Saks x Manic Panic | Maintaining Coloured Hair

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time folks, colour me pink!

H.Elizabeth x

Granite City Girls New Hair | The emotional stages of cutting your hair

You know in life when you just need to change everything all of a sudden and all at once? This month has seen me move house, start my driving theory (for the second time), buy all new furniture (part and parcel with a new home I suppose), change up my entire fitness routine and last and certainly not least, chop the mop that resides on my head. My hair has always been relatively long and as much as I loved it, it was just getting a bit lack lustre, difficult to manage and most of the time hung like a hippy wig on my face. I found that most days I'd end up throwing it into a bobble, so my answer? Chop it all off, naturally.

Now don't get me wrong I love my new look, though at first when I saw all of the sad looking split ended hair on the floor of my hairdressers I did think I would need treated for shock, it isn't every day you leave the hairdressers chair with an ewok at your feet, but in light of my recent 'ordeal' I feel as a blogger, woman and general all around good gal I would use my experience as a means to impart some wisdom on the thoughts you'll likely have if you decide to go for the chop;

1. It's so light and swooshy; Now that I've ditched the dead weight I can conquer the world with my light head and newfound carefree head swishes and I don't even have to think of my hair slapping someone in the face anymore!

2. Oh my god I look like a boy... or Miranda from Sex and the City...; is this what if feels like to be a boy? Oh my goodness is this my Dudley Moore / Monica hair cut fiasco moment?!

3. My endless supply of bobbles are useless; I wonder if there is a charity shop specifically catering to those who have bobbles, kerbies and hair clips all of which are useless now?

4. Though having said that I'm going to save a ton of money on shampoo; what I wasted on bobbles I'll be earning back with the shampoo I'll use, pea sized I tells ya pea sized!

6. Wow it's dry already! Towels and hairdryers may also be useless; my life is about to become so much more productive, I'll never have stiff arms from blow drying AND I'll have an extra 5 minutes in bed....or you know, something worthwhile and productive.

7. Ah this dress only suits long hair damn; aw geeze now I'll have to buy a WHOLE new wardrobe...what a hard life

8. Who cares? I look flawless; every day is like a catwalk... and I can finally be one of those #shorthairdontcare people!

BONUS: Now it doesn't dip in my beverages (which has previously happened on more than one occasion)

So now I have firmly become a proud member of the 'short hair don't care' brigade and shared my words of wisdom I think I have done my part for the cult (just so you're aware our lords are Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner... just sayin) be sure to share your thoughts on hair cuts, hairdressers and just all things hair in the comments below, on Twitter or if you'd like to become part of my cult you can keep up with the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm going to say it #ShortHairDontCare,

H.Elizabeth x

Lush | Copperhead Shampoo Bar Review

It has been a good while since I have done a Lush post, if I'm honest Lush has been a bit of a sore spot for me recently as a while ago I bought two gorgeous face masks which I had intended to get into quite a routine of using however after a few weeks of hectic schedules and busy evenings I completely forgot about them only to discover them at the back of my fridge covered in mould and unsalvagable! Disappointed is not even the word (not with Lush but with myself, which feels even worse!) But on my recent journey to Dundee, who have a way better Lush than Aberdeen, I couldn't resist a cheeky Lush purchase, and determined to try something new I decided to be a bit more adventurous and buy my first ever shampoo bar.

There were so many to choose from but for me it wasn't a difficult choice. Since having my hair dyed last month the colour has faded quite a bit and I needed something that would lather a bit more oomph and life into it, and being a natural redhead Copperhead was the only way to go, and it smelt amazing to boot! Lush describe the shampoo bar feel, scent and qualities on their site as follows:

'Don’t be latte for work, invigorate with a double shot of coffee grounds and roasted cocoa extract. Persian red henna leaves hair feeling deeply conditioned and gloriously glossy. Escape the daily grind with Fair Trade vanilla absolute and vetivert oil for a rich, enticing aroma. Great for darker shades and those with red tones.'

As everyone undoubtedly has when confronted with a shampoo bar I was apprehensive, how does this thing work? Do I melt it on my head? Do I break bits off and use it that way? What if when I put it in the water it melts my £5 away?! But I really didn't have to worry, you simply wet the bar as you would with a bar of soap and lather it into your hair as you would with a liquid shampoo. It is surprising how quickly the bar lathers up, I expected to have to put in a great deal of elbow grease just to get a bubble from this sucker but nope, the bar was so easy to use and smelt even better when it was in my hair. The scent reminds me of a mans aftershave but not in a bad or hyper-masculine way, more in a way when you get a whiff you go 'oooh..' (but perhaps that's just me) 

Now I can already hear you all screaming, 'But does it make a difference!?' and having been using it for a week and a half I can tell you I have absolutely noticed a difference. First of all when I was the product out of my hair it actually feels clean (squeaky clean!) I say this as a big selling point because at times when you get a new shampoo, instead of actually stripping product from your hair it just feels as if it is putting a sheen or gloss over the top of you hair rather than actually washing it well that problem is over with your new shampoo bar! In addition to cleaning your hair properly it also makes your hair feel incredibly soft, which makes me wonder just how amazing their conditioning bars must feel (a must have on my next Lush trip) Lastly I have noticed the redder tones in my hair have been coming through much more, which is fantastic for me as sometimes the more yellow tones come through in summer which I don't really like so this is the perfect combating treatment for me.

In short I have loved using this shampoo bar and this could mark the end of all things liquid shampoo for me, who knows!? I think it all depends on how long it lasts, I have been using it for 2 weeks now, unfortunately I did run in to a spot of bother as it crumbled quite spectacularly and melted in my shower! Undeterred I have purchased another one and luckily the girl in Lush (Aberdeen) explained to me how I should be using it (i.e DO NOT immerse it in water!) and as an apology for not being told the first time I was given a complimentary tin to keep my shampoo bar in (aren't they so lovely?!)

Let me know if you have tried any of the Lush shampoo and conditioning bar range? What is your favourite or do you perhaps have an alternative that is EVEN better? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below, Tweet your thoughts at me or if you'd just like to see more from me be sure to follow the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm gonna wash that product right outta my hair.

H.Elizabeth x

Granite City Girl's Week Without Heat

For those of you who follow me on Twitter you will know that just last week I embarked on a journey back to health... back to healthy hair at least and I decided to go an entire work week without applying any heat styling or drying etc to my hair whatsoever. So I thought today I would share with you just how I got on, how I styled my hair and the overall results.

Just for a reference my hair without any blow drying, straightening or curling irons looks a bit like this, so I don't suffer from any MAJOR frizz or slicky greasy problems some people do when they go without heat can, in that sense I have been quite lucky, but it was still no picnic!

Just so I can clearly lay the parameters, I wash my hair every evening and I use a hair masque twice a week. I lightly towel dry my hair afterwards, brush it through and leave it to dry itself.

Hair Au Naturale

Day One

This was the day my hair was in the worst condition and it was definitely the day it took the most getting used to. My split ends were out in full force, but on the brighter side I was surprised to learn the style itself was actually not too bad, so all I had to do was give it a wee brush and off I went (although people at work did think I had just rolled out of bed)

Day Two

It seems even though I wasn't using direct heat to my hair you still can't escape some damage, especially with these cold wintery days! So needing a little bit of TLC I broke out my new Tres Emme Keratin hair masque, and indulged by leaving it on my head for about 10 minutes.

Day Three

After my hair care and TLC from the night before this was probably the day I noticed a considerable difference in my hair, it seemed much smoother especially at the ends (which are usually frazzled!)Unfortunately due to the lovely Scottish weather we've been suffering of late I had to just swish my hair into a pony for the day!

Day Four

Another TLC evening for my hair as it was treated to yet another indulgent hair masque, which it thanked me for the next day! Since I had an event on the Friday evening I thought I had better pay extra attention to it this evening and ended up wearing my rollers for a while while it dried minus heat obviously! It still came out voluminous of course but just not as I would have hoped!

Day Five

Using a barreled hair brush I got my desired volume without heat, just with spray! And you'd never have been able to tell I hadn't used any heat on my hair whatsoever if you were judging simply by the style. It's much more work than I am used to but if it's going to improve the health of my hair then I say go for it.

I survived my week without heat, and I do recommend you try it from time to time to give you hair a little break from styling and harsh temperatures otherwise you are at risk of causing some major damage in the long run! When I was younger I'm the first to hold my hands up and say yes I was guilty of OVER straightening my hair and no wonder it took so long to grow out my Snow White bob!

Of course if you must use heat for example if you have a special occassion or just cannot part with your heat styling tools be sure to use a good quality heat defence spray on your hair, below I have listed a couple of my favourites just in case anyone is interested in how I plan on maintaining my silky smooth locks now I have them back!

Heat Styling Product Choices



For day to day - Tres Emme Heat Defence Spray

For evenings out - VO5 Plump it Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion (Heat Defence)
For styling - Large barreled hair brush
For long lasting hold - VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray

I hope you enjoyed today's post, have you ever gone without something to improve the health of your hair or have you even gone without something to improve your skin and nails? Be sure to share you experiences in the comments below or come tell me about it on Twitter or if you're interested in keeping up with my latests come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

Beauty Haul | Pre Christmas Party Ready Treat

Every time I know I have to save for something I seem to spend more than ever. Having just booked our holiday for next year and with a good few birthdays and of course Christmas looming you'd think I'd exercise some self discipline! But alas it was not meant to be, unfortunately my route home happens to force me through Aberdeen's Union Square shopping centre and who can resist the twinkly lights and the special offers of their stores, especially after a long day at work AND with the cold weather coming in?!

Does anybody else do this? act as their own bank account saboteur when they know they really shouldn't? I suppose it's just my vice, I was quite restrained at one time but let's face it those days appear to be long long gone!

So now around £50 down and a good few products up, I thought I would be proactive, productive and pro product and share my latest buys with you.

Apologies for poor quality pics - teccy troubles!

Bourjois Délice de Poudre (RRP £7.99)
At the weekends especially I've been trying to experiment a little bit more with make up and of course with one of the biggest trends of the year being to perfect that Kardashian contouring routine I thought I'd give that a bash. When I was in Boots I saw this palette and thought it was perfect as a contouring and highlighting tool, stay tuned for my thoughts and review as I have yet to have a play about with it!

Eyelure Katy Perry 'Bangin Beauty' lashes (RRP £5.95)
As you'll know if you've been keeping up with my wishlists for the past couple of months I have been on the hunt for Katy Perry Party Lashes and as I think I may have missed the boat with the glitzy glam ones with the sparkles and studs I thought I would compromise and add these to my collection instead. I think these will be perfect for party season and they offer a middle ground to my current collection, as I have the Sweetie Pie lashes which are slightly shorter and a bit more sparse, I have the Lovely Lolita which look like spaced out medium lash clusters and finally I have the Feline Fierce which are long, thick, full and have a wee flick at the ends. These are a medium length full lash which as I said are a fab middle ground!

Goody Dent-Less Waves Foam Rollers (RRP £10.99)
Boots Essentials Sleep In Rollers (RRP £5.19)
My go to look when I'm dressing for a special occassion is to sit with slightly damp hair up in my massive rollers for about half an hour and then blast them with some heat to achieve that Cheryl-esque volume we all often crave. But if I'm honest I'm looking to inject a little bit of glamour and style into my everyday look so I have invested in these sleep in foam rollers to achieve this on a daily basis and to avoid heat damage to my hair. I got this idea from watching Becca Rose's vlog on how she achieved her lovely curls and volume on a daily basis and I really liked it and thought hey why not give it a bash (link to her video just below in case you are curious)
Becca Rose Video - Overnight Heatless Curls Using Primark Sponge Rollers

Tres Emme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque(£5.50)
Of course it goes without saying the Winter weather isn't often the kindest to our hair, mine for example is looking a little lack lustre, full of split ends and just feels generally damaged in the cold. And of course you can't very well experiment with your hair if it isn't in great condition (unless of course full frizz is your thing) And well Tres Emme has never let me down in the past and with the description of this item being, 'intensive rescue for unruly, frizz-prone hair. This masque deeply replenishes each strand for unbelievable salon-smoothness.' I suppose we shall just have to wait and see.

After writing this post for you guys I must say I do actually feel a little bit better about having spent so much this close to Christmas, I mean I was able to justify all of these products... right? And I just want to say before saying goodbye for the day that I do apologise for the pics for this post, perhaps Santa will bring me enough money to treat myself to some new photo taking products....

Guys once again I hope you've enjoyed this post, if you've tried any of the products above or of course if I've missed a trick please let me know in the comments below, I love chatting to you guys about new and great products on Twitter or of course if you'd just like to keep up with my latests do come find me on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks

H.Elizabeth

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

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

The Faux Bob - Granite City Style

Hi everyone, so today I am going to take you through a quick and easy hair tutorial for you gals out there who maybe like me don't want to spend too much time on your hair but still want your lovely locks out of your face for a while.

What you will need

Curling Iron

Dry shampoo (if you have day old hair/grease prone hair)

A Large Grip hair clip
A smoothing comb (ideally)

As many bobby pins as you have! (I cannot stress this enough)

Hair Spray / finishing spray (if you live in Scotland LOTS of hairspray!)

Step 1:

If you have day old hair I suggest using a little dry shampoo, not only to make it more manageable, but if like me you have grease prone hair it will also make for a nicer finish.

Step 2:

Clip the top layer of your hair on top of your head (or wherever comfortable and out of your face) and using the curling iron curl even sections of your hair. You can make it as curly or wavy as you want it will all depend on the look you are going for, I tend to make it fairly wavy rather than hardened curls. Spritz the layer with hairspray and then do your top layer.

Step 3 (OPTIONAL):

Once you have curled the entirety of your hair flip all of your hair upside down and gently backcomb the roots of your hair to give yourself a bit of volume (spritz again with hairspray) If you do backcomb and it goes a bit awry then just give it a once over with the smoothing comb.

Step 4:

Sweep all of your hair over to one side and begin rolling your hair upwards into a bun / ball of awesome hairiness. And (this is not the techy techy term) START PINNING!

ET VOILA

So guys that's that the hair look I've been loving so far this Summer, if you have any questions for me about this tutorial or have any suggestions of what you would like to see in the future be sure to drop me a comment, tweet at me on Twitter or come find me on Bloglovin!

Hope to hear from you soon!

H. Elizabeth xx

What I Wore | Fairytale Fashion

Yaaay it's that time of year again (well that one day a year we get here in good ol' Aberdeen) where the sun has got his hat on and makes our great city glitter, Summer! And what better way to celebrate than to dig out the wardrobes summer finest, and in turn celebrate the up coming release of Disney's Maleficent at the end of May.

What I Wore on my Body

Vest - 'Who is the fairest of them all' Metallic Fairytale Vest, H & M (incredibly comfy!)
Jeans - High Wasted Light Wash Jeans, Topshop
Feet- Plain black pumps, New Look

What I Wore on my Head and Face 

Hair - Iron Curled Ends (using straighteners) otherwise straight all over.
Face - Nivea Moisturizer
Collection Lasting Perfection (Fair)
Eyes - L'Oreal Colour Riche Crayon Le Khol (Midnight Black)
I used a trio of colour from my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Lips - Burts Bees Lip Balm

Given the weather has been so good my skin has been behaving incredibly well (I put it down to the rays we Aberdonians have been catching lately!) and all I have been using on a daily basis is my regular moisturizer and a touch of concealer to get rid of any redness or blemishes, fingers crossed this continues throughout the coming months!

So that is my homage to fairytales and princesses of Summer, it may be a tad dull but I'm afraid this is often as bright as we get here in Aberdeen. I have been working on a few new hairstyles inspired by the vintage ladies of the 1950's and 60's in addition to a few You Tubers I have been loving lately (Cherrydoll Face to name one, go check her out!) so if you enjoy trying something a little vintage and something a bit different stay tuned for my take on these timeless classics.

As always you can catch me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up to date with the latest with Granite City Girl follow me on Bloglovin, catch you on the next one.

H. Elizabeth xx

The Apology Post - Let's Catch Up

Hello everyone, so hopefully you have all noticed that I have been awfully awfully quiet as of the past couple of months so I would like to first and foremost apologize and promise it won't happen again any time soon. I also want to take this opportunity to summarize where I have been, what I have been up to and what you can expect from the Granite City Girl in the coming months!

Below is a list, as I do love listing everything, of everything, or rater most things, I have been up to the past two months of absence!

•  Solo trip to London to the London Super Comic Convention 2014. (Study purposes)
• Uni, Uni and more Uni. Dissertation was a killer but at least I got to do it on comicy, Marvely superhero goodness.
• My granda finally finally got out of hospital after nearly 3 months in high dependency!
•  After almost 6 years I quit my job at our local bakery to find something a bit different.
• Beginning multiple news jobs before finally settling at a city center aesthetics clinic which so far I love!
•  Training for my 10k's one of which is next week and another next month.
• Non stop wedding planning, as I type there is currently 83 days and 18 hours to go until the big day and I am so excited, stay tuned for my wedding updates and meltdowns!

Lately on the beauty side of things I have been experimenting quite heavily with vintage styles like the pin up looks, barrel rolls, victory rolls etc, which I will make a couple of detailed posts on shortly. I'm going to try and do a few summer hauls, wee life posts and event posts for you guys.

So I hope you stick around to see what I have in store in the next stage of my life post university! As always I am on Twitter and you can always follow me on Bloglovin.

H.Elizabeth xx

What I Wore | I've Been Lazy!

I'm afraid recently I have been slacking, not only with my blogging but honestly with my overall dress and appearance! Studying has taken over my life I'm afraid and I do apologise as soon as May comes I'll be back on the hardcore blogging, scouts honour. 

But for now here is another what I wore post to hopefully keep you going through this Granite City drought!

What I wore on my body

 

Jumper - Black 3/4 sleeved jumper, Topshop

   Dress - An oldie oldie black strappy dress with white florals

                                           Tights - Supercosy, Asda (ever faithful)

            Necklace - Lengthy key necklace, Urban Outfitters (apologies for the lack of close up)

What I wore on my head and Face

 Head - Lazily straightened, GHD Straighteners
Tres Emme Heat Defense Spray
Face - Still trying to go easy on my skin while my blemishes get to calm down
L'Oreal Infallible Foundation (Porcelain)
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair)
Eyes - Easy on the eyes still too!
L'Oreal Colour Riche Eyeliner (Midnight Black)
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara

Lips - As many of you will know from my 'lippy' post I have been trying some new lip products and I have fallen in love with an oldie from my make up collection and that is Rimmels Coral Gold colouring. I love the way it looks against caspery skin as all of you red heads out there will know we can't wear a deep red without looking super intense (and if you can comment below with what you've been using!) The slight shimmer to this also means it's not too matte but not too glossy, striking a perfect balance for me!

This post hasn't showcased anything brand new from my wardrobe and just goes to show that you don't need to break the bank to create a new look for yourself, go and have a good rummage! If you've found any hidden gems lately comment below or share your OOTD! As always you can catch me on Twitter for a chat, or if you want to keep up with the latest Granite City posts you can give this blog a follow on Bloglovin!

H. Elizabeth

What I Wore | An Evening with Jamie (Oliver)

Over the weekend my better half and I attended a meal with family at our local Jamie Olivers restaurant so I thought I would get that little bit more dressed up than I'm used to and share one of my rare wardrobe successes with you.

The evening demanded room for expansion (in the waistline) and a sophisticated style for a lady looking to dine in style...and grace where possible!

What I wore on my body

Vest - Black Scalloped edge vest, Topshop
Belt - Oldie, favey belt which I cannot remember where I bought it from!
Midi Skirt - Monochrome Leopard Print Midi, Internationale (new bargain buy only £3, and note the elasticated waist skillfully hidden with a clinching belt)
Tights - Supercosy Tights, Asda

What I wore on my feet

Pumps - Guilty of yet another purchase of a pair of pumps, rationalized due to the heavy rain and soaked feet I got from walking to the shopping centre! New Look £8 Sale

What I wore on my head and face

Head - Loosely curled hair with that terrible fringey bit pinned back! Although due to our rather unfortunate climate in the North East my hair ended up in a high pony by our main course!
Face - Attempting a more 'natural look'
L'Oreal 24hr Infallible Make up (Porcelain)
Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer (new love, in fair)
Eyes - Trying to go easy on the eyes too!
L'Oreal Colour Riche Pencil (Black)
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara (Black)

Thankfully, I didn't bloat, my hair looked fab in it's restyled makeshift pony pinned up in the lovely bathrooms of Mr Oliver and overall I had a lovely evening. Hopefully the lack of make up will come back to me in a good way, I've been drinking more water, moisturizing religiously, exfoliating everyday and attempting to get more sleep, so my skin better thank me for my near naked face!

I hope you have enjoyed the first March 'what I wore' post of the Granite City Girl blog, I'd love to see your recent bargain buys and fashion finds as of late, so be sure to drop me a comment below, catch me on Twitter or if you like what you've read so far, keep up to date with my latest post on Bloglovin!

H.Elizabeth

Philosophy | Granny's Apple Pie Review

A bargain buy at only £3.50 from Boots (courtesy of a Christmas clearance sale), I have only just this past week been introduced to up and coming luxe body product brand, 'philosophy' and their fantastic shower gel/bubble bath/shampoo range and so far I love it.

 On offer in my local Boots store were two of philosophy's Christmas inspired homey scents, Granny's Apple Pie and Peppermint Stick, and with my personal all time favourite scent being apples and cinnamon I just had to grab the chance to use it as a shower gel!

As I have now implemented quite a vigorous skincare routine into my morning and evening rituals all I really look for in a shower gel is foamy, lovely smelling goodness rather than specific moisturizing or any particular skin related aspect, so if like me you are just looking for a sumptuous smelling shower gel then this will be right up your street.

As you can see the gel comes in very cute packaging and they give you a surprisingly generous amount for only £3.50. I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to pretty looking bath and shower products I tend to buy things because they're pretty, I mean you ought to see my Soap and Glory miniature collection, but this was a fantastic investment!

A little of this lovely gel goes a long way it gives a really rich smelling, very foamy lather which leaves your bathroom (and in my case, my entire flat) smelling like a home baked apple pie with a hint of cinnamon as well as your skin feeling soft and well treated.

If you get the chance I urge you to run down to your local Boots store (unless it's my local in which case THEY'RE MINE!) to get yourself a bargain in the form of these lavish gels while they're cheap. I would however say that if you are looking for that Soap and Glory like squeaky clean smell and feeling you're probably not going to love this product but if you just want to smell beautiful, homely and a little like Christmas this is right up your street!

Has anybody else tried the 'Philosophy' range from Boots, if so what did you try? and did you like it? Drop your comments below, come chat with me on Twitter or if you want to keep up to date with the latest Granite City posts come follow me on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth

What I Wore | Aztec Affair

So today I thought I would share yet another what I wore post with you, but I was very excited about this one in particular as it features my brand new sale ASOS dress which was a bargain at only £7.50!

What I wore on my body

 Dress - B/W Aztec Print Dress, Asos (love love love)

Belt - An oldie, unfortunately I cannot remember where it is from (Sorry guys!)

Tights - Supercosy Cotton Tights, ASDA

What I wore on my feet

Pumps - Bow Glitzy Pumps which you have seen before, New Look

What I wore on my face and head

Hair - Voluminous lightly curled and pulled to the side (apologies for the roots!)

Face- Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimiser
L'oreal 24hr Infallible Make up (Porcelain)
Collection 2000 Pressed Powder (Ivory)
Eyes - Max Factor Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Charcoal Black
MUA Browns Trio Eyeshadow
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Lips - Burts Bees Lip Balm

What I wore around my neck

Necklace - A beautiful gift I received for my 14th or 15th birthday, stunning heart shaped locket with an art deco pattern. Can't seem to take this off at the moment I'm really loving it.

 I hope you've enjoyed this edition of 'what I wore' I love hearing your comments, seeing your latest fashion endeavors or even just general blogger feedback!

As you all know today marks the end of February, so stay tuned for my latest best buy post coming in the next few days along with some latest beauty product reviews, from the likes of Philosophy, Garnier and Dove.

If you like that and more you can keep up to date with my posts on Bloglovin or keep up to date with just me on Twitter

What I Wore | Another Manic Monday

Hello there, thought I would share with you yet another wardrobe post just for an easy beginning of the week read. Fun fact, beleive it or not the 'top' I'm wearing below used to work as a dress! Damn those milky ways...

What I wore on my body

Top/Dress -Navy blue ruffle vest, Topshop

Trousers - Black 'harem' esque trousers, River Island

What I wore on my feet

Biker Boots - Black Leather Lace Up's, Brantano Footwear

What I wore around my neck

Necklace - Blue Floral Jewelled Necklace, Accessorize

What I wore on my head and face

Head - Loose volumised curls, Babyliss Curling Wand

Face- Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimiser
L'oreal Infallible 24hr Make up (Porcelain)
Collection 2000 Pressed Powder (Ivory)
Eyes - Max Factor Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Charcoal Black
MUA Silvers Trio Eyeshadow
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Lips - Burts Bees Lip Balm

As you can probably tell from my other recent 'what I wore' posts my babyliss curling wand has been my best friend as of late, my favourite way to wear my hair is in loose curls and perhaps now that the weather is ever so slightly warmer I might just be more motivated to get up earlier to recreate this look.

Of course if you follow me on Twitter you'll know that I am currently on the hunt for some good texturising salt spray I think it would add a good look to my hair in the Summer when my highlights come in and I can feel human again, so if  you have any recommendations be sure to drop me a comment below, catch me on Twitter or if you'd just like to see more of me in the future you can follow my posts on Bloglovin

H. Elizabeth

What I Wore | Feeling French

Recently I've been feeling as if I've hit a sort of wardrobe rut, nothing I seem to put on is giving me the usual confidence boost that comes hand in hand with a great outfit. However this day the clouds parted and I, for the first time in weeks found an outfit I remained happy for throughout the day.

What I wore on my body

Top - 'Tres Jole' Cropped top, H & M
Dress - Black Tube Dress, Topshop
Tights - Super Cosy Cotton Tights, Asda

 What I wore on my feet

Boots - Leather and Suede effect heeled boots, H&M

What I wore on my head and face

Hair - Voluminous lightly curled and pulled to the side (All time favourite hairstyle)

Face- Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimiser
L'oreal Infallible Make up (Porcelain)
Collection 2000 Pressed Powder (Ivory)
Eyes - Max Factor Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Charcoal Black
MUA Browns Trio Eyeshadow
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Lips - Burts Bees Lip Balm

What I wore on my ears (This is a new one!)
Black teardrop earrings, a gift from my mum.

I was very chuffed that I was having a good hair day, these are few and far between and for it to fall on a day where I was also having a good wardrobe day seems improbable but there you have it. I hope you've enjoyed this 'what I wore' post I feel like my wardrobe blues may finally be at an end!

As usual I love hearing from you so drop me a comment below, catch me on Twitter or if you just can't get enough, follow me on Bloglovin.

H.Elizabeth

The Glamour Beauty Edit - Beauty Box

A couple of weeks ago I ordered my first ever Glamour 'beauty box' featured in their magazines. For only £14.95 Glamour promise you will make a saving of over £30.00 with what fills the contents of your own box.

Here are a few pictures of this edition of Glamour's beauty box and what came along with it.

As you can see the items come in a lovely understated boxed packaging each one appears to be hand packed with care given the crepe paper wrapping and the straw covering underneath. This box could easily be reused as a make up box and would look super stylish on your dressing table.

 

  Featured in 2014's beauty box, pictured above are the following:

1. Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Aqua Velvet
According to it's descriptor, this liner was made specifically for Glamour and has a strikingly turquoise appearance when worn. I look forward to experimenting with this liner as blues, greens and browns tend to match my skin tone quite well.

2. Percy & Reed Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse
This is a product I have tried previous to buying the beauty box and was sort of a deal breaker purhcase, at least I knew there was going to be one thing I was sure to love. I love big hair and back combing, so this mousse really contributes to the look I tend to go for.

3. Burt's Bees Lip Balm

I have heard quite a lot of hype surrounding this lip balm in magazines and blogs alike. I very often struggle with lip based purchases as my lips tend to become incredibly dry I have been on the hunt for a conditioning balm that can save the day and perhaps I have found it?

4. L'Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara
Such use of alliteration, what can go wrong?! With the promise of 'Miss Manga' lashes, I was bound to purchase this mascara eventually, I am a sucker for mascara products and hype. My favourite staple for my eyelashes has simple been false eyelashes and I'd love to finally ditch the glue and move onto a simple mascara!

5. Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel SensationDescribed by Glamour Magazine as 'non gloopy' I don't really have much to go on with this gel, I'm not really one to buy into hype around shower products I'm afraid I'm generally a simple Imperial Leather lady, but never say never!

6. Cheeky Chat Me Up Paint In Tongue N Cheek

It's coral pink, it's nail polish. Need I say more.

7. Invisibobble

With the appearance of a 1990's phone cord, the fabulous invisibobble allows you to tie up your hair and take it down kink free! I'm so looking forward to trying this out especially since for my job I am required to have my hair up for the whole day!

Sad as this may sound I am most excited about using the Invisibobble, I want kink free hair so bad!! Stay tuned for the in depth invisibobble review!

Have any of you bought the latest beauty box? If so comment below with your favourite item! Otherwise you can catch me on Twitter or if you want to keep up to date with my up coming posts you can follow me on Bloglovin

H. Elizabeth.

What I Wore | Feeling Theatrical

As many of you know, at the weekend I went to see Ghost the musical and had a fantastic time, usually I find it difficult to find a nice yet comfortable outfit to sit for about 3 hours in. So since I feel Saturday was a wardrobe success I thought I would share my look with you.

What I wore on my body

Playsuit - Crochet lace appearing play-suit, Zara
Tights - Super cosy cotton tights, Asda

What I wore on my feet

Boots - Leather and Suede effect heeled boots, H&M

What I wore on my head and face

Hair -Twisted hair sections pinned back, fringe quiffed (fantastic style for vision!)

Face- Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimiser
L'oreal Infallible Make up (Porcelain)
Collection 2000 Pressed Powder (Ivory)

Eyes - Various from Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette 

MUA Cream coloured shadow
Max Factor Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Charcoal Black
Clinique High Impact Mascara

Lips - Nivea Moisturising Lip Balm
MUA Red Lippy (not sure of name!)

What I wore around my neck

Deserving of a section all alone is my lovely Art Deco necklace given as a Christmas gift from my grandma a few years ago. I love this necklace as a statement piece especially when paired with a plain white vest, dress or regular top, as I feel it makes quite a bold contrast, especially when you're as Casper as I am!

Well I hope you enjoyed this edition of 'What I Wore' as usual your comments are more than welcome, if you'd like to keep up to date follow me on Bloglovin' or of course you can always catch me on Twitter

H.Elizabeth

Minnie Mouse Bow Bun | How To

So if there are any girls out there who, like me, are still chasing that elusive dream of Disney-like hairstyles, fear not help is at hand in the form of a Minnie Mouse-esque bow bun!

Usually my attempts to play around with my hair and throw together a hairstyle (a myth I assure you!) go awry and ordinarily end with me clutching my hair in two frizzy clumps on either side of my head and ultimately throwing it into a bobble and having done with it!

However one day, and one day only, the clouds parted and my misfortune melted away temporarily as one of my hairstyles turned to be a giant success and yes, you guessed it I achieved the Minnie Mouse 'Bow Bun'

In celebration of my mass achievement I would like to share with you my 3 step guide to achieving the Minnie Mouse Bow Bun.

You will need:
 1 Regular Hair Bobble
Lots of bobby pins
A tin of hairspray
Patience

Step 1:  Begin by taking your hair as high as possible on your head and put it through a bobble once as normal, then bring it around a second time but do not pull all of the way through. (This will create a mini loop as you can see from the picture on the left)

Step 2: Using the loop of hair you have just created, split this in two using your fingers to create two even loops (they may look a bit messy, this is normal) Form these loops into two rounded hair buns using your hands (where the patience comes in handy)

Step 3: Using your hair pins, pin both of the buns into place (as many as you feel necessary) To get your middle section, you should still have a wee bit extra from where you left your loop, take that around the front, and secure with more pins! 

Finally spray with as much hairspray as you see fit and you're done!

I hope you have enjoyed my first ever how to post, to keep updated follow me on Bloglovin or send me a Tweet!

H.Elizabeth

Back to School Wear

Every year as the Christmas holidays come to a close I get awfully excited about the beginning of a new term, new year, new start, new classes and the novelty of a new wardrobe (often unwelcome additions due to over-stuffing my face!) So I thought I'd do a little post on my  back to big school look!

At the beginning of every semester I usually try to make a bit more of an effort than usual, because you know I don't want everyone to know my everyday wear consists of a pair of comfy joggers and a baggy t-shirt courtesy of last years freshers fair!! So here it is my back to school look!

Clothes

Top - 'Emerald Green' Blouse from New Look

Vest - Plain white baggy vest from Forever 21

Bottoms - Dark Speckled Jeggings by Sparkle and Fade from Urban Outfitters

Necklace - Chunky Chain and Taupe Stone Necklace from Accessorize

Shoes - 'Emerald Green' Flats from New Look

Today's outfit is full of oldies but goodies (because I haven't outgrown them yet) my necklace is my favourite statement piece at the moment and I love the combination of the colouring of the jewellery with the deep green of the blouse.

Hair and Make Up 

As you can see from the picture I was actually very lazy today, opting for a high messy bun (no doughnut required) pulled back out of my face, of course for minimum distraction during my schooling...

Today I opted for quite a subtle look (for me at least)
Face - Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimiser
L'oreal Infallible Make up (Porcelain)
Collection 2000 Pressed Powder (Ivory)
Eyes - Various Nudes from Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette
Max Factor Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Charcoal Black
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Lips- Nivea Moisturising Lip Balm

Of course stay tuned for my mid semester breakdown, where I once again become consumed with coursework and my outdoor attire may as well be a black bag! Feel free to follow, drop me a comment or come find me on Twitter

H. Elizabeth