Not another MAC Haul | My Recent MAC Haul

It's for the kit, I swear it's for the kit... well at the very least it's for research purposes! Yes I am indeed coming back to you today with another MAC haul but this time guys, I didn't buy ANY lip products of any description (I'll pause right here for the gasps) nope instead I ventured forth into some more weird and wonderful products that MAC have had to offer the beauty world of late and today I'd like to share just what I picked up this time.

MAC Eye brushes (217 and 224)
Though I do love my Zoeva brushes sometimes you've just got to see what else is out there you know. And as the beauty bloggers and vloggers of the world have been screaming and SCREAMING about the MAC 217 brush I thought why not? It is a flat eye brush which I think I'll use to pick up and apply pigment as well as shading and blending. The 224 brush I picked up on a whim, I love crease brushes and this one looks as though it will deliver some more precise application than my current Zoeva crease brush does.

MAC Mini Prep and Prime Fix + Spray

Prep and prime has been around in the beauty world since the times of yore. It can be sprayed on your bare face to absorb additional moisture into the skin and give you a lovely dewy look, it can be applied to your beauty blender before pushing product into the skin and some have even used it as a finishing spray. I myself have been dampening my eye brushes with this spray and using it to pick up and apply glittery or more shimmery pigments to give me a 3D effect on my eyelid.

MAC Cream Colour Base in the shade Luna
I was told in the store that this was a limited edition colour base product but I'm sure it's still available! Sneaksy store lady, sneaksy! I got this because I felt it would look fab as a cream highlight, it's so soft and buttery and just glides over the top of my foundation (liquid) and has helped give me that gorgeous dewy, strobe effect that folks have been loving for spring / summer.

MAC Studio Eye Gloss in the shade Pearl Varnish
After I spotted these out of stock gorgeous glosses in Barcelona I knew I had to have one, so when I returned to MAC in Aberdeen I was on a mission! Luckily I managed to get my hands on this pearl varnish shade. I have not been brave enough to use this yet through fear of sticking my eyelids open or something drastic but I'm looking forward to creating some dramatic, wet look eyes with these one day soon.

See, I didn't do too badly did I? Since writing this post I have also stocked my kit with a few shades of the MAC Face and Body foundations which are great for bridal make up as well as work on photo shoots (which I did in fact use them for recently) and of course and as always I do still have my eye on a few MAC lippys (I will be strong, I will be strong)

I'd love for you to alleviate my guilt and share with me just what you've been buying in MAC or elsewhere recently! Be sure to share your hauls and best buys in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you just want to see what I've been doing to folks faces recently you can find me on Instagram and Facebook!

Until next time folks, MACing life!

H.Elizabeth x

My First Ever | NYX Haul Boots Union Square

Hallelu, NYX has come to the Granite City, Union Square to be exact and I could not be more excited! I have seen so many rave reviews for NYX products from my favourite beauty bloggers and vloggers out there, but my are they difficult to get your hands on for a good ole swatch sesh especially in the UK. But today the good old Granite has been blessed with a brand new NYX counter in Boots, Union Square and naturally I was first in line to trial and push my very own purse to it's limits.

NYX Jumbo Liner in the shade Milk
I have never seen a You Tuber who hasn't used this jumbo liner. Whether they're using it as a base, as an actual liner or for SFX inspired tutorials this was just something I knew I had to get my grubby wee mitts on!

NYX Colour Corrector Palette
Some may say colour correcting is over but in the world of make up artistry, nu uh honey! Colour correcting has been around since the times of yore and long may it continue!

NYX Yellow Colour Correct Concealer
Dark circles....nuff said. Swatch after swatch I got excited at the quality of the product so I'm excited to see how this stands the test of time...and sweat.... and smile lines.

NYX Vivid Bright Liquid Liner in the shade Sapphire 
As I've been dabbling in a few more dramatic looks, what can be more dramatic than an electric, sapphire blue liquid liner!?! Stay tuned for some of my more quirky, out there looks in future.

NYX Soft Matte lip cream in the shades Cannes and London
No matter how hard I try, I cannot escape these nudey, brown, red colours. Like a moth to a flame! And I've heard through the grapevine that these can serve as fantastic, low cost dupes for some of the bigger, high end matte lip creams....only time will tell!

NYX Liquid Suede lipstick in Stone Fox
Well I wished for a black which was blacker than black but I had to settle for a slate. As I mentioned above I'm looking to practice a few more 'out there' and SFX inspired looks in the coming months so I thought this would do nicely. Stay tuned for the verdict of course!

Once again, thank you for reading and helping me alleviate some of those guilty feelings I've been having since spending a fair bit on these products! I will be posting more in depth reviews of the individual products once I have trialled and tested them for a significant period so do stay tuned for that. As per you can catch me mulling about on the usual channels, Twitter for rants and musings, Instagram for made up faces, Facebook for business and Bloglovin for more of the above!

Until next time folks, sweet dreams my NYX!

H.Elizabeth x

Not another blogger event | Spring Grazing with Giraffe

Spring, spring, spring. With each new spring and lamb bleat in the fields there's another new menu popping up at another restaurant, and when that happens, you can bet we bloggers are there with bells on and our forks at the ready. This week Giraffe invited the Abzmeet gang and a few others along to sample their brand new spring menu, featuring starters of all varieties, mains of all tastes, creeds and religions and desserts so delectable you can't help but order one of each! (maybe just me) And let's not get started on the cocktails.

For we Aberdonians and fellow Granite City gal pals (and boy pals I ain't sexist!) our Giraffe restaurant is situated on the upper level of my much beloved shopping centre Union Square. In amongst a sea of Italians, pizza huts and budget restaurants is one of me favourite places to go for a 'nice meal' so when they came a callin' you know I  was one of the first to answer. 

We arrived on the evening and got the choice of sampling a starter, main and cocktail or main, dessert and cocktail... guys is that even a choice?! The food I ended up going for on the night was their main of a new Harissa Chicken Burger which is basically a spiced chicken burger with an assortment of garden weeds and a side of chips...I am of course exaggerating! What I mean is there is a lot of veg in the burger but it's lovely all the same if you're into eatin' greens. And to finish off a dessert of white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake which was DELICIOUS but very very filling and perhaps one to miss if you haven't got the sweetest of sweet tooths. 

Now I dedicate a paragraph to my cocktail.... my cocktail. Finally I chose one that wasn't a bum! Usually I'm a terrible judge of cocktail, I'll see a flavour I traditionally like for example lemon, strawberry or mint and go for it right away only to find it's whisky based, tequila infused or generally just a bit too much for me to handle. Quite a running theme in my life I dare say. Tonight though, tonight I struck gold...well yellow as it was a mango cocktail I went for. The cocktail I chose, mainly because most others chose it, was a Mango Mule, and all I'll say is it's a vodka, mango, long, tall glass of deliciousness and I was only sad I didn't have 2, or 4!

Overall I'm pleased to see Giraffe moving away from the sort of homely, warming dishes I usually associate with their brand and they're offering something a bit lighter, fresher tasting and generally spring-y. Though if you're not into Portuguese style dishes and cooking at the very least I recommend popping in for a cocktail...and a dessert, you won't regret it!

As per you can catch me on the usual channels chatting beauty, travel and probably cats and more beauty on Twitter, see more looky looks on Instagram and Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I wanted to pop in a giraffe noise here but I'm not sure they make one!

H.Elizabeth x

Foodie Feasts with Union Square | Bloggers Safari Supper

I live for these sort of events. Well at least it seems like it recently, between feasting at Cue a few weeks ago to sampling the new culinary delights of Yo! Sushi and to last week where I joined my fellow Aberdeen bloggers for a Safari Supper at Aberdeen's Union Square, and yes, it's just as fun as it sounds!

Cocktails at Las Iguanas

Naturally the first stop on our safari was going to be Las Iguanas. Last year I fell in love with the Las Iguanas menu, particularly their cocktails so I was super excited to be visiting again. Unfortunately and as is a tradition with me I chose a bum cocktail.... opting for a Vanilla and Ginger Mojito sounded like a safe choice right? Nah, mine tasted more like a cough mixture and to say it made me a bit boozy would be an understatement. It's quite a feat to accidentally choose a rubbish cocktail really it can be considered pure talent considering Las Iguanas literally have dozens to choose from, next time I'll be opting for something less leafy green and more rainbow!

Starters at Yo! Sushi

Swiftly moving (stumbling) on from our pre dinner cocktails we visited Yo! Sushi. Now as you guys will know if you've been a regular reader, I actually sampled the new Yo! Sushi menu a couple of weeks ago, which you can read a little more about here. But today I threw caution to the wind and thought what the hell, lets try something different, so I got a Katsu.... which I devoured and accidentally filled myself up with.

Burgers and shakes at Byron Burger

Having never been to Byron but having heard a lot about it on the blogosphere lately I was quite excited to give them a go. Particularly since the Byron in question throws all kind of shade at their next door neighbour 'Handmade Burger' by pitching themselves as serving 'proper burgers' with a big fat sign oooh gurl!!! Here I think I was the only one who didn't opt for a shake, but I was also the only one who stuffed myself silly on starters tut tut, but they looked divine. Instead I had my trusty old diet coke and a cheese burger with my favourite Monterey Jack cheese and some sweet potato fries. To say they blew Handmade Burger out of the water simply wouldn't do them justice.

Dessert at Carluccios

Suffice to say by the time dessert rolled around I was just that, literally rolling around. Carluccios have secured their rep for THE place to visit in Union Square when dessert comes a callin' from fondants and cheesecakes to meringues the size of your face! But guys I couldn't, I just couldn't so unfortunately I copped out with a couple of sorbet scoops, mandarin and lemon. Lemon, now I LOVE lemon, but this lemon was not for the faint of heart or weak of tongue because it nearly blew my face off. But on the bright side made for a totally refreshing dessert.

My one regret? Not being able to eat more because of that darn katsu! Why this isn't the done way for dinner I'll never know! Next time I'm out for supper I'm definitely going safari. Big thanks to Bradley for organising such a fabby foodie event and of course all of my fellow Aberdeen bloggers who made the evening an absolute delight.

Have you ever safari'd your supper? Let me know what your ideal pit stops are along the way in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to see me stuff my face a bit more (always guys always!) be sure to keep up with my posts on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm well and truly safari'd!

H.Elizabeth x

Girls Night | Coast to Coast VIP Evening

Where to begin, oh my goodness where to begin? As many of you know I was recently  invited to come along to Aberdeen's Union Square to a VIP evening to celebrate the launch of their brand new American style restaurant Coast 2 Coast. As you guys will have seen from my Aberdeen Events post, the evening basically promised plenty of fine dining, entertainment and booze (by god was there booze) and trust me when I say they did not disappoint.

For the launch night I was given a plus one, which was great as I didn't want to be wining and dining billy no mates, so I brought along my friend Jodie for a good old catch up and you know I just wanted to treat one of my friends! We arrived on time for our reservation at 8pm and were offered a glass of prosecco or orange juice as we were shown to our table which was a lovely secluded spot where we could have a good natter and a catch up at the front end of the restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is very swish and stylish with vinyl blacks and reds and had everything from big family booths, to long party tables to smaller more intimate areas for dining as a twosome. We were truly given the all American dining experience, from the level of service to the quality of the food and everything was more than impressive to say the least.

Once we were seated and all settled in we were introduced to our waiter for the evening who wasted no time in bringing over our cocktails, a strawberry cheesecake daiquiri and a raspberry mojito - both of which were to die for (not that I had both of course... ahem) After our drinks and a lovely chat we were brought over a platter (yes a platter) full of starters, which had everything ranging from salted breaded pretzels, chicken wings, ribs, prawns and calamari - portions large enough to feed four, but despite our lacking in numbers we powered on through! Everything was lush, though I would say if you were a vegetarian you may struggle a little bit but I'm sure there were vegetarian alternatives available but for us it was a veritable meat fest mmmmm!

Brining with him ever more drinks in the form of white wine, our waiter explained we were allowed to have anything we liked from the menu for our mains, so I opted for a Cajun Chicken Melt Wrap with sweet potato fries and my friend had a lovely pasta dish, whose ingredients escape me. The wrap was amazing and complimented by the sweet potato fries was just heaven on a plate for me, they weren't scared with the portion sizes and I seriously feared for my dessert and worried I  just wouldn't be able to handle the final course! Fear not though we pushed on through and I enjoyed a gorge vanilla cheesecake with honeycomb pieces and a caramel drizzle (drool)

We spent a good 20 minutes or so chatting before saying our goodbyes to Coast to Coast and promised we would be back soon, everything from the decor, to the staff and of course most importantly the food was brilliant down to a T and after judging the prices on the menu for a bit I decided yes it would be well worth the cost.

Do you have a Coast to Coast in your town, if so I'd love to hear about your experiences, or perhaps you're a fellow Aberdonian and you're off to try the all American treat, be sure to leave your comments about the restaurant and your overall thoughts below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see more culinary delights and carry ons be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm going costal!

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

Aberdeen Events | Shoes and Sparkle with Union Square

Hello everyone, I just thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about an event that I will be attending in the Granite City next week that I am super excited about that features food, fashion, frolics, and to boot (pun very much intended) it is in my favourite shopping centre, Union Square.

The event is called 'Shoes and Sparkle' and will be held on the 5th of March from 5pm in the stylish setting of Valeries Brasserie Cafe. The event is free to attend and hosts brands such as Dune, Clarks, Sole Trader and Deichmann who will be showcasing their SS15 collections with an informal showing and a bit of background surrounding the inspiration behind the designs and trends of the season. Plus I hear there is going to be quite a nice little discount for shoes purchased on the evening!

A representative of Union Square has said it is set to be the 'ultimate celebration of all things shoes' now if that isn't enough to get shoe-a-holics hearts racing then I don't know what is. I'm really looking forward to going along on the evening to see the collections they have in store, and  of course potentially meeting some other fashion, beauty and shopping enthusiasts and bloggers (not sure what this is going to do to my bank balance though!)

As the saying goes 'Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she will conquer the world'

Until next time folks, I'm looking out my gladrags.

H.Elizabeth xx