FAQs

Beauty and the Boutique is a proudly independent, online-only beauty destination offering hand-picked products you can trust. Every item is personally chosen for its performance, quality, and feel-good results — never paid to be featured and never tested on animals.

Founded by professional makeup artist Katie Clement-Lorford, we believe in honest recommendations, uplifting beauty, and real results — especially for women over 40. With customers in over 100 countries and thousands of five-star reviews, we’re here to make beauty simple, joyful, and genuinely helpful.

And when you shop with us, you're doing more than just treating yourself — you're also supporting a small business that gives back to the planet and people who need it most.

Here's what makes us different:

We Ship Worldwide:
Wherever you are in the world, we deliver to you

Never Tested on Animals:
None of the products we sell are ever tested on animals

Makeup Artist Approved:
Hand-picked, tried, tested and loved by Makeup Artist Katie

Free How-To Guide:
Your purchase includes a step-by-step how-to guide to help you get the best results

You're Making A Difference:
We plant a tree and support global charities with every purchase

Save 20% When You Buy 3:
Buy any 3 products and get 20% off with code '20' at checkout

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot:
Loved by thousands of verified customers

Top Quality Store on Google Shopping:
A trusted, verified online retailer

Trusted Worldwide:
Customers in over 100 countries shop with us

Real Support From Real People:
Our friendly UK-based team is here to help whenever you need us

Katie Clement-Lorford is a professional makeup artist with over 25 years of experience and the founder of both Beauty and the Boutique and her own makeup brand, Love Katie. She has worked with real women of all ages and skin types, and personally selects (or creates) every product featured on the site. Katie has also served as a beauty awards judge for many years running, making her a highly trusted voice in the beauty industry.

Katie Clement-Lorford is a professional makeup artist with over 25 years of experience and the founder of Beauty and the Boutique. She’s worked with women of all ages and skin types — from editorial shoots to everyday clients — and personally tests every product featured on the site.

Her mission is to help women feel confident using products that truly work in real life, especially for those over 40. Katie created Beauty and the Boutique to share expert advice, uplifting beauty tips, and her own hand-picked favourites — selected not because they’re trending, but because they deliver real, visible results.

Katie is proudly 100% independent and does not accept any sponsorships or paid endorsements. Every recommendation is based solely on performance, not promotion — a rare stance in today’s beauty industry, and one that has earned her deep trust and loyalty from customers around the world.

She has also served as a beauty awards judge for multiple national awards, including several consecutive years judging The Beauty Awards, which further reinforces her expertise and respected position in the industry.

Katie recently launched her own makeup line, Love Katie, where she channels everything she’s learned into creating formulas that meet her exacting standards. But her approach hasn’t changed — nothing makes it into the Beauty and the Boutique store unless it’s been personally tested, loved, and proven to deliver results.

Love Katie is the personal makeup line created by Katie Clement-Lorford, founder of Beauty and the Boutique and professional makeup artist with over 25 years of experience.

Each formula is created from scratch using everything Katie’s learned working with real women — designed to be flattering, easy to use, and especially kind to mature or sensitive skin.

Love Katie reflects the same values that made Beauty and the Boutique so loved: independent, real-life beauty that feels as good as it looks. From the cult-favourite Cosmic Glow Radiance Booster to the Rested & Youthful Under-Eye Perfector, each product is made for women who want results without complexity.

Designed for real life, Love Katie products help you achieve a beautiful look in minutes — even if you're rushing out the door or applying makeup with just your fingers. They're like having a personal makeup artist in your makeup bag, cheering you on to feel your most confident every day.

And, as part of our commitment to kindness, Love Katie is proudly Leaping Bunny approved — the gold standard in cruelty-free certification.

You can find all of Katie's tutorials here!

Our founder and pro makeup artist Katie Clement-Lorford has made hundreds of beauty tutorials to help you with your every concern!

Plus, every product you purchase from Beauty and the Boutique comes with a free step-by-step how-to guide.

If you have a particular beauty concern or question, please email us here help@beautyandtheboutique.com and we’ll give you all the help you need.

Need help choosing the perfect shade?

Just email a photo of yourself in natural daylight to help@beautyandtheboutique.com, and our expert team, personally trained by our founder and pro makeup artist Katie Clement-Lorford, will happily guide you to the best match.

We’re real people who love helping you find what works for you.

Yes. Beauty and the Boutique specialises in products that are especially kind to mature and sensitive skin. Every item is tested and chosen by professional makeup artist Katie Clement-Lorford, who has over 25 years of experience working with women of all ages, skin tones, and skin types.

From gentle ingredients to easy-to-use textures, everything we offer is designed to enhance your natural beauty — without irritation, heaviness, or complicated techniques.

Yes - none of the products we sell are ever tested on animals. Every item, including our own Love Katie range, is sourced from brands that share our cruelty-free values.

In fact, Love Katie is Leaping Bunny approved, the globally recognised gold standard for cruelty-free certification.

While everything we offer is 100% cruelty-free, not all products are vegan - some may contain ingredients like beeswax or lanolin. If you're shopping for vegan-friendly options, just email us and we’ll be happy to help.

While all products are cruelty-free, not all are vegan. If you have dietary or allergy-related preferences, feel free to email us and we’ll confirm vegan suitability for specific items.

No — never. Katie Clement-Lorford is fiercely independent. She is not paid to promote any brands, and there are no paid endorsements or sponsorships on Beauty and the Boutique. Everything you see has been chosen because Katie genuinely loves and recommends it.

Most of our items are fully or partially recyclable, but it can vary depending on the product and your local recycling guidelines.

We’re always working to reduce waste and make our packaging more sustainable.

If you’d like information about a specific item, just drop us an email at help@beautyandtheboutique.com - we’ll be happy to help.

Our UK-based Happiness Team, personally trained by Katie Clement-Lorford, is here to help. You can email us at help@beautyandtheboutique.com for friendly, expert support — no bots, just real people who care.

If you’ve subscribed but aren’t receiving our emails, try the following:

1. Check your spam or junk folder
2. Add help@beautyandtheboutique.com
3. If you're still having issues, email us directly and we’ll make sure you’re properly added: help@beautyandtheboutique.com
   

No, you can check out as a guest — but creating an account lets you view your order history and save details for faster checkout.

If your order hasn’t been packed yet, our team may be able to help — just email us as soon as possible at help@beautyandtheboutique.com.

We accept major credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay.

International customers may be responsible for customs charges or local taxes, depending on your country’s regulations. Find out more information here.

You can only use one discount code at a time. Today, you can use gift code: 20 to get 20% off your order when you purchase any 3 or more items.

At this time, Beauty and the Boutique does not offer gift cards. We hope to offer gift cards in the future.

Yes! We offer worldwide shipping daily from the UK. We deliver to the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many more — using tracked and reliable delivery services.

UK orders typically arrive within 2–3 working days. International delivery times vary but are usually between 5–12 working days, depending on your location.

No, we do not offer local pickup options. All orders are dispatched directly from our UK warehouse and shipped to customers globally. There is currently no in-person collection available.

Yes.

Unopened and unused items in their original packaging can be returned within 28 days of delivery (please contact us within 14 days).

Return shipping is paid by the customer, and refunds are issued to the original payment method once we receive the item.

Beauty and the Boutique is exclusively an online-only store. We don't operate any retail outlets, concession stands, or physical locations — our professional team curates and packs every order from our UK-based warehouse. All shopping is done online, worldwide.

Every order helps fund small, global charities.

We support:

• We plant a tree in your honour every time you shop with us

We also support many charitable causes close to our hearts, for example:

• Aid for women survivors of conflict
• Animal rescue charities
• We plant a tree with every purchase
• Support for families in need

You can read more here.

Our charity partner plants trees across the developing world in countries such as Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Gambia, Mali, and the Central African Republic.By Planting Trees, Our Charity Partner Helps…

• Capture carbon and other greenhouse gases
• Protect and revitalise land
• Prevent flooding, erosion and landslides
• Restore biodiversity
• Promote sustainable farming practices
• Build healthy soil for fruits and vegetables to grow
• Change the planet and people’s lives for the better!

As well as helping to benefit the global environment, our charity partner uses a strategy called the ‘Forest Garden Approach’, which helps communities plant pathways out of poverty and hunger.A Forest Garden is a designed agronomic system based on trees, shrubs and perennial plants. These are mixed in such a way as to mimic the structure of a natural forest – the most stable and sustainable type of ecosystem that not only helps environmental degradation but also helps farming communities that are suffering from hunger and poverty in parts of the developing world greatest affected by deforestation.There is a direct link between poverty and deforestation throughout the developing world. When trees disappear from a landscape, so does moisture and soil. Farmable land vanishes, opportunity disappears, and farming families are left with nothing.Planting trees can effectively end hunger and poverty by improving land quality and productivity, so farmers have a sustainable source of food and income.Many parts of Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Gambia, Mali, and the Central African Republic have suffered decades of unsustainable agriculture practices which have resulted in degraded and unproductive land and nutrient-scarce food systems which as a result, has left communities starving as they are unable to grow food on this land to feed themselves. Using the Forest Garden Approach in semi-arid countries, our charity partner has proven that agroforestry is a solution to each of these challenges, effectively ending hunger and poverty while restoring the land and environment.As well as planting forest gardens our charity partner also trains farmers in agroforestry and sustainable land use - so that they can grow vibrant regional economies, thriving food systems, and a healthier planet.Forest Gardens are full of a diverse mix of tree species and are home to dozens of food and resource crops. Farmers work with our charity partner to determine which species will work best for them and their land.Within the Forest Garden approach our charity partner is currently planting the following trees:

Forestry Trees: Acacia polyacantha, Acacia senegal, Albizia chinensis, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia schimperiana, Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Arecaceae, Azadirachta indica, Calliandra calothyrsus, Cassia siamea, Cedrela odorata, Cordia africana, Delonix regia, Faidherbia albida, Gliricidia sepium (Gliricidia, Cacao de Nance, Madre de Cacao), Gmelina arborea (Gmelina, Beechwood, White Teak), Grevillea robusta (Grevillea, Silky Oak), Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda, Fern Tree), Khaya anthotheca (East African Mahogany), Khaya senegalensis (Mahogany, Bois Rouge), Leucaena diversifolia (Leucaena, Red Leucaena, Wild Tamarind, Leucaena Petit Feuille), Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena, White Leadtree), Leucaena pallida (Leucaena; synonyms are: dugesiana, esculenta, oaxacana, and panilulata), Maesopsis eminii (Umbrella Tree), Melia azedarach (White Cedar, Chinaberry Tree, Bead-Tree), Mellicia excelsa (African Teak, Iroko. Mvule), Moringa oleifera (Moringa, Drumstick Tree, Horseradish Tree), Parkinsonia aculeata (Parkinsonia, Jerusalem Thorn), Podocarpus sp. (Podocarpus), Prosopis juliflora (Prosopis, Mesquite), Ricinodendron heudelotii (Njangsa, Njasang), Senna spectabilis (Senna, Cassia fastigiata, Cassia excelsa, and various Cassia species), Sesbania sesban (Sesbania, Egyptian Pea), Sesbania macrantha (Sesbania, Mlindaziwa)Tectona grandis (Teak), Vitex keniensis (Vitex, Meru Oak)

Fruit & Nut Trees: Adansonia digitata, Anacardium occidentale, Balanites aegyptiaca, Canarium ovatum (Canarium, Pili, Bush Date), Citrus sp. (Citrus, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Pomelo, etc.), Cocos nucifera (Coconut), Cola acuminata (Cola, Red Cola, Kola Nut), Dacryodes edulis (Bush Plum, Plum, Safou, Prune), Elaeis guineensis (Oil Palm), Garcinia kola (Bitter Kola), Irvingia sp. (Bush Mango, includes all species particularly gabonensis and wombulu), Macadamia integrifolia (Macadamia Nut), Mangifera indica (Mango), Monodora myristica (Groundnut Spice, Calabash Nutmeg), Morus sp. (Mulberry), Persea americana (Avocado, Pear), Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm), Prunus africana (African Cherry, Prunus, Pygeum, Red Stinkwood), Psidium guajava (Guava), Tamarindus indica (Tamarind), Ziziphus mauritiana (Jujube, Goa).