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.
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
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| 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.
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| 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
