Serene Beauty

A couple of weeks ago I was invited by Bethaney to choose a couple of treatments* to enjoy at her new beauty salon Serene Beauty, which opened on May 1st. The salon is based in Upper Caldecote in Bedfordshire, the treatment room is decorated beautifully with dark purple linens and a very open space, which is lovely and relaxing. 

After having a look at the treatment list I chose to have a manicure and the Thai luxury facial. 

Unfortunately due to my job I can't have anything fancy with a manicure, so I went for a clear polish.  However, Serene also offer gels manicures and nail art! I had a my nails shaped and cuticles tided up before having a scrub placed on my hands and they were then wrapped in hot towels for a minute or so. Next I received a hand massage before the polish was applied. Serene Beauty use Morgan Taylor polish, which is a brand I had not previously heard of. 

Some of the products used in the manicure. 

My next treatment was the Thai luxury facial. This again was using Thai products, I have sensitive skin and have previously only had Dermalogica facials. I always worry about using new products on my skin. I now have a skin care routine I am loyal to each night, and the idea of disrupting that with a new product worries me. However, Bethaney kindly offered I tried one of the products on my skin during the manicure, to test. Thankfully my skin reacted fine to the products. The Thai range is suitable for sensitive skin. The facial began by removing my makeup first, then a double cleanse, followed by a toner, exfoliant massage with Thai dumplings, hot towels were then placed over my face, face mask then lastly moisturiser and eye balm. This treatment really was lovely! I felt very relaxed and almost drifted off to sleep. My skin was left feeling clean, fresh and energised. I would really recommend this treatment. 

Products used in the Luxury Thai Facial

Overall I enjoyed both of my treatments at Serene Beauty, it is a lovely salon and is definitely worth a visit. Check out their Facebook page for all the treatments they offer;

https://www.facebook.com/serenebeautybw?fref=ts

Thanks for reading, 

Rhiannon 

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Honey, I'm home.

So I haven't been posting a lot recently, but that is all about to change! I have a few blog posts lined up,  with hauls, outfits of the day and night, reviews and of course a wish list or two. Here are a few photos to show you a few things I've been loving and what I have been up to. I turned 22 in April and had a fair few celebrations, with a day in London with my boyfriend, a night out in my home town and an adventure to Leeds with my girls. Fair to say May was a well needed detox month! Although my birthday was a month and a half ago I am still shocked to still have Topshop vouchers to my name. I have recently been struggling to find clothes I like at the moment, however judging by what's new in the vouchers won't be in my purse much longer! I have also been trying to master the app Depop, where you sell your unwanted clothes and accessories. I have sold a couple of things, but I am planning to revamp my profile. I have a huge amount I am wanting to sell! Depop is a mix between Instagram and Pinterest, and you can grab such a bargain! So check out my profile: @rhiannonw_x 

In the next week keep a look out for my new post, a review on a few treatments I received from Serene Beauty.

Thanks for reading, 

Rhiannon 

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Battle of the Make-up Removers

So when I ran out of my trusty Bioderma I picked up last summer in Paris, I made it my mission to track down something with the same effect in the UK. Although Bioderma has become easier to get hold of in the UK, it is more expensive here. I picked up two 500ml bottles from a pharmacy in Paris for around 13 Euros. So I've been trying a few make-up removers recently and here are my thoughts. 

We'll start off with the holy grail that is Bioderma, a beauty bloggers favourite and a formula which had many brands trying to jump on the bandwagon too. This a crealine solution which is a cleansing make-up remover, this particular solution is suitable for sensitive skin and can be used over the eyes. In the pharamacy in Paris I bought this from they had a few different types of formulas, with different benefits. This formula feels as though you are just using water, you apply this to a cotton pad and with one swipe it is meant to remove the most stubborn of make-up, dissolving it. This is a great product and is worth the hype, but I wanted to see what our high street brands had to offer too... 

I've been going back to basics recently and using a few products from simple, they are perfect for my skin because they contain no perfume. I gave the 'Kind to Eyes, Eye make-up remover' a go. This is an oil free make-up remover, which claims to remove even waterproof mascara. I apply this to a cotton pad and I use this to remove all my make-up, I like the idea of one make-up remover which is a good all rounder. This is a very affordable make-up remover, however at only 125ml a bottle I found myself going through a bottle quite quickly. Also, I don't think this removes all eye make-up, and it wasn't a one sweep trick like bioderma. 

Next I thought I would try the two part solution make-up removers that some brands introduced. I picked up Loreal's 'Absolute Make-up Remover, Eye and Lip'. This two part solution has a blue layer which is enriched in essential oils aimed at dissolving make-up, and the clear layer is a soft lotion aimed at leaving the skin feeling fresh. Before placing this on a cotton pad you have to shake the bottle so the layers mix. This claims to be a non greasy texture. However, once I removed my make-up it left a film over the skin and didn't leave my skin feeling fresh at all. I always cleanse after removing make-up, but this just wasn't a make-up remover I'll pick up again in a hurry. 

So only the other day I got my hands on the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This is a recent release, but I've been looking for it in a few boots stores and I finally found it. At a first glance, it very much resembles Bioderma pink lid, big clear bottle, so I thought I had to give this a go. It comes in a 400ml bottle which as you can see says will be around 200 uses. This is a all rounder make-up remover, with no perfume. Again this a great one for sensitive skin! I've only used this a couple of times, but I am amazed. This acts a make-up remover and cleanser, leaving no trace once you have removed your make-up. I apply this to a cotton pad and swipe away make-up, it takes away eye make-up perfectly, definitely as good as Bioderma in my opinion. This will give Bioderma a run for their money and I don't think there has been enough hype about this product in the blogging world! 

Which are your favourite make-up removers? 

Have you tried any of these? 

Thanks for reading, 

Rhiannon 

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My Current Skincare Routine

When it comes to skin care for me personally the simpler and less products the better. I'm forever wanting to try new products, but find if you end up having a cream that tackles every problem going then the build of products in fact make your skin feel worse. So here is a little look at what I use on a daily basics and a few things I reach for when my skin is not at its finest and weekly masks. 

First step in my morning skin care routine is to cleanse my face using the infamous Liz Earle Cleanse and polish. I apply this to my face dry and massage in circular motions, I then use a clean muslin cloth or flannel, which I soak in hot water and then wring out to polish off the cleanser. This is a cult product and a well loved cleanser in the beauty blogosphere. I use this as part of my evening skin care routine once I  have removed my makeup too. 

Next step I apply moisturiser, I'm currently using Simple's Kind to Skin Hydrating Light moisturiser. This is a great basic moisturiser, but I am looking to try something different or repurchase the Origins Ginzing Moisturiser. Any suggestions? 

Before applying makeup I also use an eye cream or serum at the moment I am using a couple from Simple. The Soothing Eye Balm and the Revitalising eye roll on. I allow these to sink into the skin before applying my makeup. These products both aim to awaken tired eyes, which is just what I need with a 6am wake up call. The light textures are perfect for under the eye, meaning that makeup does not glide off or crease. 

For evening skin care I begin by removing my makeup, I've recently run out of Bioderma, so whilst im figuring out how to repurchase my next lot I'm using another product by Simple to do the job for now. Next I repeat the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. 

Once a week I like to use a face mask, my favourite is Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask from Lush. The combination of blueberries, soothing chamomile, Irish moss and the gentle cleansing action of calamine, this works wonders on my skin when I'm wanting to feel fresh faced after a makeup day. I apply a thin layer of this all over my face avoiding my eye area and leave for fifteen minutes, I then use my hand to move over my face and remove the excess of the mask. Then with a clean flannel I remove the face mask. I have tried a couple of the face masks from Lush, but I find myself returning to this one. I have sensitive skin and for once this works fine with my skin .

When my face is in need of extra hydration I like to use an over night mask. I reach for my Origins Drink up Intensive overnight mask. I massage this into clean skin before bed. This mask contains plant glycerin, hyaluronic acid and apricot kernel oil which help to rehydrate the skin. 

My holy grail skin care item to keep my skin clear is another blogger favourite, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. I apply a thin layer of this all over my face, avoiding the eye area. This product aims to clear skin of imperfections, reduce redness and unclog pores. I find when I use this religiously each night my skin is very clear. I have recently picked up the Effaclar Duo [+] to see if it has any other results. 

Another item which could be claimed as skin care is actually a part of my everyday makeup this is the Yves Saint Lauren BB cream. I wear a small amount of this as my base this gives me light coverage and allows my skin to breath on a day to day basis. 

This is a skin care routine which works for me, but I sometimes chop and change a few things. 

Any holy grail skin care items you think I should try? 

Thanks for reading, 

Rhiannon 

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