Christina Alyce Beauty

As someone who previously worked at a local coffee chain, and has a sensitivity to caffeine, coffee is not my first choice when it comes to a morning beverage. But, about a year ago, I was introduced to my very first body scrub, made from coffee, and I absolutely fell head over heals.
Coffee scrubs are typically made of pretty basic ingredients, and are super easy to DIY. They contain coffee grounds and any variety of plant oils as a base, and may also utilize sugar or salt for extra exfoliation, and essential oils for any number of skin benefits. I absolutely adore the texture of coffee scrubs. The coffee is more gentle than salt or sugar because it doesn't have jagged edges, and the consistency makes for a wonderful, dense product. My favorite thing about coffee? It stimulates blood flow to tighten and brighten skin, and can even lessen cellulite. I like to apply my scrubs almost like a body mask to get the full effect: I rub it in all over my body to exfoliate, and wait a couple of minutes before I rinse, so it has a moment to absorb and work its magic. My skin glows afterwards. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? I'll share two of my favorites with you below:

Prim Botanicals Debauchery Detox Body Scrub [SHOP]

This is my go-to summer scrub. Instead of that warm cup-o-joe  scent you would expect from a coffee scrub, this one smells more earthy. Lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils mix with the coffee to create a scent reminiscent of a forest after a rainstorm. As the name suggests, this is a great scrub if you're looking for a detoxing product for congested skin, because it contains activated charcoal. This does wonders for my occasional shoulder and upper back breakouts. Black lava salt and Epsom salt add a little extra exfoliation and help to relax muscles, as a source of magnesium. The blend of almond, coconut, hazelnut, Andrioba, and Pracaxi oils help to tighten and lightly moisturize the skin.

Fig + Yarrow Coffee + Cardamom Body Scrub [SHOP]

In the fall and winter, I like something with a warm and cozy scent. Fig + Yarrow's coffee scrub is the perfect warming, decadent blend of cardamom, vanilla, black pepper and chocolate. I turn to this scrub when I need a little extra moisture during the dry winter months. It blends coconut oil and castor oil with cocoa butter and shea butter to deliver an incredibly moisturizing experience. It also utilizes the humectant and exfoliating properties of cane sugar to smooth skin.

I would love to know if you've tried and adored any other coffee scrubs, or if you prefer another type of scrub to exfoliate with. Let me know in the comments!

I have been away for too long! I have just finished up my busy season at my day job, and I have what seems like a mountain of lovely products that I have so generously been sent over the last few months, as well as a few I have purchased myself, that have patiently been awaiting review! Finally the time has come to start chipping away at it all.
First is a brand focus of an Etsy shop called Lather of the Land. Stacy reached out to me at the beginning of the year to see if I would like to sample some products, and after a browse through her instagram feed, I knew I would adore her products. She sent me a beautifully packaged Sample Box, which sells for $10 and includes a soap, sugar scrub, (you may choose your scents) and a body butter all nestled in a keepsake wooden box. She also included a tiny candle for me to try out.

Rose Soap
Before I even finished opening the shipping box, I was greeted with the strong fragrance of rose, from a beautiful piece of Stacy's Rose Soap (seriously, go look. All of her soaps are stunning.). This swirly pink and cream slice of soap is a rose lover's dream, it contains rosehip seed oil, rosehip seed powder, and rose essential oil.
Rosehip contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and helps to protect the skin from damage, which prevents signs of aging. It also contains retinol to reduce existing signs of aging, such as hyper pigmentation or sun spots. Rose essential oil is emollient and anti-inflammatory, which makes it perfect for dry and sensitive skin, and is effective at treating acne, dermatitis, and psoriasis.
It also incorporates soothing rose clay, which has made it the perfect accompaniment to my Takesumi Deodorant Detox, which recommends washing with a clay based soap.
I have only recently been enjoying bar soap, because previously I had only used soaps that were incredibly drying. This formula is so enjoyable to use though, because it is made with nourishing shea butter, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and coconut oil. It lathers luxuriously, but doesn't strip the skin at all. I am definitely a bar soap convert! All I needed was a luxurious, natural formula.

Coffee Exfoliating Sugar Scrub
Have you ever smelled a product and wished it was edible? The Coffee Exfoliating Sugar Scrub makes me salivate. To me, it smells like a cup of coffee crossed with a rich chocolaty cake. I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I am most definitely a coffee scrub-er. I have tried many scrubs over the years and coffee based ones always stand out to me. This one is up there with my favorites! Coffee is so beneficial to the skin. It not only provides antioxidants, but it increases circulation and does wonders for cellulite. The combination of organic coffee grounds and raw cane sugar offer a gentle yet effective exfoliation that leaves your skin soft and smooth. The coconut oil locks in moisture from the shower, keeping you hydrated. I love this product for my body, but I would not recommend it for the face. Sugar is too coarse for the delicate skin on the face, and coconut oil is comedogenic and commonly causes breakouts. Sugar and coconut are perfectly ok for the rest of the body though, and his makes for a superb body scrub.

Cocoa and Shea Unscented Body Butter
I have mentioned many times on my blog how my skin is just. so. dry. I don't know what I would do if it weren't for creams and lotions and butters. Lather of the Land's body butter has some of my favorite ingredients. Almond oil, avocado oil, and shea butter absorb beautifully into the skin because they are highly penetrative, to offer their lovely softening effects. Heavier oils like coconut and cocoa butter create an occlusive barrier on the skin to trap in moisture. To get the most out of an oil based body butter, it is best to apply while the skin is damp, to lock in the hydration. I prefer to use this in the evening before bed, because it does not absorb completely, and leave my skin greasy. When I wake up in the morning, it absorbs and my skin feels soft and nourished


Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed Lather of the Land. From the homemade packaging, straightforward ingredients, and delicious scents, this is a really lovely brand. It may not be perfect for those who wish to avoid fragrance oils, but for those who are not concerned about FO's will find the formulations are natural and high quality.



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I was lucky enough to win my very first Instagram giveaway a few months ago, and came away with a fantastic travel set from Florapothecarie. The Deluxe Travel Gift Set retails for $55, and contains 5 handmade, all natural, and vegan beauty products, as well as a beautiful handmade makeup bag. The packaging is beautiful- sleek labels, and clear glass jars which are my personal favorite. The set is semi-customizable, with your choice in scent of body scrub, type of mask, and a choice of either a facial toner or hair spray. The set always comes with Florapothecarie's best-selling deodorant cream and body butter, and you will not be disappointed with those two, trust me.


For my body scrub, I chose the Orange Sugar Scrub, and the sweet tropical orange aroma is absolutely mouthwatering, and the perfect pick-me-up this winter. The ingredients are simple- just cane sugar, jojoba oil, coconut oil, orange peel powder, vitamin , and orange essential oil - but it is so effective at sloughing off dry skin and leaving your body soft, smooth (it helps with cellulite!) and hydrated. I love sugar scrubs because they are just coarse enough to get the job done. I would definitely purchase a full size of this product in this scent, and I am curious to try out the Green Tea salt version as well.


The next product I chose was the Rose Clay mask. I had three masks to choose from, but I already have the Chocolate one which was featured in a Goddess Provisions box (and is totally dreamy), and I passed on the Charcoal option because I already own a handful of charcoal masks from other brands. So, I settled on the pretty pink-tinted Rose mask. The Rose Clay Mask is intended for all skin types, but is a particularly good choice for sensitive skin. It contains just three ingredients, rose kaolin clay, dehydrated coconut milk, and powdered rose hips. The ingredients gently exfoliate, cleanse, and mineralize the skin, leaving you with a radiant complexion. The mask is very simple to use, just scoop some out, mix with water until it forms a paste and apply. After 10-15 minutes, it's ready to rinse off. I did not have any irritation with this product like I do with other clay-based masks, nor did I have any breakouts. I do prefer the chocolate version though, because my skin did feel brighter and more hydrated after that one. The chocolate mask is a great option for those with mature skin.


The final of the 3 customizable options is the Rose + Tea Facial Toner, which I had to pick over the hair spray, only because I am a complete toner addict! I go through toner like water, so I will never pass one up when offered. Florapothecarie's toner is intended to balance and hydrate the skin with ingredients like rosewater, aloe, and witch hazel, while green tea gives the skin a boost of antioxidants. Toners are so important after cleansing to return the skin's pH to a healthy level, and before moisturizing to help products absorb more easily into the skin. I love that this formula uses classic and time-tested ingredients like witch hazel and rosewater to accomplish that. It leaves the skin feeling balanced and prepped for products to follow.



The fourth product in this set is the best-selling Deodorant-Cream, which shares it's gorgeous scent with the Orange body scrub. I am very hard to please when it comes to deodorant, because many just don't do the job. Luckily, this one preforms just as well as brands like Schmidts in regard to odor control, and I much prefer Florapothecarie's deodorant when it comes to the scent, and how it feels. My underarms can be sensitive to baking soda in deodorants, but I find that with Florapothecarie's product, I have no irritation whatsoever. I love that this product contains essential oils like tea tree combined with arrowroot powder to fight bacteria, and the coconut oil and shea butter base is incredibly moisturizing.


The fifth and final product of the bunch is the Whipped Body Butter, and this is by far the stand out product for me. I absolutely adore the natural cocoa butter scent, it is so simple and comforting. The combination of cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil, and coconut oil is perfect. A small scoop of product instantly melts into a luxurious oil and spreads easily onto the skin. I reserve my little jar for the worst of my dry skin days, because it packs quite the punch, and dry patches are soothed and moisturized instantly. I always keep plenty of lotions and creams on hand, but this one out- preforms them all. I will absolutely be purchasing a big 8oz jar of this when I finish mine!
I am so thankful to have won such a fantastic variety of products (and adorable travel pouch!), and I am so excited that I have discovered some new all-time favorites. This set is such a treat, and I love that it can be customized to suit anybody. I think it makes a great introduction to not only Florapothecarie's brand, but to natural skin and bodycare as a whole because the ingredients are pure and the resulting products are truly top-notch.