My Boutique Box - new UK beauty subscription box!!

My boutique box is the newest and latest company to release a monthly box in the UK and i was lucky enough to get a box in the 1st month :)! As like most other beauty boxes, in My Boutique Box you get a range of beauty products & i like what i got this month. 

The box cost's £10 plus p&p which i think was £3.95 if i remember correctly. Which is the same as most other beauty boxes in the UK.

I received 5 products in my box and will honestly use each and every product which doesn't happen a lot with beauty boxes (i can't be the only one that has boxes of samples you won't ever use laying around taking up room!) 

First thing i got was a Collagen Woven Facial Mask from the brand Azure Intrenationale Spa. For me personally you can never go wrong with a face-mask that will repair and moisturise your skin! This mask is suitable for all skin types too. 

Next i got a W7 angled eye shadow brush. I love angled brushes, you can use them to fill in your brows, line your upper and lower lash lines with shadow or gel eye liner. I always think it's a good idea to have a couple of these handy, one for your eyebrows, one for your shadow, one for your gel liner ect. Saves you having to clean your brushes inbetween doing your make up. Also this brush is super soft.

There was a tin of Vaseline lip therapy in the aloe vera scent. Some people will maybe not appreciate a tin of vaseline in there box as it is readily available almost everywhere but for me this is great! I have been meaning to purchase myself a new tin of the aloe vera vaseline as the one i had melted in my car over the summer so i had to throw it away and i keep forgetting to replace it when i'm shopping. This product is a staple in my make up bag all year round, it keeps my lips soft and moisturised! 

Next up is a soft matt lipcream from the brand Manhattan. This smells and goes on the exact same as the NYX soft matte lip creams. It's very smooth. It is a neutral cool toned pink, perfect for every day wear :), i can't figure out what the shade is called!

And lastly there was a quick dry nail polish by the brand NYC in the shade 004 wild with passion! This is a really nice pinky/purply colour which suits me 100%!

All in all i am very happy with this new subscription box. If you want to subscribe i'll leave a link to there website here. 

Lisa xx

My Top 5 High-End Foundations for Oily Skin

Firstly i'd like to appologise for being m.i.a on my blog for the last couple of months. I found out i am pregnant and i have been suffering from horrible morning/afternoon/night-time sickness to the extent of not being able to do pretty much anything. I am now a little over the 12 weeks and i couldn't be happier about being pregnant again :) well i would be even happier if the sickness would stop completely but i am starting to feel better these days so i thought i'd get back into writing on my blog as i have missed it!

Now that i have gotten that out of the way lets get onto what this blog post is actually about.. My top 5 high-end foundations for oily skin. having oily skin is a nightmare at times, trying to find a foundation that stays on your face for more than 4 hours is a challenge but i have found some that do work for my skin and do last too. I'll list them lowest price to the highest price and leave links as to where you can purchase them also.

(I would also like to add that before i apply any foundation to my face i make sure i have cleansed, toned, moisturised and primed my skin! Also always try to use clean brushes, you will be surprised at how much this helps too.)

First up is probably one of my oldest yet favourite beauty product ever. I have gone through bottles of it over the years. It's the MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid with SPF15, i love this stuff. it's a high coverage foundation on my skin and it always makes it look flawless! I tend to wear this on nights out as it stays put and covers all blemishes on my skin without looking weird! I personally find that it is too much for an everyday foundation! I currently have mine in the shade NC20 but i plan on getting the shade NC15 for over the winter time since my skin will get pale and i cant have a spray tan for a while. I either use my beauty blender or my SigmaF80 kabuki to apply this you can buy this from the MAC Cosmetics website HERE for £21.50.

Next up is a new one to my collection that i have only had for a few weeks but i love it already! Its the new BareMinerals BareSkin brightening serum foundation with SPF20. this is the lightest foundation i have ever put on my face, 1 drop of this foundation covered one half of my face! I use 3 drops each half of my face to achieve the coverage i am happy with. It's a light to medium coverage but it is a buildable foundation. This foundation isn't great for covering big blemishes either but it covers little ones and corrects skin tone with no problems at all. It does say you have to purchase the brush that goes with this foundation but i have that many brushes i didn't want to so i use my Sigma F80 flat topped kabuki brush to apply it and it works great. i have the shade Bare Linen 02. You can purchase this from the BareMinerals website HERE for £26.00.

The next foundation is one my hubby actually suggested i try - why i don't know but i am glad he did :)! Its the Urban Decay Naked Skin weightless ultra definition liquid make-up, (what a mouthful that is!!) I like this foundation, it gives a medium coverage and blends so easily into your skin using a beauty blender. its got good staying power and it's lightweight too. There isn't much more i can think of to say about it! i have it in the shade 1.0. You can buy this from Debenhams HERE for £27.00.

Whilst i was in London at IMATS i decided to pick up a Make Up Forever HD foundation. I freaking LOVE this foundation, it covers everything like the MAC SFF but it doesn't look to heavy for day time wear. It's a medium to full coverage depending on if you build it up. I apply this with my beauty blender. (TIP ALERT: I find applying foundations with a beauty blender look more natural and they get buffed and bounced into the skin better giving an overall better finish, beauty blenders only work for certain foundations though.) You can buy this from GuruMakeupEmporium HERE for £30.95

Last but not least in my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua SPF15 foundation. Tjis foundation is perfect for when your having one of those perfect skin days that just needs a little foundation! It's a lightweight, light/medium coverage foundation that blends onto your skin lovely. It does give you the perfect finish providing you are having a blemish free day. It doesn't cover blemishes that well at all but it does cover skin redness ect. I apply this using my SigmaF80 brush. You can also buy this from debenhams HERE for £33.00

I have found that all of these foundations do need to be set with a powder, i don't have a specific powder i use as i chop and change powders quite a lot. They all lasted roughly the same amount of time on my face (10 hours roughly) with only a little powder touch up needed on my T-zone after 5/6 hours.

I hope you have found this useful, please let me know in the comments below what your favourite foundation is for your skin type and if there is any other foundations that i should try out for oily skin! 

Thanks for reading

Lisa xo

Discount Codes:

Save Between 10% and 25% on Lookfantastic.com buy clicking the link & using the code ANON. The discount amount changes every hour! Valid until 19th August 2014. You could also save on the UrbanDecay & the Bareminerals foundation mentioned above too if they have your shade in stock!

For New customers to Lookfantastic.com you can save 20% on your order by clicking the link & using the code FIRSTORDER! Valid until 19th August 2014.

Latest In Beauty, The Glamour Beauty Edit beautybox

Last week i recieved an email offering me a chance to be one of the first people to order the new Latest in Beauty, The Glamour Beauty Edit box before it's official launch on there website! And today i got my box in the post :)!! And let me tell you just like all the other Glamour beauty edit boxes this one did not dissapoint at all :)! The box has a total value of £86.15 (including an exclusive new launch from a high-end makeup brand) and you only have to pay £16.95 BARGAIN, it even has free p&p!! 

Also check the end of this blog post for some offer codes :)!!

Now onto the contents of the box :)..

First up there is a Toni & Guy hair product. This is a volume plumping whip, you work a walnut sized amount through out your hair whilst it is damp then style as normal. This smells amazing, can't wait to try this out.

Next is Rimmel London Instant Tan 9in1 BB Skin Perfector. This is an instant tan which lasts up to 24hours and will wash off with soap & water. It says it is a 9in1 which it claims to smooth skin, soften skin, moisturise skin, give an instant tan, create a healthy looking glow, evens out skin tones, covers, perfects and lasts up to 24hours. Will be trying this out at the weekend as i have a family meal to go too.

The 3rd item is an item that i would use with the previous product, it's the Velvotan Tanning Mitt. I personally love this, i have 2 already in my tanning drawer and i use them with all my different tans.

Then i seen there was a Hawaiian Tropic satin protection ultra radiance sun lotion SPF30. I love this sun lotion, it has the most amazing smell too it too, sweet coconut and jojoba oil. Hopefully here in Scotland we'll get the hot weather so i can use it :)!

There is also a DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. This couldn't have came at a better time, i have just finished my other cleansing oil i have been using. You dispense a small amount onto dry hands and massage into your dry face then rinse with warm water, this helps remove all traces of make up (even stubborn waterproof mascara)! 

I also got a classic bright red nail polish from the brand Crabtree & Evelyn or C&E. This is such a bold yet pretty colour and it also has a very fine shimmer through it.

There is a Bourjois cream blush in the shade Nude Velvet. It's more a peach toned cream blush than a nude but i like it all the same :).

Secont to last thing is Magnifibers brush-on false lashes. This is a mascara that is just white fibers. Before using this on your lashes you must use a coat of your own mascara first then coat your lashes in the magnifibers then put another coat of your own mascara on and you have nice full false looking eyelashes. 

And last but not least is my favourite item in this box and an exclusive new launch. It is an Illamasqua Glamour Lipstick in the shade Rosepout. This is a lovely nude shade that has a semi matte finish to it :) i am very excited to try this lipstick out.

In my opinion this box was completely worth the £16.95 it cost and i would recommend ordering it whilst you can, they tend to sell out quite quick.

You can order yours by clicking the link HERE.

Thanks for reading 

Lisa xo

Find me on twitter: @beautybuddy101

Blog: beautybuddy101.blogspot.co.uk

Instagram: Lisahughes01

Offers from Latest in Beauty box

£5 off any order at www.magnifibers.com using promo code GLAM5 (from July 1st 2014 until 30th September 2014)

20% off all orders at www.illamasqua.com over £40 with code ILLAGLAM20 (valid from July 1st 2014 until August 31st 2014)

2 for £10 on Rimmel Sunshimmer instant tan at superdrug.com (no code needed) (valid from 2nd July until 30th July) 

www.hawaiintropicshop.co.uk buy one get one free, no code nessecery (valid July 1st until 31st August)

The Lime Box, a UK hair subscription service...

The other day when i was online i decided to look into more beauty/hair subscription boxes that are not birchbox, glossybox or latest in beauty boxes as i already get them. I wanted to look for companies that i haven't ever heard off and that is exactly what i found with the Limebox.

The LimeTree hair clinic was founded by Emma Collins. Emma has over 13 years experience, 9 of which were spent working for Toni&Guy where she gained the possition as premier stylist and technical director. There is more information on Emma and her wonderful career with Toni&Guy on the website linked here. 

After reading that this company was founded by a professional hair stylist i was very excited to try it out. The box for a one off month is £20 plus p+p and takes around a week to arrive (The one i ordered is Limebox plan A). Prices vary when you order different packages, such as Limebox plan B is £60 plus p+p thats a 3 month subscription, Limebox plan C is £110 plus p+p for a 6 month plan and Limebox plan D is £220 plus p+p for 12 months worth of subscription. When you see the prices they do frighten you a little bit but once broken down the 12month plan is effectivly only £18 per month, and if you ladies (& men) are like me then you'll spend much more than only £18 per month on hair products so in all fairness the price is very well justified if you look at it that way. 

Just to add, after i placed my order i thought it was lovely that i got an email from Emma asking me for my hair type, length, colour, wether it was thick or fine, if my hair was chemically treated and the condition of my hair. No other company i have ever ordered from has ever asked so many questions to get a good idea on the products that will be best suited to my hair and it's needs.

Now lets get on to what i got in my box...

When i received my box the first thing i said was oh my it's heavy, that's always a good sign! The Limebox it's self is a lovely white box with a magnet fastening (definitely a box that i will get a lot of re-use from). When you open it up the first thing that i saw was a little handwritten note saying thank you for my order, another little detail within the whole Limebox process that makes the box feel as though someone has actually taken the time to personally pick, pack and send your order out to you. Plus in my opinion a hand written note to me is much nicer and more friendly than a typed one. 

The theme of this months box 'June 2014' is Color Lover. The products contained within my box will protect colour fade, repair damage, fix frizz, give body, mend ends, detangle, give thermal gaurd and give a silky shiny appearance according to the paper information. 

So when i opened my box there was bright lime green tissue paper and a lime sticker holding it closed, the shreaded paper inside is also bright lime green! Can i just say the first thing i noticed when i opened the actual box was the yummy smell that came from out of the tissue paper! 

In side i recieved 3 full sized products all of which i am very happy with and excited to try out the new brands.

First 2 things i got are a duo of shampoo and conditioner from the brand British Hair. I got the ample volume shampoo and conditioner and these smell delicious! They both help colour preserving, they add nourishment, are paraben free, strengthen hair, promote volume and many more things too. These are full size at 237ml, the shampoo retails for £10.25 and the conditioner £11.25

The 3rd product in my box is the Framesi Color Lover Hair Primer 11. This product benefits your hair in 11 ways it retains colour, damage repair, silky & shiny, fixes frizz, gives body, mends ends, detangles, style support, no static, thermal gaurd and is weightless in your hair! I'm really looking forward to trying this product out, if it does everything it says it does then i won't need half of my other hair products! This spray also smells gorgeous! It says to spray it onto damp hair after shampooing and conditioning and then style as normal. This is also,full size at 125ml amd it retails at £10.40.

All in all i am 110% happy with this months box, the products sent are all the types of things i need for my hair. I will update you all on how i get on with the products, we all know that so many things sound good but don't live up to what they claim to do so only time will tell!

Thank you all for reading, i'm now away to wash my hair with my new goodies.

Lisa xx

If you want to subscribe to the Limebox click this link

May 2014 Favorites...

Hello everyone, can you believe that half the year has passed and we're now into the month of June!! I can't, it seems to me that 2014 is just racing passed! Anyway to stop me thinking about where the last half the year has went i thought i would do my May favorite products for you all. I usually only choose 5, but that was far to hard this month.. I ended up choosing 10 instead, oooops!

To start off my favorite i'd like to start with one of my most recent finds and i am in LOVE!! This is actually a set of 4 products but i put them all in together because i use them at the same time. They are the Beauty Protector shampoo, conditioner, detangle spray and beauty oil for your hair. Firstly can i just say how amazingly great these 4 products smell, they smell very sweet and delicious! I have had the detangle spray and oil for a little while but hadn't gotten round to using them, but then i got a sample of the shampoo and conditioner in my May birchbox i decided i'd try them out with the shampoo & conditioner and i am so glad i did. I love the way these 4 products make me hair feel, it's soft, smooth, not tangled and it has volume! The spray and the oil doesn't weigh down your hair at all which i really appreciate, the other oil i was using does weigh my hair down a lot compared to this one. I liked these samples i recieved so much, i have purchased the full sizes. These products can be found here on Birchbox.co.uk.

(IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BIRCHBOX PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK, YOU WILL GET £5 WORTH OF POINTS TO SPEND IN THE BIRCHBOX STORE AFTER THE PURCHASE OF YOUR FIRST BOX)

Next up is my Chanel vitalumier aqua foundation in the shade beige clair10. This foundation is light weight, has a light to medium coverage and a pleasant smell to it. I apply this foundation using my sigma F80 flat top brush and blend it in. This foundation is the best i have tried in a long time, although i'm always wary using it for an every day foundation, it is not cheap! Coming in at £32, it is on the expensive side but it's the perfect foundation for me and my oily skin!

Third i have my MAC prep&prime highlighter in radiant rose. I use this over my Chanel foundation to highlight my cheek bones, brow bone, cupids bow, the bridge of my nose and the center of my forehead. I love it, i purchased this a little while back but hadn't used it in ages until the beginning of May and now i can't do my make up without it!

My fourth item i think is one everyone should have, it is the best blush i have ever used. It is the NARS orgasm blush. I use this every day. Again, this blush was a re-find when i was looking in my blush drawer! 

The fifth item on my list was a new buy a couple of months ago. It is the Benefit Cosmetics gimme brow in light/medium. I use this almost everyday, i think i might actually need to buy a new one very soon as i don't think there is much left in mine. I use this over my other brow products to set my brows in place or when i am having a day where i wear very little make up, i use this on my brows on its own and it gives them a very natural look.

The next product is my only lip product of this month! I have been loving the Bare Minerals marvelous moxie in the shade Rebel. This colour is a very neutral pink, it's almost the colour of my lips but glossy. Also this smells (& tastes) amazing.

Moving away from make up related products, my next product is one again i received from Birchbox this month. It is the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser. After using the sample i got i was amazed at how well my skin was looking. I have oily skin and i am prone to breakouts but since using this my skin has been much better overall. I have found it is less oily and i have less spots! And to top that this product and the whole Liz Earle brand is never tested on any animal, it also has the leaping bunny logo to prove this. So over all this is a win win product for me! I have aslo purchased the full size of this along with the toner and the moisturizer for my skin type. You can find Liz Earle products in the Birchbox online shop, the Liz Earle website and many other places also.

Next i have a perfume, this perfume is a blast from the past for me considering i wore this when i was at secondary school. It is the Britney Spears midnight fantasy perfume! I love this perfume, it's sweet with a tiny hint of sour in it too. It's a perfume that lasts too, i find it lasts much longer that most of my other perfumes! Perfect summer scent that won't break the bank but will last a long time!

Now that summer has almost arrived all most people want is a nice tan, and i am one of those people. I don't mind being pale in the autumn/winter but i like having a tan for the spring and summer months. I have been using an old faithful of mine, the ST Tropez bronzing mousse! I love the colour this tan gives me, It's not as good as the tan 10 days in beautiful Barbados gave me but considering it comes out a bottle it's pretty good and my go-to-tan! I have never once had a streaky or disaster tan from using this & it is so easy to apply with a tanning mitt. I'll usually put this on half an hour before my bed so i has time to dry into my skin before i get into my bed so it doesn't transfer onto my bed sheets! ST Tropez tan stained bed sheets is not a good look for any bedroom!

Last but not least is my favorite new shower gel scent, it is the Original Source vanilla and raspberry body wash and OMG it smells amazing!! If this was food, i would eat it but i wouldn't recommend eating body wash that wouldn't be good for you or taste nice either. I use this every day in the shower and i have noticed my skin feels softer! It also completely takes away the fake tan smell ST Tropez always has! You can find this in Boots, Savers, Asda ect.

So that's my top favorites for the month of May :)

Leave me a comment telling me what your 1 top product would be for the month of May... 

If i had to choose just one, i think it would definitely be the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser that stuff is amazing, there is mo wonder it has won 100+ awards.

Also if you have any products you think i should be trying let me know :)! 

Bye for now, Lisa xx

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A BIRCHBOX SUBSCRIBER AND GET £5 WORTH OF BIRCHBOX POINTS TO SPEND IN THE BIRCHBOX ONLINE STORE PLEASE CLICK THIS UNIQUE LINK.

UK Sephora Haul...

So now that the American beauty store Sephora now ship to the UK how could i not place an order ;). To get the best deal on shipping they recommend you spend £100+ to get the shipping for only £6 (i think this is right from what i can remember), you also have your tax and vat to add on as well which varies from order to order depending on what you are buying. As you would also expect there is some restrictions as to what you can purchase due to the shipping rules and regulations. I found that perfumes and liquids weren't allowed but creams ect are ok as you will see from what i bought in a moment. I placed my order 1 week ago from today (todays date is the 30th May) so the shipping time is quite fast considering it's coming all the way from the USA! Now onto the good bit, what i ordered... Don't think i have ever been so excited to open a box before!

Also before i start with what i got, i have litterally only just got my package 20 mins ago so i haven't had a chance to try any of these out but full posts ect will be up next month on the products :)!

Sephora three's a crowd pleaser blotting trio.

Stilla pretty pick-me-ups, lip & cheek set.

Too Faced beauty blogger darlings.

Tarte amazonian clay blush in the shade Dollface.

Too Faced paparazzi ready.

Bite Beauty vivid luminous crème lipstick duo.

Bite Beauty deconstructed rose lipgloss library.

I also qualified for some samples and a 100 points bonus :)

I got First Aid Beauty deep cleanser with red clay and Philosophy miracle worker overnight deluxe sized samples. I got a Glamglow bright mud eye treatment, a foil packet of Dr Brant pored no more primer and a small sample of MakeUp Forever HD pressed powder. And finally with my 100 points i had i got a Sephora ultra shine lipgloss in 11 pin-up pink shiny.

I am very happy with my purchases, I can't wait to try everything out!!

Let me know what would be your must have from Sephora that you can't get here in the UK? 

Bye for now, Lisa xo

My everyday Spring time look...

Hey Guys :)

Firstly can i just say bye bye Winter!!! 

So now that we are finally able to wave goodbye to winter and with spring peeking round the corner everything in my make up bag (and wardrobe) is changing! Out goes the deep reds and dark smokey eye colours & in comes the pinks & corals and the light & bright eye colours :)!! 

This make up look is the one i have found my self wearing every day for the last couple of weeks and i am really liking it. It's a fresh & flawless look that gives your skin a nice dewy glow too it. 

So firstly starting off with a cleansed and moisturized face i use my Benefit Porefessional Primer all over my face and let it set into my skin for a couple of minutes. Then taking a damp Beauty Blender i put a thin layer of Revlon Colorstay 24hr foundation for combination/oily skin in the shade 180 sand beige all over my face. I find a little goes along way with this foundation, you can always add a second layer if you want more coverage but i personally think one layer is just right. I then take Revlon Colorstay concealer in 02 light pale and conceal under my eyes, around my nose, on my chin and on any other little problem areas i have on that day, then i blend it all in with the pointy end on my Beauty Blender. Taking a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge, i use MAC's Cream Colourbase in Diamonds from the RiRi Hearts MAC collection and dab it along the tops of my cheek bones giving them a nice glow. (This exact product is no longer available but MAC has similar colours to choose from in their pernament line.) Using the opposite end on the Real Techniques sponge, i take my Sleek cream blush in the shade Cupcake from the blush by 3 palette Sweet Cheeks and dab it onto the apples of my cheeks then i lightly blend it out with my fingers. 

(TIP ALERT: if you find your blush is to heavy or bright, take whatever you used to apply your foundation and go over the blush with what product is left on either your brush or Beauty Blender it will tone it down so you don't have to walk around with blush you don't like.)

For my eyes i always prime them with UrbanDecay primer potion. Taking a Deluxe Crease brush from Real Techniques i blend MAC's Phloof! all over my eyelids. Than on the same brush i use MAC's Satin Taupe on the outer corner and lightly through the crease. I love the Daniel Sandler longlasting waterproof eyeliner in black velvet, (it's one of my holy grail products!) I use it on my top & bottom water lines everyday and find it stays on for the majority of the day as well. Along my top lash line i use Eyeko's Skinny Liquid Liner in black. I'm not keen on really heavy eyeliner for a day time look so i tend to stick to a thin line an a small flick. My mascara is Maybelline The Falsies Flared in black, I don't think i could live without this mascara. I love it!! For my eyebrows i have been using MAC's Charcoal Brown again, i forgot how much i lived this product for my brows!!! Then i top it off with some Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium.

For my lips i have been loving my Bobbi Brown lipstick in Hot Tutu and then putting a little UrbanDecay Naked lipgloss in the shade Lovechild over the top. 

Then last but not least, i finish it all off with a few sprays of UrbanDecay All Nighter Setting Spray.

I hope you like my everyday spring time look, let me know in the comments below what you guys think :)

Lisa xo