My Morning Skincare Routine!

I am not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. And because I'm not a fan of mornings, I like my skincare routine to be as quick and simple as I can get away with.

I don't like getting my face wet in the shower, because I usually get flaky patches throughout the day if I do. So once I've showered, I use a cleansing water on a cotton pad and gently wipe over my whole face. It gently cleanses away any sebum and grossness which may have accumulated overnight and leaves my skin nice and fresh, without overdrying it. I currently use the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, which is every bit as good as the blogger's fave Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water, and a third of the price as well.

I sometimes follow up my cleanser with a light spray of La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water spray, although that tends to be when my skin is at it's driest, such as when I'm having an eczema flare-up, or in the winter. I just feel that it adds a bit more moisture to my skin and fights off the tight feeling I get in the colder months. 

I then use a serum. I have to admit, I'm not as consistent with serums as I'd like to be, although I preach the benefits of them all day long in my job. The idea of a serum is to deliver targeted skincare in an easily absorbed formula, so for those of you who have concerns such as fine lines or hyperpigmentation, a serum really is a must. 

My serum of choice is the Vichy Idealia Life Serum, which promises to fight all the bad things we do to our skin, like late nights, living in polluted areas, boozy weekends and a rubbish diet. I don't believe in all of the spiel but I can't argue that my skin always looks and feels better when I remember to use this serum regularly (even with all the late nights and sugar-laden food)!

I then use another product from the Vichy Idealia range, the eye cream, which promises to fight my horrendous dark circles. Unfortunately I don't think there's a cream on this earth which will really fade them, but this does give it a good go. My undereye area always looks a bit more illuminated, and it's a good base for concealer. I don't use the weird spatula, I just squeeze a bit onto my fingers and tap, tap, tap it into place!

The final step is moisturiser - I use the cult favourite Lait-Creme Concentre by Embryolisse. I always use a good amount and massage it into my skin for a good minute or so. It's a beautiful product - the texture is lovely, not too thick or liquid, and it really moisturises my skin ready for my foundation. My makeup always manages to look freshly applied, even after 8+ hours of work, when I use this moisturiser, and I don't think I'll be looking to change it any time soon.

So there we go! That's my whole morning skincare routine. Is there anything you guys think I'm missing? Do you have any favourites to share? I'm always on the lookout for new products, so let me know if you have any suggestions!

Thanks for reading,

Rhi xxx

The Beauty Tag!

Hiya!

I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon, five years too late, and do a beauty tag so you can get to know a bit more about me. So here goes!

Skincare

How many times do you wash your face daily?

Once, at night. In the morning I just use a micellar water.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

Normal to dry.

What is your current facial wash?

In the morning, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and in the evening Vichy One-Step Cleanser.

Do you exfoliate?

Yes, several times a week.

What brand do you use?

I use the Magnitone Lucid cleansing brush on the sensitive setting. 

What moisturiser do you use?

In the morning I use Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre and in the evening I use balance.Me Moisture Rich Face Cream.

Do you have freckles?

No, but I wish I did! I think they're beautiful.

Do you use eye cream?

Yes, I use Vichy Idealia Eyes.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Yes! I used to have cystic acne, which was managed by Roaccutane.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

I don't think we have that in the UK...

Make Up

What foundation do you use?

At the moment, it's Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry skin in Buff.

How about concealer?

Collection Lasting Perfection in #1.

-Do you know your undertone color?

I'm neutral, edging on warm.

What do you think of fake eyelashes?

If the time and place is right, I love them! Although not the really obvious ones.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

Yes, and I do. Eye infections are no laughing matter!

What brand of mascara do you use?

Currently it's Seventeen's HD Lash (thank you Wayne Goss!) but my HG mascara is Too Faced Better Than Sex.

Sephora or MAC?

MAC, we don't have Sephora here!

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

Not yet, but I will do soon!

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

Brushes, lash curler, Real Techniques sponge.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Urban Decay Primer Potion. I've used it every day for the last 10 years or so and it's never let me down.

For the face?

I don't tend to use one, but if I do it's either Laura Mercier or Benefit's That Gal.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

MAC's 'Goldenaire' pigment. It's BEAUTIFUL.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

Gel. But I use a variety of different liners, depending on the look.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

Ha! Usually only when I'm really tired or hungover.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I love them - you just have to know how to use them. 

Do you use mineral makeup?

Not anymore.

What is your favorite lipstick?

Currently it's Lancome Rouge in Love in Fall in Rose. Any cool blue-toned pink is a winner for me!

How about lipgloss?

Urban Decay Naked glosses are incredible.

What is your favorite blush to use?

Sleek blush in Pixie Pink.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

No, I've heard horror stories of black ink in mascara which has always put me off.

Do you like drugstore makeup?

Yes!

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)

I don't know what they are!

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

I'm nearly at the end of my makeup course.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

Nope :)

Name a makeup crime that you hate?

Horrendous eyebrows or unblended eyeshadows *shudder*

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I tend to go for a neutral eye and a bright lip, so a good mix of the two.

Which celebrity always has great make up?

Recently I've been really impressed by Anna Kendrick.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?

Mascara.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

If it's dark and I know I won't see anyone, then yes.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

As long as I've tinted my eyelashes, I can look okay.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

Urban Decay.

What do you think of Makeup??

I love it, as long as it's used sparingly and as an enhancement, not a mask. Unless it's an amazing theatrical or editorial look, in which case, the weirder, the better!

So there is it! My beauty tag. I know I'm late to the party but it was fun to do and made me realise how much makeup I have hanging around that I don't use often enough! I'd be really interested to read your answers so feel free to copy and paste the questions into the comments! :)

Thanks for reading,

Rhi xxx

Hiyaaaaa!

Alright?!

I 'started' this blog about a year ago, life got busy and hectic, and I forgot all about it. So I've decided that now is the time to dedicate a little bit more time to this new venture and make a real go of it.

Firstly, a little bit about me - my name is Rhiannon (call me Rhi, Rhiannon is reserved for the rare times I'm in trouble), I'm twenty-four years old (nearly twenty-five) and I work in the beauty industry. I'm currently at evening classes, training to be a makeup artist. 

I live in South Wales with my family, but spent the majority of my early twenties on the South Coast, where I made loads of amazing friends - who I constantly miss - and memories that I'll never forget. That said, I don't miss eating cereal for every meal and never having any money!

Onto my blog; I'm hoping this will be a place where I can talk about beauty, makeup, my lifestyle and just generally have a chat with you lovely lot.

I'm hoping to get some reviews, hauls, chatty posts and lovely lifestyle bits and bobs on here over the coming months. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see - I'm always on the lookout for ideas and inspiration.

For now, here's a little list of things that I'd like to achieve within the next year or so - I'm not the most motivated person in the world so it's more to keep me on track than anything.

1. MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS

I know what you're thinking - I want to make tons of money and have millions of subscribers, right? Well... that would be lovely, but really I'm doing this because I've ALWAYS wanted to. I want to look back on the footage in a year, two years, ten years, and see how far I've come. Whether that's weight loss, or my living situation, or whatever, I think it would be fun to see what my life is like NOW. It's so easy to forget the little details, so they will be my video memories. Who knows, I could end up showing my kids (scary)!

And if I get loads of subscribers and make loads of money, I certainly won't be complaining.

2. BE MORE ADVENTUROUS

I want to go on adventures. I think part of me is always going to want to be an intrepid traveller a la Mr Attenborough himself, although sadly time and budget constraints are probably not going to go in my favour. So I'll settle for the smaller trips - closer to home, but no less fun. I want to visit more cities, go to more parties, do things I wouldn't normally do and generally push myself to get out there a bit more. It's not trekking the Amazon rainforest, but it's a start.

3. BE FITTER (AND ENJOY MYSELF WHILE I'M GETTING THERE)

Being fit and healthy is on my New Year's resolutions list every January, without fail. And every year that goes by, I haven't achieved my goal, and I feel hugely disappointed in myself. So I'd like to be a bit kinder to myself, start small and work up, rather than go in all guns blazing. I'm starting by cutting out fizzy drinks and drinking green smoothies a few times a week, and might even start an exercise plan. I think the key is small steps and attainable milestones, rather than thinking I'm going to be athlete-level within six months by only eating kale. 

What are some of your goals for the next year? Does anyone have any tips for eating right and getting fit (bearing in mind salad dodging is the most exercise I do at the moment)? 

Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon.

Rhi xxx