LaMode.Im Magazine

A new online fashion magazine called LaMode.Im launched on Monday, and I was lucky enough to write a beauty article on my summer must-haves for them. Here is a link to LaMode.Im Magazine. I'm on page 49 of 55!

Please have a look, there are some lovely illustrations, editorials, and articles in there and I'm sure we can expect great things coming soon. It's always great to get behind new creative talent :)

Rhiannon xx

Off To The Races

This shoot was one of the finals for my project last term at uni, loosely inspired by Lana Del Rey. I have an obsession with black lips at the moment, and I created this look by using MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, which is actually a gel eyeliner, and a tiny lip brush. Not so practical in the real world but perfect for shoots. If anyone knows of a really good quality matte black lipstick I'd love to know!

Photography and Postproduction: Anup Kumar Pandey (see his work here)
Model: Aymee (Model Mayhem #2987646)
Styling: Own using Bundle Maclaren Millinary
MUA/Hair: Me

Sirenium Scopuli

This shoot was a collaboration with photographer and illustration student Laura Coughlan, who is one extremely lovely and talented lady, view her work here. I think the finished result is absolutely beautiful. We did a second shoot based around the same idea which has just been accepted for Mindgame Magazine, so keep watching this space!

Photography and Postproduction: Laura Coughlan
Assistant: Jade Gellard
Model: Esther May
MUA: Me

Festival Checklist

Love a bit of Beni 2011 (I'm in blue)

One part of the summer that we all look forward to is probably the myriad of different festivals we now host and attend. Personally, the logistical and meteorological disaster that was Creamfields 2012 is still too fresh in my mind and it will be a good few years before I can physically bring myself to attend one again. However, most people are far more dedicated and mud-hardy than I am (i.e. most people are not as big a pussy as I am) What to pack is usually a dilemma faced by festival-goers, so I have put together a little beauty checklist to get you through your (wet and) wild weekend.

1)      Suncream with UVA and UVB protection

This is so essential. Whether the sun does makes an appearance or not, think of all the exposure you’re getting. Damaging UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays can travel through clouds and any weather. Aging from the sun and environment accounts for 90% of the environmental aging of the skin; this is not a statistic to be sneered at if you are spending solid days and nights outdoors. Kiehl’s sunscreen is my favourite, but most of us have spent our student loans by this stage and Boots have a great sun protection range for a smaller budget.

2)      Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream

8 Hour Cream is a fantastic cosmetic for lips, eyes and brows, but its herbal healing properties are also amazing on minor ailments such as cuts, bruises, insect bites, grazes, chapped skin and sunburn making it a good first aid item. Great for applying loose glitter to the skin with as well, because its a festival and you’re allowed

3)      Batiste Dry Shampoo

I probably don’t even need to write this one as it is such a well know favourite but Batiste really is a lifesaver for greasy, lank hair as it mattifies all the oiliness and gives you a bit of volume. Owners of a fringe will appreciate this more than most as it stops the dreaded split-and-clump situation.

4)      A Good Base

Have you ever spent hours on the perfect makeup base to have it all sweated/rained/smeared off in a drunken haze? Save your money and your time by going for an easy and simple combination that you can top up on the go. I would recommend a primer, BB cream or tinted moisturiser followed up by a powder which gives coverage, which you can also take out and about with you. My perfect combination would probably be Kiehl’s new BB Cream with SPF 50 followed up by MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder, which I can safely say is the nicest powder I have ever used.

5)      Forget the Lipstick

Like the perfect base, the perfect lip might not be maintainable through out the day. I would go for something sheer like Revlon’s Lip Butters which give moisturising colour, and can be applied relatively mirror free (if you’re careful). If your lips have a tendency to get dry, keep some clear gloss on hand to top up the colour and keep your lips moisturised.

6)      Water Resistant Eye Makeup

As most people know, waterproof mascara is a bit rubbish, but get a water resistant one and it will still survive a day in the elements AND still be an effective product. Plus, but the end of the day it should go a little bit smudgy in a sexy, smoky way. I would probably pair this with a gel liner rather than a kohl one, as they have more staying power but can still be blended and used on the waterline of your eye .

7)      Something Fun

Whether it’s jewels, glitter, transfers, the blue eyeliner you bought and never used, neon pigment, or none of the above, treat yourself to something a bit quirky and try it out, I dare you.

Horrible Neglect

Apologies for the horrible neglect of this blog over the last month or so, I had a particularly tricky uni project that I had to give all my time and effort to! However, that means A) I have lots of new work to upload and B) I have lots of posts planned. Yay!

Keep watching this space xx

How To Keep Your Makeup On All Night

If this is you at the end of a night on the tiles, you might want to read this, the drunk girl’s guide to staying pretty. Whether you go for full on makeup on a night out or stay pretty natural, after drinks and dancing your makeup may not be ready for the photos that will inevitably be taken, put on Facebook, and tagged for all (and your mother) to see. 

Pick your problem from the list below:

1)      HELP! My makeup has melted off!

2 words for you love, primer and powder. Before you spend ages applying the perfect foundation base, make sure you have prepped (cleanse tone moisturise) as makeup sits better on clean skin. Then apply a primer to keep your base on your face. My personal faves are MAC's Strobe Cream  for dry skin types and Benefit’s Porefessional for oily/combination skin.

After you’ve applied foundation and concealer, make sure you give your face a good once over with a loose or mineral powder to set the makeup you have applied. Think of it as a sandwich. Foundation is the cheese, it needs 2 slices of bread to stick to.

2)      HELP! I’m so shiny!

Your skin naturally produces oil and sweat (yum) especially when you are in hot, humid environments. Skin blotting papers or bringing a pressed powder with you are excellent solutions to that problem.

3)      HELP! I have panda eyes!

If eyeshadow is your problem, using an eye base (Laura Mercier and Urban Decay do excellent eyeshadow bases) is essentially using a primer for your eyes; it will give the shadow something to stick to.

If its mascara, I’d recommend investing in a pair of false lashes for the night. Good ones are comfortable and come in all varieties from super natural to whatever Holly on Geordie Shore uses.  My brand of choice is Eyelure, they are good quality and anything more expensive feels like a rip off as I always lose them after 1 use. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the lashes, Primark do decent ones for a pound, but DO get good glue like Duo Glue. There is nothing worse than a lash coming unstuck halfway through the night and flapping around.

4)      HELP! My lipstick is a hot mess!

If you are going for a bold colour that you want to last all night, use a lip liner first and after outlining your lips, colour them in. This pencil base will give your lipstick something to stick to and will help the colour last. Slick your colour on top, blot on tissue and repeat. ALWAYS suck your finger to avoid getting it on your teeth like Paris.

When you top up your lipstick during the night, avoid getting a wonky line by only applying the lipstick in the middle of your lips and blending it to the edges with your pinky.

A top tip is to always have a clear gloss that you can pop on near the end of the night. This will help disguise any imperfections.

5)      HELP!  I look like a ghost in front of the camera!

This is especially bad if you’re a fake tan fan, because orange body/white face is not a good look. Before you go out, blend a bit of bronzer, or a lot if you’re as pale as I am, on your cheekbones and temples, as this will warm your skin up and stop it looking flat. If you choose one with flecks of gold in it will not only give you colour but also a bit of luminosity and a health glow.

REMEBER if all else fails, hairspray your face before you go out. It’s probably awful for your skin but sometimes you need a quick fix and meh, it works.

10 Products That You Probably Don't Need

I get ridiculously excited about all things beauty-related, anyone who knows me or has read my blog in the past knows this to be true. I am probably the easiest person in the world to sell to, I want to like everything I try and I can find a use for even the most inessential items. Despite this my rather over-enthusiastic nature, there are some products out there that are too specific or to silly for even me to fall for. Therefore, I have written what I believe to be a little guide to products that you probably don’t need to buy. I have wasted my money on SO many of these in the past! Note that I'm not talking negatively about any specific brands here, it's more the concept of the product.

Here are my top, or should I say bottom, 10 products you don't need:

1)      BB Creams

Seriously, what are they? Is it a moisturiser? Is it a tinted moisturiser? Is it a day cream? Is it the miraculous answer to all your skincare problems? BB Creams do a combination of all of the above apparently, but I personally think that in trying to achieve so many things, they cannot be focusing on any of the specific problem areas well. Plus the coverage in them is hugely variable and limited in tone, often not catering to dark skins. I would save yourself the money in buying one, and invest in a better day cream or foundation instead.

2)      Facial Mists

Unless you fly a lot or do a lot of professional makeup, chances are you don’t need one of these. I think that they are a little bit silly, the good ones are pretty expensive and the mark-up on them must be horrific because it’s basically glorified water. On the other hand, they are so lovely and refreshing to spritz on now and then that I own a couple anyway, oops. I personally love Caudalie Eau de Beaute and Jurlique’s Rose Balancing Mist. But would I recommend one? No, its pretty unnecessary.

3)      Cuticle Cream

Just rub extra hand cream into your cuticles, or if you have a body or hair oil, rub that into your cuticles and nails. Sometimes I even use lipbalm, Whipstick from Lush has almond oil in which is great for your nails. This is especially good to do after you take off nail varnish.

4)      Eyelash Primer

Personally I have never found these to be particularly effective, and finding the right mascara often replaces the need for one anyway. Plus, who has time to use an eyelash primer and then a mascara in the morning?! Fair enough for a special event where makeup has to be looking fantastic for a long period of time, but for everyday use, I wouldn’t bother.

5)      Foot Lotion

I always just use hand cream instead of foot lotion, although I never do this the other way around as so often foot lotions have a strong fragrance I don’t want on my hands. It’s not that your little piggy’s don’t need a bit of love, but using hand cream saves you buying an extra product.

6)      Shaving Foam

Conditioner makes an amazing moisturising base before defuzzing yourself (body only!). The soothing and softening qualities are great for your skin as they help soothe shaving irritation and they also replace some of the moisture your skin loses when shaving . This is definitely better than using shower gel, as often the foaming agents in the gel strip and irritate skin more.

7)      Soothing Eye Patches

I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but wet and cool green tea bags are lovely restorative eye patches to take down puffiness and redness, and brighten your eyes. There are a lot of expensive alternatives on the market but this is a cheap yet effective alternative. Plus you get to enjoy 2 cups of green tea which is bursting with antioxidants and burns 40 calories per cup you drink!

8) Eye Serums
You can use your regular serum all over your face, including your eyes, dontcha know.  Eye cream however, is essential and I would recommend using this every night, whatever your age.

9) Nose Strips
Oh my god, SO bad for your skin, literally ripping off layers of skin is not going to do you many favours. If anything, it will leave your pores more exposed to dirt and bacteria, so it won't necessarily stop blackheads, it may make them worse. Get a good exfoliator or mud-based mask to get rid of blocked pores and blackheads more gently.

10) Solid Perfume
The idea of solid perfume really appeals to me, I like the concept that I could pop it in my handbag or travel with it easily. However, the reality of solid perfume, in my opinion, is that the fragrance never lasts on the skin, no matter which brand I try, and that it's a bit messy and inconvenient. Plus I love the whole ritual  and luxury of spritzing on a fragrance, and I feel like you don't get any of that in a solid. There's no magic there.