Benefit x Birchbox Bridal Collection - The Ultimate Benebride

Now that it's June wedding season has well and truely began!! Benefit cosmetics and birchbox have teamed up together and created 3 amazing beauty boxes filled full of fantastic products, the first one is called 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun', its a perfect hen night box. The secnd box is called 'Wedding Belle' it's your wedding day box and the last box is called 'To Honeymoon and To Hold' it's for taking away on your honeymoon :)! 

All 3 boxes are packed full of sample sized benefit products and one extra item that goes hand in hand with the box too.

Lets start with the Hen night box since usually your hen night comes first. This box has 8 sample sized products and a purse to store them all in. Before i get into whats in the box i personally think this would be a perfect gift for bridesmaids, mother of the bride, mother of the groom as well as the bride too.  I wish there was something like this when i got married 3 years ago, all my bridesmaids, my mum and my mother in law would have loved to have received a box of goodies like this! So lets get into whats in the box.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun..

Porefessional - primer

They're Real! Push up Liner

Roller Lash Mascara

Lollitint

Dream Screen - Lightweight suncream with SPF 45

They're Real Remover

Puff Off!

It's Potent! Eye Cream

and the bonus item is a Candy Striped Purse.

Wedding Belle..

In this box you also get 8 sample sized products and an extra bonus gift too. This box is a perfect little touch to any brides day especially during those few 'getting ready' hours just before the wedding ceremony. In this box there is,

Stay Flawless 15 hour Primer 

Lolibalm Hydrating Lip Balm 

Roller Lash Mascara

Triple Performing Facial Emulsion

It's Potent! Eye Cream

Puff Off!

Instant Comeback Serum

Lollitint

and the bonus item is a blue garter - your 'something blue'!

To Honeymoon and To Hold..

As in the last 2 boxes this one also has 8 sample sized products for you to take away on your honeymoon. 

Roller Lash Mascara

Porefessional - License to Blot (brand-new product)

Lollitint

Dream Screen

Total Moisture

Instant Comeback Serum

Porefessional Primer 

it's Potent! Eye Cream

and the bonus item is a lovely luggage tag for your suitcase!

These 3 boxes in my personal opinion are fantastic and are great value for money. They are perfect for just getting to try out the products before committing to the full sized products. the boxes are £25 each but if you buy all 3 together it is £60 which saves you £15! You can buy them from the birchbox website, i'll leave the link to the boxes here! As i mentioned above i wished there had been boxes like thesewhen i was getting married 3 years ago, all the females in our bridal party would have loved to receive beauty boxes, especially the hen night box, i also think for a gift from bridesmaids to a bride this would be the perfect one!

Let me know what you think of these boxes!

And if you are getting married i send you the biggest congratulations and wish you a lifetime of happiness! Enjoy every second of your big day, it goes passed in a flash! 

Lisa xo

Cohorted Beauty Box - May 2015

Sorry i'm a little behind in getting this post up but i've been run off my feet for the last week!! So last month i was very lucky to pre-order the Cohorted beauty box for the month of May (I also managed to pre-order the June & July boxes too!!) I had read a few blog post's and seen a few instagram photos so i thought i'd try my luck to see if i could pre order a box before they all sold out! What a mission it was let me tell you, i had Laptops running, tablets running, i was on mine and my husbands phones and i eventually after about 10 mins i managed to get a box without the website crashing!

You can find out all about Cohorted and the company here. It's a great website that has new weekly great deals on make up items ect, it's becoming quite a favourite of mine.

Cohorted's beauty box cost's £19.99 so it's on the higher end of the price range for beauty boxes but let me tell you it is worth every single penny and more! In this months box i received 4 full sized high end products which i was happy about!

The first item in the box i saw was a Dolce & Gabbana Lace Nail Lacquer in the shade 'Perfection 220'. It is a gorgeous Nude colour, i'll definitely get lots of use out of this especially since it's coming into the summer! The Price of this is £19.00

Next up was a single eye shadow from the brand Too faced in the shade 'Poison Orchid'. It's a purple colour with almost like a petrol sheen to it, it's a very pretty colour and i don't have a colour that is similar in my collection so it's a happy addition to my eye shadow drawer. The price of this is £15.00

Next up was a Lip Lacquer from Michael Kors in the shade 'Dame'. I think this is my favourite item in the box, this shade is the exact shade i would have bought for myself so to receive it in a beauty box i'm over the moon! i absolutely love it! it's a dark vampy berry pinky colour. Reminds me very much of MAC Rebel which is a very big favourite of mine! The Price of this is £23.50

And last thing in the box was the Vintage Escape eye shadow palette by the brand Cargo Cosmetics. This has 12 neutral spring time shades with a mixture of mattes and shimmery shades in it and it also comes with a double sided brush! I think i'll get a lot of use out of this palette. This palette palette retails for £35.00.

The grand total of all items in my box is £92.50 so considering this box cost's £19.99 it is very worth the money! I'm already looking forward to getting Junes box!!

Let me know what you think and if you got the cohorted beauty box, what was your thoughts. I'm interested to hear other peoples opinions :)!

Lisa xo

Birchbox - May 2015

So it's that time of the month again when all the beauty boxes i have ordered start to land on my doorstep!! Birchbox is the first one to arrive this month and since i hadn't really seen any spoilers about this months box i was very excited to see what was inside! 

Firstly birchbox is £12.95 per month, with p&p included in the price! You can sign up to birchbox using my link here - Birchbox Sign Up If you sign up using my link you will also get 50 Birchbox points that amounts to £5 to spend in the birchbox online shop!! 

So lets get onto what i got in my box this month.. its a good one this month with 7 goodies inside :).

Can i just say how much i love the actual box that the products came in this month, you can colour it in!! The Theme of this months box is 'Free Your Mind'. No matter how old you are, colouring something in is somewhat relaxing and it's always fun too :)!

First thing i seen when i opened my box was a hair masque sachet by the brand Number4. It's a moisturising treatment with soy proteins  shea butter, sunflower seed and jojoba seed oils in it. It says it will leave your hair smooth, strengthened and shiney after using it so will see how it gets on with my hair! The Full size of this product is £36 so i'm expecting a good result!

Second out the box (and the only full sized product in the box) was a set of press on nails by the brand Wah London, I received the pattern 'The Pink Blush' and i really really like them! They'll be perfect to wear in the summer time! Birchbox have started letting you pick one of 3 products from a certain brand each month so that you get something in your box that you want. I wasn't too fussed at what i received from this brand so i left it for Birchbox to send me a surprise and i haven't been disappointed at all! These are on sale in the Birchbox shop for £9.

Third thing i see in my box is something from a brand birchbox has sent us before, it's RMK's point make-up remover. It's one of these ones that separates when your not using it so you have to give it a good shake before you use it on your face. It's an oil based make up remover that you put on a cotton pad then sweep it across your eyes to remove your waterproof mascara and eyeliner and across your lips to remove the stains from those lippys that just won't budge after a few hours of wear. It's a good sized sample we got,  50ml so i'll be popping that straight into my travel make up bag! The full size retails for £20.

Fourth product i pull out is a Mattfinity Lip Rouge in the shade New York by the brand Mirenesse. It's a brand i've never heard off so i'm looking forward to trying this lip stain out. Although i don't think i'll be wearing the shade i got all that often, it's a very bright red with orangey undertones too it and that unfortunately isn't my kind of lip colour i wear but i will give it a try and see how i like it :). The other 2 shades Paris - a plumy purply shade and Sydney - a bright pinky shade would have been better suited to me but it's ok. The full size of this costs £21.

Fifth thing i see in my box is another hair product. It's a moisturising Sea Salt Spray by the brand Parlour by Jeff Chastain. You spray this evenly onto damp or dry hair and style as normal for a tousled look. I'm excited to try this, i love trying new hair products hat might give my hair a little bit of structure, i have very fine hair so it ofter looks a little limp. It says it has a scent of 'ripe peaches and freshly cut grass' i wasn't sure at all when i red that but it actually smells really nice!! The size i received in my box is 30ml, that will last me a little while so i'm happy with that. The full size retails for £17 and it is a Birchbox Exclusive.

The Sixth item i got was probably my favourite product in the whole box. It's the Caudalie vinoperfect radiance tinted moisturiser that is oil free and has an SPF20, i got it in the shade light. I was really excited to see this in my box, i love the caudalie brand with the caudalie elixir being one of my favourite ever face products. Usually when a beauty box sends me a tinted moisturiser or a foundation ect it's always way to dark or orange for me because i do have quite a light shin tone but this tinted moisturiser is a really good match to my skin. It gives my skin a little bit of colour and a little bit of coverage and moisturises all at the same time. I have an oily/combo skin type so i usually stay away from any type of tinted moisturiser but this i found great. It's lightweight on my skin which is good. I am actually going to use it as a primer under my foundation and see how that looks too. The sample size we got was 15ml, a really good sized sample. It's big enough to let me try it enough times to see if i really like it or not. It also smells AMAZING, very lemony and fresh! The full size of this costs £27.

and the last thing in my box Was a little extra bonus, It was a pack of 6 colouring pencils so i can colour in my box! I think the design of this months box is amazing, 10 out of 10 this month Birchbox!!

I hope everyone else that got a box this month likes there box as much as i like mine! 

You can sign up to birchbox and get this box using my link above, and as i have said above you also get £5 worth of Birchbox points to spend in the birchbox online shop too. 

Lisa xo

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)

HD Brows...

In the last year or so I have became slightly obsessive about my eyebrows. I even find myself looking at loads of different peoples eyebrows when I am out ect too! For the past little while I have just been using MAC eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown on my eyebrows (Tanya Burr on youtube swears by this) but then I started talking to a lovely lady Sarah on twitter (@SCCosmetics1 go follow her!!)

Sarah asked me if I had ever tried out HD Brows before, which I hadn't. I had always thought HD Brows were like these big black heavy brows you see people wearing, I'm sorry if you like them but they most definitely are not my cup off tea. But I was very surprised to find this wasn't the case at all. Sarah had offered to do my brows HD style free of charge so I could test them out but with me living in Scotland and Sarah living just outside London it wasn't possible to get down to meet her. So instead she said she would send me up a couple of HD products to try out myself at home and all I can say is why have I not tried these before! Sarah sent me an HD eye & brow palette in the shade Foxy and a tube of Brow Beater which is a clear gel that sets to keep your brows in perfect position all day long and it does exactly that.

My brows have always been a little sparse and thin and while using MAC charcoal brown to define them was good using the HD foxy palette is amazing, the colours are very buildable, and should be used with a light hand. A little of this product goes a long way which mean it will last you that little bit longer. As you can see from a previous make up look I done my brows look ok, But now looking at a picture where I have done them using the HD foxy palette they are still the same except more defined and the colour lasted the whole day too thanks to the brow beater I applied over the top :)!!


MAC charcoal brown on the left & HD foxy palette on the right

I honestly can't rave enough about these products, they are a make up bag must have!

 

Let me know what you think of HD brows :)

 

Also if you are in the St Albans, Hertfordshire area be sure to go get some HD brows and other treatments done by Sarah! A list on all treatments and how to contact her are linked HERE on her website.

 

Lisa xoxo



 

 

UK Birchbox for January 2014...

I got this months Birchbox through the post a couple of days ago. I am happy with the most of the products I received and can't wait to use/try them but I was disappointed that they send me a repeat item from my August Birchbox and there was a product I really don't like in there too which I have gotten in a box before but I cant remember if it was Birchbox or another one of the subscription boxes I get.

 

Here's what was in January 2014 UK Birchbox, the theme for this month is Tiny Tweaks..

 

First thing I saw was a product Birchbox had already told us every one was getting.  It was a mini sized Benefit Porefessional (7.5ml). I love this product!! I use it every single day under my make up and even on days where I decide not to wear any at all. It reduces the size of my pores and it makes my skin silky smooth. This holds my foundation pretty well too and doesn't make my skin any oilier than it already gets without any product ect on it.

 

Second there was Derlarom Acquaconfort Mask, this is a smooth hydrating mask to nourish skin and restore suppleness and vitality. I can't wait to try this mask out, I think I might replace my usual Sunday face mask with this one to try it out. It says to apply it to clean skin, leave on for 5-10 mins then wipe off.

 

Third there was Rodial Glamtox Night. This is a super-hydrating night time gel moisturiser is mean tot smooth out your complexion and plump fine lines. I can't wait to try this out once my current night time moisturiser is finished. The only thing I am not to keen on is the scent, it's very floral but it does calm down after 5 mins.

 

Next I saw Premae Anatomy Nutrients Instant Renewal Body Oil. This is meant to moisturise, tone and detoxify your skin. It is a natural and allergy tested body oil. You apply this to clean skin after a bath or shower to nourish and rehydrate your skin. I used this yesterday and my skin was so smooth after using it, I applied it to damp skin.

 

The fifth thing I seen I was disappointed with. Its the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. This hair mask strengthens, nourishes and prevents breakage. You work it through damp hair, let it sit for 20 mins then shampoo and condition your hair as usual. I tried this product the last time I received it and I didn't like it at all. It made my scalp very itchy and after I had shampooed and conditioned my hair as normal I didn't notice any difference to my hair either?

 

Then lastly in the box was something I received in my august box and I wasn't very happy with it the first time round, never mind a second time. It is the Birchbox Eye Mask. Its a gel filled mask that is designed to cool the eye area and decrease the puffiness around the eye. I have quite sensitive eyes so when I put stuff like this over them they water like crazy and sting like mad because it's cold.

 

Over all I rate this box 7 out of 10.
 

  

If you want to join Birchbox click here and then click Sign Up.

Its £12.95 per month (that's including p&p).

 

Lisa xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Date Night Make Up Look...

This is my natural date night make up look, I hope you like it!

 

To start off I prime my face all over with Benefit porefessional and leave that set for a minute or two. Taking my Chanel vitalumiere aqua foundation in the shade 10 beige, I put a little drop on the back of my hand and blend it into my face using a flat foundation brush. A little goes quite far with this foundation and it smells amazing.

For my concealer lately I have been using my BareMinerals concealer in the shade light 2, I love this it covers my under eye circles, any redness I have and any little blemishes I have with no problem. It has a very light but creamy texture so I do recommend setting it with a powder. I use Rimmel stay matte powder in translucent.

For bronzer I used the Bourjois bronzing powder in shade 51. I use it on the underpart of my cheekbones (where you contour), temples, forehead hairline, under my jaw line and a little on my nose. It gives my face a nice little bronzed glow and isn't orangey at all. 

I used Benefits rockateur blush on the apples off my cheeks and bringing it back slightly too. On top of that I used a little bit of BareMinerals ready luminiser in shade the daydream, its a beautiful light pink shimmer.

If you are like me though a light shimmer isn't enough so on my cheekbones I used Benefits watts up highlighter too for that extra little bit of glow :). I also used this as my under-brow highlight once I had filled in my brows.

Onto the eyes, I start off by priming my eyes with Urban Decay primer potion.

Then taking satin taupe by Mac I blend this all over my eyelid and also take a little under my eye along my bottom lash line.

I then use a little charcoal brown on a 217 brush both by Mac & blend that into my crease.

Using Mac phloof! I very slightly highlight the inner corners of my eyes.

I use a long-lasting black waterproof eyeliner by Daniel Sandler to line my top water line. I can't fault this liner one bit, it's my holy grail eyeliner I love it!!!

for mascara I use Maybelline the falsies in black, this mascara is by far one of the best I have ever bought!

I then fill in my eyebrows using benefit browzing in the shade light. I don't use the wax that comes in that kit though, only the powder then I set my brows with a brown brow gel from Maybelline.

 

for my lips I like to keep it simple so I used a BareMinerals marvellous moxie lipgloss in the shade Rebel. These lip-gloss's are amazing, they are moisturising, long lasting and they are not sticky. They also have the best smell and taste too lol!

To finish off I set everything with Urban Decay oil control setting spray and i'm good to go :)!!
 

I hope you enjoyed this make up look, let me know what you think...

 

Lisa xxx

 

 

 

 

  

First Mini Debenhams and Boots Haul of January...

So I was trying to be really good and not buy any beauty related items this month as I got a lot of items I have been wanting for ages for my Christmas and my birthday which is on December 14th. But that didn't happen lol, I lasted 12 days without buying something (think that may be a record for me though lol) then I went on to Debenhams website and had a little look which ended up in me making a little purchase of a new foundation :)!! I purchased the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in the shade 10 beige. I have been looking at this foundation for months and I just decided I had to have it. It is the best foundation I think I have ever tried (the most expensive too) It hasn't disappointed me one bit, the colour is perfect, it sits nice on my skin & it has a lovely scent to it as well. This foundation was a little pricey at £32 but so far to me its worth the money.
 

 

Next I went onto Boots website and I picked up the Bourjois Bronzing Powder (looks like chocolate chunks) in the shade 51 for £6.99. I have seen so many people rave about this bronzer and I don't know why I haven't ever picked one up before now. It's brilliant, not shimmery and not orange. It gives off a nice light bronzy colour. I then picked up Maybelline The Mega Plush mascara in black for £7.99, I like this mascara for possibly everyday use but to me Maybelline The Falsies mascara is way better for volume and length! And last but not least I picked up the new Maybelline Baby Skin pore erasing primer for £7.99. I used it for the first time today and I really like it, makes your skin feel the same as it does when you have used Benefits Porefessional. It does what it says it does and erases your pores and makes your skin feel so silky and smooth.
 

 

Lisa :) xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My go-to 15 minute make-up look...

This make up look is my go to look if i am running late to meet the girls for a night out or if my plans of a cosy night in change to dinner with friends or even a night out lol! This make up literally takes me 15mins to do, you can take more time and add more colours to your look but this is my quick, in a rush, go with all outfits make up look :)!

First off i prime my skin using Benefit porefessional, i then use either Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 1W2 Sand or MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation in NC20 depending on how my skin is that evening. I find using my Sigma F80 flat top kabuki brush great for blending in these 2 foundations, it works with each one perfectly! After blending out my foundation i conceal under my eyes, around my nose and any other little bits i want to hide with my MAC pro longwear concealer in NC20 and blend that in using my ring finger in a light tapping motion. Then to set everything i use Rimmel stay matte powder in translucent, i use a large fluffy face brush for this. The bronzer i use every single day is BareMinerals bronzer in the shade, skinny dip. Its a nice natural bronze colour with very little shimmer, don't be fooled by how dark it looks in the pan! I like using Benefit's rockateur blush on my cheeks, then a little MAC mineralise skinfinish in soft & gentle on my cheekbones, cupids bow, my nose and chin.

1. On my eyes i start off by using a Maybelline colour tattoo in the shade 05 eternal gold all over my eye lid. Then taking my Urban Decay naked palette, i take the colour half baked onto a flat shader brush and pat it on over the Maybelline colour tattoo. Taking a MAC 217 brush and the colour smog i work this into my outer 'V' and then whats left on my brush lightly through my crease to blend any harsh lines away. I line my eyes using a thin liner brush and MAC gel liner in blacktrack. For mascara i use my all time favourite mascara ever, Maybelline the falsies flared in black. Also for my brows i fill them in using MAC charcoal brown on a MAC 266 small angled brush then highlight my brow bone slightly using MAC mineralised skinfinish in soft & gentle.

For my lips it usually just depends on what i'm doing with my hair, if my hair is up i sometimes go for a bold lip but most of the time i'll just wear a pinky coloured gloss on my lips, i'm loving NYX Cosmetics butter gloss in strawberry parfait just now which is a nice neutral pink gloss.

Hope you like this 15 minute make up look and find it helpful, let me know what you think :)

Lisa :) xx

+beautybuddy101 

Follow me on Twitter: @beautybuddy101 

Red Carpet Manicure, The Best Home Gel Nail System...

I don't know about any of you guys but I personally can't have my nails without any sort of polish on them. The thought of having bare nails actually makes me feel slightly anxious (weird I know)! So every two weeks I was spending £35 on getting my nails done until I came across Red Carpet Manicure. The kit I bought cost me £83.99 from salon services (usually £89.99 for customers that don't have a salon services trade card) You can also purchase the kit from Red Carpet Manicure website www.redcarpetmanicure.co.uk

The Red Carpet Pro kit I purchased included:

Professional LED Light (with timer function)

PURIFY Pre & Post Application Cleanser (59ml)

PREP Max Adhesion Sanitizer (9ml)

STRUCTURE Base Coat Gel (9ml)

BRILLIANCE Seal & Shine Top Coat Gel (9ml)

ERASE Gel Nail Polish Remover (59ml)

REVITALIZE Nourishing Cuticle Oil

LED Gel Polish (9ml) in You Like Me, You Really Like Me

This kit has to be the quickest and easiest way to give yourself a gel manicure ever. It takes me roughly 30-45 minutes to give myself a perfect salon finished gel manicure in the comfort of my own home.  Here is the steps I take to make sure I achieve a perfect manicure.

1- Shape your nails, being qualified in Spa Manicure and Spa Pedicure this takes me very little time but for some one that is a beginner it can take a little extra time, it used to take me at least half an hour to get my nails the way I wanted, but as they say practice makes perfect :)! But please remember, when filing your natural nails only use the nail file in one direction, filing your nails like you are sawing a piece of wood will badly damage your nails and make them weak and brittle. I then check my cuticle's to see if they need pushed back and tidied up slightly. It isn't really necessary but I like to do it. But again please be very careful doing this you don't want to damage your cuticles because that will make them red and very sore.

2- I buff my nails with a white buffing block (69p form salon services) gently I only really want to remove the shine from my natural nail and smooth the nail plate out ever so slightly. I then take a lint free pad and put some Purify Pre & Post Application Cleanser on to it and wipe each nail just to make sure I have got rid off all dust from filing and buffing and to make sure all traces of oil ect are removed for the nail plate as this will help the gel stick to your nails a lot better.

3- To start your gel manicure you need to start off with a thin layer of Structure Base Coat over your nails and cure it under the lamp until the light goes off (approx. 30-45seconds). This will protect your nails from being stained from the colours of the polishes, just like you would use a base coat when using nail polish. 

4- choose your colour, depending in what colour you choose depends on how many coats you will need to do. I have found that some colours only need 2 coats where others sometimes need 3 or 4 coats. Put a thin layer of polish on each nail and cure it in-between coats, if you put the polish on to thick it'll likely come off easily which isn't what you want.

5- Once you have got your polish to the colour you want on your nails it is now time for the Brilliance Seal & Shine Top Coat. Again put a thin layer all over the nail and cure in the LED lamp. Don't be shocked if your nails appear to glow a little in the lamp, you can't see it when there finished.

6- Once your nails are cured, take another lint free wipe with some Purify Pre & Post Application Cleanser and wipe all over each nail to remove the tacky layer left and to reveal a shiny and perfect gel manicure :)!

7- Finish your manicure off with a little drop off Revitalize Nourishing Cuticle Oil and massage into each finger. This stuff smells gorgeous!!

When you are ready to remove your gel manicure it is very simple. All you need is the red carpet manicure Mini Removal Kit -£2.95 from the Red Carpet Manicure Website- a buffing block and Erase Gel Nail Polish Remover.

First Buff your nails to remove the shiny top coat. Then stick a Foam Soak onto a Foil Sheet (from the mini removal kit) and soak the foam pad in some Erase gel nail polish remover. Place the soaked foam pad onto the buffed nail and wrap the top of your finger up with the foil the foam pad is stuck too. Leave all 10 foils on your fingers (or toes) for about 10-15 minutes then check to see if the polish comes off easily, use an wooden orange stick to remove the polish and if there is any still stuck on your nail, simply pop the foil and foam pad back onto the finger until the polish comes off easily. Please don't scrape your nails, this can do a lot of damage to your nails and cause ridges in your nails and also make them very weak too.

I really recommend the red carpet manicure if you are like me and like to have perfect nails all the time but don't have the time to sit in a salon for an hour and 15 minutes every 2 weeks, being a busy mum to a 4 year daughter. the polishes themselves cost £12.95 each but they last a long time. I also do my daughter's nails, she likes to have her nails done but with normal polish it last's a day and I'm always a little scared it comes off in her mouth but I don't have to worry about this when I put gel polish onto her nails, they stay un-chipped and perfect for up to 2 weeks (Just an FYI... I don't force my daughter to have her nails done, she asks to have them done as and when she wants them done)!

Below are some of the nails I have done using only Red Carpet Manicure.