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Christina Alyce Beauty

Testing and reviewing the best of clean 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!



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I love many different kinds of scents- sweet, fruity, herbal... but warm and spicy cinnamon & cloves scent is by far my favorite. When Jacko appeared in the Lush Kitchen at the end of October, I felt an insatiable hunger to obtain as many bath bombs as I could get my hands on. Of course, being the dummy that I am, I somehow only came away with one. My lone Jacko arrived, and I was just as in love with the scent as I had expected to be, and so the hunger didn’t cease. 
I made it my mission to track down more of this wonderful bomb to creat my pumpkin army. The week after the UK Kitchen hosted Jacko, he moved along to the Japanese Kitchen. I joined a group ordering group on Facebook in hopes of obtaining him and everything seemed to be going smoothly for me to order two (and a Witches Ball Bubble Bar) but then I never heard back from the group moderator, despite her assuring me she would place my order. A few days later, someone contacted me through instagram offering to sell me one of hers. I responded, never heard back, and started to give up hope. I checked ebay nearly every day, hoping one would appear,but the only ones that did were absurdly priced. As much as I love Jacko, I would never spend $20 on a single bath bomb. Fast forward to this Monday, I decided to sign up for the app Mercari because I had heard they often had a lot of rare Lush stuff. Lo and behold, I found a Jacko instantly, and was able to bundle him with multiple other items I had been in search of, to get a good deal. Now that I had another Jacko secured, I finally felt I could use my original, just in time for a Thanksgiving bath.
Pumpkin pie is a very popular and rather traditional dessert served here in the US at Thanksgiving. So, of course, what better product to use on Thanksgiving than a bath bomb that shares so many spices with the delicious smelling pie? Jacko’s scent is first and foremost cloves and cardamom, and this is amplified once it hits the water. these spices are warm, strong, and spicy, and nothing smells more like fall. Spearmint also makes an appearance, but is quite subtle, which was a relief to me because I don’t particularly like the idea of mint and cloves together. Luckily, the combination works beautifully together to create a comforting, spicy treat.
Jacko is a fast fizzer, which is probably to be expected since it is relatively small as well as flat. I love a bath bomb that puts on a good show, but of course I can appreciate a more tame display as well. Jacko is just a simple orange bomb, he doesn’t offer a glitter or a thousand colors, but to me, that is perfectly fine. I was surprised by how vividly colored the water was, because at first glance, Jacko is quite chalky and pale. Instead of the weak orangey waters you expect, you’re provided with a beautiful pool of rich orange water to soak in.
I used Pumpkin soap to wash up with, which shares the same scent as Jacko, and the two went together beautifully. It added to and emphasized the clove and cardamom scent wonderfully, and I left the tub smelling good enough to eat.
While the search is not over by any means, I am so glad I was able to experience Jacko, and I will soon have a second stashed away safely. 
Rating: 5/5
Price: £3.50 ($5.25)
Status: Retired/Kitchen Item
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cardamom Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Spearmint Oil, *Cinnamal, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 15510.






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I am a huge fan of anything with a gorgeous autumnal scent, and once I saw that this contained a selection of ingredients that combined to create the aroma of pumpkin pie, I was ready to order twenty. Unfortunately, something must have happened during the ordering process because I had intended to order two bars, but only ended up ordering one. But, of course, that just means the bar i did get my hands on is that much more special.  
I awaited the arrival of my soap eagerly, and once it arrived, I could faintly smell it through the package. I dug it out, and the beautiful spicy autumn scent amplified. This soap contains a combination of orange juice, pumpkin puree, cardamom oil, clove bud oil, spearmint oil, cinnamon, and gardenia extract. These create a warm, creamy, spicy scent with a hint of freshness from the peppermint and citrus to keep it from being too heavy. This soap is formulated to stimulate the skin with the spicier oils, and nourish and hydrate with pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil. This is the creamiest soap I have used from Lush, as well as the most hydrating. This bar is very soft to the touch, and I didn’t expect it to lather much as a result of all of the moisturizing ingredients, but I was surprised to find that it lathered rather generously. 
Pumpkin is a beautiful fall soap, that smells glorious and is generous with lather and moisture. I plan to savor this soap, and I look forward to using this as the perfect product for a Thanksgiving shower. While I won’t be eating pumpkin pie, there’s nothing wrong with bathing in it!
Rating: 5/5
Price: £4 ($6.08)
Scent Family:
  • Jacko Bath Bomb
Status: Kitchen Exclusive
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Fresh Orange Juice, Pumpkin Puree, Perfume, Cardamon Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Spearmint Oil, Gardenia Extract, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cinnamon, Eugenol, Limone, Colour 15510. 
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About Me

About Me
Welcome to my world of green beauty! I'm Christina, a twenty-something esthetician with a passion for natural, non-toxic, and effective products.

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