skin than any other moisturiser I have been known to throw on there. I'm thinking of soon investing in an anti aging cream for my under eyes simply because you can never start too young and dry skin tends to age at a faster rate than oily skin (bummer!)

6. Facial Oil twice daily
Following my moisturiser and eye cream I'll dot oil on both cheeks and down my forehead and rub it all over my face. This helps the skin absorb moisture that bit better and gives me a healthy glow. I love the Oils of Life facial oil by the Body Shop but I have also been known to dabble with some Neals Yard oils too.

7. Sleeping Cream every evening
This is something I have only just started dabbling in but it's a great addition to my night time routine. I'll rub this in circular, upward motions on my face and my neck and it just gives your skin that extra little boost before bed. Every morning I wake up and I'll still continue with my usual cleansing and moisturising but this just helps my skin along the way.

8. Weekly face masks

As you could probably guess, Lush are my favourite when it comes to face masks, I'll tend to buy one a month and use it every Sunday when I enjoy a bubble bath or even when my skin is feeling particularly run down. My favourites for dry skin are the Love Lettuce exfoliating face mask and the Oatifix hydrating mask.

Of course in addition to my skincare routine I also have a few make up tips and tricks that keep my skin looking and feeling great however I'll save that post for another time.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my updated skincare routine, hopefully you have discovered some amazing products from this or learned a little something about caring for your own skin and I apologise for eliminating an entire readership of oily faces! If you have any skin saving products for dry skin you think I would love be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd occasionally like to see my face be sure to follow me on Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, know the skin you're in!

H.Elizabeth x

The clumsy girls guide to mending make up mistakes | 5 Make Up Mistakes Beginners make

Somewhere in my deep, dark archives is a post quite like this but now I'm a little older, a little wiser, and let's face it why any of you were taking beauty advice from me when I first started this blog is beyond me (those eyebrows...girrrrl....) So today I'm going to treat this as beauty blunders for beginners volume 2: the clumsy girl chronicles.

1. Rushing your routine;

Mistakes are made when you rush, this is something I took a long, long time to learn. When I rush I fall over, I forget something and in the case of make up I mess up my face. If you're running late, take a deep breath, go at a reasonable pace for sure, but do everything as you usually would.

2. Not wiping off you mascara wand;
Clumpy mascara? We've all been there! Make sure you brush excess mascara off of your wand before diving straight in at your eyeball, but make sure you don't pump the wand in and out of the tube else your product be as dry and barren as the Sahara.

3. Rushing to fix that smudge ASAP;
If you do your foundation (the wrong way) and skin before you work on your eye make up, you'll be familiar with this mistake. Your base - flawless, all that's left to do is give yourself a quick slick of mascara and your good to go but of course sods law, you miss, you smudge and then try to quickly wipe it away. STEP AWAY FROM THAT MIRROR GIRL! Fixing a big, black and wet smudge is recipe for disaster, leave the mascara to dry on your face and come back to it later, trust me you'll thank me for this one! Using a spooly (or a dry cotton bud) gently brush back and forth and scrape the product away. You'll save your base, and your sanity!

4. Rome was not built in a day, and the perfect flick was not fluck in one swipe;Am I aware fluck is not a word? Yes, but it should be! Don't try to do your winged liner in one fell swoop you'll miss and end up with a face full of flick - not a good look.  Do your liner in stages, start with the upper eyelid complete that then move on to a flick. One lightly drawn line upwards from your outer corner, then join the end of your flick (wherever it my land!) to your upper eyelid line. Simples!

5. Not sharpening your tools;

Ever wondered why, despite your best lip lining handy work, your lipstick will still bleed through the day? Odds are that shoddy job was the result of a cracked up lip line. Keep your favourite tools sharp as your winged liner (you know everything going well) and make sure your tools are up for the task.

And clumsy girls? From one clumsy girl to another, remember to keep your make up station free of trip hazards, bring no hot beverages (or perhaps beverages of any kind) into the work room and organise your damn make up drawers! Be sure to leave your biggest beauty tips and hilare make up mistakes in the comments below, come moan about them with me on Twitter or keep up with me on Bloglovin and Instagram.

Until next time folks, make over your mistakes,

H.Elizabeth x

The Lazy Girls Guide to Getting Ready | 5 Time saving beauty tips

Okay I'll get up in 5 minutes and just shower this evening. Mmmm...I'll get up in 10 minutes and just throw my hair in a fun bun. Okay give me another 20 and I'll forget about eye shadow today and just do something super simple. Nah half an hour and I'll just go to work in my pyjamas.

Sound familiar?

If you're anything like me then mornings are an intense struggle, especially in the winter. No matter how early I go to bed, no matter how I wind down in the evenings and no matter how warm my house outside my covers may be, mornings will forever be a struggle. I begin every day by sleepily bartering and bargaining different aspects of my beauty routine throwing aspects out of the window in order of importance (spoiler - my winged eyeliner ALWAYS makes the cut) So today I thought I would share just how it is I am able to get ready in the morning with a few moments to spare and my little tricks and tips to keeping my beauty station organised.

1. Bag up your face;

This ain't my first rodeo kids, I know myself and I know my body and it needs those extra few minutes so no matter what I have to have my make up organised the night before so I can jump straight in with no faffing. My biggest tip here would be to put together a bag for eyes (liner, mascara, shadow etc) and a bag for your face (foundation, primer, concealer etc)

2. Prioritise;
I do this as I'm waking up. First to go is well polished hair, next eyeshadow, next contouring and highlighting etc etc. Work out which aspects you feel you can and cannot go without for the day and for every 5 minutes extra you have in bed shave one item off of your list.

3. Build around a pre-planned beauty or fashion statement;
Fancy wearing a statement red lip? Or maybe you had a super glittery eye or even a cat flick in mind? (belieive me that can take a long time, a great deal of sanity and hella cotton buds!) Make sure you start there and then build your look around that.

4. Spray bottles within reach;
How many times have you sat down to do your face to realise you haven't dampened your beauty blender? Make sure you keep two spray bottles in your vanity or nearby your make up station, one of water for those spritzing moments and one of an alcohol cleaning solution to keep your brushes and area clean and sanitized. 

5. Dry shampoo and texture spray at hand;
Because let's be honest, in our morning beauty routines, hair is always the first thing we compromise. Despite the grease if you still fancy wearing your hair down keep dry shampoo for those roots and a texturising or volumising spray to give your hair a bit of oomph.

And there you have it my very basic lazy girls guide to getting ready and my top 5 time saving tips for your morning routine. I hope you have found these useful, are able to implement some of these into your own (late and last minute) beauty routines or maybe you're SO late you've just got to throw on a bra and greet the day (yes guys, you too)

I of course always love to hear your thoughts and comments so be sure to leave our own time saving beauty tips below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to hear more lazy girl tips and beauty reviews be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin and Instagram.

Until next time folks, lazy girl OUT!

H.Elizabeth x

Saks x Manic Panic | Maintaining Coloured Hair

 

In case you hadn't noticed, I have pink hair.

Okay as you all know I'm the first to admit that I'm not the greatest with hair and the extent of my styling abilities goes as far as a messy bun and on good days a high pony. Otherwise, nada. So it was probably a surprise to my hairdresser (and myself if I'm honest) when I walked into my tried, trusted and much loved Saks and said, 'make it pink' since you know coloured and brightly coloured hair in particular is one of the most high maintenance things you could probably do to your hair ever.

But not one to be discouraged from being a pastel princess I decided to enlist the help of my hairdresser and throw myself mercilessly at her feet and ask her for the top tips for maintaining brightly coloured hair;

1. Weekly top ups with Manic Panic;
Saks gave me my little Manic Panic tub home with me to give myself at at home top up for when the colour does fade - just as well too as I'm a serial washer! I've made up a couple of little tubs (using my recyclable Lush pots) of the colour I need, pastellised using colour protect conditioner by Tres Emme.

2. Wash sparingly;
Perhaps the most difficult thing for me was coming to terms with not washing my hair daily, my head can be a bit of a grease ball when it isn't washed so I've had to do some serious 'training' I started with once every second day and attempted to move it to once every three....let's just say it's a work in progress.

3. Rinsing with cold water;
When I do dye my hair at home I rinse with cold water as the colour doesn't run quite as much with a colder temperature. Hey don't ask me to explain the science on this - I just work here!

4. Colour protect shampoo;
This is pretty much a given for anyone who not only has brightly coloured hair, but coloured hair in general, this will keep your colour looking more vibrant for a good few washes more than traditional colourants.

5. Visit Saks Hairdresser in Union Square! Since firs visiting the salon three long years ago can't you just tell how much love I have for them?

Do you have colourful or even simply coloured hair? How do you keep your colours looking vibrant and vivacious? Be sure to leave your tips and tricks in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or you can keep up with me and the blog on Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, colour me pink!

H.Elizabeth x

October Overview | My month in Instas

Here's to another month of 2016 gone, seriously where has the time gone? This has been another whirlwind month in my life, particularly in terms of blogging and the Aberdeen scene which continues to blow up with exciting new businesses, concepts and of course even more new blogger faces I had the pleasure of meeting. But enough about them! We're here to talk about me, and my monthly roundup in images.

1. This month I was pleased to dabble with even more great products as well as revisit some time honoured classes, and put them to good use and posted my first ever eye make up tutorial, which you can find right here.

2. Lush launched their Christmas range in stores and I was so excited that I went a little overboard and came out carrying 2 bags of goodies. Bears store food and fat for the winter, I store fresh bath bombs!

3. I had the pleasure of visiting Revolution earlier this month (on what can be described as the final day of the Scottish summer) to sample their brand spanking new pizza menu with my fellow bloggers. I was pleasantly surprised at how innovative they were with the flavours and how easily they put some creative twists on a time honoured classic. You can read my full review on that right here.

4. As well as sampling the culinary delights of the 'deen I was lucky enough to work alongside the BBC Good Food Show Scotland again this year to deliver a fab competition to win tickets to this years show, and to all you winners I look forward to seeing you along at the show!

5. And if food wasn't enough this month I also attended cocktail bar Orchid to sample their new winter cocktail menu, learn a bit more about their business and taste some gin.

6. In preparation for Halloween I bought a truckload of products to practice 'weenie make up on my face and came up with a couple of looks, one being my half skull half zombie...wait no...just my regular face...

7. And if food AND drink wasn't enough we also had our first ever Aberdeen Bloggers Halloween Party at Bo'sn in the Academy Shopping centre which was great fun, we sure are a creative bunch here in Aberdeen.

8. This month I re-launched Hannah Adams Make Up Artistry on Facebook and attended a fantastic Women into Business event with Amy Hardie of Amy Hardie Designs where we enjoyed an evening listening to Linton and Mac share their top business tips and networking with fellow business women in Aberdeen - and I can't wait for the next one in November!

9. Okay maybe this isn't big news to many, however I started watching Stranger Things this month and I am HOOKED and now finished - in about a day! About a year or so behind everyone else I know but hey, better late than never right?

Hopefully November will be just as exciting as October was and of course as usual you can keep up with me, my posts, my life, face and cat on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, this has been my October overview.

H.Elizabeth x

This is Halloween | Scary Skull Make Up

For a few years now I have been interested in character and SFX make up but I just never had or found the time to have a dabble myself. I marvel at make up artists on You Tube with their spooky special effects, melting faces, nails through noses and let's not forget the zipped faces (though admittedly some of these I'm a bit too squeamish to try out on myself) This year however, continuing with my endeavour to improve my overall skills as I venture forth into make up artistry-dom I set aside a bit of time at the weekend to play around with a few of my new make up goodies from this post right here.

This year the most popular Halloween inspired make up seems to be skulls, half skulls, melting skulls, sugar skulls you name it you can't move on instagram for seeing skulls. So I decided to be oh so different and do a half skull, half vintage inspired make up look for Halloween party number one of the season! 

The products I used to achieve the above look (the skull side!) were:

• Generic brand black liner pencil to mark out the 'black areas' including my eye socket, my 'cheekbones' the teeth and to mark our one half of my face.
  
  
• Snazaroo facepaint in plain white to go all over my face, which I applied around 2 / 3 coats to give it a less sheer quality and more opaque and 'bone like' appearance.
   
• Snazaroo facepaint in black to carve out the mouth, teeth, fill in the eye socket (not the lid or waterline!) and mixed together to create a bit of shading for the jaw and teeth.
   
• Black eyeshadow to go over the eyelid and give a bit of dimension to all of the little details like the teeth, nose, eye socket etc.

Of course it isn't perfect, but for a first attempt I'll say it wasn't half bad and I had so much fun playing with brand new products and you know...scaring my husband when he came home from work that day! I managed to create this look in around 20 minutes for the Aberdeen Bloggers Halloween Party (Aberscream) when it rolled around last week and I'm planning on giving it another go this weekend for our besties annual Halloween party.

Though this of course wasn't a tutorial or review of some sort I thought it might be nice to continue this weeks Halloween theme and just share a little bit of what I'm up to as I don't often do that anymore, hopefully you've found this interesting, learned something new or at least got a little into the spooky season. If you want to keep up to date with my latest looks, posts and every other little thing you can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.

 

Until next time folks, stay creepy.

H.Elizabeth x

This is Halloween | Halloween Make Up Haul

As a kid Halloween was not my thing. After a traumatic experience where I had a panic attack at a party in my plastic bag costume, in addition to my mum (falsely) telling me I was allergic to Halloween make up, I hung up my cat ears and whiskers and declared the seasons activities were not for me. Things of course changed as I got older and now I grab pretty much any opportunity to dress up and be my witchy little self.

And this year given I have gotten even more into make up artistry than ever, I decided why not give some of those Halloween make up tutorials a bash? And with that I headed into my local Halloween HQ store and of course Boots, and stocked up on the essentials.

Snazaroo Face Paint black and whiteI'm planning on using these two pans for detail work, the paint is quite thin so not really up for an expasive area.

Snazaroo Clown Make Up in whiteThis is a thick, heavy duty cream make up, designed for large, full coverage areas you know like my chubby cheeks!

Nyx Eye Primer in blackThis is going to be great for blackening my eyes for sallow, creepy looks. Or detail work should the paint fail me!

Nyx Eye Liner in black and whiteInstead of simply using these for Halloween looks, I'll use these for a variety of looks throughout the year.

Barry M Lipstick in blackThe HARDEST thing to find in the beauty world ever!

I'm looking forward to seeing just what looks I can create with these few bits and pieces, I'm also debating picking up some spirit gum, liquid latex and fake blood but for now I think I'll see just how I get on with paint - and see if what my mum told me as a child really was true! Be sure to keep an eye on my Twitter and Instagram pages as well as my make up artistry Facebook page to see what I'm up to looks wise and just what I am able to achieve (as a virgin SFX'er) Have you been experimenting with SFX and Halloween make up recently? Be sure to leave links to your looks in the comments below and share the spooks!

Until next time folks, stay creepy!

H.Elizabeth x

Waterproof Foundation? | Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation Review

Waterproof foundation? When I heard these two words put together, and in a press release from Urban Decay Cosmetics, I KNEW I had to have it. The Urban Decay All Nighter was launched only a couple of months ago now and I have been trying it now in the shade 0.5 (the lightest shade FYI) for a couple of weeks since buying it ages ago an being too unwilling to use it because the packaging, the packaging was just too beautiful. But then I had a day. One day that I thought would be just perfect to test out a waterproof foundation.... the wettest day of the season so far!

The foundation itself is marketed as a full coverage, matte formula with waterproof properties and promises not to feel cakey or uncomfortable. Matte is actually not something I have a great deal of experience with given my skin type is generally quite dry however after doing a bit of research I found girls with dry skin, oily skin, combo skin, all skin types generally got along with this foundation  and the swatches had me sold! 

I know I say this a lot as a beauty blogger, and as a beauty blog reader I imagine you read this a lot too, but I'm not kidding when I say a little of this product goes a long, long way (and if you can think of another way of me to write that please tell me in the comments below) Usually with my Naked foundation by Urban Decay I'll dot, blend and then dot all over again and then go in with concealer, with this foundation however I dot sparingly blend and then I can right away go in and contour / highlight and all of that glitter bomb jazz! The coverage is amazing and having used it with my go to primer I was super impressed with how long it lasted through the day (yes through the wind AND rain) and didn't oxidise as badly as I thought it may.

Now, I know I read in many, many places that despite it's matte quality that this foundation is absolutely fine for drier skin, well I'm calling it... no, no it is not. The day I chose to debut this I didn't have a visible patch of dry skin on my face, however when I got home in the evening and went to take my face off I had dry patches on my forehead. So this foundation WILL find a dry patch on my face and WILL cling to it - not a great look. However I do think I'm going to persevere as the finish and the look it gives my skin is just so damn good an porcelain looking that I'm willing to undergo a more intense moisturising routine.

Have you had a chance to try out Urban Decay's All Nighter Foundation, I'd really love to hear what you thought of it in relation to your own skin type. Be sure to leave all thoughts, comments and musings below or come find me on the usual socials, Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin to have a good ole chinwag about it.

Until next time folks, I could go an all nighter!

H.Elizabeth x

Cleaning your Beauty Blender | Liquid Blender Cleanser Review

How sad do you feel when you have to chuck your beauty blender? Or perhaps more accurately your Real Techniques Complexion Sponge when it gets grotty beyond repair? Suddenly your baby shampoo and squeeze hack simply isn't cutting it any more and it looks like it's time to retire your tried and tested friend to the bin, really I must have gone through at least a dozen beauty blenders only to find I ended up with a sponge that was more foundation than foam. So getting sick, tired and fed up of wasting so much money I began to seek other cleaning methods of my spongey compadre and came across this liquid blender cleanser in Boots funnily enough by 'Beauty Blender' themselves.

The Liquid Blender Cleanser is a soy based product free from dyes and skin irritants and comes in a handy squeeze down 150ml bottle which lasts and lasts, which makes it's £15 price tag a little less painful to contend with. The cleanser has a faint lavender scent to it and leaves your beauty blender, sponges and make up brushes (if you choose to use it for that) squeaky clean and free from germs, dirt and impurities. Disgusting as it may be during my weekly brush cleaning routine my favourite part is seeing just how dense and full of product my beauty blender is and squeezing out as much foundation as possible. Using this cleanser has been a real eye opener as to just how full of dirt and germs my sponge has been over these last few years! 

I use the cleanser once a week on all of the beauty blenders / make up sponges I'll have had on the go and I'm chuffed with the results I have been getting. I really feel as though it's better for my skin, better for my make up collection and I have found something that really works. My only qualm with the product is that it can get quite messy as you have to push the damp (and dirty) blender down on to the pump for the liquid to come out so you really need to put kitchen roll or a tea towel down to protect your counter. I also worry with this kind of pump at just how much product I'm wasting when it spills all over the place so it'd be great to get a different type of pump to distribute the product a bit better.

If you're as gross as me you'll love this product and you'll be so surprised at just how much foundation you're wasting away week on week! Beauty Blender also offer a solid blender cleanser which where it may indeed be a bit cleaner and easier to use will waste away very quickly as it dissolves like a regular bar of soap in water. Have you ever tried a specific blender cleanser product? How did you find it and did you just love seeing all the gunge come out like I do?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, come share the gunge and gore with me on Twitter or keep up with me and the blog on Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, it's time to get gunged!

H.Elizabeth x

Make up lovers, Frost Yourselves | Anastasia Beverly Hills Moon Child Highlight Palette Review

Who doesn't want to glow like the July summer sun? Well, me actually, I'd far rather glow in a cool manner, like the snow in December and thanks to Anastasia Beverly Hills and their latest Moon Child glow kit I am able to do just that.

I first saw the Moon Child palette on a Nikki Tutorials You Tube video and then perhaps again on a Jeffree Star video but I really can't remember, and I sort of popped it on my list of products I would love but can't really justify the cost (particularly when being shipped from 'murica - ironically named land of the free...) But one day I threw caution to the wind (I saved my pennies) and decided to splurge and treat ma self... and my make up artistry kit to a brand new highlight palette... guess which one I went for?

After ordering the kit from the Anastasia official website I decided I best not hold my breath for a delivery within three weeks since I know the Kylie Kits come from America and can take up to five weeks to arrive. I was surprised, shocked and elated when a package arrived on my desk within a week of ordering (big props to Anastasia!) and it and life, was once again beautiful and frosted to a shimmery perfection.

One thing I noticed, other than the glitter, gorgeousness and general beauty of the product was the size of the highlighters themselves. Granted when you're paying over £50 for a palette you expect some substance but the pans were wider than I expected and you got so much more than I was at first anticipating which is always a plus when buying make up online. And of course the next thing....was the swatches!

(L-R)
(Blue Ice, Star, Purple Horseshoe, Pink Heart, Lucky Clover, Blue Moon)

Now as you can see the colours are pretty much as they are described. The only colour I think I haven't yet used for highlighting purposes has been lucky clover...mainly because it'll make me feel like a leprechaun, but I'm sure I'll one day find a use for it. You know, like St Patricks day.... My favourite so far has been Pink Heart, it is maybe the most subtle of the six but I have found it's a great everyday highlighter, though I'm really looking forward to using the more blue and silver shades in the winter time  and during party season. Also I've heard that these area great as an inner corner highlight - which I can totally see working but haven't tried myself yet.

Have you ever given an Anastasia Glow Kit a bash? What did you think of it? Or what are your favourite highlighters, I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for newbies (even with this one in my glittering, glistening collection!) Be sure to leave your comments and suggestions below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd just like to see this bad boy in action come find me on Instagram.

Until next time, FROST YOURSELVES!

H.Elizabeth x

September in snaps | My month in instas

Can you believe it is that time of the month already?! Given all of the stresses and strains that faced us last month I genuinely thought we were in for another month of it as we officially bought and moved in to our own house, luckily we were to be pleasantly surprised and September has actually been a pretty fun month and we've got the snaps to prove it!

#1 Since we have already shared and probably sickened you of our new home tour video here's a snap of our Marble making herself at home. Making a house a home was something I was definitely worried about though once we brought Marble here it certainly felt more like home!

#2 Never a couple to do things in half measures we moved in to our new home and 2 days later hit the town and theatre for the Rocky Horror Picture Show at HMT Aberdeen. Needless to say we dressed up, feather boas, big hair, skirts, heels, the works! I do wish I could say it was the first time I had been wearing nothing but lingerie and a boa in a taxi but we both know I'd be lying! 

#3 This month I got my hands on so many fantastic products, the Urban Decay Waterproof Foundation, Make Up Geek x Manny MUA eyeshadow palette, Anastasia Beverly Hills Moon Child Glow Kit and some gorgeous goodies from the MAC X Star Trek 50 collection which as you all know I was super, super excited for. For my haul follow this link.

#4 After being asked, and asked, and asked again and again about my freckles, skin routine, foundation etc I drafted another insta post on my punum and shared this freckly to full coverage before and after picture.

#5 Having now well and truly welcomed Autumn into our lives in Aberdeen I felt so ready to embrace the season - but my wardrobe wasn't, so I treated myself to a brand new waterproof coat by Topshop and I just love it so much I had to share it with you all!

#6 After a little while of healing I was finally able to unveil my latest in a long line of tattoos, my skull by Lee and Rebel Ink. I am so in love with this tattoo and I think it may be one of the first I've had that I was 100% happy with instantly!

#7 Lush finally brought out their Halloween / Autumn collection of bath related goodies and I was lucky enough to get my hands on this delightful little dude. I haven't used him just yet but I'm so excited to bust them out for a big ole bath soon!

#8 I have pink hair now. After deliberating (for something like a week!) I decided that my blonde was getting a bit old hat for me and I wanted something a little different to brighten up my life....naturally pink hair by Saks and Manic Panic was the way to go!

#9 We attended our close friends engagement party this month in Dundee. We were so chuffed to celebrate with the happy couple at the end of September and all I can say is that wedding has one hell of a party to live up to when the day comes!

And that, as they say was that. I'm looking forward to what the month of October brings us in our brand new house, other than saving, scrimping and Halloween of course we don't have very much planned for the coming month so this is an advance warning of how dry my insta pics may be for next month! Of course you can catch me daily on the usual channels, Instagram, Twitter etc and more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, September sure passed in a snap.

H.Elizabeth x

Don't look I'm Naked (again) | Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation Review

What could be more fitting than a foundation that keeps your skin looking like skin but better? Perhaps a good, and more millennial way of looking at it would be a filter for your face, or even face tune IRL! Well ladies and gents I may have found something for just that, the Naked Skin Foundation by Urban Decay.

Never have I ever been so obsessed with foundation, currently I have around five different bottles of the stuff open and on the go in different finishes, tones and of course all give me something different, matte, dewy, full coverage, light coverage, in fact in my own personal kit you may just find something for everyone. But if you're looking for the one, the one to see you through the lighter days, the fuller days, the matte or dewy days then you may just want to get Naked....

I first discovered the Naked range by Urban Decay when I picked up their much hyped concealer...then picked it up again...and then again, in fact guys, if I could I would just cover my face in that concealer and be done with it! So after hitting it off with their concealer I was so excited to try out the foundation. The foundation is described by Urban Decay as having a demi matte finish which offers luminosity, a flawless, airbrushed finish which also feels very light weight on the skin (weightless according to the bottle!) 

I picked this up in the shade 0.5 (the lightest in case you were wondering!) and at first I was mixing this with my tried and trusted Arbonne foundation, dotting it around sparingly and then blending it using a dampened beauty blender. This helped give me a true airbrushed, high coverage finish, dewy in all of the right places and is now my 'go to' party or evening look. However the Naked foundation on it's own I would say is a relatively medium coverage and offers a more dewy finish than a matte - which is great for my quite dry skin - but perhaps that is due to the way in which I am applying it (beatuty blender spritzed with MACs Fix+) I think this foundation also offers a radiance I haven't experienced with many other products and is complimented beautifully by the Naked concealer for highlighting dem cheekbones!

My only gripe about the foundation is that is has a very strong scent and if you don't use quite a heavy duty primer can feel a bit 'burny' on the skin on days where my skin is feeling a bit dry or sensitive (just a description guys don't worry I'm not burning my face on the daily!) However if you do have sensitive or very, very dry skin I would give this one a miss. I'm also a bit annoyed at the consistency of the foundation, I understand this all contributes towards the weightless feel of it on the skin however beware it may squirt at your face (fine it's going there anyway but you don't want that fear factor!)

Will I repurchase this foundation? Probably, I find it works quite well for me, particularly so when I mix it with my gentler Arbonne foundation. Though I have been working on this tube for a good while now with no signs of it finishing any time soon so I won't have to rush out to my local Urban Decay Counter any time soon.

Well guys again I hope you have liked my latest justification for spending so much money on make up post, I will be bringing you even more of these in the coming weeks so be sure to keep an eye out for those over on Bloglovin, read about the upcoming products I'll be buying and justifying over on Twitter or you can see my buyers remorse faces on Instagram.

Until next time folks, don't look now! I'm naked!

H.Elizabeth x

To Boldly Go Where No MAC Has gone before | MAC X Star Trek Haul

There aren't many MAC collaborations that excite me if I'm completely honest, Cinderella collection, I could take or leave, I wasn't enthused about Ellie Goulding particularly either and as for Brooke Sheilds... nah. But when I caught word of MAC's brand new Star Trek collection I was pretty over the moon (haaaa... see what I did there?) So of course, having been scorned before, I (boldly) decided to take my orders digital and get my MAC x Star Trek fix in a more futuristic fashion (online ordering folks..) And today, of course and as ever, I thought I would share my picks with you from the collection, or rather what my bank balance and stocks held by MAC would allow!

Trip the Light Fantastic Pressed Powder in Luna Lustre;
A soft rose shimmer highlight that looks so galactically good on your cheekbones!

Trip the Light Fantastic Pressed Powder in Highly Illogical;A blush or a highlight? The best of both (or all) worlds in this pan of golden, plum, rosy pearlescent powder.

Pressed pigment shadow in To boldly go...;A new, shimmery pressed pigment in a red / copper colour (so sparkly though, I can't wait to use this one in the Autumn / Winter months)

Lipstick in Where no man has gone before;So gorgeous and swirly in colour I almost don't want to use it! This looks golden in the bullet but when swatched gives off some beautiful pink / gold hues (rose gold lipstick ladies...ROSE GOLD!)

(L-R: Lipstick, pigment shadow, highly illogical, luna lustre)

Okay now MAC... you and I quite clearly need to have a sit down and a chat about your antics of this last year, you've put a strain on my bank balance, on my marriage... and worse still, on my make up bags...Now there will be no more collabs (until I can afford it) You will not pioneer or release the next 'must have' make up item, and no you will not tempt me with another lipstick...enough is enough! 

Were you lucky enough to pick up some goodies from this out of this world, galactic collection? What are your top picks I'd love to hear what you thought in the comments below, on Twitter and be sure to check out my latest 'looks' using these goodies on Instagram.

Until next time folks, I have boldly gone...where pretty much every MAC fan has gone before.

H.Elizabeth x