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

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

Building my Pro MUA Kit | Bobbi Brown BBU Palette

As a new make up artist it can be a challenge working out just where to start when it comes to building your kit and when it comes to specifics like foundations, eyeshadows, blushes, you sort of just want to throw your brushes in the air and hide away from it all, because there is just....SO....MUCH...CHOICE. But I have found that a great place to start is with one great go to palette that can take you through concealers, colour correctors AND foundations without having to fiddle about with individual bottles and go through the dramas and nightmares that come with picking and choosing different shades.

Following some advice from my GC tutor as well as a bit of research online I decided to opt for the Bobbi Brown BBU palette. Bobbi Brown is a brand who focus namely on skin and not masking your natural beauty but rather enhancing it, perfect if you're working with a bride or someone who isn't quite used to wearing quite as much make up as someone like me is. The BBU palette is made up of Bobbi Browns signature cream foundation sticks in all the colours of the skin tone rainbow, as well as creamy concealers and colour correctors that ought to help you handle anything life and face throws at you from dark circles to redness, wrinkles and skin discolouration, this is your go to.

Again this is a product that is best warmed up and placed on the face using your fingers and then going in and working with a brush or damp beauty blender to buff it into the skin. Personally I have been buffing the product into the skin using a Real Techniques Expert Face brush and getting rid of any lines with a damp sponge or beauty blender. Though the foundation is made to offer a light coverage the product is fairly buildable and if you wanted you could go back in with some darker  and lighter concealers and foundation colours to create some contoured and highlighted effects on the face the formula is just that versatile.

Having used this on pretty much ALL of the clients I have had so far I am pleased to report I haven't really ran into any issues, and none of the ladies I've had in my chair have complained of a reaction or anything from the formula (though skin prep is always a useful skill to employ so I will do a post on skin prep in the future for those of you who are wondering)

The palette is a little more on the pricey side, retailing at around £200, and I wouldn't recommend getting this if you're not planning on pursuing a career in make up artistry because DAMN GIRL these are expensive, but they do literally have any and all of the colours you're going to need so as a make up artist consider this as a necessary evil... I mean investment.... woops.

Again I hope you have enjoyed this little, teensy weensey peek into my make up artistry kit,  I of course have a far more extensive skin, foundation, concealer and skincare range than this, so if you are interested in seeing just what it is I use on dry skin, oily skin or even the skin prep I do for any skin types be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments below! Otherwise you can catch me and my varying alter egos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, Bobbi, you are bae!

H.Elizabeth 

Flawless Faces | Urban Decay All Nighter Make Up Setting Spray

Don't you just hate it when your face melts off? Don't panic I'm not talking Indiana Jones face melting; I'm not THAT ginger and Aberdeen is not that hot! But isn't it a real pain when you've got your glam face on, maybe you've went a little crazy and slapped on some highlight, maybe a little contour, and you head off to start your day only to find your eyes are down by your cheeks and your cheeks have unfortunately slipped down far enough to give you that highly sought after double chin, your face has failed you! Which is pretty much how every day went for me until I discovered make up setting spray!

Now I must say I was a little cheeky a couple of times before buying this, giving myself a quick spritz in my local Boots and Debenhams while the staff were occupied with filing their nails and preening to check if this stuff really did work, and I wasn't disappointed! The spray claims to help your make up last up to 16 hours and prevent any slippage (yes that is the technical word...ahem) which means you won't get any of those unsightly under eye lines, so after my few cheeky sprays with some great results I decided to take the plunge and commit to a non slippy face.

The first full day I gave this a proper go was for my friends first bridal fitting, and given the facial expressions I was due to pull that day this spray had it's work cut out! The instructions suggest a couple of light sprays in a cross shape across your face after you have finished applying your make up. I was a bit worried that given I like a dewy complexion that I would get little 'water marks' down my face but this literally went on and felt dry immediately so I thankfully didn't have that tacky, uncomfortable feeling. And so it was the true test had begun and I went on with my day and 'best maid of honour ever' duties.

Now that day I pulled a lot of facial expressions; something I of course try not to do in my normal day to day life because, wrinkles dah-ling. But in all seriousness I smiled, laughed, cried, pulled faces of disgust on cue as well as the usual gushy faces you'd expect from a bridal / wedding themed day out so I really thought I was in store for more of a mosaic rather than a face on returning to the apartment that evening. On looking rather cautiously in the mirror I was pleasantly surprised, there was no slippage, no bunching, creasing or indeed melting of any kind whatsoever. My under eyes looked as smooth as when first applied and in fact the only area that needed a going over were my lips. So after a good slathering of lippy I was good to go again.

Overall I have been quite impressed with this product, of course I have no other frame of reference to base this on so I'm not going to go ahead and claim this is the biggest and bestest holy grail product of setting sprays, because at £21.00 from Debenhams it isn't a cheap purchase. But of course if you are looking to have a bit of a splurge, or like me you had a voucher to spend then why not? Give it a bash and be sure to tell me your thoughts, share your favourite setting sprays and just have a general natter with me in the comments below or keep up to date with me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, mosaic face is a thing of my past!

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

Make up application | You're doing it wrong!

This is something that I have been meaning to post for such a long time now, it's something I myself only learned last August before I was about to get married from my make up artist for the day, and let me tell you this one tiny make up tip and beauty blunder, that I'm guessing more than 90% of the nation get wrong, can revolutionize the way you do your make up on a daily basis. Now let me just start off by saying I realise most of you who read this will roll your eyes and think that is ridiculous I'm not doing it that way nor will I ever, but just trust me on this, try it for a week, a couple of days even and it will save you time, product and ultimately money! Sounds too good to be true right? Well you'll soon see for yourself.

I remember having my make up trial and wondering of all wonders what on Earth is this woman doing to my face? That weekend I had been suffering quite a bad breakout of immense and stress inducing proportions, so much so, that I thought my wedding make up artist wasn't going to touch my face with a barge pole let alone product, and I panicked a little when the first thing she did was come at me with some eyeliner and shadow products. But what about my base, 'bout my base? I said (lyrically) and it was just then that the obvious dawned on me, you're supposed to apply your eye make up first aren't you? Yes siree bob that thur is a hole in one! My make up artist then went on to enlighten me and my maid of honour that by applying your eye make up and brows first you're less likely to smudge your base and muss up your eyeliner. Logic right?!

At first I thought, ugh rubbish that won't make any difference to me, but being a lifestyle blogger and an I'll give anything a go once type of gal I thought I would make the effort and try it her way for one week. And guys, it has changed my life (well my face at least) I used to be plagued by eyeshadow dust, blasted by clumsy finger smudges and don't even get me started on those eyeliner fails, but with this technique this is a thing of the past. Because I haven't had to touch up and re touch up my base I've actually been saving an incredible amount of product as well as time and money (see I told you we'd circle back around to this)

Have I dazzled you? Maybe, maybe not, maybe you're sat at home thinking, as I did, what a load of rubbish I need a base from which to build my facial empire, and so to all of you naysayers I challenge you to one week, that's right just one week of trying things my way and just see how different your make up routine becomes. If you take on my challenge or just want to have a chat about this beauty base technique be sure to leave your comments and experiences below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to be dazzled some more be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, revolutionising my own facial empire.

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

The Goldilocks Complex | MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation SPF 15

Thinking back to the first foundation I ever bought still makes me cringe. Thinking of how runny and uncontrolable it was (and not to mention how ill matched to my skin tone) and how inexperienced with handling this substance I so well and truly was it isn't any wonder that the majority of my selfies from around 2008 are all in black and white, or contrasted so highly you can see nothing but a pair of well lined eyes! Of course taking the next step in make up mistakes, like every other girl I moved on to the much coveted Dream Matte Mousse, until of course waking up one day to realise just how bad it looked, felt and generally awful it made my face feel. It was time to move on to bigger and better things and after much deliberation, countless forumlas, lots of ho humming and ha-ing I took the plunge and invested in a MAC foundation.

The sales people in my local MAC (in Union Square - shock) are so helpful, they know their stuff and judging by the way they always look flawless, no matter the time of day, I would quite happily put my make up decisions and face in their hands. So when I went in looking for a new foundation that offered maximum coverage that didn't mattify my face too heavily and wouldn't appear to crack or break up through the day, they knew just what I was looking for. The MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation (Shade NW15) is a creamy gel based foundation that is quite thick and feels substantial, the sales assistant said that the forumla of the foundation is quite hydrating to the skin and as it has spf 15 I had little worries about the potential sun damage I may get while wearing it (very little given we are in Aberdeen after all) To boot I was informed that it is pretty sturdy against water, so the Aberdeen rain ought not to worry me either! So that was that, love at first sight, and off I merrily skipped with my brand new foundation pleased as punch.

I remember the first time I used this product, it was a month before my wedding when the girls and I were heading off the Edinburgh for the hen weekend formalities and needless to say as I wasn't quite used to the thick consistency of a cream foundation, I was over zealous and ended up with quite a wet looking face (no I don't mean dewy, I mean wet) so rule number one of a cream / gel based MAC foundation, a little goes a long way and given that I have had it for around 8 months I think that's pretty great going for such a deceptively thin tube! The foundation itself, once you've got to grips with it that is, is lovely to put on, I personally used to apply mine with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, but have recently swapped to the Real Techniques Foundation brush, which has worked wonders for streaky lines and even application.  The real test for me was the wear ability and durability of the forumla as we were shopping, lunching, dining and drinking in the evening this really had to last at least 12 hours - surely that isn't asking too much right? No it was not and I am pleased to report that if you're searching for durability then your search is over! My face was able to last through Edinburgh in the rain, heat and humidity of the shopping centres' of the day and still look fab in the evening!

Now even though this sounds like a match made in heaven I must assure you that our tale does not necessarily end here or have a particularly happy ending to say the least (here comes our story arc!) as much as I loved and got on with the appearance of this foundation it wrecked my skin no end, and the most horrific part was it took about 2 - 3 weeks to repair said damage. As you guys probably know by now I have combination/dry skin but I'm relatively careful with what I put on my face so as not to flare up a bad bout of dry skin and as careful as I thought I was being, when it comes to make up sometimes I'm just not sensible enough. This foundation is difficult to remove at the best of times, it takes quite a few pads and a deal of scrubbing to remove it, and even then a cleanser is recommended to completely remove it, so after a solid week or so of using the foundation my skin began to suffer. My face came out in red dry patchy areas all over and no amount of moisturiser was helping and after a couple of weeks of these patches I began to panic my face would never be the same. I swore off all make up for 2 - 3 weeks, moisturised every hour and slowly my face began to heal and return to normal. Needless to say I stopped wearing the foundation altogether for a little while, but when I did return I made sure to take precautions. Today I use a pea sized amount of foundation and even then I have lathered primer all over my face to protect my skin (Smashbox is a life saver!) Now I have happily finished the tube I don't think  I will be repurchasing this product, just because I feel I can find something that does offer the coverage I'm looking for that perhaps is a bit kinder to my skin. Alas the search continues to find that foundation that isn't too thin, or too thick but is just right.

I hope you have found this review helpful, buying one of your first high end foundations can be daunting especially when you're shelling out £25 - £30 at a time on something you don't feel fully informed about, so I hope this has helped weigh out the pros and cons of one of your options at least. If you have a solution to pull me from the Goldilocks foundation complex I am facing right now I am of course all ears and would love to hear you recommendations in the comments below, or you can come share them with me on Twitter. Of course if you'd like to keep up with my latest reviews, recommendations and rants you can follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm searching for the one that's juuuust right.

H.Elizabeth