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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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The original Karma bubble bar was one of the first bubble bars I ever tried from Lush, and when I first heard that they changed the look of it so drastically, I was a little upset. I really enjoyed the old version, and while it didn’t offer much color, it was a very nice product all around, so why fix what isn’t broken? Well, I decided to just order the new one to give it a try while it was still a UK exclusive, and I was a little sad to see that when it arrived, most of the glitter at the top had worn off, and most of the orange band had crumbled away. I blame this on the UK’s naked shipping method, because while environmentally friendly, it does tend to cause your products to arrive a bit worse for wear.. most of the items from this order ended up with a lot of color transfer. But, of course, there shouldn’t be any issues with product performance even after a bumpy journey, and I’m glad to say that this bubble bar worked beautifully.
I decided to use the entire bar, as I normally do when trying out a smaller bubble bar for the first time. Within moments, my bath was transformed into dark amethyst waters topped with mounds of fluffy bubbles. I really am not exaggerating when I say this is the most richly colored bath product I have ever used from lush, and it’s a very big improvement from the weak orange waters of the old formula. I couldn’t even see my hand when I touched the bottom of the tub, it was that deeply colored. The rich color mixed with the generous amount of bubbles means that this bar could easily be split across two or even more baths,and still leave you with vibrant purple waters and plenty of bubbles. My only complaint, was that the bubbles did disperse fairly quickly.
Another aspect that I found to have improved over the old formula is the scent. While it still smells identical to the classic patchouli Karma fragrance, I did find this to be much stronger than the original bubble bar. I really enjoy the sweet, musky scent of Karma, and the soap is a staple in my stash, so having an even stronger scent in the bath is always a treat.
This version of the bar also improved the condition of the water a great deal, something that I didn’t notice all that much with the old version. I don’t know what ingredients the old bar contained, but the updated bar is filled with moisturizing ingredients like olive oil, cocoa butter, and mango butter. It also contains lemongrass oil which not only tones the skin, but has uplifting and anti-depressive properties. Elemi oil is a product I had never heard of before, but it tones the skin, balances sebum production, and acts as a natural painkiller. Patchouli, pine, lavender, and orange oil combine for an uplifting and soothing aromatic experience.
This was a beautiful bubble bar, much improved from it’s predecessor. It offered water in an unbelievable hue, generous bubbles, and a fragrant, moisturizing soak. The only way I could hope to see this improved would to be a little dash of luster next time, since mine was all but rubbed off.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Price: 
  • UK £4.25
  • US $11.95
  • It’s twice the price in the US, and as with most products, I highly recommend ordering from the UK. It still ends up being cheaper even with the slightly higher shipping cost.
Status: Permanent
Vegan?: Yes
Would I repurchase? Yes
Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Corn Starch (Zea Mays), Mango Butter (Mangifera indica), Fragrance, Citric Acid, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Lavandin Oil (Lavandula Hybrida), Pine Oil (Pinus sylvestris), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus), Elemi Oil (Canarium commune), Deep Purple Lustre (Red 28, Blue 1, Aluminium Potassium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide), Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Laureth 4, *Citral, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Copper Sheen and Radiant Gold Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides), Gold Glimmer Lustre (Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides, Silica), Yellow 6 Lake. *Occurs naturally in essential oils
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I was intrigued by the charitable aspect of this hand cream, and I was on the hunt for a new lotion to keep on my desk at work. This little black pot is full of nourishing ingredients, and 100% of the proceeds go towards various grassroots organizations. You can read all about the Charity aspect of the product and the company’s SLush Fund initiative here. 
This lotion contains moisturising ingredients such as olive oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, shea butter and cocoa butter. This makes for a nourishing cream. I was a little unsure at first because it ends to be a little greasy if you put too much on, but overall it is very hydrating and it has a beautifully silky texture. I also find that the “greasiness” left behind feels more like a protective barrier against dehydration, which makes this a great cream for winter. 
When I smelled this lotion for the first time, I immediately thought of a little Italian bakery I pop into from time to time. I’m not sure how the geranium, rosewood, ylang ylang, and vanilla essential oils combine to create that doughy, sweet smell, but I swear it does. The scent is quite strong when you first apply the lotion, but after 15 minutes or so, it mellows out to a gentle sweet fragrance, pretty much undetectable unless you put your hands right up to your nose.
I love the creamy luxurious feel and the charitable aspect of this cream. This is the first lotion I have tried from Lush, and I’m really excited to see what else they have to offer!
Rating: 5
Price: Small £6.95/$6.95 for 95g/1.7oz or Large £13.50/$25.95 for 240g/8.4oz
Status: Permanent, charity item
Vegan? Yes
Would I repurchase?: Yes
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Glycerine, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Moringa Oil (Moringa Oleifera), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Stearic Acid, Fresh Aloe Gel (Aloe Secundiflora), Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Triethanolamine, Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia), Cetearyl Alcohol, *Citronellol, *Coumarin, Geraniol, *Linalool, *Limonene, Fragrance . *Occurs naturally in essential oils
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This is my first Halloween as a Lushie, so I was excited to see what spooky treats LUSH had in store for me. While this collection was small, I feel like they only released the cream of the crop. I was Incredibly happy that the collection featured THREE items with the Lord of Misrule scent! As soon as I read that Lord of misrule features vanilla, patchouli, and black pepper, I knew it would be a must-have, even before taking a whiff myself. This gooey green cream, perhaps reminiscent of a ghostly ectoplasm, is absolutely decadent. It is most noticeably very vanilla, but the spicy dash of black pepper and earthy patchouli save it from being too sickly sweet, and have an uplifting effect on your mood.
This shower gel also contains some ingredients that are wonderful for your skin. Wheat germ oil offers a dose of  Vitamin E, which softens and moisturizes skin and is even suspected to lessen the appearance of scars and stretch marks in high concentrations.
The consistency of this shower cream  caught me off guard. I had heard some people say it was nice and thick, as you would expect a shower cream to be. Others complained it was a little thinner than they expected, but I had no idea it was anywhere near as watery as it turned out to be  - it was even even thinner than The Olive Branch!  They must have some inconsistencies between batches, because a few weeks later I ordered a 500ml bottle from the UK for my mom, and it was thick like I had expected mine to be. I'm not too bothered by it as it's not my favorite scent, and only a tiny bottle, but I just would've liked a more luxurious texture. It does lather beautifully either way though. One nice surprise was the pretty and subtle lustre, which certainly made the concoction look extra magical, and it rinsed off easily. I would definitely repurchase this product., as long as I could be sure it's the thicker version!
Rating 4 out of 5 (-1 for consistency)
Price £4.75/$7.35 for 100g, £9.50/$14.70 for 250g, £15.95/$24.69 for 500g, £27.50/$42.57 for 1kg.
Ingredients Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Patchouli and Peppercorn Infusion (pogostermon cablin; Piper nigrum), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Lactic Acid, Organic Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare), Black Pepper Oil (Piper nigrum), Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Titanium Dioxide, Limonene, Linalool, Snowflake Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide), Colour 42090, Colour 47005, Mathylparaben, Propylparaben.
Vegan? Yes!
Would I repurchase? Yes
Goes Well With Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb, Butterball Bath Bomb, Aliens & Monsters Fun, The Rough With The Smooth Body Scrub
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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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