Thirsty Skin | Glam Glow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment Review

Who doesn't love a good face mask? Having been a big fan of Lush fresh face masks for a good few years now suffice to say face masks have become part of my weekly skincare routine, however recently with life being a bit of a crazy, speeding rollercoaster I haven't had very much time to dedicate to a weekly pamper routine like I used to, and I find my face masks go out of date before I get a chance to get the full use out of them. As sad as it feels to admit, the Lush fresh face masks just aren't practical for my lifestyle anymore and so I have been on the hunt for something a bit more durable, long lasting and something I can dip into without having to worry about use by dates and mould. Enter GlamGlow.

Skincare centric brand GlamGlow are by no means new to the scene - as usual I'm late to the big beauty blogger party but hey, better late than never. GlamGlow offer a range of treatments depending on your individual requirements catering for dry, oily, combination, dull and aging skin. As I have self diagnosed my skin as being combination / dry I decided to pick up their Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment which essentially acts as a face mask and promises 'heart pounding hydrated glowing skin,' and I want me some of that!

I decided to use the treatment as an 'overnight' mask to ensure I got the full use of the product. I bought what is essentially the 'sample pot' which offers around 2 uses of the product (for the price of £14.00 from Boots) To make sure none of the treatment went to waste I applied it sparingly over my face and down my neck using a foundation brush which seemed to work quite well and I didn't get much of a build up in any unnecessary areas. I left the treatment on for 20 minutes before massaging any excess into my skin which felt like a treat - particularly when you pair it with some Netflix and teaser bunnies!

My skin afterwards felt as the pot had described, healthier, plumper, hydrated and most importantly it was glowing. The effects I would say lasted well into the next few days before dissipating and I felt I'd need another treatment as a 'top up' which so far I have resisted as I'm saving what's left over for a particular stressful week (whenever that will be!) 

As much as I did love the effect this mask had on my skin and how clean it was massaging it into my skin rather than peeling, picking and scrubbing it off, I don't think it's going to be one I'll repurchase regularly in the future. I see this as more of a treat or luxury purchase given the eye wateringly high price point of £14.00 just for a sample pot. Their larger pots come in at around £39.00 - which I could easily pay a professional spa therapist or skincare expert for a pampering facial and I'd far rather do.

Have you ever tried the GlamGlow treatments? I'm intrigued by their silver 'tin man' esque mask I've seen on Instagram lately however as it doesn't suit my skin type I'm afraid for me it would just mean wasting money for an aesthetic but I'd love to hear your thoughts on GlamGlow as a whole! Fad or worth the money? Let me know in the comments below, come share your own review with me on Twitter or if you'd just like keep up with me and see what I'm up to you can find me on Bloglovin and Instagram.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Down in the dumps | How To Beat the January Blues

New year, new you right? Wrong. Never have I ever hated a seemingly harmless little phrase with every fibre of my being as much as I hate those that come around with the beginning of a New Year, because let's be totally honest, what difference does that transition from 11.59pm on December 31st to 12.00am on January 1st really mean in the grand scheme of things? One minute if we're going to be cynical and honest (just like me, same year round)

But if I'm going to level with you today what I dislike the most about a New Year are the dreaded January blues, and this year they have hit me with a vengeance, harder than ever before and as I have been reading in the blogosphere, hearing in work and just noticing generally it's hitting everyone like a tonne of bricks this year. 

So instead of wallowing in self pity I thought I'd be a little proactive and do something about it and see what can help pull me from my New Year slump and today I am going to share my wisdom, as ever with my tips on how to beat the January blues.

Keep yourself busy with your hobbies and interests;
There can be so much pressure to go out and try something brand new and shiny just because it's a New Year, but you know what if that hula hooping class isn't for you, or if you quite simply don't fancy taking up knitting then don't! Do what you enjoy most whether it's vegging out with a movie or going for a 10K run every day (whatever floats your boat!) dont feel pressured into something all brand new because of the calendar date.

Don't feel fitness pressure
Whoever decided that January was the best time to attack your body with fitness classes and all manner of dieting was quite frankly a madman. It's dark, dull, rainy, cold and the last thing on our minds is rushing out for the latest spin and pump class. If you're feeling the fitness fever by all means indulge your odd cravings but don't be a sheep you'll just come home tired, sweaty and miserable!

Pamper session in your pad
Sky high spa pampering sessions are a thing of the past now we have our best friends Lush, the Body Shop and not forgetting our budget friendly Boots stores. Settle down with a DVD, slap on a facemask, indulge in a foot treatment and get your lotions, potions and body butters ready and get set for relaxation!

Switch off and detox your digital life
 Last year I detoxed my digital life and it worked wonders for my stress levels and general sanity. There is so much negativity online these days it doesn't do to dwell online for more than an hour or so, even less so when you're suffering from a case of the blues.

Hopefully you guys aren't suffering quite as badly as I feel I am this year, but to be honest the dreich weather and Aberdeen floods haven't been helping any! How do you beat the blues? January or otherwise I'd love to hear your top tips to destress and detox negativity, be sure to leave your tips in the comments below, come share your own words of wisdom with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to keep up with me, my blues and my relaxation days be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, keeping calm and carrying on.

H.Elizabeth x

Granite City Girl's Digital Detox | Switching Off and Winding Down

Hello everyone, today I'm going to be talking a bit about a phenomenon sweeping the nation, particularly the Twitter and blogging world of late, it's an epidemic of sleep sprays, fluffy pillows and bedtime bliss, yes ladies and gentleman I'm talking about relaxation! It is true that since the New Year dawned on us everyone has kept up their side making an effort to eat a bit better, exercise more and perhaps most importantly get a few more hours or in my case minutes of shut eye every night. Not even I have been able to escape this inevitable eventuality that is the digital detox and this year have made a vow to get more sleep, relaxation and reading time by attempting to get into bed to wind down an hour earlier every night.

Switching off an hour earlier every night can be difficult if you have been conditioned to be switched on for what feels like 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and it can be particularly difficult if you're a writer, blogger or if your career lives online (or perhaps of course you're a serial procrastinator) but I would really urge you to give it a go even if just for a week to see what all of the fuss is about! Of course winding down means something a bit different for everyone, winding down for you could mean anything from taking your Nintendo into bed or listening to whale music when you're trying to drift off, but today I'm going to tell you what it has meant for me, how I've been staying grounded and finally the differences I have noticed both physically and mentally.

As silly as this may sound it has been a challenge moving from the sofa with an iPad to bed with a book has been a stretch for me, I am constantly wired, switched on and most importantly logged on, as I'm sure some of you have come to realise given my over active Twitter feed, and I think one of the biggest things for me was making bed time and wind down time something to look forward to, which in my case began with an inspirational book. Choosing a book in Waterstones has got to be the highlight at this point, there have been a great many highly coveted fashion, style and beauty books on the market right now but I chose the inspirational DVF biography, 'The woman I wanted to be' (which is brilliant and I highly recommend by the way)

To kick of my digital detox, I dedicated myself to an entire week of an hour early to bed, switching from switched on at 11.30pm to winding down at 10.30pm with an hours reading in bed, baby steps you know? The first night was easy I was actually in bed by 10pm and shifted through a fair chunk of my book, and so it went for pretty much my first week, by which time I had finished my book! Now given my first week went by in a tizzy of restful evenings, inspirational woman power and endless cups of lemon water and tea I'd say it went incredibly well, but how have I found it to have benefited my health?

First of all, I am so awake! I am having the best sleep that I have in years and I rarely wake up through the night anymore (which was quite frequent these past few months due to a disrupted routine) I drift off so much easier when I read before bed rather than surfing the net. In fact in addition to making sure I have no tech on before bedtime I have even began putting the TV in the living room off so there is complete silence in the house (you know other than the other half and the cat) Since getting more rest I have been able to go to the gym much more and am being able to put my new-found energy to good use, which in turn works wonders for my health. Oh and did I mention I'm much less of a Grinch to live with now?!

I really do recommend if you can to try and have an hour or maybe even half an hour of peace, quiet and relaxation before bed and get yourself into a routine to improve your overall health, energy and just your general mood if I'm honest. I'm going to aim to continue on this path and try to read a book every couple of weeks (especially if they revolve around female empowerment - any suggestions are welcome!) and I have even become so obsessed with relaxation I'm thinking of investing in a deep sleep spray. Have you guys become part of the digital detox generation of these past few weeks? Let me know how you have found it in the comments below or come share your tips for relaxation with me on Twitter. Of course as always you can keep up with the latest Granite City posts on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks, I'll be catching some zzzs

H.Elizabeth xx

Having and Giving and Sharing and Recieving | Lush Recyling Scheme

It finally happened! Throughout the last year I have been loving Lush and since losing my Lush virginity all the way back in February last year with my 'Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser' and I'm pleased to today report that I have accumulated enough empty Lush pots to take part in their recycling scheme. I say I have only just managed this, truth be told I actually have 8 pots at home!

For those of you who have never been or are unfamiliar with the Lush recycling scheme (where have you been one may ask?!) it is basically a 'you scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours' which has economical (for Lush), environmental (for the world, obviously) and of course consumer (us) benefits. Lush ask that you collect and wash out any of your little black pots which have the wee recycling symbol on them and when you have 5 of them, take them back to your local store where they will exchange them for a free fresh face mask. The pots are then transported back to their production warehouse in Poole I believe, where they are then cleaned out thoroughly and reused for the next person to take home and love. Lush are working towards a closed loop system whereby they no longer have to produce their little black pots due to their durability and re-usability and of course by relying on the loyalty of their customers - and honestly who wouldn't be opting into their scheme?

Anyway, moving along from the techy techy environmentalist side of things, today I thought I would share with you which 5 pots I shall be trading in, alongside a mini review of what I thought of each product and finally what I shall be trading them in for.

Enzymion Moisturiser (x2)
My skincare savior! Following a horrendous experience with a rather thick (such as concrete) MAC foundation I wanted to use something a bit more natural and less chemically on my skin, and my usual moisturiser (Nivea) just wasn't cutting it! The consistency of this moisturiser is quite runny and can drip off your face if you use too much, but it smells lovely. I wouldn't say it leaves your skin feeling amazing or soft right away but give it a week and your dry, dull skin will have cleared entirely! You can read my full review for the Enzymion Moisturiser here.

Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser
You can see my full review of this cleanser here, but as you'll know if you've already read it, this helped to soften my skin and clear any and all blemishes I had. Although I had originally gone in the day I bought this for a cleanser that would also remove eye make-up (which this obviously doesn't and wouldn't) I still fell in love with it. The smell is lovely (if like me you are a fan of lavender) and the consistency is great too. A little of this goes a long way, it'll last you for weeks as long as you use it sparingly which I do!

Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask
I had a bit of a love hate relationship with this mask, while I loved the scent and the feeling it left on my skin it was incredibly flaky and the chunks of berry kept falling off of my face and into my tea! Because this was kept in the fridge it was quite hard to get out of the tub and onto my face and often flaked while it was drying so messy messy! I totally agree with the synopsis on their site however it is a very calming and soothing mask but I would not recommend if you are looking for something low maintenance!

Love Lettuce Face Mask
Fresh, fresh, fresh, is all I can say about this face mask. What I love about Lush's Fresh Face Masks is that because they are kept in the fridge to prolong their goodness, every time you put them on your face it is like getting a huge breath of fresh air, but maybe that's just me who enjoys a cold compress. Another thing I loved about this mask was the grainy quality meant you were not only moisturising (and cooling) your skin, but when you wash it off you're exfoliating too, which is why I would only recommend you use this one once or twice a week max. The smell is divine too, I believe it's a mix between honey, almond and lavender all of which I love. This is one I'll definitely be repurchasing in the future.

For all of these empty pots I can treat myself to one of their fresh face masks again, and I'm going to try and go for something different this time which of course is still good for dry skin as I'm still a bit of a sufferer, especially with Aberdeen having now joined the rest of the UK in the cold weather slump! At the moment I have been swithering between their Oatifix mask which sounds like a dream for dry skin or their BB Seaweed, because it looks and sounds so fresh. Do let me know your thoughts on what I should treat myself to in the comments below or of course any Lush products you yourself have been loving lately, I'd love to hear from you! As always you can catch me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more reviews, ramblings and rambunctious goings on you can follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, getting fresh!

H.Elizabeth xx

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

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