New 'Do | The Saks Experience

Hey guys so I fulfilled yet another Autumnal 'want' this past week and I underwent quite a dramatic (for me anyway) change to my head, which I thought I would share with you guys. As you'll know I've been chopping and changing my hair quite a bit and experimenting with different colours over the past few years (see my 'Hairstory' post if you'd like to follow my 'journey') and this Autumn I was looking for something different and outside the box for my traditional Goldilocks.

While I loved my hair in it's Strawberry Blonde state, with Autumn rolling in and my roots joining, I felt a bit like a hippy wandering around in dull weather with ombre locks and honestly my hair had gotten into such a bad condition through daily heat styling it was time for a chop and a change.

Saks in Union Square Aberdeen

So I paid a visit to my regular hairdresser establishment 'Saks' where I had booked in for a colour, cut and blow dry with a stylist (I reckon she is a senior stylist...she did a pretty ace job at least!) Now I love Saks, it took me a long long time to find a hairdresser I was comfortable with and genuinely enjoyed going to but I can safely say I am content, and to boot it's in my favourite haunt, 'Union Square' If you do ever find yourself in need of a chop and a change and you're about the Granite City I do recommend you give them a go!

Prior to anything touching my head I had my colour consultation and after confusing myself and the stylist, we decided on a warm toned brown with copper tones throughout which wouldn't wash out my skin given I'm such a Casper. And under I went!

The dye only took 20 minutes since my hair was so light, and my concerns about the damage I had already done to my hair was put at ease by the knowledge that the colour they used had conditioning qualities.

Once the colour came off and I was dried to perfection I was so pleased with the transformation, I honestly believe, as I believe with eyebrows, the colour and cut of your hair can do wonders for your face and I personally think darker compliments me far more in the Winter (with the disappearance of my freckles temporarily)

For the entire process I paid £73.00 which I always think is quite reasonable for the service you're receiving, I'm always happy to pay that little extra if the salon and the services they offer are professional, there is nothing worse than feeling like a nuisance when you're paying a bomb. In fact I was so chuffed with my new 'do and the service I have booked in again for a re-colour before Christmas (and I have NEVER had the same thing twice in  a hairdressers ever!)

So there you have it, my Saks Experience and my new 'do, what do you guys think? Share your good and bad salon experiences with me in the comments below, come have a rant with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more of my beauty blogging and experiences keep up to date with me on Bloglovin

Thank you for the reads, until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

The Girl with the Green (ish) Coat

Can you tell I've been watching 'Confessions of a Shopaholic?' 

As you'll know if you read my October / Autumnal wants post I have recently been on the hunt for a brand new striking, statement winter coat to break my blackish, grey habit and inject some colour into my life. And I'm ever so pleased to tell you I have done it, and at a discounted price too!

When I'm on the hunt for something I generally stick to my comfort zones, visiting shops like New Look and Dorothy Perkins or sometimes I'll dabble in River Island but only when I'm feeling 'out there' but this year I was tempted in and fell for the M & S ad, which has us all in the grips of their fashion forward talons. Can anyone genuinely say that they haven't nailed their AW14 campaign?!

Basically what prompted this was a very Frozen esque jacket I saw on the advert, you all know the one, the ice blue comfy coat with the white trim around the collar! But of course my practical brain set in and when I tried it on, as much as I loved it, it just wasn't practical for Winter. A nice ice blue ensemble is all very well and good but at almost £80 think of the splashes you'll get from cars on the way to work, or think of the clumsiness of yourself in your oversized winter boots and even think of the marks you'll get just from the falling snow! I couldn't risk it!

So instead I tried on and loved this little ensemble which I only saw by chance as it was the last in it's size and on the wrong rack! It's such a lovely fit and the colour is amazing, on the website it's called 'Emerald' which of course being the film buff I am, just whisked me off to OZ. I also love the black (faux) fur trimmed collar. Having no reservations I of course snapped it up ASAP, and I struck even more luck when I found it was 20% of all M&S coats that weekend! So I only had to pay £69.30, luck of the Irish perhaps?

Limited Edition Faux Fur Collared Neck Coat in Emerald (RRP. £79.00 From M&S)

Sorry that I have spent so much time on a post revolving around a new winter coat but honestly it's exciting when you spot a rare find (in this case a smart, on trend, cost effective winter coat that isn't black!) Have you guys found any AW fashion nuggets on you travels lately? I'd love to hear about them, be sure to drop me a comment below, come tweet at me on the Twittersphere or if you'd like to keep up to date with my latest posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks

H.Elizabeth x

What I Wore | Working Wardrobe

Having recently secured myself a proper 'grown up' job upon graduating and getting married (woop big year for me!) I of course saw this as a brilliant excuse to revamp and redesign my wardrobe. Out with the old as they say, so I threw out some of my younger clothes (2 black bags full I might add) and hit the town to take advantage of my student discount before it's too late! So in light of my new wardrobe and  grown up career I thought I would share a typical office look for this Granite City Career Girl.

What I wore on my body

Dress - B/W Tartan Shift Dress / Pinafore from New Look

(You may recognise this from my recent Student Haul post) 

Tights - Supercosy Black Tights From Asda 

Boots -  My Trusty H&M Boots from last year (vintage - so adorable!)

What I wore on my head and face

 

Hair - Swooshy locks ala GHD straighteners

VO5 Plump it up Heat Defence Spritz

Face - Collection Lasting Perfection

Concealer in Cool Medium

Applied with Real Techniques

Beauty Blender

Eyes - L'Oreal Colour Riche Eyeliner Black

Benefit's They're Real Mascara

Lips - Topshop Burgundy Lip Liner

Topshop Lippy in Trigger

And there you have it a typical office outfit and look pour moi.

As always I love love love hearing from you so drop me a comment below, come have a tweeter fest on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my latest posts come join me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks

H.Elizabeth x



Domestic Goddess | My New Recipe Book

Since finishing university (because this has granted me the gift of time!) I have been known to dabble in the culinary delights my kitchen and oven can bring and I'll be honest it's been pretty fun and successful. (Successful here meaning that I have not had nor have I given anybody food poisoning yet)

My most recent culinary creations were mini oreo cheesecakes and before that I tried my hand at chocolate swirled shortbread. This newfound hobby is doing NOTHING for my diet and fitness plans, but none the less it keeps me busy and entertained in the evenings.

I've been slowly building up my utensils and cooking resources every week at ASDA, so when I saw this book in Paperchase organisational inspiration struck again and I just had to have it!

The book is wipeable (good for this slap dash cook!) and has an adorable design on the front, it stays closed with a mint green ribbon (that was the dealbreaker in the store I'm ashamed to say)

This book is a neat freaks heaven, I mean from the organised dinner party planner pages to specific meal times and recipe types, its amazing and at times creepily organised! I'm planning on using this book to stick in all of my loved recipes, usually if I see a recipe I like the sound of I'll email it to myself and set up my iPad in the kitchen, however following a recent incident with my iPad and it's recent scare with a water basin I think this is a safer, cheaper alternative!

So that's all from me today folks, I just wanted to share this cute wee book with you because I got awfully awfully excited about it and honestly sharing with you is just second nature now!

Have any of you started experimenting with cooking / baking recently? Drop me comment below telling me your fave thing to bake, or come chat to me about it on Twitter or if you want to see more posts, come follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

Girls Day Out | Pure Spa

Since finishing university, life has undoubtedly taken over and that's not just for me, but for my friends too who sadly upon graduating returned to their home towns (thankfully still in Scotland...phew!) leaving me all by my lonesome in the Granite City!

So in our efforts to keep in touch we decided that we would meet in our respected towns and cities once a month and either have an activity planned or go for a nice lunch or a little something at least! And this month we decided it was time to wind down and go for a spa afternoon!

Therefore I thought this would be a good opportunity to share my experience of the spa in general, the experience and specifics on my chosen treatments.

What happens when you arrive at Pure Spa

You'll sign in at the reception desk and be given a quick and easy form to fill in (if its your first time) detailing your choices and any ailments you might have. Last time I let them know about a problem I was having skin wise and this helped the therapist determine what kind of treatments and products to use, particularly if you're having a facial.

After filling out your forms a member of the Pure Spa team will escort you through what looks like a maze to a room where you can safely store your belongings and get changed into a big fluffy spa robe. If you're having a facial this is where you can remove your make up and tie up your tresses.

When you are all dressed and ready for some zen you will be taken through to their 'relaxation room' to get some peace, quiet and a beverage (peppermint tea is my poison) Because there was three of us this time this was a great time for us to sit and chat (quietly using our spa voice of course!) and relax in Pure Spa's amazing relaxation pods!

When our appointment times arrived we were all taken by our individual therapists to our seperate rooms to have our chosen treatments.

The Treatments I chose

This time I went for something called the Boosters package (£75) , whcih means  you can choose two treatments from a range of massages, a few miscellaneous treatments or from a variety of facials. Each treatment lasts half an hour which I personally think is better for a massage as I don't think I could lay for an hour without sleeping or flopping off of the table at the end!

Thai Bundle Massage

My lovely therapist asked me if I carried any tension in specific places or if there were any areas I'd particularly like worked on. I like to think I have quite good posture but sometimes this can relate to my stress being carried on my shoulders which is not good!

The massage itself was an experience, they use bundled herbal compresses to warm up the muscles along your back and your therapist will then proceed to stretch the muscles to open them up and repeatedly pat them with the compress. This massage is a detoxifying massage and you'll feel light and very fresh afterwards.

Pure Spa pitch this particuar massage as 'the ultimate tension releasing massage' which if the way I felt is anything to go on is absolutely true, I mean Pure Spa Aberdeen is bang in the middle of our busiest shopping centre and I felt millions of miles away! (thankfully)

Exotic Ginger and Lime Body Scrub

This is something I had before, so my repeat custom speaks for itself, but I'll explain what it is anyway just in case you fancied having a try of it yourself.

I love exfoliation, in fact at my previous job in an aesthetic clinic I was shamed for my love of it as too much exfoliation can scratch the skins surface in a bad bad way, but that's a discussion for another time! And hearing that I could be professionally scrubbed with two of my favourite scents I thought oh yes this is just for me.

These scrubs aren't great for people who are a bit sensitive or have irritation prone skin as the exfoliator is brushed on with a very hard bristled brush up and down your arms and legs (which you MUST remember to shave your legs for ladies!)

Having the scrub after my massage was smart thinking on the therapists part, I felt completely clean, refreshed and relaxed. Following your wash down in their AMAZING showers you'll be treated to a full body moisturisation to  keep your skin silky smooth and sumptuous.

After your treatments

Once you're all relaxed and refreshed your therapist will show you back through to the relaxation room, where they say you're free to stay as long as you like. Were that the case I'd NEVER leave! But we stayed and enjoyed our champagne flutes (filled with water might I add)

The Nasty Bit

PAYING and LEAVING!

In short I do recommend everyone treat themselves once in a while especially in a spa environment, I'm thinking of asking for an expensive facial for Christmas, maybe the diamond peel! Ooh!

Sorry for my unusually long winded post there guys, I was just so excited to share my ace experience with you and I feel like I've just threw up all of my words! Have you tried different treatments at Pure Spa or even another spa, I'd love to hear recommendations or other treatments I may want to try! Let me know in the comments below, come find me on the Twittersphere or if you'd like to keep up with my new posts catch me on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth x

New Look Haul | Autumn Update

I've never been much of a fan of online clothes shopping. Many of my clothes appear to be a major hit or miss when it comes to fit and style in particular so I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to go on a major internet clothing shop frenzy one Friday evening when I had other things I ought to have been doing (i.e Blogging about other things that didn't cost me £40!)

So I thought instead of moping and suffering from buyers remorse I would share these purchases with you guys and you can tell me if it was indeed a waste of my time and money!

#1 I wish I was a unicorn T (£9.99)

 I love a good loungy, baggy t shirt to both wear around the house and on my more casual events and escapades, and unashamedly this reminded me a great deal of Despicable Me so I had to haves!

#2 Dark Blue Denim Leggings (£12.99)

 These have been in awfully short supply in my home recently, the banes of having a cat and thin leggings has been getting to me, and not to mention my bank balance. So I thought it was high time to invest in another pair and be wary of the cats claws in future!

#3 Blue Pocket Tunic Dress (£9.00 SALE ITEM)

Since watching Cilla on ITV recently I have rekindled my love of the 1950's and 60's so this bargain shift dress is a must for pairing with woolies in the winter months. Perhaps I should invest in some boots too...hmmm

#4 Shocking red Kimono (£13.00 SALE ITEM)

At the moment red is my colour and Kimonos are an obsession, and since my hair is about to undergo a dramatic Summer to Autumn transformation I thought I should invest in the colour since it will compliment me quite well. A plus as it can be used as a party piece as opposed to a jacket or blazer.

Total Splurged: £40.38
(Still using my cheeky student discount online)

Really if you think about it I just bought myself a whole two new outfits for under £50, I do believe I am quite a thrifty buyer. Have you guys been treating yourself due to the dramatic weather changes we've been having? Drop me a comment below to share how you cheer yourself up in this dismal state, you can as always catch me on Twitter or keep up with my latest posts on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H. Elizabeth x

The Beauty Weirdie #Tag

This week every morning when I have been getting my face on and my hair done I was very very conscious of all of my strange little beauty ticks and habits that have become second nature to my routine and since you guys seemed to love my weirdie cinema post a little while back I thought I would share a bit more of my strangeness with you! So here we have my 5 biggest beauty weirdie ticks and habits.

#1 When I buy a tin of anything, like hairspray, dry shampoo or basically any aerosol spray with a lid, I bin the lid. I'm not entirely sure why and I only do it to cans over a certain size, for example my handbag sized tins with lids are safe. I think it might just be because I'm so lazy and taking a lid off to spray my hair in the morning is wasting extra time I just don't have.

#2 No matter how prepared I am I will almost always accidentally apply my lipstick and liner before brushing my teeth and end up with a face / teeth of disaster before leaving the house!

#3 I am a beauty hoarder, recently I threw out a massive black bag full of make up and accessories I have ashamedly been keeping 'just in case' for 6 years! The first stage as always is being able to admit you have a hoarding problem.

#4 I have a brow kit in which there is a gel to be used to set stray hairs after you have applied the powder. However I use it as a prep as I find it helps my brows stay darker and ruly for longer.

#5 I am very strict about my beauty prep environment, I must have music / tv noise and a full glass of orange juice / diet coke or my face just won't cooperate!

So ladies and gents that's me for now, my weird and wonderful beauty routine musts and mustn't's  letting you guys see a little bit more of my strange little ticks and habits that make up my own Granite City living.

I know this is technically a tag but I have nobody specifically I would like to tag to try out this post but I will say I challenge all of you lifestyle and beauty bloggers out there to give this a bash and share some of your wonderful weirdness with the blogosphere and the world!

Well as always I love to hear from you guys so drop me a comment, catch me on the Twittersphere or keep up with my latest postings on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth x

Out With the Old | Make Up & Jewellery

I'm a strong believer that a clean and organised work / play environment makes for greater productivity and boosted happiness levels, and that's why recently I've been making the effort to get out with the old and in with the new, clearing out almost 6 years worth of clothing, make up and basically junk that I've always said will 'come in handy eventually' Surprise surprise, they did not.

So today I thought I would share my most recent organisational endeavour and show you the amazing transformation of my make up and jewellery storage.

Before

Messy mayhem, now that it's all clean and tidy I have no idea how I was able to function in this utter mess! I had myself convinced that as long as I knew where everything was that it's alright and it's really not that bad. Oh how deluded I was, the wake up call came when my new lippy was accidentally nudged into my wicker bin (thankfully I rescued it before it was too late!)

After (Tah Dah!)

 

The sea of glitter parted and tah dah! I finally have the organised make up system I've always wanted! I used a few clear compartmentalised boxes from hobbycraft, one which is divided by square boxes and the other which is actually meant for stationary. The startionary box which is on the right of the picture doesn't actually fit in the drawer properly but is instead propped up which I prefer because I can see the products more clearly without sticking my head in the drawer.

Overall I threw out two black bags worth of 'stuff' which is the only way I can describe it! I seriously cut down my make up collection and only really kept jewellery which I either wore a lot or had sentimental value. You never really realise how much rubbish you buy until you have to spend an entire Saturday afternoon clearing it out!

Top Organisational Tips

#1 Have a plan; There is no way my day would have been half as productive as it was if I hadn't known exactly what I was wanting to do and had laid out all of my tools before hand. Equipped with my clear boxes, a handful of black bags and of course my quippy can do 'tude!

#2 Be firm with yourself; You need to constantly be asking yourself, 'Do I need this?' and 'Would I miss this if it weren't here?' Otherwise you may end up talking yourself into keeping accessories that are really just junk!

#3 Make it fun; if you're not having a nice or fun time clearing out old clothes / make up or jewellery you'll be likely to give up half way through which could leave your storage in a worse state than you found it. Put on some tunes and get the family involved, you'll have such a lauch at some of the things you used to use!

Have you cleared anything out recently? Send me pics of your brand new and improved make up / clothing storage, if you're as proud of yours as I am of mine! Drop me a comment below, come find me on Twitter or keep up to date with my latest posts on Bloglovin, until next time!

H.Elizabeth x

October Wishlist | Autumnal Wants

It has been a wee while since I've done a post like this, but I suppose it's because I've had far more interesting things to blog about as of late. But alas we are back, and here are my top picks, wants, wishes and lust after list items for this Autumnal month.

#1 A statement coat

I've been seeing a lot of reds, corals and forest greens for Autumn this year and I have recently endeavoured to get away from dull dark clothing colours and add a pop of colour to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe and what better way to do that than with a siren red jacket?!

#2 A new hair do (No pic  since I don't know what I want)

As much as I do love my strawberry blonde Summer locks, they appear out of place and quite lack lustre in the Autmnal weather we've been having (any excuse for a good hair change) so I've been dreaming of an Auburny / Red to see my head through the cold Winter months. Stay tuned for my eventual big reveal!

#3 Maleficent on DVD and in my life!

This film, I need in my life. I saw it in the cinema 3 times and with the date of October 20th being the release date and pending I'm getting myself awfully hyped up! Anyone else?

#4 Heated Rollers

And my quest for voluminous locks continues. Yes I'm still loving a good bouffant hair do and with my velcro rollers working wonders for special occassions and evenings out, I can only imagine what I may achieve with heated rollers.

#5 A pair of good (bonus for sensible) shoes

Walking to work everyday is so good, I get woken up on the way to work, get some good exercise going but the only things that aren't thanking me are my feet! Sometimes I just don't want to have to change shoes arriving at work so I just need a good pair of sensible yet not scary shoes to walk daily in, is that really too much to ask!?

So there you have it, my Autumnal wishlist, if there is anything on here you can potentially help me out with finding for example my lusty statement coat to see me through Winter storms and rain, drop me a comment below, Tweet it at me on Twitter or if you'd just like to keep up and see more of me come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time, see you folks!

H.Elizabeth x