Pucker Up For Winter With DIY Sugar Lip Scrubs

Kate Puhala
Nov 13, 2013

It’s time to step up your beauty game for winter, so naturally, the first thing you should do to prep is…raid your pantry! No joke—pantry essentials like oils and sugar are key to natural exfoliating. We showed you how to use these ingredients to create face scrubs to suit your skin type, and now were tackling chapped lips with these six DIY sugar scrubs.

We used two bases to create our scrubs. Each has extra virgin coconut oil—an amazing natural moisturizer that’s loaded with antioxidants—and either brown sugar or cane sugar as the exfoliants. The cane sugar was finer, resulting in a more gentle scrub. While we recommend one or the other in our recipes, be sure to use whatever type is best for your lips.

Adding the rest of the ingredients is up to you—or really, up to your pantry! Since we’re stocking up on spices and other flavor enhancers for holiday baking, now is the perfect time to get creative with festive combos. And once these scrubs are jarred, they’d make perfect stocking stuffers or white elephant gifts. So pucker up!

Ingredients:
– brown or white sugar

– extra virgin coconut oil

– chopped herbs and fruits of your choice

– flavor extracts and spices of your choice

Instructions:
 1. Choose your container, and measure your exfoliant so that the container is just about half full.

2. Measure the coconut oil—you want a 1:1 ratio of oil to sugar.

3. Transfer oil and sugar to a mixing bowl, then add the chopped herbs and fruits, followed by flavor extracts and spices of your choice. Add each of these “to taste.”

4. Mix gently to combine—over-mixing will make the granules begin to dissolve.

5. Add scrub to an air-tight storage container and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Remove from fridge at least five minutes before use so that the mixture can soften.

Our first lip scrub combines white sugar, fresh rosemary, and a few drops of peppermint extract. The minty bite of peppermint not only cools your lips as you exfoliate, but helps to freshen your breath, too!

Be sure to chop the fresh rosemary to bits before you add it to the bowl. When you mix, use more of a folding motion than a stir so that you don’t dissolve the sugar. Your lips would be so sad!

This sugar lip scrub was inspired by the fragrant clove-studded oranges that everyone makes for their trees around Christmastime. We have to say, the combo of orange, clove, and honey is a winner in the beauty department too!

Use about the same amount of hydrating honey and freshly squeezed, vitamin-packed orange juice for this recipe. Then finish with a light dusting of potent ground clove and orange zest. As soon as you start mixing, you can smell the ingredients at work. This just might be our favorite of the bunch!

The final white sugar scrub will please flavor purists—the only add in is spicy cinnamon.

Mix and mash—it’s really that simple! Be sure to transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge between uses.

Not only is pumpkin an ingredient of choice this time of year, it has a ton of amazing moisturizing properties, like skin-soothing vitamin E. We couldn’t resist indulging in the spirit of the season by topping this brown sugar scrub with freshly grated nutmeg.

While all of our other sugar scrub recipes call for an equal ratio of coconut oil to sugar, sub in one scoop of pumpkin puree for coconut oil in this batch. The resulting scrub tastes like the beginnings of a killer pumpkin pie (yes, we might have licked our lips while testing this one).

If honey is totally OK to use in sugar lip scrubs, then you can definitely use equally sticky and equally delicious maple syrup, right? Right! Here’s how:

The combo of brown sugar, rich maple syrup, and a dash sweet almond flavor smells so comforting. Like you can close your eyes and imagine your mom cooking pancakes on Christmas morning. And let’s be real, you can totally whip up a fall-flavored batch with most of the ingredients in this post!

For the last sugar scrub, we made a brown sugar concoction using vanilla extract and chopped dried cranberries, because, why not?

This classic winter flavor combo is so satisfying. The tart cranberries and warm vanilla flavors mix the more you scrub your lips. If that’s not great motivation to get silky smooth lips, we don’t know what is!

Be sure to top your finished scrubs with garnishes that indicate what’s inside, like a small sprig of rosemary or a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg. It was so fun to make a mix of sweet and fresh flavors that evoke the scents of the holidays. On that note, wouldn’t these little jars make the perfect stocking stuffers?

If you want to dress them up for gift giving, you can always label their main ingredients and tie it onto the jar with festive embroidery floss. We used colors that matched our ingredients, like a muted orange string for the pumpkin spice scrub and bright green string for the rosemary and peppermint one.

Once their lids are on, they’re ready to bestow holiday cheer to your beauty buff besties! Just be sure to tell the lucky recipients to store them in the fridge in between uses.

What other DIY beauty products have you made at home? What are your favorite natural ingredients to use in skincare products? Talk to us in the comments below!

Emma Mackey, Jenna Ortega, & Glen Powell's New Movie Is A Win For Barbies Everywhere

Emma Mackey and Glen Powell are proving Barbie summer and Twisters summer really can last forever. The two actors are starring alongside Jenna Ortega in J.J. Abrams' new film and I'm absolutely losing my mind. All three actors are truly comedy geniuses with super dramatic acting chops to boot, and I just know their scenes together are going to be cinematic gold. We don't have too much information about the movie just yet but I've scoured the internet for every little detail you need to know — keep checking back here for updates!

Keep reading for everything we know about J.J. Abrams' new movie starring Glen Powell, Jenna Ortega, and Emma Mackey.

The untitled Warner Bros. movie will start filming in early-2025, which means we could see it in 2026. The movie was rumored to have a time travel plotline but that's not actually the case, according to The Hollywood Reporter. We also know that J.J. Abrams is serving as both writer and director (slay), which he's done on Mission: Impossible III, Super 8, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (double slay).

In addition to this new movie, Glen Powell's also eyeing a reunion with Tom Cruise for Top Gun 3, while Jenna Ortega's Wednesday season 2will hit Netflix in 2025. Warner Bros. is also giving us Margot Robbie's Wuthering Heights, which is another win for Barbies everywhere.

In addition to Barbie, you can watch Emma Mackey in Sex Education, Emily, and Death on the Nile. Glen Powell proves his rom-com capabilities with Set It Up on Netflix, while Jenna Ortega totally wowed us in Beetlejuice 2.

Are you excited for this brand new, ever so secretive movie? Check out 11 New Movies Coming In December To Add To Your Calendar ASAP for more titles you can watch starting next week!

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10 Tips For Fake Drinking When You’re Secretly Pregnant

When you're often the life of the party and happen to be partnered up and in your 30s, you'll instantly turn heads when you say no to booze. I can personally attest to the difficulty of this. As someone who loves happy hour and has a particular affinity for lemon drop shotsin totally inappropriate settings, there was no way I could get away with *not* drinking without inviting questioning looks.

Before I give you the guide to fake drinking when you're secretly pregnant, let me take this moment to make a PSA. If you see that a female friend of yours isn't drinking and she usually does, try not to ask her if she's expecting in front of everyone. She might be secretly pregnant, taking fertility drugs that can't be combined with alcohol, just trying to lower her dosage of alcohol with the hope that it helps her get pregnant. There's also the chance she might just be…not drinking. Be as it may, no one wants to be bombarded with pregnancy questions.

Of course, not everyone is going to take my PSA seriously, so I've got some tips and tricks for all you pre-reveal preggos. These same tips apply to gals who are not drinking because they are trying to conceive. I was personally in this non-drinking camp for about five months before getting pregnant.

And how's this for proof? I organized and attended a bachelorette party for two of my very best friends with about eight of my other besties present — and no one had ANY idea I was pregnant. So, trust me — I'm a bona fide pro at fake drinking.


Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Keep reading for the best tips to happily sip drinks in a way that won't make your besties raise an eyebrow

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Opt for canned beer

This was one of my earliest discoveries in the world of fake drinking. No one can see your drink when it's in a can. You might read that and think, yeah so? Well, take that can with you to the other can, and dump it out in the sink. Fill it up with water and no one will be the wiser. In fact, they'll think — wow, she's really blasting through those Coors Lights. Pro tip: Be sure to wipe any water drips off the can before you leave the bathroom, and rinse the sink so there's no errant beer foam floating around.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

If you have to order a real drink, choose a clear cocktail. This is the classic move. You creep over to the bar when no one else is around, and order a club soda with lime. Think of it as a mocktail. Be sure to ask the bartender to serve it to you in a cocktail glass — a giant water glass or plastic cup is a dead giveaway.

If it's impossible to get alone time at the bar, order a vodka soda (or gin and tonic). Then take it to the bathroom, dump out the liquid (use a straw to keep the ice and any garnishes in the cup), then fill it with water instead. Complain about the soda or tonic being flat if anyone questions your drink's lack of tiny bubbles.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Make friends with bartenders. At first, bartenders give you a bit of side-eye when you ask for a club soda in a cocktail glass. They won't ask you what the deal is, but you can let them assume what they like — especially when you order that second or third club soda in a cocktailglass.

If you're feeling cavalier, and you and the bartender have really hit your stride, you can even say, “I'll take anything non-alcoholic that looks like a cocktail." I actually made SUCH good friends with a bartender at a wedding where I was fake drinking that every time I came over to the bar, he immediately winked at me and gave me “my regular." My friends guffawed at the fact that I was already friends with the bartender. Pro.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Allude to a possible tannin allergy. Wine is the toughest thing to fake, so don't even try. Tell your friends about how, out of nowhere, you've started to get headaches immediately after drinking a glass of wine. When they're like, “Is it just when you drink red?" reply with a frustrated sigh, “No, both red and white make me feel crappy — maybe it's a tannin thing?" Then get your faux canned beer or clear mocktail, and call it a day.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Ginger ale is a GREAT substitute for Champagne. Ginger ale looks like Champagne, it smells kind of like Champagne, and if your friends are tipsy enough and take a sip, they'll actually believe that it IS Champagne. Don't overdo this one though — too much sugary soda is not a good thing for you and your secret babe!

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Pretend to be getting over a cold (so no one asks for a sip). After all, it's sick season! [Insert fake coughs here]

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Always be the one to order or serve a round of shots. Shots are one of the toughest things to fake. Like, really difficult. And you might be thinking, who still takes shots anyway? Well, the answer is: I do. Or rather, I did. It would have been impossible to be at my two besties' bachelorette party without at least one round of shots. So what's a preggo to do? Serve 'em up, of course.

Because shots are best served as a surprise to inspire a second wind in any given party, you can creep into the kitchen to set things up. Pour all but one, and fill that one with a substitute. Ideally, it looks like what you're serving, and if that's not possible, make 3-5 of them vodka shots including yours, which is actually… water! If ordering shots at a bar, you're probably already friends with the bartender, so just ask him to make yours a fake one and to put a napkin or coaster under it on the tray that comes out.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Keep a drink in your hand at all times. This is an obvious one, but it's worth mentioning. If you don't have a drink on hand, someone will either hand you one or give you a hard time for not drinking. DO NOT give them that opportunity ;)

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Never leave your drink unattended. Hopefully, you already have this rule in your wheelhouse from your college days. In this case, the key here is avoiding two things: friendly refills and someone accidentally picking up your drink and finding out it's phony.

Rosee Canfield for Brit + Co

Avoid being the first one to hit the hay. If you've already been squirreling around on the beverage front, the next clear sign that you might be secretly pregnant is when you're the first one to go to bed. So don't do that. Don't go to bed. Ever! Okay, at some point you'll need to go to bed because you need a TON of sleep in your first trimester, but avoid being the first party pooper at all costs.

And don't use getting up early “for a run" or “to do some work" as an excuse for going to bed — friends that know you will see right through that.

And there you have it, all you need to know about being a fake party animal when you're in the very early stages of expecting. Cheers! (But fake cheers, obvs.)

What are your best fake drinking tips? Share them with us @BritandCo!

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'Moana 2' Composers Barlow And Bear On Imposter Syndrome & Their Fave Disney Movies

TikTok sensations Barlow & Bear are no stranger to the spotlight. Besides the fact their Unofficial Bridgerton Musical won a Grammy (and basically broke the internet), popstar Abigail Barlow has millions of streams of her own, while Emily Bear performed in places like the White House and Carnegie Hall before turning 10.

So, it’s safe to say these two know what they’re doing. But one thing they never saw coming? Composing a Disney movie — or becoming the first female duo to do so. But that’s exactly what happened when they booked Moana 2.

Keep reading for our exclusive interview with Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear.

  • Barlow and Bear composed Moana 2, in theaters November 27.
  • They're the first female duo to compose a Disney movie and they hope the experience shows young girls "that their voices matter."
  • The duo also spilled on how Lin Manuel Miranda, who composed the original, "empowered" them.

How Barlow And Bear's Bond Influences Their Art

“We have such a sacred sisterhood!” Abigail tells me over email. “We met and found musical soulmates in one another. It’s more than just special. It’s a once in a lifetime connection that laid an incredibly strong foundation for creation.”

“Most of my life I’ve been the only girl in the room writing with much older people,” Emily adds. “Honestly because Abigail and I are like sisters, it creates such a safe place to be vulnerable together and create without restraint. When writing for Moana 2, we leaned on that emotional connection to explore the complexities of the story and how much we see ourselves in Moana!”

And the empowering message of the film, which follows Moana’s journey through Oceania, actually influenced their art. “Every day that I worked on Moana, I was empowered to continuously choose who I wanted to be,” Abigail says. “A leader, a listener, and a learner. In being tasked to write for this movie, I was being asked to go past my comfort zones. I think by being completely open hearted to this experience, it allowed me clarity when crafting the lyric and melody with Emily.”

“Moana 2 is a story about finding strength through vulnerability, and that message became a huge theme in the music,” Emily says. “All our characters’ journeys reminded us to embrace our imperfections and trust the process of growth — no matter how painful it may seem in the moment. Moana is THAT girl. No one defines her but herself and writing for such an inspiring heroine FOR SURE inspired us right back.”

Why Abigail Barlow And Emily Bear Loved Working On 'Moana 2'

Walt Disney Studios

But considering the fact these two women are huge Disney fans (Abigail tells me her favorite Disney movies are The Little Mermaid and Frozen, while Emily loves Hercules and Mulan), one of the most inspiring details about their involvement is the fact that Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear’s Moana 2 score marks the first time a female duo has composed a Disney movie — and it’s a moment they don’t take for granted.

“I hope this shows [young girls] that their voices matter,” Emily says. “Growing up, I barely saw people who looked like me in roles like this, so being here now feels surreal. I want girls and women to know that their stories are powerful and deserve to be told. I really hope that Abigail and I can continue to open doors for more female creatives in film and music.”

And Abigail agrees. “I hope our story encourages young girls and women to forge their own path, and to never let anyone tell them they can’t do something.”

But this unbelievable experience didn’t come without its challenges. “Imposter syndrome is so real and a part of life for every single creative, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying,” Emily says.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the ride, trust the fall, and be so grateful for the opportunity to be a role model for any little girl who might have a song in her heart,” Abigail says. “It’s an absolute honor and privilege to show her that anything — even magic — is possible.”

And according to Emily, the challenge of imposter syndrome actually propels her forward. “I do feel like that little voice of self-doubt pushes me to do the best work I possibly can do…I zoom out and focus on the bigger picture: the little girls watching this movie and realizing they, too, can dream as big as they want.”

How Lin Manuel-Miranda Empowered Barlow And Bear

One friendly face that provided a soft place to land was actually the original movie’s composer, Lin Manuel-Miranda! To no one’s surprise, theIn The Heights and Hamilton writer had some wonderful advice for Barlow and Bear.

“He was such a wonderful resource especially at the inception of the project when we were just setting sail,” Emily jokes. “He urged us to lean into our heroes for inspiration!”

“He gave me a stack of books I needed to buy,” Abigail adds. “Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim, LYRICS by Oscar Hammerstein, Lyrics on Several Occasions by Ira Gershwin to name a few. He empowered me to study the craft of musical theatre storytelling in a way I never had before.”

And thanks to Barlow and Bear, a whole new generation of young women will dream about musical theatre storytelling now too!

Check out Moana 2 in theaters November 27, 2024. Check out the latest news on the Live-Action Moana too!

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