She's Got Style | HJC Styling Launch at Malmaison Aberdeen

How many of us have wished and hoped that Gok Wan would come and clear out our wardrobes? Or fancied a Wintour esk fairy godmother who would whisk us away to the shops and help us love our bodies  (and wardrobes) that little bit more and style us to Vogue like perfection? Well luckily for the ladies and gents of Aberdeen that fashion godmother is here in the form of HJC Styling.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the fashionable, fantastic and fierce launch of HJC Styling at Malmaison in Aberdeen where we got the chance to meet, Hayley, the face behind the fashion. Hayley saw a gap in the personal styling market and leapt at the opportunity to fill it, previously a stylist for various brands Hayley felt limited by brands, sizing and the stores in which she worked, her solution? Become a self made Girl Boss and get it done yourself!

Hayley and HJC Styling currently offer a range of services, whether you're due for a total wardrobe shake up, just fancy a colour consultation or going all out and asking the lady herself to be your personal shopper for the day! I have copied Hayley's full list of services and prices below, I think you'll agree that they have all of their bases covered where helping out the fashion failures (like me) are concerned:

Price List:

Online Styling Service: £25.00

Colour Consultation: £80.00

Shop and Style: £120.00

Wardrobe Consultation: £150.00

Fashion Workshop / Bridal Workshop: £170.00

 

 Not only were we treated to cupcakes and prosecco a plenty as part of HJC's launch but Hayley took the opportunity to show off some of her sensational styling skills with a mini fashion show based on current SS16 trends. Through the show Hayley went through the current trends, how to wear them, what they look great with and the concept of patterns (which TERRIFY me!) I learned quite a bit that evening and wish I had brought a notepad or something to share some of her top tips, but alas I guess I'll just have to book in with her instead. (Also I want to add I was chuffed to find that one of the dresses she chose to dress her model in was actually one I almost bought in Topshop!)

I am so excited to see where Hayley's business goes in the future, it has been so refreshing to see so many new, innovative and creative businesses popping up all over the city where people have thrown the towel in and decided to chase their passions and dreams. If you'd like to hear more about Hayley and HJC Styling be sure to visit her website at HJC Styling  or email the lady herself on hayley@hjcstyling.com 

As usual you can catch me on all of the social medias, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, getting my fashion on (trying to at least!)

H.Elizabeth x

Beauty News | Kat Von D Cosmetics is coming to Debenhams

Now if that title isn't enough to make you sqee with enjoyment, euphoria and excitement then perhaps you've never tried the Kat Von D beauty range. At present the Kat Von D Cosmetics range has not been widely available to UK buyers other than on  Sephora's website or if you've been lucky enough to go abroad and get your mitts on such things, but finally, FINALY it is coming to Debenhams stores across the UK and I could not be more excited!

I remember hearing about Kat Von D's cosmetics range way back when it first launched and I've got to be honest I was not too impressed and found it all a bit gimmicky, and back in 2008 when a celebrity released a product it wasn't anything to scream and shout about. Boy was I mistaken! Kat Von D brought her own personal, creative and artistic flair to the brand and completely changed the way I would view celebrity branded cosmetics for good. 

In her range so far I have sampled her liners (blacker than black might I add!) her lip ranges (which rival my Kylie Cosmetics kits I may also add) and swatched her Lock It Tattoo foundation to death (something I'll be grabbing with both hands and dear life!)  So when mid September rolls around you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be first in line at my local Debenhams stocking up for my kit...well myself mostly, but my kit too.

How excited are you for this range to be coming to the UK? Have you tried any of her products before? I'd love to hear your thoughts, excitements and general musings in the comments below. As always though you can catch me on my various social channels such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time folks, squeeing with excitement!

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

Send Nudes | My Nude Lipstick Collection and Swatches

Nudes are all the rage right now. Nope, put that phone down ladies I'm talking about nudey lips (though if you're Kim K nudes are ALWAYS the rage in your house) and over these last few months I've built up quite an extensive collection of nude lipsticks, glosses of all shapes, sizes, finishes and price ranges and today I wanted to share with you a few of my top picks from my pro make up artistry collection and of course ones from my own personal make up bag.

Swatches L-R: MAC Half N Half, MAC Blankety, Maybelline Colour Drama in Nude Perfection, Revlon Matte Balm in Mischievous, Too Faced Melted Matte in Nude, NYX Lip Cream in London, Kylie Cosmetics in Dolce K, Kylie Cosmetics in Exposed, Kylie Cosmetics in So Cute.

MAC Amplified Creme in Half N Half

Half N Half was one of the first shades by MAC I ever bought, way before the days of the Velvet Teddy reign I was rocking my good old half n half. This one is a bit darker than my other nudes and is perhaps verging on a more brown shade for us pale girls, but on a darker skin tone this would be perfection. The finish of this one is an amplified creme, so it's very creamy and quite heavy on the lips and what's great is it won't dry out your lips, great for those winter months (when they eventually roll in)

MAC Amplified in Creme Blankety

Blankety is one of my staple staple favourite. Whenever I don't know what to wear I'll always reach for blankety for comfort (ha I know!) Blankety again has a lovely creamy texture and consistency and is much lighter than it's sister Half N Half. I often use Blankety to lighten up the mid section of my lip and pat it out to give myself that 'ombre' lip, it also helps make your lips look fuller and bigger which we new age make up lovers of course all die for!

Maybelline Colour Drama lipstick in Nude Perfection
This one is perhaps the most affordable of the bunch and is one of the most surprising. Whenever I apply this shade it lasts all day! And as far as I am aware that isn't part of the major selling point, in fact I don't even think these have been to widely advertised. This shade is literally what it says on the packaging, nude perfection and is a great starter nude for you dabblers out there. My only criticism is the size is really quite small and you also have to invest in a large sided pencil sharpener just to get additional uses.

Revlon Matte Balm in Mischievous 

These matte balms are worth a look in for the forumla alone, which contains peppermint extract and leaves your face smelling minty fresh! If I could bathe in this I would! I use mischievous again to create ombre looks the majority of them time and it's a nice, blend-able, light shade which also doesn't feel drying.

Too Faced Melted Matte in Nude

The applicator for this is not great for hygiene and hence I do not stock them in my pro kit, which is a real shame because they are gorgeous. I wouldn't technically say that this was a particularly matte lipstick, it semi dries but not entirely. The finish however has a very tacky, strobed look and again is great for summer. It is quite a warm nude, even warmer than the Kylie Exposed kit so I usually pair this with a cool toned eye just to balance out the face.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in London
One of my brand new babies from the brand new NYX counter in my local boots, I've been loving the finish of this lip cream, it feels more like a light soufflé finish than an actual cream which is lovely for summer when you want to feel a bit lighter. The shade itself is quite light with what I would say is a hint of orange very similar to the Too Faced melted matte shade. You do have to top NYX up quite a bit through the day but as they're high street I'm not complaining and it's a gorgeous shade!

Kylie Cosmetics Lip kit in Dolce K
I won't go into too too much detail about Dolce as you can read my full review and first impressions of it right here. 

Kylie Cosmetics lip kit in Exposed

First of my many, many mattes is the Kylie Cosmetics lip kit in Exposed. Exposed is a toffee / caramel shade which is unlike most other colours on the market. On darker skin tones it is a gorgeous cool, light colour, however on myself it is far warmer in colour and helps bring a bit more depth and dimension to my moon face. This is not perhaps one to dabble with if you're new to using nude colours on your lips as it can be quite intense but I cannot fault the formula it is beautiful!

Kylie Cometics lip gloss in So Cute

So Cute is the most versatile colour I have ever used it's gorgeous and this summer I would not be without it. It looks exactly as it did on the Kylie Cosmetics website and can be layered over the top of just about any colour to give your look an extra oomph. But I genuinely just love wearing this on it's own with a pared back eye and subtle contour for a great summer barely there look.

For all of you nude connoisseurs and nudey newbies I hope you found this post helpful, informative, entertaining or maybe I've even just inspired you to get out there and spend some pennies (go on treat yo self!) What are your favourite nude shades? I'd love to hear them in the comments below, come link them to me on Twitter or if you're just interested in seeing these nudes in action be sure to check out my Instagram and Facebook pages.

Until next time, let's get naked!

H.Elizabeth x 

A Tale of Two Faces | The Power of Make Up

Last weekend I ran out of one of my favourite brow products. No problem though, right? Well, I was slap bang in the middle of filming my first ever You Tube video, typical right, oh and did I mention I was only able to finish one brow before I found myself in this predicament? So with a heavy heart I shut off my camera and packed up my wares, to film another day, but instead I took the opportunity to be a little two faced, nah I wasn't having a rant and a moan behind my beloved MACs back, I mean I quite literally took the opportunity to be a little two faced.

I've seen a lot of bloggers, vloggers, instagrammers and tweeters doing this challenge entitled 'The Power of Make Up,' where you make one half of your face up and leave the other half bare as a baby. The challenge was pioneered by Nikki Tutorials in order to get folks thinking about make up, why they wear it , how it makes them feel as a person and to show that us gals aren't making ourselves into gorgeously glittery glamazons for no guy. I mean PLEASE I ain't buying a £60 palette and painting my lids purple for anyone but my own enjoyment!

To me make up, as many before and many more after me will say, is a form of expression, a form of control and an opportunity to transform not just your appearance or aesthetic, but your entire mood and outlook on life even if just for a day, an hour, hell half an hour, if it makes me feel good then I'll be doing it on the daily! From that self concious 14 year old girl and her first ill advised purchase of a Rimmel mascara that I couldn't work out how to use without going all panda eyed, to me today, a far more confident, life owning girl boss......still making ill advised purchases but luckily I'm a lot less panda.

So guys I'd love to hear your stories! How does make up make you feel? Do you feel all nostalgic over your first ever purchases? Be sure to leave all of your thoughts, word vomit and brain farts in the comments below, come share your selfies with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook even (where could be more appropriate?

Until next time folks, what can I say? I'm a little two faced after all!

H.Elizabeth x

Eye Define | Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner Review

Back in the day pencil eyeliner was my go to, though I do think I've been through every phase under the sun throughout the years, liquids, creams, pencils, bright colours, dark colours, mattes, shimmers, you name it I've wore it! But today I want to share with you my latest liner obsession and that is the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. 

Currently I stock two colours in my kit, black ink which is a beautiful blacker than black shade and sepia ink which is a dark taupey brown which is great when trying to create a more 'natural' look (fab for brides!) and given just how much I have fallen in love with these I'm excited to buy more. The liners themselves come in small pots with 3g worth of product inside, but believe me when I say that a little goes a very long way. 

To apply these I use a damp tapered brush, typically my weapon of choice is the winged liner brush by Zoeva which came as part of my taupe collection. I start by painting my outer corner in short even strokes right at the root of the lash line and then working my way inwards and finishing off by tight lining my eye. By doing this I find the forumla goes on evenly and if necessary I'll wipe the excess off of the brush using a piece of kitchen roll before going near my eye. If used on the waterline which I rarely do, this last all day and according to claims can last as long as 12 hours on the eye (though I rarely wear make up in excess of 12 hours)The gel formula has helped me create perfect feline flicks faster than any forumla previously and doesn't smudge like most other liners do. This liner is perfect for ladies and gents who love the look of a liquid liner but don't want the smudging, running or hassle of application. 

At present I can't see myself needing anything more from an eyeliner than what these already give me, my only gripe in fact is that I don't have more colours!These pots retail at £18.50 each which sounds steep in comparison to high street brands but this will not only last all day but the pot will last you months guaranteed! You can buy these at any Bobbi Brown counter worth their salt in most Debenhams or John Lewis stores up and down the country.

Have you ever tried these gel liners? I'd love to hear how you found them, be sure to leave all your thoughts, comments and criticisms in the comments down below, perhaps you've found something EVEN better than Bobbi, I love getting your recommendations! As usual though you can catch me making faces on the usual channels Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, nothing beats Bobbi!

H.Elizabeth x

High Street Highlight | The Balm Mary LouManizer Highlighter Review

*Health and safety disclaimer: sunglasses must be worn at all times during the reading of this post to prevent premature blindness and bedazzlement *

Who doesn't want to watch their enemies negativity bounce off of their highlight and blind them right in their eyeballs in this modern age? Who doesn't want to look like a chic C3PO or like the lost member of Daft Punk these days? Nobody. Nobody that's who. But I can tell you what nobody really wants and that's to shell out £££s for an expensive highlighter only for it to hit pan quickly, crack under clumsy hands, run out in days or generally be ill fitting when you get home. So today I wanted to share with you a highlighter I have discovered (with the help of some famous tubers) and have been love, love, loving recently and the best part? You can pick it up right now in your local Superdrug, I'm talking about the Mary LouManizer Highlight by The Balm cosmetics.

I always looked at The Balm as a cheap and nasty version of Benefit Cosmetics, I mean why buy that when I can just pop to Debenhams and buy the real thing right? But boy was I wrong! The Balm have been around for a good long while now but are only now beginning to get the recognition they deserve as a stand alone brand. Their packaging is vintage 1950s inspired which I love but let's face it, we're not here for cute packaging now are we? I decided to pick up my first purchase from the Balm a few weeks ago when Jamie Genevieve recommended one of their bronzing powders on her channel (Bahama Mama) but things were about to get real when I watched Jeffree Star's high street highlighter video and I was put on to the Mary LouManizer Highlight.

The highlight itself comes in a gorgeous sturdy compact with a small mirror inside (how chic is that?!) and has a cute pin up girl getting her mugshot on the outside (classy bird) Online it has been widely described as a honey huded illuminator that catches the eye. What I personally would describe it as is PERFECTION. Nah I'm kidding, I would say it gives you the appearance of an inner glow or a subtle 'candle lit' effect on the skin, but I suppose depending on how intense you like your highlight and the shade of your skin it will perhaps have a different effect, but for us pale girls I'd say it's a must have. Since using this I have had so many compliments on my skins glow and how much colour it has added to my face, I apply this using a fan brush on my cheekbones and temples (or at least where I WOULD have cheekbones if I weren't so fond of pizza and doughnuts) on my upper lip using my finger and on the tip of my nose (subtly) For my contour I'll use my favourite new brozing powder Bahama Mama and after a good whack with my beauty blender and some Fix + I'm good to go!

This highlighter retails at £17.49 in Superdrug but you can also purchase it online from places like ASOS, I personally think this is a great price for the sheer amount of product you get as well as the quality of the product, it's so buttery and easy to apply and looks so natural (not drying or chalky in the SLIGHTEST) I implore you glow babies out there do go in and at the VERY least give this gal a swatch!

You can take your shades off now glow babies as we're coming to the end of the ride! If you have given this a swatch, went all out and bought one for yourself or you just want a chin wag be sure to leave your comments below. As you know I'm always looking to try new brands and products so if you have any suggestions come link with me on Twitter, Facebook or even Instagram to see my inner glow (but don't forget your shades)

Until next time folks, blinded by my own glow yo!

H.Elizabeth x