Killer Kyshadow | Royal Peach Palette Swatches & Review

When I heard Kylie Cosmetics were releasing a 'Kyshadow' and 'Kyliner' range, I was skeptical to say the least. Despite falling head over heels for the lip kits last year and building up quite a substantial collection (about a dozen or so and counting...) I just felt that branching into eyeshadows, liners and goodness knows what else was getting a bit gimmicky, you've found your thing, stick to it. So I held back and waited. I waited for the terrible reviews courtesy of the worlds biggest and best beauty gurus, I waited for critiques ever lack of pigment, patchy, slippy shadows, something, goodness anything! Nothing ever came.

What did however come were more and more eyeshadow palettes, more and more rave reviews, swatches and glowing endorsements from some of my You Tube favourites. Naturally I caved. I recently purchased a Kyshadow bundle which offered the relatively new Royal Peach palette alongside one of their newer lip kits in the shade 'Apricot' for $65 (which is about £52 ish) which considering how much I have previously paid for just an eyeshadow palette it really isn't bad.

Top L - R
Sorbet, Seashell, Peachy, Royal, Queen Bee, Duke
Bottom L - R
Duchess, Sandy, Mojito, North Star, Crush, Cinnamon

The palette boasts 12 shades in a variety of matte, metallics and satins- mainly metallics however you pretty much get the only matte shades you would ever need to create a warm smokey eye in this palette so no complaints there. I have swatched all of the shades down below for you to check out the colours and just what they each have to offer. The shades are all highly pigmented though when you go into the palette with a brush you get quite a lot of fallout from a couple, namely the matte shades as opposed to the metallics. The only shade I can say was quite disappointing would be 'Sorbet' which didn't deliver a great colour pay off, however used as a base or light transition colour it works quite nicely. My favourite shade so far has to be 'North Star' as I'm going through quite a big pink / purple girly phase when it comes to my make up North Star has been right up my street and is great as an inner corner pop of colour and metallic, glittery goodness.

I feel like you can get this sort of quality from other brands such as Too Faced, Urban Decay and of course Make Up Geek so if this is a little out of your budget (particularly when you factor in customs and postage fees) then there are plenty of 'dupes' on the market. For me this has been worth the money as I will use literally every shade in the palette, perhaps not for regular clients and brides but it certainly fits my personal aesthetic. I can't see myself buying another Kyshadow palette any time soon unless of course something is done to DRAMATICALLY reduce the customs fees (not possible I know but a girl can dream!)

Have you ever tried anything from the Kylie Cosmetics range? Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments (good or bad) below, come share them with me on Twitter - oh and as a side note if you've ever created any looks with this or any other Kyshadow products be sure to direct me to your Instagram!

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Pregnany Update | The First Trimester

I'm going to write this while the hell that is the first trimester is still very fresh in my mind. As you can tell this has so far been my least favourite trimester - and I'll be honest in comparison to some of the stories mine doesn't even seem that bad but hey, this is my experience of those first few blessed weeks of pregnancy.

For those of you who don't know the first trimester generally begins from week 1 of pregnancy and lasts until week 12 so approximately the first 3 months of your pregnancy and is generally considered to be your pregnancy 'danger zone' and funnily enough is also considered to be the most difficult of your entire pregnancy (other than the obvious pushing the baby out!) which, even though as I write this I'm only 19 weeks along myself, I wholeheartedly agree with thus far.

My first trimester symptoms

Following the initial first 5 weeks or so pretty much symptom free it was around week 6 and 7 where things really started to ramp up for me - marked first by me eating an amazing Aberdeen roll, slathered with butter and my fave jam I proceeded to projectile vomit in my kitchen  (sorry guys but pregnancy ain't pretty!) The thing about 'morning sickness' is that it'll pretty much just suddenly hit you without warning or very much of that 'sickly feeling' you normally get (usually accompanied by a hangover or otherwise food poisoning) I must say I didn't have morning sickness all through the first trimester I was only really quite sick about 5 or 6 times and this wasn't even my worst symptom.

My worst symptom came in the form of something SUPER unexpected and something I personally had never heard of as being a symptom of specifically pregnancy before experiencing them myself and those are headaches. Headaches so bad I found it really difficult to function and at times I thought I was maybe being sick as a result of just how painful they were getting as opposed to morning sickness. Working solely with screens at work of course didn't help and most days I just felt as if I wanted to crawl into a pit. I'd come home, grab something quick to eat and go to bed - water and lying in a dark room seemed to be the only things that helped me. Since my midwife had warned me off of having any pills or pain relief I unfortunately just had to suck it up - and the fact I was cutting down on the amount of caffeine I have on a daily basis the effects were not pretty.

Overall, headaches aside I guess compared to some I have been pretty lucky during the first trimester, other than one other tiny scare during my 5th/6th week (which I may do another dedicated post for since the midwives I dealt with during that time were so great at their jobs and just so lovely)  I've escaped with pretty minor symptoms REALLY, though at the time in the throws of sickness, headaches and fatigue it certainly didn't feel like it. 

Hopefully this has given some of you who are still in the throws of morning sickness, fatigue and all of those lovely symptoms that come alongside the 'joys' of pregnancy a little bit of hope -my specific first trimester symptoms went away around the 13th week, so I promise it does get better and far more bearable!

As always I'd love to hear from you all, pregnant, not pregnant, mums, dads, brothers, sisters anyone at all be sure to leave your comments re pregnancy, coping and first trimester woes in the comments below I'd love to hear all of your experiences (and I'm sure my husband would too since he had to cope with my whinging!) Otherwise you can catch me on Twitter, Instagram and more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks,

H.Elizabeth

The Lazy Girls Guide to Getting Ready | 5 Time saving beauty tips

Okay I'll get up in 5 minutes and just shower this evening. Mmmm...I'll get up in 10 minutes and just throw my hair in a fun bun. Okay give me another 20 and I'll forget about eye shadow today and just do something super simple. Nah half an hour and I'll just go to work in my pyjamas.

Sound familiar?

If you're anything like me then mornings are an intense struggle, especially in the winter. No matter how early I go to bed, no matter how I wind down in the evenings and no matter how warm my house outside my covers may be, mornings will forever be a struggle. I begin every day by sleepily bartering and bargaining different aspects of my beauty routine throwing aspects out of the window in order of importance (spoiler - my winged eyeliner ALWAYS makes the cut) So today I thought I would share just how it is I am able to get ready in the morning with a few moments to spare and my little tricks and tips to keeping my beauty station organised.

1. Bag up your face;

This ain't my first rodeo kids, I know myself and I know my body and it needs those extra few minutes so no matter what I have to have my make up organised the night before so I can jump straight in with no faffing. My biggest tip here would be to put together a bag for eyes (liner, mascara, shadow etc) and a bag for your face (foundation, primer, concealer etc)

2. Prioritise;
I do this as I'm waking up. First to go is well polished hair, next eyeshadow, next contouring and highlighting etc etc. Work out which aspects you feel you can and cannot go without for the day and for every 5 minutes extra you have in bed shave one item off of your list.

3. Build around a pre-planned beauty or fashion statement;
Fancy wearing a statement red lip? Or maybe you had a super glittery eye or even a cat flick in mind? (belieive me that can take a long time, a great deal of sanity and hella cotton buds!) Make sure you start there and then build your look around that.

4. Spray bottles within reach;
How many times have you sat down to do your face to realise you haven't dampened your beauty blender? Make sure you keep two spray bottles in your vanity or nearby your make up station, one of water for those spritzing moments and one of an alcohol cleaning solution to keep your brushes and area clean and sanitized. 

5. Dry shampoo and texture spray at hand;
Because let's be honest, in our morning beauty routines, hair is always the first thing we compromise. Despite the grease if you still fancy wearing your hair down keep dry shampoo for those roots and a texturising or volumising spray to give your hair a bit of oomph.

And there you have it my very basic lazy girls guide to getting ready and my top 5 time saving tips for your morning routine. I hope you have found these useful, are able to implement some of these into your own (late and last minute) beauty routines or maybe you're SO late you've just got to throw on a bra and greet the day (yes guys, you too)

I of course always love to hear your thoughts and comments so be sure to leave our own time saving beauty tips below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to hear more lazy girl tips and beauty reviews be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin and Instagram.

Until next time folks, lazy girl OUT!

H.Elizabeth x

Copper Smokes | Autumn Eye Make up Tutorial

Some like copper in their homes, some like copper accessories, phone cases, key rings, jewellery etc. Me? I like copper where you can see it, right on my eyeballs (or thereabouts) So today I'm bringing you my first ever make up tutorial featuring some of my favourites by Bobbi Brown, Make Up Geek and one of my fave tubers Manny MUA (and of course...lashes, lots and lots of lashes!)

1. Make up Geek X Manny MUA Cosmopolitan & Frappe

Use Cosmopolitan to define your crease using a fluffy brush in light sweeping motions to build up the colur - this will be your transition shade.
Darken up your crease with the shade Frappe using the same fluffy crease brush.

2. Make up Geek X Manny MUA Mars & Aphrodite

Using a smaller domed brush sweep Mars along the crease and lightly in the outer corner of your eye, blending with your larger fluffy brush when required.

Using that same brush go over your outer corner and crease with a touch of Aphrodite and blend as required again.

3. MAC Fix+ & Make up Geek X Manny MUA Luna  & Artemis

Spritz a flat shader brush with MAC's Fix+ (not a necessary step but helps the pigment come through more vibrantly) and pack on the shade Luna from the middle of your eye to your inner corner.

Blend together your outer corner and your mid shades with a small, dry shader brush.

Highlight your inner most (demons) corner with a light dusting of Artemis.

4. Make up Geek X Manny MUA Mars & Aphrodite

Using a pencil brush pick up a light dusting of Mars and Aphrodite then drag ad blend this underneath your eye - just under the waterline. You can take this as far along as you like, I personally always go halfway along as I feel it opens my eye up that much more.

5. Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner in Black Ink & Mascara

Use a damp winged liner brush to line the top of your eyelid and create a 'cat eye flick' then use your favourite mascara (I use both Arbonne Mascara and Benefit's Roller lash) to make your lashes blacker than black.

You can then finish off your look by applying a set of your favourite false lashes, here I have used Eylure Definition Lashes in style 121.

Now you're all set to conquer those dark autumnal nights, sparkling, shining and wearing copper in a brand new way (also you may even now be able to match those oh so chic homewares and accessories we spoke about earlier!)

Hopefully you have enjoyed my first ever eye make up tutorial, I post looks like this all the time over on my Twitter and Instagram so do comment below or even on the socials if you'd like me to do another. Otherwise I thank you for taking the time to paroose this particular post and I look forward to catching you on the next one.

Until next time folks, colour me copper!

H.Elizabeth x

Grab a Slice of The Action | Revolution Aberdeen's New Pizza Menu

You could say I have been a little anti social recently. Whenever someone messages me odds are I'll bury myself in my duvet and give out a whole lotta nope. Maybe it has something to do with how busy I have been outside of my social life of late, maybe it's something else, who knows? All I know is that the only thing that was strong enough to entice me from my pit was the promise of pizza and luckily for me, my trusty old haunt, Revolution was on hand to help.

Revolution are known in Aberdeen for being a one stop shop for pretty much everything. A quiet ladies lunch on a heated balcony? Yes. Some quick grub on your break in the bar? Pretty much. Cocktails to die for? TO DIE FOR! But recently there has been a pizza shaped hole in Revolution's life and thankfully they knew just how to fill it - with all of the pizza you could ask for.

From tried and tested tastes like the margarita pizza oozing with cheese, to some more acquired tastes like their new 'The Beet Goes On' pizza dripping with artichoke puree, goats cheese and beetroot to name but a few ingredients, Revolution are peddling their pizza to the masses, and my mass was in for a treat when myself and my fellow Abzchat bloggers were treated to an exclusive menu preview on the last sunny day of the season!

Given I was driving that day I was going sans cocktail, there's a first for everything guys, but I did enjoy several gorgeous mocktails, so to all you drivers, pregnant ladies and t totallers out there go for a Naked Sunset they're also to die. Carnage was to follow, a blogger free for all if you will, as the steamy, oozy, fresh from the oven pizzas were delivered to our table alongside some tasteful side orders of fries and onion rings. It was a sea of pens flying in the air, lipstick everywhere, diaries bashing one another faces, pizza in places it really shouldn't be and the cheese, my god the cheese!

Of course I am kidding, we Granite City Gals are all very civilised! We all got to taste each and every pizza on the menu (admittedly the goats and feta varieties were not something I would be tempted to order for myself) and favourites were declared, one favourite being the Asian Satay Chicken variety - not my personal fave but one of. Me I like a Hot Italian. Pizza that is. Complete with pepperoni, cured ham, peppers, garlic mushrooms, a tomato sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella I ask my fellow meat eaters and spice lovers - what's not to like?

After a good catch up, several mocktails and a mountain of pizza I was ready to roll on home (and my bladder was ready to burst) but it won't be farewell forever from me. Since I'm already planning my next visit with my other half when it's payday once again.

The Revolution pizza menu launched on Wednesday the 12th of October, find out more by visiting their Facebook page or better yet pop in and visit them yourselves...and bring me?

Until next time folks, go grab yourselves a pizza the action.

H.Elizabeth x

BBC Good Food Show Scotland | Granite City Girl Giveaway

Hello everyone, as some of you know last year my friend and I attended the BBC Good Food Show Scotland in Glasgow and had a blast (and admittedly far too much to eat and drink!) Between the shopping stalls, pop up restaurants, live demonstrations, cocktails, abundance of samples, interviews and book signings there is something for everyone's tastes!

In celebration of it's return to Scotland in November I have teamed up with the Good Food Show again this year to offer 5 lucky foodies a Sunday ticket granting you access to all of the culinary delights this years show has to offer.

All you have to do is FOLLOW Granite City Girl on Twitter and Instagram then COMMENT your fave foodie pleasure below and winners will be announced October 28th right here on the blog!

Until next time folks, feeling those foodie vibes!

H.Elizabeth x

Make Up Geek | Manny MUA Eyeshadow Palette Review

Before we jump in today I wanted to just give you a quick look at the inner workings of my mind, all in the name of getting to know me that bit better and you know understanding just why, WHY do I keep spending money?!? At first I wasn't going to buy the Manny MUA eyeshadow palette, despite being a fan of Manny, his You Tube channel, his fierceness and make up artistry skills I wasn't too worried about getting my hands on his palette when he collaborated with Make Up Geek earlier this year. That was until...Manny said the fateful few words that sealed my destiny.. and bank balance....'Selling out' and 'limited edition'.... I had bought the palette two days later and had it by the third....(if it were socially and bloggily acceptable I'd use the face slap emoji right here!) No matter, in the words of Lady Macbeth, 'what's done is done, now where my shadows at?!' (so I may be paraphrasing just a little)

Now despite what that length opening paragraph may have you believe I in no way feel remorseful about my purchase, it only took 2 minutes and one swift flick of that palette lid to dispel any feelings of the sort because....oh...my...god...how beautiful are these colours?! Made of a mix of pure Manny and a couple of Make Up Geek favourites I fell in love, head over heels if you will for some of the more unique shades. The first for example being Mars, a deep, matte, true red with a luxe look to it, the second being Insomnia, which is an existing Make Up Geek duo chrome shade that is a mixture of metallic reds, greens and blues which I cannot wait to use in a number of looks in the future.

Bottom left: Insomnia. Bottom Mid: Mars

Having now used the palette a couple of times I must say I have not been disappointed. Layered over the top of a cream base like a nude maybelline cream shadow, these colours really pop and don't crease after a few hours wear. Mars did not disappoint! Though it has a bit of kickback (as is the case with almost every highly pigmented red shadow) and I was very impressed with Insomnia (it's lovely as a dark, gothic halo eye) My only criticism would be that they stained my darn brushes, that's how pigmented I'm finding them! Seriously though I have had to wash my brushes after every time I use the shadows because otherwise they just transfer to my others. But hey, if that's my only qualm so far, I'll take it!

L-R: Artemis, Beaches & Cream, Luna, Cosmopolitan, Sora, Frappe, Insomnia, Mars, Aphrodite

Have you tried the Manny MUA palette or even shadows by Make up geek before? I would love to hear what you thought of the quality of their shadows and of course any colour or finish suggestions you'd like to throw my way! Hopefully you've enjoyed hearing how I have found the product and maybe it'll inspire you to go out and become a shopaholic I could be proud of! Of course you can catch me and my new palette on the usual channels, Twitter, Instagram and more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, feeling Manny marvellous.

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

We bought a house | Our New House Video Tour

Fun new game. Drink every time there is a jittery camera movement that makes you want to be sick! Okay, I'm not a videographer but this called for something a little more special than the standard 'little life update' posts that saturate lifestyle blogger websites, this called for a celebratory video (obviously, what else?)

So we bought a house, we're so excited, over the moon, spit in your eye, kick you in the crotch fantastically happy, or to put that more simply, we are chuffed and today I bring you our very informal house tour featuring my very own house elf (let's see if you can spot him!) 

I'm excited to now be a part of a whole new blogging community that congregates around telling you how you should be decorating and putting to shame any of you who don't feature any marble in the house (that's right...apparently as home owners we can do that now!) You guy have so much content to look forward to right here!

Until next time folks, decking oot ma hoose!

H.Elizabeth x

Worlds Best Cup of Coffee | Bloggers, Books and Beans

You did it, congratulations Books and Beans... World's best cup of coffee, great job everyone! (Will Ferrell fans and Christmas lovers will get that one)

Seriously though the majority of my spare time you can probably find me in my local Starbucks setting myself up with a caffeine drip for the day. Yes I am unashamedly a Starbucks addict, but that doesn't mean to say I don't appreciate, adore even, smaller, local coffee chains, and lucky for me and my fellow blogging gals (Sarah of Blogs Vlogs Etc, Laura of The Floral Elephant and actually courtesy of Katherine of Katherine Elizabeth Official) we were about to experience one of the Granite City's finest caffeine dispensaries the city has to offer.

I have never visited a coffee shop quite like Books and Beans, set in the heart of Aberdeen on the ever popular Belmont Street, Books and Beans offers a unique experience to cake and coffee lovers and a haven for both caffeine junkies (myself) and book lovers a like. With a vast array of second hand books you're free to paroose and purchase should you choose all while you enjoy confections, sandwiches, wraps and coffees from their equally vast menu selections! (Did I also mention they are fair trade and able to cater for all dietary requirements including vegan? Yeah let that tidbit sink in)

We were lucky enough to visit Books and Beans one fine summer Sunday this month to sample their menu and enjoy the full Books and Beans experience (though admittedly we were more Gossip Girl than George Elliot) We were first treated to two taster soups with toasted bread, coconut and sweet potato and lentil with red pepper. Being the sweet gal I am of course the coconut and sweet potato was right up my street! Our soup was closely followed by a vast array of wraps, sandwiches and (perhaps most important of all) cake, cakes of all variety, pan, tray bake, muffin, you name it (or simply dare put it in front of us) then we pretty much devoured it.

Rotund, rolling down the street, and sufficiently stuffed we trotted off on our way after a delight of an afternoon in one of the only fair trade, independent cafes in Aberdeen we left with (not only a caffeine buzz) a new firm favourite blogger haunt, and a list of books to buy as long as our arms! If by chance you find yourself in the area, bleary eyed, cold or just in need of that all important cake and coffee fix then I highly suggest making Books and Beans your go to (it's certainly mine now!)

As usual you can catch me and my cake hole on all of the usual channels (usually stuffed with cake also) Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more from the blog on Bloglovin (though I must say that too is usually filled with cake)

Until next time folks, worlds best cup of coffee!!

H.Elizabeth x

Girls Night in | Skene House Aberdeen

As much as it can be said that I enjoy getting dolled up and going out (well the dolled up part anyway) but there is nothing, I say nothing that I enjoy more than a girls night in. So when Sarah of Blogs Vlogs Etc invited myself alongside a few of our other blogging gal pals (Katherine of Katherine Elizabeth Official, Laura of The Floral Elephant and Julia of Just Julia) for a night of pampering with Body n Sol, jewels with a Stella and Dot style consultation and all in the gorgeous settings of Skene House Rosemount in Aberdeen I was more than chuffed to partake in the girly festivities.

Of course being a Granite City baby I had never stayed in a city centre hotel or apartment before - why would I when I have a home to go back to? But after visiting Skene House for the evening I think I may just make a habit of not going back to my own bed every evening (I'm sorry bed...it's not you.. it's me...honest) A 5 minute walk from Aberdeen's city centre, located in a quiet area with lots of small local businesses and not to mention stylishly decorated (aka. a blogging gals dream) and comfortable, Skene Apartments are fab for hen weekends, trekking the city with the family, or maybe like me you fancied trying out a new and exciting mattress, the perfect setting for our blogger gals night in!

What can I say? In traditional girls night fashion there were cocktails, pyjamas, an insane amount of junk food and hilarity ensued as it tends to do. We were treated to manicures (for myself, Julia and Laura), lash tints (for Sarah) and brow shaping (for Katherine) by the lovely, talented ladies from Body n Sol and then a style consultation by renowned online jewellery brand, Stella and Dot (fun fact the name Stella and Dot came from the names of the two owners Grandmothers - so cute) As you can see I've taken a few pictures of my favourite pieces but otherwise I don't want to go into too much detail about the individual bits and pieces today but if you'd like a Stella and Dot centric post be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below. (Also potentially coming up a scathing review of the Deliveroo service in Aberdeen... guys just walk for your food it'll be faster and hotter!)

How amazing are these frames which Sarah of Blogs Vlogs Etc made for us!

#IWokeUpLikeThis and the reason I woke up like this is because I slept like a baby! (Then dipped my face in some cosmetics) Skene Apartments definitely have my vote in comfort, style and value for money I only wish we didn't have to check out!

Big shout out to Sarah once again for organising our girls night in with Skene House and of course everyone else who contributed to making it a very special evening for us (a part from you Deliveroo..) If you want any information on Skene Apartment stays be sure to visit their website otherwise you can find all other links above and my socials at the following, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I did TOO wake up like this!

H.Elizabeth x

The Horn | Scotlands Favourite Greasy Spoon

There are very few people in Scotland who can honestly say they have never enjoyed a fry up or a legendary bacon sarnie from the Horn. Located just 20 minutes outside of Perth, the family run cafe has been famed throughout Scotland and beyond for their friendly atmosphere, hearty portions and let's not forget the gigantic cow on the roof you simply cannot miss! I for one treasure childhood memories of car trips with my family on days out to Edinburgh, Glasgow or even just to Dundee, where we never forgot to make that effort to travel the extra 20 minutes to visit our favourite fry up joint. So you can imagine my excitement when my family asked me on yet another road trip recently to Livingston, where upon I was informed we would indeed be visiting The Horn.

Obviously, this is a sentence I never thought I would type when I sat down and created Granite City Girl, but I have never been more excited to see that big cow than I was on our road trip to Livingston, in fact I was so excited, I only had half a bowl of coco pops that morning, I mean wow right? My body was ready for bacon!

The Horn was every bit the shabby chic eatery I remember, in my head at least, the original greasy spoon of Scotland  from the big coo outside to the fake horses heid on the waa' and finally to the best bacon roll I have ever had. Personally I reckon the picture speaks for itself but just in case I need to clarify it a little further, that up there is a big mofo of a bacon roll that I literally had to pick bits of bacon out of or risk dislocating my jaw to get my mouth around, and let me tell you I'd probably say it was worth it if I had!

Now I know, I can already feel the health nuts and vegetarians of the world judging me, but not to worry I didn't forget about you guys. The Horn is unique as a wee pit stop on your way North / South because you can even fit in a little shopping spree while you're there. They have everything from souvenirs for the kids and family such as tea towels and aprons, to name plaques, jams, chutneys, spreads, all manner of foodie gifts and let us not forget their plethora of flavours in their ice cream parlour, perfect for your sweet toothed travel companion.

It's funny, you know when you hear of people visiting a special place from childhood and just not getting that same magical feeling you did back then? You know like everyone and Storybook Glen aka, Aberdeen's nightmare fueled 'wonderland', well I just didn't get that with The Horn, nope, it was still the same deliciously greasy, bacon filled eatery I have always remembered, but if your first visit is in adulthood and you're expecting the ritz, then give this a miss!

As usual I love getting to know you guys so leave me your favourite travel moments or greasy spoon eateries in the comments below, come share your favourite foodie places on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more of me, my family and you know bacon then be sure to keep up to date with Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, gettin my grease on!

H.Elizabeth x

Big shout to my mum, dad and grandma for thinking of bringing me along for the journey even if I was a bit of a Shrek donkey through the duration of the drive!