Tag Coffee

To be or not to be… practical? That is the (ultimate beauty) question. The plight of all makeup wearers has always been the choice between practicality and aesthetics—especially when it comes to lipstick. We’ve adapted, of course. Carrying mini mirrors in our purses, constantly reapplying and blotting, and counting on our friends (the good ones) to tell us if we have any smudges on our teeth. But does it have to be this way? What if we could go out without digging for the right shade of lipstick to replace the coat now smudged on our coffee cup? Enter: the best lip stains that get the job done.

Lip stains are not new, but they’re increasingly becoming the lip product of choice. We’re entering a new age where the best makeup is made to suit our lifestyles, not get in the way of them. From multi-tasking products to trends that celebrate what we actually look like, it was only a matter of time before we swapped out smudgy lipsticks for long-lasting color choices fit for all skin tones.

Featured image from our interview with Cyndi Ramirez by Belathée Photography.

Lip trends are no longer just about the color du jour. The best products prioritize hydrating ingredients and powerful pigments. The matte trend gave us long-wearing products, but the trade-off was dry lips. The enduring glazed lip trend offers hydration, but not the transfer-free pouts that work for our everyday lives. So if you’re seeking products that nourish your lips and last through the day, read on to discover the best lip stains on the market.

The Difference Between Lipsticks and Lip Stains

There used to be just lip balms and lipsticks. Now we’re spoiled by choice. Lipsticks are your classic creamy makeup staple. But now there are also liquid lipsticks, which give you the same coverage without the waxy coating.

So, what sets the lip stains, oils, and tints taking over the beauty sphere apart? Let’s investigate.

• Lip Tints: A sheer color option for a more effortless look.
• Lip Gloss: A sticky gloss coating that gives your lips a shiny surface.
• Lip Oils: An oil-based product with a liquid, glazed finish.
• Lip Stains: A long-lasting liquid that absorbs into the skin.

What makes a lip stain long-lasting?

Unlike other lip products, lip stains don’t just sit on top of your lips. They absorb into your skin to create a long-lasting pigment that doesn’t budge. Since the pigment is not on the surface of your skin, it’s transfer-proof.

Ingredients to Look For in a Lip Stain

The best lip stains are as nourishing as they are pigmented. Look for ingredients that give your skin moisture and lasting hydration, such as:

• Jojoba oil
• Shea butter
• Coconut oil
• Squalane
• Hyaluronic acid
• Beeswax
• Honey
• Aloe vera
• Petroleum jelly
• Avocado
• Vitamin E

How to Apply a Lip Stain

The right lip stain goes—and stays—on smooth. But preparing your pout doesn’t hurt. Some lip stains go on with just one swipe or a couple for more buildable coverage. Others, you have to swipe or peel away.

Whatever type of lip product you choose, proper lip care can boost your lip health:

• Use a lip scrub weekly. To avoid your lip product flaking or sticking to dry patches on your skin, add an exfoliating lip scrub to your routine to give yourself a clean slate.
• Try a nightly lip mask. The best way to hydrate your lips is to drench them with a nightly lip mask. You’ll wake up to hydrated lips, which create a healthy canvas for your daily products.
• Choose your lip balm wisely. Did you know that some lip balms slowly suck the moisture out of your lips? Choose one with hydrating ingredients like natural oils to nourish your lips instead of just applying a synthetic glossy coating.
• Remove with an oil-based cleanser. How you take off your lip stain is just as important as how you put it on. By gently wiping (don’t rub or scrub!) with an oil-based cleanser, you can easily remove pigment without drying out your lips.

The Best Lip Stains for Vibrant Color and Long-Lasting Coverage

Every product is curated with care by our editors and we’ll always give an honest opinion, whether gifted or purchased ourselves. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

To be or not to be… practical? That is the (ultimate beauty) question. The plight of all makeup wearers has always been the choice between practicality and aesthetics—especially when it comes to lipstick. We’ve adapted, of course. Carrying mini mirrors in our purses, constantly reapplying and blotting, and counting on our friends (the good ones) to tell us if we have any smudges on our teeth. But does it have to be this way? What if we could go out without digging for the right shade of lipstick to replace the coat now smudged on our coffee cup? Enter: the best lip stains that get the job done.

Lip stains are not new, but they’re increasingly becoming the lip product of choice. We’re entering a new age where the best makeup is made to suit our lifestyles, not get in the way of them. From multi-tasking products to trends that celebrate what we actually look like, it was only a matter of time before we swapped out smudgy lipsticks for long-lasting color choices fit for all skin tones.

Featured image from our interview with Cyndi Ramirez by Belathée Photography.

Lip trends are no longer just about the color du jour. The best products prioritize hydrating ingredients and powerful pigments. The matte trend gave us long-wearing products, but the trade-off was dry lips. The enduring glazed lip trend offers hydration, but not the transfer-free pouts that work for our everyday lives. So if you’re seeking products that nourish your lips and last through the day, read on to discover the best lip stains on the market.

The Difference Between Lipsticks and Lip Stains

There used to be just lip balms and lipsticks. Now we’re spoiled by choice. Lipsticks are your classic creamy makeup staple. But now there are also liquid lipsticks, which give you the same coverage without the waxy coating.

So, what sets the lip stains, oils, and tints taking over the beauty sphere apart? Let’s investigate.

• Lip Tints: A sheer color option for a more effortless look.
• Lip Gloss: A sticky gloss coating that gives your lips a shiny surface.
• Lip Oils: An oil-based product with a liquid, glazed finish.
• Lip Stains: A long-lasting liquid that absorbs into the skin.

What makes a lip stain long-lasting?

Unlike other lip products, lip stains don’t just sit on top of your lips. They absorb into your skin to create a long-lasting pigment that doesn’t budge. Since the pigment is not on the surface of your skin, it’s transfer-proof.

Ingredients to Look For in a Lip Stain

The best lip stains are as nourishing as they are pigmented. Look for ingredients that give your skin moisture and lasting hydration, such as:

• Jojoba oil
• Shea butter
• Coconut oil
• Squalane
• Hyaluronic acid
• Beeswax
• Honey
• Aloe vera
• Petroleum jelly
• Avocado
• Vitamin E

How to Apply a Lip Stain

The right lip stain goes—and stays—on smooth. But preparing your pout doesn’t hurt. Some lip stains go on with just one swipe or a couple for more buildable coverage. Others, you have to swipe or peel away.

Whatever type of lip product you choose, proper lip care can boost your lip health:

• Use a lip scrub weekly. To avoid your lip product flaking or sticking to dry patches on your skin, add an exfoliating lip scrub to your routine to give yourself a clean slate.
• Try a nightly lip mask. The best way to hydrate your lips is to drench them with a nightly lip mask. You’ll wake up to hydrated lips, which create a healthy canvas for your daily products.
• Choose your lip balm wisely. Did you know that some lip balms slowly suck the moisture out of your lips? Choose one with hydrating ingredients like natural oils to nourish your lips instead of just applying a synthetic glossy coating.
• Remove with an oil-based cleanser. How you take off your lip stain is just as important as how you put it on. By gently wiping (don’t rub or scrub!) with an oil-based cleanser, you can easily remove pigment without drying out your lips.

The Best Lip Stains for Vibrant Color and Long-Lasting Coverage

Every product is curated with care by our editors and we’ll always give an honest opinion, whether gifted or purchased ourselves. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Are you on team #snackcake? If you’ve been here a while, you probably know we’re a little obsessed with the concept. From pumpkin snack cakes to the peanut butter banana varietal, I’ve made my fair share of anytime-of-day cakes over the years. But I can’t take credit for its popularity. Cookbook author, baker, and food stylist extraordinaire, Yossy Arefi released a whole book dedicated to snack cakes. (And trust: the book contains countless pages of recipes that surprise, delight, and deliver.) As a long-time follower—and much to the delight of my friends—I’ve made many of Yossy’s recipes for gatherings. But nothing has wowed me quite like the recipe she has for us today: walnut cream cheese coffee cake.

Yossy Arefi Shares Her Recipe for Walnut Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Snacking Bakes, Yossy’s third cookbook, has arrived just in time for the holiday season. This new collection of recipes highlights desserts and sweet treats that are both delicious and incredibly easy to make. Almost every recipe in the book takes under an hour, requires just one bowl, and features simple, ingredients and accessible equipment.

While I already have some favorites from the book (including the marble cake and monster cookies!), this walnut cream cheese coffee cake is my go-to. Think all the best parts of a classic coffee cake, upgraded with extra warmth for the holiday season. Might I be inviting friends over just so I have an excuse to bake this cake? Of course.

Ahead, get all the deets on Yossy’s new cookbook—and the walnut cream cheese coffee cake recipe your holiday baking repertoire needs.

How would you describe your cooking and food philosophy? How has it influenced your recipes?

I’ve lived in a small apartment without a dishwasher for a long time, so I always appreciate quick and easy recipes that use minimal ingredients and minimal equipment. I extend that philosophy to my baking, too, which is why I loved writing Snacking Bakes.

Take this recipe for example. You just need an 8×8 pan, a couple of bowls, and measuring tools. It comes together quickly with no electric equipment in less than an hour!

How did you develop this recipe?

I wanted a delicious coffee cake that had a big bang for your buck. You have to make cake batter and a crumble topping, but the crumble also goes into the center of the cake along with cream cheese for a great buttery crunch that makes it a little more special than your average coffee cake.

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What makes this recipe your go-to for the holidays?

This is a super easy, low-effort recipe with a ton of warm, toasty, and creamy flavors.

What are your must-have kitchen tools in the kitchen?

All of the cake and bar recipes [in this cookbook] can be made in an 8×8-inch pan. I love the ones by USA Pan. My other must-have kitchen tools are:

• a scale for measuring ingredients
• a sturdy whisk
• a flexible spatula
• half-sheet pans
• knives
• a small offset spatula

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What ingredients make this recipe special? 

Cream cheese, toasted walnuts, cinnamon, and the perfect amount of butter.

Can you make any ingredient swaps?

You could easily sub in a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose and whatever nuts or spices you like for the walnuts and cinnamon.

What is a cooking hack should all know about? 

I like to really maximize the effort I put into my cooking and baking. Even though this recipe has two components, the crumb topping is used twice to give this cake lots of interesting flavor and texture.

What advice do you have for beginner bakers?

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! You learn a lot by just trying things and seeing what you like. Start with simple recipes, like the ones in Snacking Bakes, and work your way up to more elaborate and time-consuming bakes. 

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What is the best part of creating recipes to share for people to bring into their own homes?

It is such an honor for people to make my recipes and for me to be part of their lives and celebrations in a small way. I love getting tagged in everyday baking posts just as much as birthday and holiday posts.

What other recipes from Snacking Bakes shoulder readers make first? 

Oooh so many! The monster cookies, blondies, mazurkas, brown butter marble cake—I could go on…

Follow Yossy online at apt2bbakingco.com and on Instagram at @yossyarefi.

“Snacking Bakes” Copyright © 2023 by Yasameen Arefi-Afshar. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing  Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.”

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Whether you’re setting the table for morning brunch or looking for a WFH sidekick, a well-loved mug is a must. I love a mug with sentimental value, but I’ve often found that the best coffee mugs—the ones you’ll hand wash daily just to keep them in rotation—have one of two things in common: they look (and feel) great in your hands and they’re excellent at regulating temperature.

But there are a few more details that can elevate a mug from good to favorite. Durability is crucial (being dishwasher safe is a non-negotiable in our book) as is a sense of pride (supporting a sweet story or noteworthy pottery studio can make all the difference in your morning routine).

Featured image by Michelle Nash.

The Best Coffee Mugs

Ahead, we’ve rounded up a variety of unique coffee cups that check nearly every box, from gorgeous hand-thrown ceramics to double-walled glass mugs and battery-powered beauties. Whether you’re an aesthete, an iced coffee devotee, or identify as both, there’s a go-to glass for everyone.

Every product is curated with care by our editors and we’ll always give an honest opinion, whether gifted or purchased ourselves. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

A coffee table is a surprisingly utilitarian piece of furniture. Sure, you might place one in front of your couch because it’s pretty or you liked the way it accentuated your décor. But soon enough it will become your go-to wine glass holder, your favorite display shelf, and the keeper of your most prized reading material (or at least your prettiest). It may even serve as a dining table from time to time. All living rooms deserve a great coffee table, no matter how small. So for the more diminutive living areas, we’ve gathered 22 great options to suit all styles and spaces, from nesting tables to artful accents with sneaky storage.

Feature image by Michelle Nash.

The Best Circular Coffee Tables for Small Spaces

The following clean, simple tables pack their impact up top, with plenty of room for feet or four-legged friends below.

Every product is curated with care by our editors and we’ll always give an honest opinion, whether gifted or purchased ourselves. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Leanne Ford’s signature laid-back, white-on-white aesthetic finds its sturdiest form in this hardworking indoor/outdoor table. 

This curved beauty makes the most of its compact structure—and perfectly suits this year’s curved trend.

The simple statement has just enough square footage for a vase of flowers and a flickering candle.

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The Best Narrow Coffee Tables

When width is a worry in your small space, keep it on the straight and narrow.

This modern beauty layers up to make the most of its petite, 20-inch width.

With a sleek silhouette, brass accents, and a nifty little drawer (perfect for remotes), this streamlined coffee table adds plenty of glam without dominating the space.

Complete the mid-century modern living area of your dreams with this smartly-sized addition.

A little woven table with big Laurel Canyon vibes.

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The Best Built-In Storage Coffee Tables

When it comes to small spaces, nothing is more valuable than sneaky storage. The following pieces do it brilliantly—perfect blends of style and function.

We love a modern Blu Dot moment, especially when it’s as utilitarian as this solid acacia wood gem.

Thanks to some unexpected storage areas and the magic of levers, this competitively priced beauty doubles as a cozy workspace.

Armed with not one but two push-to-open drawers, this sturdy workhorse offers the slickest of sneaky storage.

A playful way to add storage from the modern minds at Kartell, this little wonder gleams when placed outdoors.

The chicest blend of storage and organization we’ve seen in a coffee table yet.

All coffee tables eventually become a tray at some point. This one embraces it.

Display what you want and hide what you want thanks to this mid-century-inspired stunner’s sliding slat.

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The Best Artful Accents

A coffee table may not seem like a place to make a bold statement, but allow these unique picks to make their case.

These cheeky little tables by modernist Italian architect Gaetano Pesce double as killer conversation starters.

With a name like “Splat,” this funky little table could add whimsy to any aesthetic. 

Topped with handcrafted ceramic tiles, this vintage-inspired piece makes a big impact (with a small footprint) whether indoors or patio side.

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The Best Nesting Coffee Tables

As versatile as they are striking, these coffee table duos can shrink or expand depending on your needs.

We love the vintage look of these slim nesting tables and the durable aluminum tops that create a charming patina.

Create a versatile, mid-century modern scene with bold lines and natural rattan.

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The Best Textile Coffee Tables for Small Spaces

More ottoman than coffee table, our choices for textural touches add just enough surface area to serve as a stylish footrest.

Crafted with ethically sourced leather from Portugal, these padded ottomans (available in caramel, olive, or natural) are gorgeous on their own but can be made even more utilitarian when topped with a tray.

Choose a size that serves you, or nest the modern accent pieces (inspired by river stones) for a sculptural display.