#FashionableFruitFriday - Natural DIY Lip Sugar Scrubs Recipes

Photo Credit: .craig via Compfight cc

Cold weather can be a real pain in the peaches. Winter is a beauty battlefield and dry hair, dry skin and, of course, dry lips are the casualties. It can be hard traversing the makeup counters and pharmacies in the rainy, bitter months for a lip product that ticks all your boxes: moisturising, hydrating, cheap, long-lasting, exfoliating, natural - to name a few.

However, if you can see your office fruit box from across the room; it's sweet, delicious, natural treats just crying out to be eaten then you may be in luck - and be saving yourself from an expensive trek to the lip care aisle.

The restorative, beauty-enhancing effects of fruit have long been embraced - especially by us here at Fruit For The Office HQ! - so why shouldn't you be using them to keep dry, chapped lips at bay?


Edible Lip Sugar Scrub Recipe

• brown or white sugar
• extra virgin coconut oil
• fruit, essential oils or natural flavourings of your choice
• small airtight container to store it in

- Take whatever size container you want to store your lip scrub in and fill it halfway up with your sugar to measure.

- Remove the sugar then transfer to a mixing bowl

- Measure the coconut oil in the container as well, ensuring it also fills up to halway to get a 1:1 ratio of sugar to oil

- Transfer the measured oil to the mixing bowl then add your selected fruit, essential oils or natural flavourings at this point 

- Gently combine the sugar, oil and added ingredients together, making sure not to let the sugar granules dissolves by mixing for too long

- Spoon the scrub into your chosen container and refrigerate to keep it fresh for around 2-3 weeks, remove  from fridge five minutes before use to let soften

Flavour Ideas:

• Freshly squeezed Orange or Lemon juice and Honey 

The sweet combination of vitamin-packed citrus and soothing honey will have your lips kiss ready in no time

• Pumpkin puree and Cinnamon

Not only will your lip scrub taste like a winter dessert, pumpkin is full of skin saving Vitamin E! However, if using pumpkin puree, use it instead of the coconut oil in the recipe.

• Cranberry and Vanilla

Finely chopped dried cranberries are easy to order from your office fruit supplier and taste amazing combined with natural vanilla flavouring - just be sure not to eat the entire batch before your lips have had a pampering!



Tweet us @office_fruit and let us know your favourite winter dry skin remedies or leave them in the comments below!

As always, be sure to do a 48-hour patch test for all of these ingredients and recipes because although it's all natural, it doesn't mean it will have the same effect on everyone's skin!

#FashionableFruitFriday - Fashion Forecast: Spring Summer SS14 Tropical Fruit Trend

Liora Lassalle - Soft Fruit,
Hard Lines at Wowcracy

London Fashion Week may have just ended but let's not get ahead of ourselves with the temptation of the gorgeous Autumn/Winter collections showcased - even though the doom and gloom of February had me wishing for one of the many stunning coats that went down the runway.

The Spring/Summer London Fashion Week last September may just be a distant memory for many of us but now is the time to get buying and wearing the trends we fawned over almost six months ago.

Liora Lassalle - Soft Fruit,
Hard Lines at Wowcracy

As much as I'd love to take you through every trend you'll see this Spring and Summer, as an office fruit supplier we had just one trend in our mind, heart and stomach - fruit.

Tropical fruit is a huge mainstay for this season and works well in conjunction with typical SS trends of neon, florals and pastels.


Designers such as Liora Lassalle and Clements Ribeiro were practically announcing their tropical fruit influences to revellers of SS14 London Fashion Week in September and now that the high street has caught up and started to bring in their range of next season goodies it's clear that their exotic fruit trend has caught on.

Orange Print Slingback Espadrilles
River Island - £25

Pineapple Print Blouse
River Island - £22

Pineapple Runner Shorts
Topshop - £14

Lemon Print Dungarees
River Island - £40

Tweet us @office_fruit and let us know if you'll be looking triumphant in tropical or safeguarding the SS staples of neon, pastel or floral. Also, give us a shout in the comments if you'd like to see more fashion forecasts from Fruit for the Office!

#FashionableFruitFriday - Easy DIY Hair Mask Recipes for Dry, Winter-Damaged Hair

If you're anything like us, nothing makes you feel better than a luscious head of hair. No matter how fit you've become with our help, dried and damaged tresses will make you look and feel unhealthy! But rather than shelling out your hard earned cash on a professional treatment or a bottle full of who-knows-what-chemicals, head for the kitchen and go all-natural! Fruit for the Office have dived hair first into the internet to bring you the best DIY hair treatments that you can make with any leftover fruit from your favourite office fruit supplier!

Banana Hair Mask

• 2 bananas
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mash the bananas making sure to leave no chunks or even better - use a blender! Whisk the egg white then mix in thoroughly with the banana along with the remaining ingredients.

Wash, shampoo and towel dry hair. Make sure you're prepared for the mess with old towels and clothes! Cover you hair all over in the mask paying careful attention to the driest areas i.e. the ends. Once covered, put on a shower cap to avoid dripping and to add warmth. 

Leave on for at least 30 minutes or longer depending on how much your hair resembles straw! Wash out thoroughly until every last trace is washed away - using a small amount of shampoo - then dry and style as normal!

Strawberry Hair Mask

• Medium punnet of strawberries
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mash or preferably blend the strawberries until a puree. Whisk the egg then mix in with the strawberries and olive oil.

Wash, shampoo and towel dry hair. Cover you hair all over in the mask from root to tip. Once covered, put on a shower cap to avoid dripping and to add warmth. 

Leave on for around 20 mins then wash out thoroughly using a small amount of shampoo. Dry and style as normal!

Let us know which of these all-natural intensive hair treatments worked best for you and any recipes you use yourself at home. Also, make sure to send us photos of your pampered locks @office_fruit - just be careful they don't blind us with their new shine!


Photo Credit: sanberdoo via Compfight cc

Recipe Sources: | Thoughts in Little Boxes | Daily Glow |

P.S. Before using, we advise our readers to do a patch test 48 hours before to avoid any adverse reactions. All recipes are used at own risk.

#FashionableFruitFriday - Ida Frosk, Instagram Idol and Food Artist

We're always trying to make our fruit look as good as possible whether it's an office fruit delivery neatly packed up and ready to enjoy at your desk each morning or it's one of our bespoke fruit baskets, we pride ourselves on making our already naturally good-look fruit that little bit more tarted up.

But Ida Frosk, Norwegian cool foodie, has really taken the strawberry shortcake with her ongoing series of beautiful food art - that, in case you were wondering, she does devour afterwards! As Ida rightly says on her blog (http://idafrosk.blogspot.co.uk) "Anything else would be very wasteful and completely defer my main aim: to make tasty AND good looking meals."

So here's our favourite fruity pieces from her most recent instagram posts - which we definitely recommend you follow, by the way: http://instagram.com/idafrosk

Think you can do better? Tweet us at @office_fruit with the hashtag #fruitfortheartist and send us your attempts at making some great tasting and great looking pieces!

#FashionableFruitFriday - DIY Fruit Face Masks for Oily Skin & Acne

Summer can play havoc with our skin - the most common complaint being sunburn leading to dryness. But what about us oily/combination girls?! The summer months make us want to hide away inside for fear of blinding people with our shiny faces or giving someone a shock with our sweaty spots. But, I feel for you, as I can proudly say I'm an oily/acne prone gal. So, why not give yourself a summer night treat? Order some fruit from your office fruit supplier and mash it up into a great mask to help ease you on your way to less angry skin.




Disclaimer! Just because your tastebuds enjoy these ingredients, doesn't mean your especially sensitive skin will! Always do a patch test before applying to make sure any of these masks won't make your skin any angrier. And remember, these are just short term treatments - if you have severe acne, make sure to see a dermatologist or your GP and get those bad boys sorted by a professional!


(Top tip: Store your DIY Fruit For the Office mask in the fridge for a half hour before using to cool that hot, sweaty skin! And make sure to use right away, as these fresh ingredients will perish fast.)


Lemon and Honey

• Tightens + unclogs pores
• Fades acne scars and aging spots
• Honey's natural antibacterial properties stops spots and blemishes
• Brightens skin tone
• Leaves the face glowing and radiant

- Half a lemon

- 2 tbsp organic honey

How to Make:

Squeeze half a lemon into a bowl, add 2 tbsp of organic honey and mix until combined. Apply over a clean face, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 10-15 mins, rinse away and apply moisturiser.

Strawberry and Yogurt

• Moisturises skin
• Seeds exfoliate
• Brightens skin tone
• Fades acne scars 
• Leaves skin smoother

- 5 fresh strawberries

- 1/2 tbsp plain greek yoghurt

- 2 tsp organic honey

How to Make:

Mash 5 fresh strawberries with a fork, in a bowl, until smooth. Add 1/2 tbsp of yogurt and 2 tsp of honey and mix until combined. Apply mask to clean face, avoiding the eye area and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse away and apply moisturiser. 

Banana and Oats

• Great for sensitive skin
• Oats exfoliate
• Anti-aging effects
• Moistures and improves skin tone
• Smoothes skin and reduces inflammation from angry spots

- 1 ripe banana

- 1 tbsp organic honey

- 4 tbsp of porridge oats

- Mineral water

How to Make:

Mash 1 ripe banana with a fork in a bowl then mix in 1 tbsp of honey. Stir in 4 tbsp of oats and then add small amounts of mineral water until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Apply the mask to clean skin and leave on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing away and applying moisturiser.


Let us know in the comments how this helps your skin issues and if you have any home remedies of your own!


Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FashionableFruitFriday - Fruity Lipglosses & Balms

The sunshine definitely takes its toll on our bodies (just take one look at us 'Lobster Red Ladies Gang' here at Fruit for the Office!) so we never forget to slather ourselves in moisturisers and after sun after a long day under its rays. 

But, we almost always forget those pretty little pouters on our faces - and with all the flaking, breaking and cracking your kissing instruments will endure after a sunbathing session, you know they are dying for hydration! (And dying to look perfectly smoochable)

Of course though, this office fruit supplier desires only the sweetest, juiciest and fruitiest be applied to our heated gobs so we scoured the internet for our favourite fruit flavoured lip products - because, what else were we going to be using?!

100% Pure 
Fruit Pigmented Lipglosses

Coloured with real fruit and vegetable pigments, this range of glosses pride themselves on having no synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances or artificial colors - just like the rest of their range!


Fruity Flavours: cherry, plum, peach, grapefruit

Lush
'It Started With a Kiss' Lip Tint

Everyone's favourite British-born bath, body and beyond company has made it twice onto our list thanks to their handmade products and skin-loving ingredients. This balm also doubles as a stick thanks to it's pinky-red tint for a one-stop swatch of both colour and care!

Fruity Flavours: red apple, orange, redcurrants

Lush

'Lip Service' Lip Balm

Just a regular balm for those who like to keep things simple - and natural - this fruity lip soother comes encased in a super versatile and mobile tin.

Fruity Flavours: apricot, tangerine 

Stila
Lip Glaze

The brand on every fashionista's must-have list, Stila is one heck of a cosmetics company. So we definitely took notice when we saw how many delectable fruit flavours their classic lipgloss comes in! In an easy to use and easy to store click-pen packaging, this lip glaze is office pen pot friendly! (Perfect for those quick after-work drinks touch ups!)

Fruity Flavours: papaya, honeydew, guava, banana, raspberry





Be sure to give us feedback on this new #FashionableFruitFriday post, especially if you want to see more - or if you just want to add your favourite fruity lip product to the list!

Comment below or give us a tweet @office_fruit


Photo Credit: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |