Blogging | Tips for beating a slump

We've all, as bloggers, been there. Some more than others, i.e. me once every few weeks. Sometimes it feels as though there is just no beating it - you want to throw the towel in, declare everything in the world that is worth writing has already been written and close down your little corner of the web for good. Believe me I've had this thought more than you may think and it gets especially difficult when other areas of your life begin to take over! Today, however, is not one of those days. Today I'm feeling motivated, but I wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to those of you out there damning the blinking of that cursor, screaming, crying and throwing fits at your device, and those of you who are on the precipice of throwing the digital towel in.

Here are some of my top tips on 'beating' a blogging slump;

Take a break and don't be ashamed;
It can be tempting to apologise to readers when you take a break, but remember your reasons for starting this blog, as a hobby, as an enjoyable way to express your love or dislike for something, or even just to pass the time! As long as you don't have a specific obligation to advertisers or promoters that particular day / week / month then you're quite entitled to a break.

Schedule as far as you can when you're feeling it;
On a good day I can get myself sorted for a solid month in advance, which of course allows me some leeway to have a 'break' if I so choose. So what if one week I'm just not feeling it? I know there's still a post going up every Wednesday and Friday for at least four weeks - and trust me kids there's no better feeling than being organised (yes I realise this makes me sound 'boring' but I'm sipping on my coffee chilling while you're losing your minds over lighting!)

Think about you - not digital you;What do you fancy doing today? Relaxing at home with some Netflix? Chilling with your cat? Or hell going on  an adventure. Think about yourself minus the blog, minus the social media and run with it - and if you've got the time to blog, great, and if not who cares?!

Needless to say this is all much easier said than done - but if you're anything like me then simply seeing things written down can give me a nudge in the right direction. Whether that's the direction of the sofa or the direction of my blog it doesn't matter.

Hopefully from this post you have found what you're looking for, words of encouragement, the realization that a break is just what the doctor ordered or maybe even a kick up the backside, be sure to leave all your tips and hints for beating a blogging slump in the comments below, else you can find me lurking on all of the usual channels, Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.

Until next time,

H.Elizabeth x

Urban Decay | Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer Review

 

Concealer is something I've never felt an intense need to splurge on. After finding my tried and tested collection lasting perfection concealer all of those years ago I thought I was finished with my search (at £4.19 a go I wasn't complaining) However having now began my own make up artistry business I've found that many ladies simply don't appreciate me using a collection concealer on them, and you know a small part of me understands. If I were to visit a make up artist and they used the likes of make up revolution, MUA and collection I might pull a face or two, after all you're paying for the best. So off to the department stores I went in search of another concealer that could dazzle me as much as collection had all those years ago.

Enter Urban Decay. After nipping in to Debenhams for a top up of my favourite setting spray ever I hadn't expected to walk out with a concealer, particularly as Urban Decay have previously only been known for their sprays and shadows, but alas here we are and I want to introduce you to the Naked Concealer.

I chose the lightest shade available which I think is fair neutral to give it a good test run before committing it to my kit, the product is of a waterier consistency than my collection concealer but the brush is perfection. Flat on either end and spongy in texture it is so gentle under your eyes and distributes the perfect amount of product every time. The shade may be a little light for me but I've been using it so far to highlight around my brozner and contoured areas, buffed in with a damp beauty blender it offers a lovely dewy finish coveted by many at this time of year! Overall I am impressed with this product, particularly the coverage it offers and minimal creasing in my undereyes at the end of the day, and it also helps that it smells just like summer (open one and take a whiff you'll see what I mean!)

 

I've seen a lot of other reviewers online who claim that it has broken them out, doesn't agree with their skin type or is just generally a bad fit for them, and that's true in even the greatest products, so my best advice to you would be instead of splurging the £17.50 straight away, go in past your local Urban Decay counter and ask for a sample.

Overall I'm looking forward to stocking my kit with this little wonder in the future (my bank balance on the other hand is having heart palpitations) but don't worry I'll still have my trusty old Collection concealer on hand in case I need a stand in. Have you ever tried any products other than the Naked palettes by Urban Decay, I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations or even any product recommendations in the comments section below, come share them with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram even, or you can keep up with my latest beauty buys, finds and reviews on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, let's get Naked.

H.Elizabeth x

Summer Make Up Woes | How to Hayfever Proof your make up

You guys know if you've been here long enough that I am a hardcore hayfever sufferer. Eyes, nose, throat, even my hair follicles can feel when pollen is in  the air. Fortunately for me I thought I had escaped it this year... unfortunately I was kidding myself and I was once again struck down by the summer sickness literally on the first official day of summer. Now please, before you leave your seemingly helpful comments on how to rid yourself of the dreaded disease go and read THIS post which I wrote last year, really guys I HAVE tried everything. But today I wanted to do a shout out and a bit of a helpful post for all of you fellow hayfever sufferers, I'm looking at you with the streamy eyes, runny noses and red raw faces, on how to best smudge, sneeze and hayfever proof your make up.

Go hypo-allergenic wherever possible
Now no this won't prevent your nose itching or eyes streaming but it will give your immune system more of a fighting chance and gives you less to react to should anything accidentally happen to fall into your eyes. Vichy provide a good range for sensitve skin and all sorts of coverage options.

Wear waterproofs
Nope don't start donning those jackets and wellies just yet we just need to opt for a waterproof mascara. Ideally apply this in the morning after washing your face so you're not getting pesky pollen particles on the wand thereby compromising the integrity of your formula (how posh was that?) The mascara will stay on even if your eyes are water buckets that day.

Invest in a cooling eye gel

Whenever I walk to work in the summer I find when I arrive my eyes are a hot, puffy mess. So my solution is to keep a cooling eye gel in the fridge at work and apply it when you arrive, you can opt for a tinted one like the garnier roller ball or a clear one such as the Body Shops elderflower eye gel. You'll get a lovely cooling sensation and you'll look a lot more human which is always a plus, but if you're in a pinch you could always use the back of a teaspoon to de-puff those peepers. 

Shower at night before going to bed and wash your face in the morning
Excessive as it might seem for many, if you go to bed with pollen particles all over your face and body you'll simply sleep in them all night, get a terrible sleep, wake with sore puffy eyes and runny noses, you'll probably even just not go in to work and lose your job...Just kidding! But you'll feel rotten, make sure you're going into a clean, pollen free pit at night and wash your face in the morning just to make doubly sure.

Conceal that blotchyness
Sometimes my face resembles a slice of corned beef in summer. You guys know how it gets when you've been rubbing, wiping and rubbing all day and suddenly you look as if you've been crying for a thousand years. Grab yourself a colour correcting palette and cover those red patches with a pale green concealer. Make up lovers will know that green combats the appearance of redness, blend that in with a damp beauty blender and cover with regular concealer and foundation as usual. Be gone blotches!

I can't tell you this will magically make you look 100% human again but it's a start, hang in there fellow hayfever-ites and hayfever-ettes Autumn will be here before you know it and we'll get through this together.

What are your top hayfever / summer make up survival tips? Be sure to leave all of your tips and comments in the section below, come tell me how to stop my eyes watering on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook you name it! 

Until next time folks, ugggghhhh (the universal sound of hayfever sufferers!) 

H.Elizabeth x

Blogging | Starting your own blog

Sounds pretty basic right? Don't you just start writing and press post? Well yes and no,  you'd be surprised how many non starter blogs I have had throughout my life, simply because I was so overwhelmed with the amount of work it can actually take just to get started. From the earlier days of piczo to various wordpress and blogger platforms I've seen 'em all! I have tampered with writing a film review blog, dabbled in beauty tutorials and even tried my hand at keeping a virtual diary, but somehow it's only Granite City Girl that has stuck. So from my wealth of failures, experiences and general blogging knowlege, here are my top tips, pointers and unsolicited advice for starting your own blog and more importantly, keeping it going!

Take your time and work from the ground up

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you're starting out is rushing into blogging, particularly when you are bursting with bright new ideas, you could be in danger of just emptying your head all at once on to a web page and suddenly you're left feeling a bit depleted. In fact you'll see when I first started Granite City Girl this happened around the second month of posting and it's just a big ole mess! Take an afternoon, make yourself a cup of tea and write down your first few blog post ideas in a notebook, decide on your own schedule (you can read more about post scheduling here) and build from there. 

Find a user friendly platform you are comfortable with 

Usually you'll find yourself falling into one of two blogging platforms, Wordpress or Blogger (the latter is what I use) Sometimes writing can be the easy part, especially if you're not quite so tech savvy and coding gives you the willies! Don't give yourself another barrier, keep it simple and find what works best for you and build from the ground up, and please, please, don't throw money at your blog right away, research, read and educate yourself.

Speak to your fellow bloggers

This is something I wish I had known and had the gumption to do when I first started out. As much as it may sometimes feel like it, blogging isn't one big race or competition and your fellow bloggers are your greatest allies and more importantly teachers when it comes to starting your own blog. It might be a friend, family member or even a co worker who runs their own blog, pick their brains, ask them their big dos and don'ts, hell ask how they got invited to that amazing event and what their writing process is (isn't that such a pretentious phrase?) They do say you never stop learning and don't be a fool by thinking blogging is any different.

This all feels like advice I wish I had had before starting my own blog so I do hope this helps someone out there at least. Are you thinking of starting your own blog, or maybe you're a seasoned blogger with even more tips to share for the newbies out there, either way be sure to leave all of your thoughts, comments, experiences and tricks below! Otherwise you can catch up with me and my latest posts and musings on Twitter or Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, 

H.Elizabeth

Blogging Pet Peeves | A Rant by Granite City Girl

As a blogger and human being of this particular generation I read a lot of blogs. Through the use of social media and tools such as Bloglovin, technology has enabled me to discover some amazing writing talent, experience the wider world and dare I say live vicariously through my favourite bloggers, but sometimes you'll come across a piece of writing, design or blog in general that makes you question all that you know about the world; and I'm not talking total worldly enlightenment I'm talking, aah the humanity!!! Okay so as you know I may be one to exaggerate but if it helps get my point across then that's really all that matters. In light of my recent burst blood vessel(s) paroosing the twittersphere and blogosphere I thought I would share some of my top blogging pet peeves and just say, stop it!

Image Credit: Pinterest

There have been so many blog posts detailing why this is wrong so I won't go into all of the gory details all I will say however is that this is theft and is a crime against copyright laws. Yes it may make your blog look very pretty, professional even, that is in fact because it came from a professional bloggers post! This makes my index fingers curl up inside my body that's how great a peeve it is for me, it is an automatic 'unfollow' and discredit to your blog. If you want to learn a bit more about image crediting, blogging and copyright you should have a read of Forever Amber's post here.

Scheduled Promo Overload

Last week I unfollowed somebody on Twitter for posting 15 (yes you read that right 15!) promotions for the same post in a row on Twitter. Don't get me wrong, scheduling is sometimes an amazing thing, a fantastic promotions tool for bloggers, but if you're posting the same Tweet at say hourly intervals someone is bound to notice (FYI that someone is me!) for me it's off putting as I like to feel as if I'm having a conversation with the blogger but it's obvious that particular person is switched off and just happy enough to post out automated messages.

Twitter Auto Responses
Bleh, the ultimate form of shameless social media poaching, you know the ones I mean, 'Hi thank you for following me on Twitter, why not follow my blog too,' with sickly, sugary x's and o's. Again it's so impersonal and isn't the entire point of blogging to share your views with the world, open up a dialogue and meet new people. After extensive research and attempting to open up a dialogue with the particulars who have these auto responses I can confirm they are not interested.

So this may have disgressed int more of a social media scheduling, response, twitter rant but it kind of links to blogging right? I'd love to know what your biggest blogging pet peeves are or even social media peeves, in fact just use the space below to have a good old rant, those are my favourites as you can probably tell. Be sure NOT to send me your auto responses on Twitter or spam me with your promos (grrrr internal screaming) but quick plug if you do enjoy my rants and ravings be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, screaming internally at all of the blogging blunders.

H.Elizabeth x

Gym Time | Five Things Nobody Tells You About Going To The Gym

Back at you again today with another gym time, fitness and health post and this time I thought instead of telling you about how my classes are going or how I'm finding fitness recently I would share a few nuggets of information I have accumulated about the gym and some things I never realized before actually going. This isn't as a means to put you off of going to the gym so you guys balloon up with my homemade brownie recipe as a way to make myself look slimmer.... really it isn't, these are just some of the things that since going to my local gym have made me laugh, cry and overall cringe!

#1 Machine Rivalry is a thing

If you're a competitive person this will fit right into your category, I remember one instance a while ago when I was very into cardio and going on the treadmill etc that this man on the machine next to me kept 'casually' glancing over at my screen to see how fast I was increasing my speed to and funnily enough if I was at 9KM/PH he would increase his to 9.5KM/PH and so it went on and on until eventually he almost popped a blood vessel! And that ladies and gentleman is machine rivalry, and it's a more common thing than you realise.

#2 You will encounter excessive body fluids (of strangers)
You know those rules and guidelines you get when first attending the gym? The ones people very rarely read or take notice of? Well you'll find that nobody takes notice of them or carries a towel around with them for that matter, so unfortunately you will encounter far more bodily fluids of strangers than you would care to (ever in your life!) Really it's on the windows on the windows, on the walls on the walls and sweat drips down their... (you get the drift)

#3 Personal Space will be a much coveted commodity (and a thing of the past)
If you attend classes you'll hear the personal trainer ask everybody to find a space, which you will but give it about 30 seconds and you'll have a sweaty stranger at your shoulder attempting their jump lunges - my solution stand with your legs spread for more space!

#4 Weight hoarding is also a thing and it will be the bane of your fitness life

There's always one isn't there? Every time I go to my kettlebell classes I find it incredibly difficult to even locate the weights and some people have even started coming half an hour early just to hoard the weight by their side on the treadmill until they think they might use it.

#5 How awesome going to the gym actually is

There ain't nothing like endorphins to end the day or begin the day depending on when you go to the gym. It feels terrible at the time but there is nothing like the afterglow of a good work out / sweating session, it's true what they say, you'll never regret going to the gym but you'll regret not going.

So guys I hope you have enjoyed reading today's musings about the gym and the world of fitness, I'd love to hear any of your funny stories from the gym or perhaps just working out at home, be sure to leave them in the comments below, come share your thoughts with me on Twitter, or of course if you'd just like to keep up with the latest Granite City Girl posts you can find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, coveting my sweaty, personal space.

 

H.Elizabeth x

Blogging | Scheduling your posts

As a blogger who reads the blogs of fellow bloggers (too much blog?) I have noticed that we are almost always one of two types, the scheduled posters or the spontaneous posters.  Today as part of my 'amateur blogging 101' I'm going to chat to you a little bit about spontaneity and scheduling because I have been known to adopt both methods  in the last year I have been 'Granite City Girl' and I would like to share why as well as a few tips on how I schedule my posts.

When I first started I didn't have a routine at all, in fact I felt I had so many ideas and things I wanted to share that I would quite regularly post twice in one day because I was just too excited and felt an urgency to share (plus I was afraid I would forget what I wanted to say) These posts were often quite a bit shorter, rushed and if I'm honest they just came across as sloppy, in fact you can see the difference (I hope) if you look back at last Feb's posts in comparison to this years. I think I felt that if I ever missed a day of posting that I would need to make up for it the next day and that meant my content would suffer as a result and these days content is just not something I am willing to compromise on. Of course that isn't to say spontaneous posting doesn't work for everyone, in fact for some bloggers I find it adds to the charm and overall feel of their site if they aren't sticking to a schedule and obviously there are times, whether due to university studies, family commitments or illness that it just isn't practical to plan out your blogging schedule as I found when I was juggling my job, university and wedding planning (remember it's okay to take a break)

Today however, times have changed  and I have adopted a manageable schedule I feel suits my available time, lifestyle and general personality. In fact it was one of my New Years Resolutions to not only up my weekly posts from 2 to 3 but also to post on dedicated days and times. In order to achieve this I make sure my posts are scheduled around 2 weeks in advance and keep a diary of what is going up and when, and today when I have an idea I don't rush to post it online through fear of it being lost in the vast dark spaces in my brain but I keep a note of it in my diary alongside my schedule and I'll build upon it later. As this is my hobby I really don't allow it to stress me out entirely, if I feel a bit anxious about posting or pressured in any way I step away and do something else for a while, at the end of the day a hobby shouldn't make you feel antsy or stressed in any way, but I completely understand the pressure bloggers face (these are the times I thank the lord I'm not famous and can sit in my pjs just fine!)

There are times however I feel spontaneous posting is necessary, for example those times you are announcing something small or you want to share a little snippet from your life that perhaps doesn't necessarily merit an entire post day dedication, for example when I announced Granite City Girl was on Pinterest or when I wanted to share an event that was happening in my hometown a few weeks ago, just little things. These are events I will usually post about on a Thursday or Saturday. I have posted an example of my own schedule below, just to give you an idea:

Granite City Girls Post Schedule

Wednesday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Tursday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)

Friday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Saturday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)

Sunday 9.00am (GMT)

I do hope this has helped shed some light on why things are the way they are on Granite City Girl (and hasn't made me look like too much of a control freak) but of course if you have any questions or comments about the blog, content, scheduling or anything be sure to ask in the comments below. I'd be really interested to know if you have ever felt pressured as I did to post daily and what it is you do to combat that, be sure to comment below, share your thoughts with my on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more from me you can find my blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, penciling in our next appointment!

H.Elizabeth xx