My Top 10 Coffee Inspired Beauty Products.

Every year on the 1st October when International Coffee day comes around, I always think to myself that I wish I fore planned a really interesting post about coffee inspired beauty products as I have used a few over the last few years and always ended up loving them.

This year I have finally got myself organised and got a post I am really excited for you to see!

As far as drinking coffee I can confirm that I am a lover of coffee, however after cutting down from 6 grande Starbucks a day at uni, I can safely say I am now a one or two cup a day kind of girl!

So why do we love coffee so much?

Coffee has actually been thought to improve heart health (in moderation) and also prevent liver disease, although most people drink coffee to brighten them up and caffeinate them to tackle the day ahead. It is also a diuretic so it cleanses the digestive system, hence why people drink coffee after large meals.
These are the health benefits of coffee on the inside, but what can coffee do on the outside that sees it becoming more and more used in cosmetics?
Well pretty much the same to be honest. In skincare, coffee can cleanse and stimulate the skin, and for cosmetics, warm coffee colours are highly sought after around Autumn and Winter times.

I've chosen ten coffee inspired products which I think do coffee justice, all of which are affordable and from high street stores. So without further ado, here are my top 10 Coffee inspired Beauty products.

I featured this Cup O' Coffee Scrub, £7.25, Lush scrub on my Instagram the other day and it got a great reception from all of you saying you loved this product too. I also got a regram from the Australian Lush page so that was quite exciting for me! This exfoliating face and body scrub contains large chunks of coffee that stimulate the skin and sloughs away dead cells. It smells absolutely delicious and it leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and soft. The scrub is fairly abrasive so I use this maybe once a week when I want a really deep all over body exfoliate.



Whilst I use the Lush scrub once a week, I still like to gently exfoliate my face to avoid clogged pores when wearing makeup daily. I like to feel as though my face is always looking it's smoothest and the Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser, £15.50, Boots helps me do this on a daily basis but gently enough to not cause sensitivity. The main ingredients are GinZing and caffeine, so the range is really invigorating, brightening and radiance boosting. I have tried a few other products from the range which I absolutely loved so make sure you check out that post here.

Next I have a few coffee inspired nail polishes which I think are perfect for the next few months! Kicking of the coffee claws is Mavala nail polish in Espresso, £4.75, Boots which is a beautiful deep brown, perfect for someone who likes a dark polish but wants something warmer than black. I really like wearing this colour in Autumn and think it looks really sophisticated.

Alternatively, if you are someone who prefers a lighter, more natural looking nail, then Maybelline nail colour in Latte, £3.99, Boots may be the polish for you. It is a high gloss, barely there nude but it looks really beautiful on and adds a touch of polished, subtle, glamour to natural looking nails

Nails Inc Caffeine Hit Collection

Now if you are someone like me who likes to make a statement with your nails, then you should look no further than Rise and Grind, £11, Nails Inc which is actually from the 'Caffeine Hit' collection they brought out a short while ago. The collection itself is stunning and contains four coffee shades that actually dry smelling of coffee! If you ever liked the coffee flavour in ministerial chocolates (controversial, I know), then that is what the polish smells like when it is dry. 

Whilst the collection is beautiful, I think you can find other polishes on the market with similar colours for much less. For example, the Mavala Espresso polish is pretty much identical to Nails Inc's Espresso Martini and is a fraction of the price, but Rise and Grind is a beautiful blend of rose gold, orange and deep shimmers that I couldn't resist picking up!

 

The next coffee inspired beauty product is L'Oreal lip stick in Moka Chic, £6.99, Boots which I thought would actually be a little more brown due to it's name. However this shade is quite pink and is a beautiful natural nude. This is from the Colour Riche Matte Addiction range so it has a fairly matte formula. Unlike a lot of Matte's however, this formula is so creamy and doesn't dry the lips out at all. Whilst the lipstick is quite matte looking in the bullet, I don't think it gives a very matte finish. It is a really lovely colour so if you're looking for a affordable, beautiful pink nude then look no further than Moka Chic.

 

Next is an eye product and this is the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha, £5.50, Boots which can be used as an eyeliner and also an eye shadow stick. This subtle shimmery bronze/ gold is again, really pretty for the Autumn season. The pencil is really build-able on the lid and can be used to create a light every day look or something more sultry. On the look above, I used a light sweep of the shadow and grunged it up with black liner but using this product for the water line and inner corner will really open and brighten the eye.

 

Another pencil is the Rimmel 1000 Kisses lip liner in Cappuccino, £2.99, Boots which is a lovely deep brown to go with all the darker lip colours that we tend to wear more in the winter. This is a really durable lip liner and will keep lipsticks tightly inside the lip line.

Speaking of darker lips, this Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Mocha, £5.99, Boots is a fantastic long wearing dark nude lip. I tried this along with 'Latte To Go' from the collection but that was too light for me. After swatching them on my handing the shop, they did not budge all day and the same can be said for when they are on the lips. This is a very matte formula so once this dries down to matte it will not budge. I love using this with the Cappuccino lip liner to intensify the colour and it is a really gorgeous colour.

Wearing NYX Mocha eyes, Cappacino Lip Liner with Rimmel Stay Matte lip in Mocha

Finally is a body product which is the *Vita Liberata Body Blur in Latte, £29.50, Boots which is perfect for this time of year when you're looking for a faux glow. Vita Liberata is a very luxurious tanning company but their products are really gorgeous. I first saw this product on Victoria from In The Frow and remember how amazing her skin looked with this product on. The body blur is an instant tanner that lasts for 24 hours. It can be used all over the body and sparingly on the face as a makeup base or for a natural look. It dries so quickly so is perfect if you're in a rush and the finish really does blur any perfections leaving you with gorgeous bronzed, airbrushed looking skin.

So these are my favourite coffee infused or inspired beauty products. I really hoped you enjoyed the post as I spent a small fortune and ages researching individual products with coffee names to the point the staff in Boots thought I was a bit shifty! I also made my whole house stink of coffee from the beans in the cover photo so I hope you enjoyed and got some inspiration to add a little caffeine in your routine.

See you next time!

*sent as a PR Sample

ASOS Travel Essentials

ASOS is probably one of the biggest online shops in the UK, and since they have added a Face and Body section to the site, it has become one of my go to shops without needing to leave the house.

I bought all my Crayola beauty bits on there, and I noticed they were doing a limited edition travel box in the middle of Summer featuring some of the products they sell on the site. A lot of the products in the box were ones I have wanted to try for ages so I snapped up the box before it went out of stock, and for only £10, it went out of stock fast!

Some staple brands out there at the moment are OUAI, Glam Glow, Rodial and Too Faced. The beauty industry really is saturated with so many amazing brands, and as a beauty blogger I am ashamed to say I had never tried any of these before now! I thought buying this box would be a great introduction into using them, making sure I liked them before I delved a little deeper into each one.

One of the brands I had never heard of before was Touch In Sol, which is a Korean brand. The No Pore-Blem Primer, £15, ASOS is a lightweight primer which doesn't have that silicone feel afterwards. It is creamy and hydrating but looks a matte finish prepping the skin for makeup.

I wasn't mad about this primer, and probably wouldn't rush to go and buy it, but the brand in general offers skin care at a low price point, and Korean beauty is something I want to explore in the future so I may come back to this brand when the time is right.

Emma Hardie is a brand I have tried before, and I wrote about her amazing Moringa Cleansing balm a few years ago where I claimed it may be my favourite ever cleansing balm! It is definitely still up there in one of my favourite cleansers, so I was excited to try the Brilliant Face Oil, £39, ASOS

This is a very luxury brand and just a few small drops from the face oil before bed hydrates my skin until the morning. It contains essential oils and Omegas to help plump and generally feed your skin what it needs. It smells really lovely and this has become a staple part of my night time routine if I need something to give my skin a boost. It can be used on all skin types too including oilier skins, as it is a dry oil and doesn't leave a greasy finish.

Glam Glow is a brand you always see plastered over Instagram as it is very popular with the beauty community. If I'm honest, they're packaging has never screamed out to me as a brand I wanted to try as there are lots of different colours and I always found it a little confusing. I am so glad I got the chance to try them in this box though as I have loved using this Thirstymud Hydrating Glam to Glow Treatment, £16, ASOS. It smells super coco-nutty which makes me think of instant hydration, and the formula is very thin and clear, so you can either wash it off or let it sink into the skin which is what I like to do overnight.

I wake up to super hydrated, plump and soft skin after using it, and the smell really is just wonderful if you're into coconut!

I have always loved using  hair oil but I have never tried one infused with Rose and also never tried any products from OUAI which is so hugely popular. The OUAI Rose Hair and Body Oil, £26, ASOS is beautiful oil that I use on the ends of my hair to seal in moisture and smooth any fly aways. It smells really pretty and can also be used on the body so a great little multi purpose product. I really want to try some of the styling products from OUAI as they are meant to be unreal.

Another brand I have been desperate to try but been desperate to try is Rodial. In particular the Dragon's Blood range which I am sure I saw Kylie Jenner was a huge fan off. Included in this box was the Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Tonic, £38, ASOS, and it has become and it has become another staple item in my daily routine. I like to spray this on my face in the morning before I apply other skincare, and also just before I go to bed as an alternative to a thick cream or as a base for a facial oil such as the Emma Hardie one above.

This contains Hyaluronic acid which the skin naturally produces as a skin hydrator, so I like to use this under other products to help my skins natural production of this.

And yet another brand I have always wanted to try (seriously I am terrible beauty blogger) is makeup brand Too Faced. The Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, £10 for Travel Size / £19 Full Size, ASOS was unfortunately a little disappointing for me though. Although It did leave me with fairly nice looking lashes, I just found this mascara was so smudgey, and everytime I wore it I found myself with panda eyes or black random smudges around my eyes. Granted, the first time I wore it I was at a wedding so I may have been a little teary so forgave it, but ever since I have had the same problem. so maybe the waterproof one is worth trying. The hourglass shaped wand allows you to coat each lash and add volume and curl.

For me the effect of the mascara didn't justify the smudges. You can see in this image that the lower outer corner is a little messy and I found it did this throughout the day and transferred onto my upper lid too. 

I love that ASOS is now stocking beauty products, and I think boxes like this are a great way for people to discover and try out brands they may not usually experiment with.

Are you interested in any of these brands? If so want products have you tried and loved, or are there any you want to give a go?

Crayola Beauty

As soon as I heard Crayola were bringing out a beauty range, I thought that it was such a simple but amazing idea, and I would have to get my hands on some!

Makeup is all about colour and creativity, and Crayola is something you associate with both of those things, whether it is a child scribbling on a page, or an adult creating a wild festival look.

I am so glad they branded the products exactly the same as the crayons, as it brings out the inner child in all of us, and makes you instantly feel creative. Sold on ASOS, the range includes the crayons, mascaras, palettes, brushes and highlights. They really do stock every possible colour imaginable, so it caters to all skin tones too.

The prices are really reasonable too, so I can see it being incredibly easy to grow your collection quickly.

The highlighter crayon, £11, ASOS I got is in shade 'Desert Sand' as I wanted something a little warmer for the summer months when I use bronzer.

The formula has a really lovely shimmer and glides onto the skin really nicely.

It isn't the most blinding highlighter I've ever worn, but it looks really natural and pretty and melts into the skin.

Of course the real show stoppers are the Crayons,£9, ASOS themselves. I must admit I played it very safe when choosing my colours, but next time I'm willing to be a little bolder with my choices.

I had the intention of using the crayons as lipsticks so I went for Rose and Strawberry.

'Rose' is a really pretty pink that is wearable for day and night.

'Strawberry' is a punchy red with blue undertones. The collection does have a colour called 'Red' but that is a true red which may not suit all skin tones such as mine.

The design of the crayons means you can use the tip to get a perfect outline as liner around the lips, and then I used the crayon on its side to get a wider sweep of colour, and also to keep the vital tip pointed. 

They really do glide on are are really comfortable to wear, and also the smell of them is delicious. I don't know whether it was because I had pinkier shades, but they definitely had berry smells and tasted sweet too!

(I was an incredibly weird child who used to eat my wax crayons so I can confirm that these taste much better than the originals)

Using the crayons on the lips is the easiest way to wear your Crayolas, but why stop there?! Having red and pink shades, I have smudged a little over my cheeks to add a natural blush, and from following the Crayola Beauty instagram page, there is plenty of inspiration to get creative with your eyes too.

As someone who is a little inexperienced in eye makeup, the crayons are so blendable and require little to no tool, perfect for any novices or those just wanting to get stuck in.

The colours are so fun and bold, just a simple swipe of colour can make a huge impact, and I can't wait to blend two or more colours together to make a really cool look.

Send Nudes: My top 6 nude lipsticks

A few years ago, I was one of those poeple who just didn't see the point in a nude lipstick. My mindset was if it didn't have bold colour, then why bother?

Fast forward a few years on, and I now find myself reaching for a different nude lipstick to wear everyday, and it is safe to say I am a little obsessed, be it very late to the party.

Whilst I think it is very easy to look at a nude lipstick and say that is either a pinky nude or that is a browner nude, I have found some great nudes that cater to all tastes. I thought I would show you my top nudes that I have been wearing recently.



(From Left to Right)
Back Talk, Brave, Naked, Alessandra, Velvet Teddy, Fleur De Force

Back Talk

First on the list is 'Back Talk' from Urban Decay. This is probably the pinkiest shade I have in my collection and is from Urban Decay's Comfort Matte collection. As the description would suggest, this is a very wearable formula as it doesn't feel dry and chalky like some matte lipsticks can. I have spoken about this lipstick before and I love it as an intense dusty pink colour and it is really pretty. I especially love it in the winter as I think the deeper tones work well with Autumnal and Winter clothing colours.

Brave

As you can see from the picture I have worn down this lipstick! 'Brave' from MAC was actually my first ever nude lipstick which is why it has been well used. I bought this as I looked up Kylie Jenner lip look dupes back in the day where she was still pretending her pout was all good lip lining.  Although Velvet Teddy was the named shade she used, Brave was recommended for those with fairer complexions so I grabbed it and I absolutely love it.

(For my post on Kylie Jenner lips click here)

Naked

'Naked' from Urban Decay is the newest addition to my nude collection. I kept seeing posts on Instagram of this beautiful Urban Decay lipstick and everytime I enquired as to what shade it was, the answer was always this one. The fact I kept stumbling across it and asking about it meant I obviously really liked it so I bought it on my last pay day and I love it so much! It is a perfect peachy shade and it is really pretty. It is from the cream collection of lipsticks and is so comfortable and easy to wear. An absolute must have for summer.

Alessandra

'Alessandra' from MAC is a colloabortaion with Glamour magazine's very own beauty editor Alessandra Steinherr. This was released with the Fleur De Force collaboration (also featuring in this post) so if you want to read about them a bit more in depth then go to my post I did solely on them here. This is another pinky toned lipstick but the coverage is very sheer so just adds a hint of colour. If someone isn't confident wearing lipsticks this would be a perfect starter.

Velvet Teddy

I mentioned above about Kylie Jenne's signature lipstick she wore back in the day before her own lip kits. This shade was of course 'Velvet Teddy' by MAC. Due to this, Velvet Teddy is probably one of MAC's best selling lipsticks and they even brought out the fragrance to go with this iconic shade. Not wanting to be a sheep and follow the crowd, I have resisted buying this for a long time, however I went into MAC to have my makeup done for a wedding and I wanted a browner toned lipstick and the makeup artist put this on me unknowing of the shade. I absolutely loved it and when she revealed what she had used, I knew that it had its famous reputation for a reason so snapped it up. This is from the matte range so isn't the comfiest lipstick to wear, however I find it lasts all day and doesn't need reapplication.

Fleur De Force

So the other release of the MAC X Infulencers is blogger and Vlogger Fleur Westaways lipstick. 'Fleur De Force' by MAC is probably the brownest shade I could go for a natural looking lip due to being quite fair. This lipstick is a cream sheen formula so again the pigment hasn't got a huge impact but it adds a wash of bronze to the lip. I wore this a lot when I was in Marbella and I had a bit of a tan and it looked dreamy.

I would love your go to Nudes! Let me know in the comments!