Granite City Style | Bon Accord Summer Style 2016

Useless. Utterly useless. When it comes to style in summer that's really the only way you can describe a former goth kid like myself. Instead of integrating with everyone else into floral patterns, brights and tanning at the first sight of sun I'm still sat clutching my winter wares, destined for a life in dark knits, greys, varied shades of black and a summer of melting in general! So, any help, as you can imagine, is greatly appreciated, and when I saw an invitation to Aberdeen's Bon Accord Centre for their summer style showcase of 2016 I was pretty intrigued. 

Showcasing all of the hottest summer trends for this year all of my favourite brands were out in full force, everyone from Benefit and Warehouse to newbies such as Jigsaw and scotch favourite Ness, everyone had something unique to offer us for the evening. Focusing on dewy, summer skin, the beauty brands were out in force with new tanning solutions (not my cuppa), highlighters in all shades of the unicorn rainbow and of course glosses, glosses galore which I was only too happy to sample!

The fashion brands gave us such great pointers for how to combine the hottest prints and textures of the season with colour pop bags by Coach which helped me leave with oodles of fashion inspiration and a shopping list as long as my arm. I was glad to see that the brands didn't just throw the top summer trends from the magazines at us, as I feel they so often miss the mark when it comes to weather. Bon Accord were great in that they displayed coats, jackets, handbags that weren't ridiculously tiny and all of it wearable!

Overall I was pleased to find that a lot of this summers trends are pretty up my street, and hey I may even add a pop of colour if I'm feeling super daring, what are your top summer picks? Be sure to leave your summer staples in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you just can't get enough you can catch me on Bloglovin, Instagram and Facebook! 

 H.Elizabeth x

Tiny Bird Heart Takeover | Abzmeet and How to organise your own blogger meet up

Almost a year ago, I organised the first ever Abzmeet. It all began when I started chatting to local blogger and same time baby-mama Sarah of Sarah Rooftops. After a while we wanted to meet in person and discussed the idea of holding a local blogger meetup.

Photo Credit to Sam from Rose Bud Annie for the photo

We got in touch with some other bloggers we knew from the area, arranged a time and date and that was pretty much it! There were only seven of us back then but we started to meet regularly, I set up a Facebook page (which now has 44 members), and earlier this year I set up a weekly Twitter chat, #abzchat. Although we started off as strangers it really feels like we are friends and part of a supportive community now!

Now I'm no expert, but here are my tips for starting a blogger meetup:

Get in touch with people you'd like to invite

Start liking and following bloggers you'd like to meet and strike up a conversation. You might want to use the opportunity to ask if they'd be interested in attending a meetup and if so what they'd like the event to be like.

Decide what kind of meetup you'd like to hold

It might be specific to a type of blogger or include everyone from a specific area, you might want to have a casual meetup or organise a sponsored or ticket only event. If you've asked potential attendees what type of event they'd be interested in then it's more likely they'll attend.

Organise your meetup

Decide on dates, times and a venue. We try to go with a different cafe or restaurant each time and stick to coffee/brunch in a central location so that it keeps the costs down for everyone. You might want to get in touch with local venues and ask if they can do a special deal or book an area but this may depend on the number of people attending.

Advertise your event

Once you've organised the detail, advertise! Invite those bloggers you'd love to meet, post it all over social media and your blog and ask others to share and invite people who may be interested. I set up a Facebook page after the first event as it was much easier to track who was attending and who'd been invited. We usually ask questions about where and when people would like to meet next but I've found it's better to give a couple of options and see what the majority choose as there will always be people who can't attend.

Organise people on the day

You want your event to be success and for everyone to feel welcome so as the organiser you'll want to familiarise yourself with the bloggers attending. We usually share our blog links on Facebook prior to meetups so that we can read about those attending and get to know a bit about them.

Get feedback

After the event you'll want feedback. Find out what people thought, what they liked and didn't like, how the meetup could be improved, and if they'd like to attend more. Ask people to get in touch with links to their posts if they write about the event and share and comment on them.

Good luck!

Have you organised a meetup or do you have any tips? Let me know below!

Right on CUE | Meat the new Faces of BBQ

 
Here come the meat sweats guys! You have been warned.

If you have been keeping a spy on my Instagram feed of late you'll have noticed I have been a bit of a pig! And why not, Aberdeen has been booming with new restaurants, take aways and become and all round foodie heaven these last couple of months, and last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited along to one such delight, CUE.

'Food is close to every breathing and passionate person’s heart, unquestionably Barbecue and wood cooked flavour evokes a bygone instinct, a carnivorous streak. The Pitboss peers into the blue haze from within the smoker. From your seat in the CUE you can smell the sizzling pork shoulders and sausage rings filling the air. The aroma makes your stomach growl with anticipation of the garlic sausage and moist brisket on order. Watering mouth and you know you have ordered more than you can eat, you relive the mantra: “Rub Me, Smoke Me, Sauce Me, Eat Me'  - So say the pioneers of 'this Barbecue thing' in the Granite City.

Tucked away in a cosy nook in the centre of Aberdeen you'll find the smokiest, sizzling new meat joint there is, offering a little bit of everything from a fun family atmosphere, guaranteed at only the greatest barbecues, cocktails for the sophistocat in you and let's of course not forget a beast of a meat feast (if that's your thing that is!) which is exactly what the brains behind CUE had in store for our visit.

Cooked and cured to perfection using their state of the art smoker imported all the way from 'murica you can have meat and eat it too, enjoy beef, briskets, sausages, pulled pork, and don't worry there are plenty of delectable dishes for the veggies too, CUE seem to have all of the BBQ bases covered, paired with their co owners saucey brand, Angus & Oink and they've perfected the recipe for a total winner! My personal favourite and recommendation  from their menu would be anything containing pulled pork and Angus & Oink BBQ Sauce, or if you're feeling particularly daring their Voodoo Mango sauce packs a sure fire punch destined to put a tear in even the most hardened spice addicts eye.

Are you salivating yet? Told you there would be meat sweats, so if you're looking for a steak, beef or even just a burger with a little bit of sizzle, spice or smoke there's only one place for you in the Granite City! Right on CUE for spring and of course the upcoming festivities for Mothers Day and the Easter Holidays there's fun for all of the family, whether you're popping in for a quick cocktail, sitting down to an epic family feast or even if you're just nipping in to have a gander at the murals and their restaurant mascot, Unihog.

Okay guys now that the meat sweats have well and truly set in I'll bid you a BBQ do, all in all I enjoyed my time at CUE, and as a meat and BBQ lover I can't wait to take my hubby along to enjoy a good ole' Granite City night out. I just also want to say a big thank you to Just Julia for organising another great blogger event  and to Scott from Angus & Oink for the very informative and enjoyable tour and of course the team at CUE for the fabulous food and great atmosphere! Hopefully you'll manage to get yourselves along to CUE when you next have a BBQ craving, or perhaps you already have, I'd love to hear what you thought of the menu, be sure to leave your thoughts and salivations in the comments below, come share with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to keep up with my meal plans be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'd have to say they're right on CUE.

H.Elizabeth x
 

The Perfect Match | The Best Foundation for Pale Girls

Now I know I'm a little prone to exaggeration on this little corner of the internet but today please regard me with the seriousness afforded to those who don't quite so frequently cry wolf as I'm about to let you in on the mother of all beauty secrets and the product of all products to end the struggle we pale girls face on a day to day basis. That's right ladies and gents, I'm about to share with you the best foundation for pale girls in the whole wide world... well you know a little exaggeration never hurt anyone right?

I remember the sadness I felt as I squeezed the remnants of my MAC foundation from the tube as I realised it was yet again that time of year where I'd be forced into searching for a new foundation, I suppose it's a little like a break up that you didn't quite see coming. First you don't want to believe it's true and you try and squeeze those last few cosy, fuzzies from the relationship in order to salvage the relationship and romance, but at the end of the day you knew what this was and it's over before it has even begun. So you're thrust once again into the badly lit department stores under fluorescent lights desperately searching for the one in a sea of colour swatches and scary looking Clique and Clarins counter carnivores who really don't give a toss if your face matches your neck as long as you look good under the lights of their Debenhams store, who cares right? So you go home empty handed, off colour and quite frankly disappointed. 

But, much like fate intervening, it's only when you stop looking that it hits you square in the nose, and eventually all over your face (okay I'm speaking about foundation now) that you find your perfect match.

I never expected to find my perfect match just sitting there at a Body Shop bloggers event, in fact at first glance I had pretty much written the poor pot off, to me it was just another store attempting what the 'real' make up counters of the world have on offer, but as the ladies at the Body Shop were so friendly and professional I thought I would keep an open mind, and ended up walking away with around £60 worth of products (woops!) One of which being their brand new Fresh Nude Foundation in Chelsea Porcelain 010 (their lightest shade in case you were wondering)

You could say it was love at first swatch really, and the more I heard about this foundation the more I knew that it was the one for my face. With you choice of a dewy or matte finish simply from your choice of application this little gem can carry you through season to season, I prefer a dewy finish as it gives your skin a beautiful glow in winter without making you look all wet and sweaty. Despite the coverage claiming to be light to medium I have found you can really build it up with very little product at all, which I have found to be perfect for people like me who are looking to cover their face without reducing myself to a Halloween mask. Unlike with MAC products this doesn't dry out my skin, I don't have to use half as much primer as I used to and since it doesn't budge all day I go through so much less product, so you could say I'm saving money... right?

Not only is this foundation a god send for my skin and a perfect match but if you like you could purchase their new Fresh Nude brown and white droppers, so if your skin is a little more tan through the summer you simply add a drop of the darker shade, or more pale in winter add a drop of the lighter shade. Now I know, I know this is probably something that has been around since the times of yore but seeing as I have just heard of it now I think this is a beauty revelation due to change the face of the make up industry forever!

The foundation itself retails at £15 which for a product of this versatility and wear-ability in all seasons I really don't mind paying, particularly when you consider the same product could cost you double somewhere else! Since purchasing this foundation I have found I'm far more open minded to companies who are perhaps not immediately known first hand for their make up brand because there are some real gems out there as beauty bloggers are discovering with the newly founded H&M make up range (which STILL hasn't arrived in Aberdeen unfortunately)  but I'd love to know what your favourite 'odd' beauty brands are or even your favourite Body Shop product is. Be sure to leave your top picks and secret weapons in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more of my perfectly matched face you can follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, Netflix and chill with my perfect match!

H.Elizabeth x

Body Shop Aberdeen | Bloggers Evening and Skincare Haul

Coming back at you today with yet another Aberdeen Bloggers event, myself and the girls from the #Abzmeet group were invited along to the Body Shop in Aberdeen's St Nicholas centre to test out their new range of spa products as well as their oils of life range and their exciting foray into flawless foundation! Needless to say as a lover of all things spa, beauty and just product really I was so excited to go along for the evening and get my learn on. Admittedly the Body Shop is not somewhere I usually venture just mainly because I have a tendency to stick to what I know skin care wise and never stray too far from my typical Boots and Lush products, but I knew myself it was time for a revamp!

We were introduced to the team at the Aberdeen store and they explained we would each get time with their three experts, one from the spa range, one from skincare and one from the make up team. As there was only three of us able to make it we each had a considerable amount of time with each of the ladies and were given advice tailored to our individual needs and skincare requirements which was brilliant and so informative. We got to try out pretty much all of their new products, my personal favourites being the new spa range which has all sorts of smelly, goodies and loveliness for you to get your hands on, their oils of life which make your skin feel unbelievable and their new foundation which I may even do a separate post on because it is a thing of wonders (am I exaggerating? NO!) 

Instead of today bending your ear on all the intricacies of my own skin and the ins and outs of what we tried on, what worked, what didn't work, I just want to share my haul of products I came away with on the evening, how they benefit my skin and how they might benefit yours if you're skin type is similar to mine. 

Honey and Milk Bath Mix
When I got a whiff of this from their spa range I knew I had to have it, and given that we will have a bath in our new home I am so excited for this to become my go to relaxing bath scent! The formula leaves your skin feeling hydrated, moisturised and all manner of silky smooth. The mix was inspired by Egyptian Queen Cleopatra who used to bathe in milk to keep her skin in tip top condition. So if this mix is going to leave me looking anything like the late great Liz Taylor I'm all for it.

Oil of Life (pictured above)
Okay so like many of you ladies and gents out there I struggle with dry skin, particularly at the moment with the colder weather coming in. I leave my house in the morning hydrated and looking alive but after facing the elements and the general day I'll left with unattractive dry patches showing through my foundation and I'm in need for a little TLC. This is why I have invested in a facial oil, I have been seeing these everywhere lately, these babies are the new face serums. You put this on before you go to bed and after your shower in the morning before you use your moisturiser, it basically preps your face for moisturising and helps your skin to absorb the product a bit easier. 

Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

Again, with the Scottish weather lately my skin has turned a bit grey and as fashionable as the colour is for home interiors right now I don't want it on my face! Given that I'm a bit of an exfoliation junkie I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an exfoliator with skin brightening vitamin C properties.

Fresh Nude Foundation in Porcelain (Pictured above)
And for the big finish! After spending a bit of time with the Body Shop's senior make up artist and talking about my skin care needs and what tones go best with my face in general she showed me their new Fresh Nude Foundation. I will be doing a full full review of this product but I just have to give it props right now for how wonderful it makes my skin look. Never have I ever had a product match my skin tone as well as this does, it's lightweight, build-able and one of the best parts? You can wear it matte or dewy by doing one small thing (no tools required) stay tuned for the full review of this wonder product soon!

On top of all of my haul goodies we were treated to some gift bags and freebies which has an amazing array of products inside that I can't wait to try out, vanilla scented sprays, lip balms and a highlighter dupe for Benefit's High Beam to name a few. I'm hoping to discover some skincare saviours for winter in my little bundle and if I do I'll be sure to share them with you guys who also suffer with dry winter weather skin like I do!

Apologies for the lengthy, lengthy post today guys but I honestly can't say enough good things about the staff at the Body Shop in Aberdeen, I was so impressed by how passionate they are about the brand, the ethics and the product quality in total (and before anyone says, no they are not on commission!) so if you're looking for your very own skin care saviours be sure to spare a thought for Body Shop and pop in past to have a chat with their experts. Do you have any must have beauty, skin or shower products from the Body Shop? I'd love to hear all of your thoughts, comments, suggestions and link your reviews below, and as always you can catch me, myself and I on Twitter or more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, bathing just like Cleo!

H.Elizabeth x

Little bit of London in the Granite City | The Linton and Mac Experience

As I type this I'm still pretty buzzed, maybe it's the prosecco talking, perhaps it's all of the hair product I've been sniffing in this evening or maybe it's simply the effect of the brand new Granite City salon everybody has been talking about, Linton and Mac. As you'll know if you've been keeping up to date with Granite City Girl these last couple of weeks, recently I went along to the grand opening of new salon and style bar Linton and Mac so I thought I would just take a moment to share how the event went, what sort of services Linton and Mac offer and just really to beam about the business in general!

Stepping in to Linton and Mac you wouldn't be blamed if you thought you'd just stepped directly on to a Pinterest board, from the chic interiors and amazing product ranges to the nick nacks and attention to detail, the Linton and Mac experience is the stuff of blogger dreams. Linton and Mac themselves are, simply put, two driven young women with an amazing passion for their craft and a desire to bring some style, class and something that little bit different to the Aberdeen beauty and hairdressing industry and I'll tell you for the media and blogger launch they brought it hard! Inspired by salons across the world, namely London, Linton and Mac aimed to emulate that type of experience and give a luxe, lavish feel to their salon which comes across beautifully and their range of services are just as impressive as their outward appearance.

Opening officially on the 1st of September Linton and Mac offer a wide range of services, whether you're just looking for a cut and blow dry, some balayage or if you want to know how to contour your face like Kim K they're your new go to gals! Their style bar service itself is something I have never seen anywhere else, for the price of £25 you're given half an hour with one of their professional stylists who will give your hair some OOMPH from their very own styling guide. On the night I was lucky enough to sample this service and I did not leave disappointed (as I sometimes do when my hair is 'styled') and you can see the glamorous after picture below!

The stylist spoke me through the entire process and let me know what products she was using, when and why, which for a hair styling novice like me is great because even though its only a half hour appointment you come away knowing so much more about your hair. The style I picked was a very voluminous, gelled back style but as my ears tend to be a bit elfie (not the cute Lord of the Rings kind) the stylist catered the style totally to my face. Selfies a plenty were taken I tell you and I was so gutted I didn't have a night out or even a meal planned, nope just some quality time with the telly!

I'm excited to see how far Linton and Mac are yet to go, if their launch evening is any indication I can safely say I see this dynamic duo going global and I'll personally be back to try out their beauty bar as well as for a second styling experience because ladies, I just can't get enough. Linton and Mac are now open for business in the Granite City be sure to go and check them out at 18 Netherkirkgate in Aberdeen or give them a buzz on 01224 641664 to book in for a little treat!

I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peak into life in the Granite City and just what I have been up to in general, I love being able to share events like this particularly when it comes to new businesses and ventures in Aberdeen as they can be few and far between. If you were at the Linton and Mac opening I'd love to hear from you and what your thoughts are on the business be sure to leave a comment below, come find me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see more of my face (and hair) be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, enjoying the Linton and Mac experience.

H.Elizabeth x

Filling Station Aberdeen | Christmas Menu Review

As you'll probably notice this is not Wednesday or Sunday, but I couldn't wait to share this special review with you from an event I attended just this week, I hope you enjoy!

Just this week I attended my first ever blogger event, which was exciting, nerve wracking, fab and just a down right brilliant evening. We were all invited along to try out and test the Filling Station Aberdeens new Christmas menu and cocktails which I do believe go live as from next week and guys really, get yourself along and stuff yourselves silly!

The Filling Station Aberdeen Union Street

The Filling Station, for those who have never been is an American Style restaurant who have a good few restaurants in Scotland. They specialize in authentic American dishes and always try to offer a unique twist to their specific menu so there really is something for everyone.

When we arrived the scent of warm cinnamonny cider filled the restaurant and thankfully those were for us, and was to be the first of many more cocktails on their way! But let's crack on and review this menu shall we?!

Cocktails

We were treated to a mini cocktail masterclass which was entertaining when the head cocktail master (this is absolutely not the technical term!) picked on people to pretend to be Parick Swayze. We were shown literally every new Christmas cocktail and the meaning behind them was explained which was great to listen to.

Mimosa (Or as we know it Bucks Fizz)

Pitched to us as the simple Christmas morning drink, this is the American style version of our Bucks Fizz, sounding a bit more sophisticated, but I was really surprised as to how much work and attention to detail the bar tender put into this particular drink as it seems so simple.

Egg nog

Something I have never tried, but having watched it being made I would certainly love to, and usually when I see something being made it puts me off! The key ingredient for this festive treat? Gingerbread syrup, need I say more?

Chocolate Orange Martini
Based on the UK tradition of enjoying a Terry's Chocolate Orange in your stocking (clever eh?) it was actually blended with a white chocolate liqueur to take the darkness out of the drink which is great if you're not looking for something too heavy.

The Snowman
By far my favourite, I can only describe this fun little fella as milkshakey, he's made of vodka and creamy goodness and vanilla syrup. With whipped cream topped for a heat and chocolate for eyes he's simply adorable!

Filling Station Festive Menu 2014

Starters

Mushroom Risotto
(This is actually a main on the menu but since there was a vegetarian among us it came out first)Since I don't like mushrooms I wasn't really holding out much hope for starter number one, but this creamy dish was a delight, and I scoffed it! (minus a few mushrooms)

Goats Cheese Bruschetta
My friend actually ate this for me (sorry Filling Station Chef) but the only cheese I dislike is goats cheese.

Main Dishes

Maple Bacon Burger
Of course this reminded me of Elf (perhaps this was the inspiration?) Everyone was pretty skeptical about this dish but it was a-ma-zing! I am now a passionate advocate of maple syrup on everything, I mean who would have known!? Traditionally Aberdonians aren't known for their keen palette on sweet and savory but all I know is we were in awe!

Maple Bacon Burger

Turkey Dinner
Of course we had to have this wee traditional feast in here, even though it was a smaller portion it certainly filled a gap. Turkey with all of the trimmings indeed, my favourite part of a roast is dipping all of the things in cranberry sauce so I was chuffed by the major tub we were given!

Turkey Dinner

Dessert

Cookie Cheesecake

A sharer I'm afraid for us anyway, things got serious when I heard my friend and I had to share, I was stuffing my gob like I don't now what! The cheesecake is made with oreos and mascarpone cheese, the perfect blend of creamy taste and the richness of the oreos.

Cookie Cheesecake

Verdict

I highly recommend you get yourself booked in for the Filling Station at least once this Christmas, perfect for if you're organising the office party, catching up and exchanging gifts with old friends or even if you just want something a little different from your usual Christmas dinner. This restaurant has something for everyone this festive season! Remember this is just a sample of what they actually have in the restaurant for the full menu please check out their website.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank the Filling Station for giving me the opportunity to come along and sample their Christmas menu for the blog, I hope you guys enjoyed reading my thoughts on the menu especially and I hope you do get a chance to go and have a taste! If you do happen to go what do you think? Drop me a comment below come catch me on Twitter or keep up with my latests on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x