What's it like to be a vegan ethical vlogger? With Rhian HY!

When I started my journey and fell down the rabbit hole of ethical consumerism, one of my constant inspirations was Rhian and her YouTube channel Rhian HY. I somehow stumbled across her YouTube it was the first ethical or cruelty-free YouTube I had found who was relate-able to me.

Most of the YouTube or bloggers that I had found, seem to me to be very similar in their delivery; what stood out for me with Rhian was her sarcastic and dry humor and her honest discussions about mental health (not to mention the beautiful aesthetic of her channel and Instagram feed which has many cruelty-free fans obsessed). What I love about Rhians channel is it is genuine, organic and I can relate to it. 

Since I enjoy the videos so much, I thought I would ask her to share with me and the people who read my blog, how she got started, and what inspires her videos and what challenges she feels she has had as a ethical and vegan blogger/vlogger. 

1. What was your inspiration to start your blog?

I started online journaling casually when I was really young and then moved onto Tumblr where I gathered more of a following. Commenters on Tumblr would ask questions about products or lifestyle items and eventually started asking me to make videos or do more comprehensive blogs on things so it's truly the readers that pulled this job out of me.

2. What do you feel are the biggest challenges when you began to blog?

The biggest challenges in starting a blog are honestly just… beginning. There are so many things that seem daunting like will people like it? Will people leave mean comments? Those thoughts really get in the way and I think the best thing to do is just to jump in!

3. How do you feel being an ethical/cruelty-free blogger/vlogger is different?

It takes a lot more research and diligence in making sure the products are truly cruelty-free because it's not always as black and white as it seems.

You also have to turn down a LOT of work from brands that don’t fit into your own ethos/ moral standards which of course is tough in making it a viable job. You really have to hustle to create relationships with the few brands that you do feel are ethical.

4. If someone is interested in going cruelty-free what brands do you recommend for newbies?

I would recommend checking out Pacifica, ELF and Anastasia to start. There are lots of good cruelty-free brands out there when you know where to look and Logical Harmony’s Cruelty-Free Brand List is a great place to look if you’re ever unsure of a brand.

5. What inspired you to start vlogging about ethical fashion?

Starting with vegan and cruelty-free makeup, it just seemed like a natural progression. If we can show empathy toward animals, we should be able to do the same to humans too so it really just felt like the natural next step for me.

6 .What are your favourite brand discoveries so far this year?

I recently discovered Wet N Wild base products and I'm loving them for a great drugstore option.

Red Apple Lip Liners are my favourites.

I’m also loving Root Pretty for lip gloss and highlighter!

7. Favourite tea?

I’m going to be boring and say regular old black tea with soy milk. I’m British, its part of my daily diet!

Check out Rhian's you tube channel at Rhian HY!