Granite City Style | Bon Accord Summer Style 2016

Useless. Utterly useless. When it comes to style in summer that's really the only way you can describe a former goth kid like myself. Instead of integrating with everyone else into floral patterns, brights and tanning at the first sight of sun I'm still sat clutching my winter wares, destined for a life in dark knits, greys, varied shades of black and a summer of melting in general! So, any help, as you can imagine, is greatly appreciated, and when I saw an invitation to Aberdeen's Bon Accord Centre for their summer style showcase of 2016 I was pretty intrigued. 

Showcasing all of the hottest summer trends for this year all of my favourite brands were out in full force, everyone from Benefit and Warehouse to newbies such as Jigsaw and scotch favourite Ness, everyone had something unique to offer us for the evening. Focusing on dewy, summer skin, the beauty brands were out in force with new tanning solutions (not my cuppa), highlighters in all shades of the unicorn rainbow and of course glosses, glosses galore which I was only too happy to sample!

The fashion brands gave us such great pointers for how to combine the hottest prints and textures of the season with colour pop bags by Coach which helped me leave with oodles of fashion inspiration and a shopping list as long as my arm. I was glad to see that the brands didn't just throw the top summer trends from the magazines at us, as I feel they so often miss the mark when it comes to weather. Bon Accord were great in that they displayed coats, jackets, handbags that weren't ridiculously tiny and all of it wearable!

Overall I was pleased to find that a lot of this summers trends are pretty up my street, and hey I may even add a pop of colour if I'm feeling super daring, what are your top summer picks? Be sure to leave your summer staples in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you just can't get enough you can catch me on Bloglovin, Instagram and Facebook! 

 H.Elizabeth x

Ooops I tripped! | Sephora Haul

Woops...what can I say guys, I um... tripped and fell straight into Sephora on our travels recently, and then I tripped again and again, counter to counter until I racked up quite a hefty bill. What can I say? I'm just that clumsy, but on the bright side not only have I totally buffed out my kit, got some great new products to play with and found a few new firm favourites, but I've also got something to blog about! Isn't it great when these things work out? So without further ado and going into too too much detail here is my special Spanish Sephora haul.

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate PaletteToo Faced are quickly becoming more and more known for their eyeshadow palettes here in the UK, and after watching a fair few tutorials and giving it a great deal of thought I decided to go for the slightly cooler toned Semi Sweet Chocolate Palette. Stick around for my full review in the future as well as a couple of looks I've been loving creating recently. And yes guys...it really does smell like chocolate and it's awesome!

Too Faced Bulletproof Brows KitI've been on the hunt for a good brow gel for a while and I've got to be honest, I'm not entirely sure this is it, but I'm more than willing to give it a good go for a while. Having been a brow pencil addict through and through I think it'll take an adjustment but hey, I'll try anything once!

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in NudeY'all know how I love my liquid lipsticks. Having dabbled with Revlon, LA Splash and more recently Kylie Cosmetics I fancied picking up just one more to add to the collection and you know for...research purposes! I picked this one up in nude and it was love at first swatch, I'm looking forward to testing out the formula and giving it a good ole comparison post in the future.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in VanillaHype, hype, hype. The higher end version of my much loved collection concealer (a considerably cheaper and amazing alternative for those on a budget) so I'm looking forward to seeing how this holds up compared to it's counterpart.

Nars Highlighting Blush in AlbatrossHaven't we all just gots to get that glow? I've been testing out quite a few different highlighting products recently including creams, blush, colour correct techniques by brands such as MAC, Revlon, Bourjois... all sorts really. When I swatched this Nars product in Sephora (admittedly having never heard of it before) it was love, and I now hold it as my own favourite and a kit favourite!

Sephora EyeshadowsSephora eyeshadows have never been something I've heard raved about, but I'm absolutely baffled as to why. I decided to pick up a couple of gold, coppery shades in a glitter and a shimmer simply because of how darn pigmented my swatches in store were (stay tuned!)

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara (sample size) & Too Faced Hangover Primer (sample size)

As a wee prize for spending so much on Too Faced cosmetics I was given a couple of samples to take away, one being the much coveted and raved about Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara and the Too Faced Hangover Primer.

Well now I have repented my sins and cleansed my soul, I feel so much better, now I just need to give my bank balance a bit of time to heal! What do you guys think of my picks? Is there anything you would have picked up in addition? Be sure to leave your comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see EVEN MORE make up you can visit me on Facebook and Instagram!

Until next time folks, repent, repent, repent!

H.Elizabeth x

Building my Pro MUA Kit | Bobbi Brown BBU Palette

As a new make up artist it can be a challenge working out just where to start when it comes to building your kit and when it comes to specifics like foundations, eyeshadows, blushes, you sort of just want to throw your brushes in the air and hide away from it all, because there is just....SO....MUCH...CHOICE. But I have found that a great place to start is with one great go to palette that can take you through concealers, colour correctors AND foundations without having to fiddle about with individual bottles and go through the dramas and nightmares that come with picking and choosing different shades.

Following some advice from my GC tutor as well as a bit of research online I decided to opt for the Bobbi Brown BBU palette. Bobbi Brown is a brand who focus namely on skin and not masking your natural beauty but rather enhancing it, perfect if you're working with a bride or someone who isn't quite used to wearing quite as much make up as someone like me is. The BBU palette is made up of Bobbi Browns signature cream foundation sticks in all the colours of the skin tone rainbow, as well as creamy concealers and colour correctors that ought to help you handle anything life and face throws at you from dark circles to redness, wrinkles and skin discolouration, this is your go to.

Again this is a product that is best warmed up and placed on the face using your fingers and then going in and working with a brush or damp beauty blender to buff it into the skin. Personally I have been buffing the product into the skin using a Real Techniques Expert Face brush and getting rid of any lines with a damp sponge or beauty blender. Though the foundation is made to offer a light coverage the product is fairly buildable and if you wanted you could go back in with some darker  and lighter concealers and foundation colours to create some contoured and highlighted effects on the face the formula is just that versatile.

Having used this on pretty much ALL of the clients I have had so far I am pleased to report I haven't really ran into any issues, and none of the ladies I've had in my chair have complained of a reaction or anything from the formula (though skin prep is always a useful skill to employ so I will do a post on skin prep in the future for those of you who are wondering)

The palette is a little more on the pricey side, retailing at around £200, and I wouldn't recommend getting this if you're not planning on pursuing a career in make up artistry because DAMN GIRL these are expensive, but they do literally have any and all of the colours you're going to need so as a make up artist consider this as a necessary evil... I mean investment.... woops.

Again I hope you have enjoyed this little, teensy weensey peek into my make up artistry kit,  I of course have a far more extensive skin, foundation, concealer and skincare range than this, so if you are interested in seeing just what it is I use on dry skin, oily skin or even the skin prep I do for any skin types be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments below! Otherwise you can catch me and my varying alter egos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, Bobbi, you are bae!

H.Elizabeth 

The Body Shop | Oils of Life facial oil review

How doust I live without thee, one would like to know! Every time I finish one of my much loved beauty products I do tend to channel a little LeAnne Rimes, because honestly, how do I live?! And that is just the emotional roller-coaster I boarded when my favourite, show stopper of a facial oil ran out last week and it ain't even pay day!

Now if you're an avid reader you'll know that way way back in around October I attended a beauty bloggers event at my local Body Shop where I got the chance to sample their then brand new spa range as well as test out a few new upcoming products, i.e. their fresh nude foundation which I am still a strong advocate of! There I came away with what you could call a plethora of products, from exfoliators, to foundations, bath potions and lotions and of course this, my Oils of Life rejuvenating facial oil.

Admittedly when oils first became 'a thing' in the beauty sphere during the last year or so, I was sceptical, I felt like it was the chance for big corporations to jump on the bandwagon and try to sell me a product I simply didn't need, and oil on my face? Come on guys sometimes my face already looks like a slip n slide and I didn't need anything helping that along. But despite my cynicisms I gave it a bash anyway, and guys... it has CHANGED MY LIFE... or, well at the very least my face!

It's a common misconception that facial oils are only made for people with normal or dry skin but this isn't the case at all, in fact one of the main reasons you'll find you have oily skin is because your body is creating more and more as it doesn't have enough, enter facial oils. Oils of life could really help balance out your skin, whether it's not enough oil, an excess of oil, or if you're just looking for a more luxe treat for your skin, you've come to the right place!

With a natural origin of 99% and infused with 3 seed oils from across the globe, (black cumin, camellia and rosehip) the product has a super lightweight, luxe feel to it that doesn't leave your face feeling sticky or in need of a good wash afterwards. Now whether or not this really does reduce the signs of ageing remains to be seen, but I can tell you I have successfully moved house, survived Christmas and all of the family / work dramas under the sun without gaining a single wrinkle. Coincidence? I think not!

For me this works best just after cleansing, so I cleanse with a balm in the morning, put on my oil and then follow with my usual moisturiser / primer / make up routine, and again in the evening just after I shower. I find the oil helps my moisturiser sink into my skin that bit better and I don't have to wait as long to jump in with my usual make up faves. And speaking of make up, mine has been sitting better than ever since investing in an oil so #noregrets!

If you're thinking of investing in a good solid facial oil, the Body Shop have got you covered and I just love the service they provide in my local at least. I walked away previously with a new skin care regime, that admittedly I did tailor a little when I got home but nonetheless felt very content with following their suggestions.

Until next time folks, that's it from me and my wrinkle free (for now) face!

H.Elizabeth x

Tiny Bird Heart Takeover | Abzmeet and How to organise your own blogger meet up

Almost a year ago, I organised the first ever Abzmeet. It all began when I started chatting to local blogger and same time baby-mama Sarah of Sarah Rooftops. After a while we wanted to meet in person and discussed the idea of holding a local blogger meetup.

Photo Credit to Sam from Rose Bud Annie for the photo

We got in touch with some other bloggers we knew from the area, arranged a time and date and that was pretty much it! There were only seven of us back then but we started to meet regularly, I set up a Facebook page (which now has 44 members), and earlier this year I set up a weekly Twitter chat, #abzchat. Although we started off as strangers it really feels like we are friends and part of a supportive community now!

Now I'm no expert, but here are my tips for starting a blogger meetup:

Get in touch with people you'd like to invite

Start liking and following bloggers you'd like to meet and strike up a conversation. You might want to use the opportunity to ask if they'd be interested in attending a meetup and if so what they'd like the event to be like.

Decide what kind of meetup you'd like to hold

It might be specific to a type of blogger or include everyone from a specific area, you might want to have a casual meetup or organise a sponsored or ticket only event. If you've asked potential attendees what type of event they'd be interested in then it's more likely they'll attend.

Organise your meetup

Decide on dates, times and a venue. We try to go with a different cafe or restaurant each time and stick to coffee/brunch in a central location so that it keeps the costs down for everyone. You might want to get in touch with local venues and ask if they can do a special deal or book an area but this may depend on the number of people attending.

Advertise your event

Once you've organised the detail, advertise! Invite those bloggers you'd love to meet, post it all over social media and your blog and ask others to share and invite people who may be interested. I set up a Facebook page after the first event as it was much easier to track who was attending and who'd been invited. We usually ask questions about where and when people would like to meet next but I've found it's better to give a couple of options and see what the majority choose as there will always be people who can't attend.

Organise people on the day

You want your event to be success and for everyone to feel welcome so as the organiser you'll want to familiarise yourself with the bloggers attending. We usually share our blog links on Facebook prior to meetups so that we can read about those attending and get to know a bit about them.

Get feedback

After the event you'll want feedback. Find out what people thought, what they liked and didn't like, how the meetup could be improved, and if they'd like to attend more. Ask people to get in touch with links to their posts if they write about the event and share and comment on them.

Good luck!

Have you organised a meetup or do you have any tips? Let me know below!

Natbees Fashion Takeover | 3 of my Favourite Places to have Breakfast in Edinburgh

Every time we are down in Edinburgh I am on the task of exploring the city with the ultimate purpose of finding the best coffee shops, places to enjoy a nice cup of tea and relax. After searching online for reviews and playing the investigator myself, I have finally managed to narrow down my list to these three gems. I am sure there are loads more that I haven't been yet but for the time being these three places hold a special place in my heart. 

Starting with my most favourite one; the Richmond Cafe in 52 West Richmond Street. This is a cute little place we found after being desperate for some bougatsa, a pastry pie that for Greeks is what sausages & beans is for Brits, aka the best breakfast ever! Luckily enough, this place offers not only bougatsa but in general the best Greek food that someone can have outside Greece. When we were there we ordered-apart from the infamous bougatsa- spinach pie and coffees and we were left with the best impressions ever. Did I also mention that the location of the shop is right next to our flat? Win-win!

Next is an old favourite one; the Black Medicine in 2 Nicholson Street. This is a place for the coffee lovers as its name suggests. As it is located on a very busy street this is a great place for something on the go, quick service and quite strong coffee. I, personally am in love with the interior, wood, plants and mirrors, makes the place feel so cosy, so if you choose to sit in make sure to take a book with you and enjoy the atmosphere. Usually it is full of students writing up their assignments so very relaxed vibes, however if you take a sit by the window I can guarantee you, you will observe all the city action :) 

Last but not least is Mimi's Bakehouse in 63 Shore Street, a paradise for ladies meet ups and cupcakes lovers. Upon arrival you get struck by the lovely deco, so pretty it makes my heart sing! All of the cupcakes and muffins they offer are delicious and oh, so beautiful, its like they create art and not baking goods. My personal favourite is the egg nog cheesecake-so mouth watering! Not to be missed!

 

So these are my 3 top places to have breakfast or coffee on the go in Edinburgh. 

Have you ever been to either? If you have any other suggestions please let me know, I am always eager to find new places.

Anastasia.

Barcelona Baby

 
By the time you read this I'll be long gone...... to Barcelona baby!

As you guys know from my last post I am off to Barcelona with my hubby this week and as is a tradition with Granite City Girl and I guess now Hannah Adams Make Up Artistry, I will be taking a little, tiny wee break to refuel, recharge and have myself a jolly good time abroad. Did I mention I run on solar power? Ach see now you know why I've been a big bogged down, I just need to catch me some rays! But my absence of course doesn't mean no content, heavens no! Instead I'll be handing over the reigns of Granite City Girl to some friends from the #Abzmeet gang namely Anastasia of Natbees Fashion.

You can of course keep a spy on my Twitter and Instagram if you want to keep up with what we're doing in Barcelona , where we're going and what we're seeing. Otherwise have a lovely, lovely week guys and I will return next Wednesday as per with brand new content and hopefully a photo diary of Barcelona and our adventures.

Until next time folks, love ya bye!

H.Elizabeth x