The London Dispensary - Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber

We thought we’d start our July blog features by discussing the current ‘Buck Moon’. It’s the supermoon that appeared on 3 July and, according to Nasa, is closer than usual with its orbit around the Earth, staying full for up to three days (i.e. .today). See the pic above with the Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber. Research has shown when it’s a full moon; some people take longer to fall asleep or sleep less, even if they’re in a dark room. It’s thought that this lunar phase changes sleep patterns with its heightened energy.

If you know us at The Amazing Blog, then you know how much we value our sleep! After all, sleep is our bodies way of recharging to support healthy brain function and maintain physical health. Having found ourselves listless and majorly sleep-deprived during these past few nights, a comforting thing we like to do is light a candle. This Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber from The London Dispensary, we found particularly helpful to calm, soothe and enhance deep relaxation with its heady mix of botanicals, Not only a winner at the 2023 Beauty Shortlist’s Wellness Awards for ‘Best CBD Candle & Best Candle for Calm & Sleep’ - it’s a winner for us too.

The London Dispensary all began when Jack Oscar Brown, the founder, struggled to find suitable natural and effective wellness products to use on himself. After experimenting with different formulations, he also delved deep into each of their individual properties and benefits. “I sat and thought about all of the areas I had found benefit from over the course of my wellness seeking. Then the concept ‘why don’t we combine all the best parts of each?’ came to mind.” Jack went on to say, “By blending the natural mood-enhancing aromas of aromatherapy, stress-reducing adaptogen ingredients, the focus on helping nootropic fungi, and the healing properties of cannabinoids.” This has created some extraordinary botanical blends targeting ‘wellness from within’ with three specific ranges: Boost, Balance, and Bed. They utilise traditional Eastern and Western ingredients together with CBD and pure essential oils. They are all based on the latest research and scientific studies to ensure safe, effective, multi-sensory experiences. As an eco-business, they only use recyclable, reusable packaging to offset their carbon emissions and also add to this by planting a tree with every review they receive. They help fund socio-economic change worldwide by working with Ecologi, a program where people donate money to help fund projects working to help save the planet. They ensure each element of their supply chain and operations are morally and ethically sound. Manufacturing is done in small batches, which guarantees that blends contain the proper ratios and high enough quantities to be as effective as possible. Being an honest and transparent brand, they even have detailed ISO-accredited laboratory CBD report available here, together with nutritional information regarding their CBD edibles as well as CSPR reports which show the safety of our topicals and wax-based products.

Back to the Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber, we want to share as another of our #amazingfinds, and as one of our favourite CBD-based candles. It’s part of the ‘Bed’ range, with seven different products to help enhance sleep. The candle is blended with essential oils lavender, clary sage, eucalyptus, nutmeg, and ylang-ylang.; these are combined with L-theanine, sleep terpenes and the all-important 100mg of premium CBD per 120ml candle jar. Lavender reduces stress levels, improves quality of sleep and helps with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Nutmeg brings a warmness that eases tension to support calmness and improve restlessness, along with clary sage to ground the senses by adding a sweet earthy tone and a herbaceous fragrance. Ylang Ylang effectively relieves stress and promotes relaxation with its rich and exotic floral scent.

For aiding sleep, the candle uses sleep terpenes and L-theanine, which are natural compounds that cause drowsiness. The candle combines the best sleep terpenes, the first being linalool, found in lavender plants, and the second being the most prominent of myrcene, found within hemp and lavender plants. These two sleep terpenes have natural properties for relaxation and reduced anxiety, along with L-theanine, an amino acid usually found within green tea that stimulates relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety, and has anti-inflammatory properties for easing pain. L-theanine works in causing more relaxation by increasing the brain waves associated with calmness and less stress and blocks excitatory neurotransmitters to help enhance our soothing ones, such as GABA, a gamma-aminobutyric. CBD in the candle is an essential ingredient as it is a cannabinoid and one of the hundreds of chemicals found within cannabis or hemp plants. It has health benefits due to positive interaction with the body's endocannabinoid system involving cell signalling with a vast network of cell receptors. The body then produces endocannabinoids to bind these cannabinoid receptors to regulate critical functions such as memory, appetite, sleep and balanced energy. The brand uses a CBD isolate extracted from hemp by removing all other compounds within the plant to isolate the cannabinoid for the purest and most potent form of CBD with no fear of any THC extract. CBD is typically a crystalline or powder form with the added advantage of being odourless. They have the complete CBD lab testing available here.

They use their own house blend of sustainable vegetable waxes with soya, coconut, and rapeseed for the wax base. Rapeseed wax is particularly beneficial, being non-toxic, renewable, and biodegradable, with a low carbon footprint. The candle burns with a sustainable cotton and paper wick, and the wax melts at a slow and steady rate, allowing the fragrance to evaporate gently from the wax pool, making the aroma linger for longer and giving an extended burn time of 28 hours. What we love about this 120ml Slumber candle is that it’s 100% natural, hand-poured, and you’re promised an uplifting and comforting floral scent, perfect for winding down at the end of the day. To purchase, see here; it’s currently at a special price of £18 for a limited time.

Scentimental candles : Candle Mini Duo Set

With yesterday’s arrival of the Winter Solstice and the dark evenings that still envelop us, we thought it timely to celebrate such a landmark by lighting some candles. At this time of year, at The Amazing Blog, we like to sit quietly with a lit candle, reflecting on past events and giving thanks for all the good things. There's also something rather inviting about putting candles in the window, it makes a home feel welcoming and 'hygge'. To add to the Christmas vibe and get you in the mood, meet another of our #amazingfinds with Scentimental and their Candle Mini Duo Set, their heady fragrance and evocative aromas, will add to making your surroundings warm and harmonious.

Scentimental began in 2015 when Salma Bello, the founder, took her inspiration from a visit to Grasse, the world-famous perfume capital. From here, she went on to create her British/ Nigerian home fragrance brand, which uses the medium of scent to tell the untold stories of many places that contribute to the richness of a global community. Scentimental is based on the principle that "Each fragrance is personal, intimate and memorable and leaves a lingering sense of nostalgia as well as a footprint on your bucket list/travel map." And with this olfactory journey, the brand seeks to empower the culture and its people and, in their own little way, reinvent tourism by taking their community on unforgettable fragrant memories and travels around the globe. Salma explained, "Our scents individually speak to a myriad of cultural depths and heritage. With each of our fragrance compositions, the key ingredient is a vibrant effusion of culture." Scentimental is a luxury artisan brand 'born in Lagos', with products handcrafted in the UK. They offer affordable, premium-quality fragranced goods with a selection of hand-poured and gender-neutral candles, reed diffusers and fragrance oils.

They kindly sent us for review their Candle Mini Duo Set that offers "A memory waxed in time." Beautifully presented in a small elegant gift box, wrapped in bespoke tissue with a 'Scentimental Express Telegram' to encourage us to light the candles to make a wish or set intentions. The two 9cl (70g) travel candles inside are Lagos and Kwara. Both are richly scented, and even as the gift box opens, without being lit, the candles fill the air with an exotic fragrance.

Lagos has a notable light and fruity element, "An accord of tart pineapple notes, mango, and cucumber." As it warms up, the heart notes echo a floral mix of hibiscus, lilac, damask rose, and jasmine finally layered in the base note of white musk. The white musk anchors the fragrance and is there to elevate the mood and offer a feeling of general well-being. We found its fragrance unique and uplifting. It's aptly described as "Effervescent, vibrant and bursting with energy just like the city it's named after." It has a touch of tropical and exotic easily spiriting us away to far and distant climes.

Kwara is a different candle altogether, and our favourite of the two. It smoulders with the heady and intense fresh top notes of tomato, and green leaf with a dab of pine; which then open up with calming notes of earthy rosewood, followed by spicy black pepper and finally the soft accents and base notes of sandalwood. Sandalwood is well placed here, as it’s believed to be beneficial in treating anxiety and fatigue, Whereas the spicy black pepper relieves stress, making them a harmonious coupling. It’s a luxurious, warm, nostalgic scent that sets the scene; and made us want to hunker down and snuggle up during this hectic festive season.

All their candles are made of blended fragrance oil and 100% natural soy wax, a non-toxic alternative to paraffin. As a natural and renewable resource, soy wax is biodegradable and has a lower melting point than other waxes commonly used for candle-making. This difference means soy wax candles will burn and last longer; they also burn cleaner and emit less black soot than other candle types. These 9cl (70g) candles each offer a burn time of 15-18 hours, whereas their other larger 30cl (220g) candles burn up to 40 hours. Whether you are looking to light a candle to set intentions or want to fill the room with a hypnotic aroma, we find at this time of year, candles always help to brighten up the mood.

These luxurious and unique scents will undoubtedly lift any flagging spirits – which after this challenging year, is something we all could do with! To help you get to your happy place, we recommend purchasing the Scentimental Candle Mini Duo Set for £40, available exclusively online here.

We wish you all: Health, Wealth & Happiness.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

The Universal Soul Company - Uitrasonic AURA Aroma Diffuser Humidifier & Purifier

Today we want to share one of our favourite #amazingfinds for this year; it’s a brand that we’ve followed since its inception, The Universal Soul Company. We love how they feel passionately about making a difference and want to inspire positive energy inside and out. It would be wrong to define them as just a home fragrance company, and to quote Sara their founder, they offer “Beautiful products and services to help us reconnect to ourselves, others and the wider world…” And at this time of year, their cutting-edge Ultrasonic AURA Aroma Diffuser Humidifier & Purifier with its uplifting colour-changing mood light, really adds to the festive run-up to Christmas. We also like how they’re promoting the awareness of #CallJust1 by asking us all to take time out to call anyone who will be spending Christmas alone to see how they are. Such a brilliant idea, to show that you care…and one that’ll help to make a difference in their day.

The Universal Soul Company’s founder is Sara Griffiths, a qualified spiritual mentor, actress, presenter, lecturer and therapist. She founded the Universal Soul Company to bring clients inspirational support through her products to ‘Awaken your senses & uplift your heart & soul.’ The Universal Soul Company is built on sharing the experience of being human, particularly in this fast-paced and challenging era of technology and social change. More than just a brand with lifestyle products, Sara explained why she started her fragrance range, “The olfactory sense is the only sense that is fully developed at birth, so it was out of that, that we decided to make our Soul Mist STILL a 3-in1 signature fragrance,” she went on to say, “With this, I want the fragrance to inspire people to reconnect with themselves, other people and then the wider world and beyond”. The brand is also committed to sustainability and has been awarded the ‘Butterfly Mark’ powered by Positive Luxury, which recognises the company for being a responsible brand that minimises its environmental footprint while maximising its social good. They’re a multi-award winning brand and recently won ‘Best Aromatherapy Diffuser - Electrical Device’ at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards. All products are vegan, chemical-free, environmentally friendly and even have Braille writing on the packaging to make them accessible to everyone. Not forgetting that they focus on ‘profit for purpose’ and donate a portion of their revenue to charitable causes - which we applaud.

Their Ultrasonic AURA Aroma Diffuser Humidifier & Purifier also includes their 15ml signature essential oil STILL, a natural essential oil with its unique blend of nurturing base notes of patchouli, and soothing top & middle notes of lavender; filling the air with tiny breathable particles of essential oil, it’s a delicate & uplifting fragrance that’s designed to adapt to suit one’s mood, and energises by day and relaxes at night, offering a both a calming, and uplifting ambience. Most importantly, at The Amazing Blog, we found that using the combination of the Ultrasonic AURA Aroma Diffuser, and STILL, helped us manage our stress response, and triggered our body to rest, reset, and restore itself.

The Ultrasonic  AURA Aroma Diffuser Humidifier & Purifier comes in two finishes, a sleek Chrome or a white Blanc making either an elegant addition to any room. What we love are all the features, its 1hr/3hr auto timer, a remote control, the changing or fixed LED lights, two mist settings, and a sleep mode. The light function can also be set to the desired length of diffusion, colour and ‘Hi or Lo’ mist setting for each occasion or time you use the diffuser. If you haven’t already discovered the joys of using an aroma diffuser, then this one with all its sophisticated functions is for you, plus it also offers multiple benefits for mental health and well-being. Finally, to use the AURA Aroma Diffuser, you need to fill the tank with 300ml of filtered water (which will benefit the quality of the fragrance), and add 5-10 drops of your desired essential oil to experience the full effect. If you want to ‘Love the air you breathe’ then you can purchase this Ultrasonic AURA Aroma Diffuser Humidifier & Purifier with their STILL essential oil here for £130.00.

BTW if you’re out and about doing Christmas shopping In London, why not drop into the iconic Peter Jones, where Sara has a pop-up shop until 18 December, and say ‘hello’. See here.

Connock London: Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist

Looking to bring a fresh, exotic floral fragrance into the home? Then let us at The Amazing Blog introduce you to another of our #amazingfinds with Connock London’s Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist. It’s from a sustainable and award-winning brand, best known for its unique scents, and is a recent winner of an Editor's Choice at the 2022 Wellbeing Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Amanda Connock founded Connock London in 2013, inspired by her passion for fragrance and her love for exotic and unique natural ingredients. Amanda spent her childhood sampling perfumes, making scented bath salts and creating floral waters in buckets from rose petals and cherry blossoms with her siblings. After achieving her degree, Amanda joined her family's business, A&E Connock, where she acquired her knowledge and experience working with global producers and sourcing speciality cosmetic ingredients. In an interview with Great British Life, she explained how she branched off from the running the family business with her brother to create her own business, ​​"We were very young and although we succeeded with the business, which is still running today, I realised I wanted to go off on my own and do my own thing. I'm very much like my Dad in that respect." Thus Connock London was born. "It's very important for me to be able to tell my customers the source of the ingredients – where they come from and why we use them." As a business, Connock London focuses on sustainability and is committed to making changes contributing toward a better future. They now have new easy-to-use pump bottles made from 30% post-consumer recycled plastic, plus all of Connock London's products are cruelty-free. Connock London is proud to work alongside the Woodland Trust, and the Carbon Capture initiative helping to replenish the UK's native woodland from its outer packaging alone; this government scheme strives to reduce CO2 emissions by donating 100% of its charge back to the charity.

The Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist is presented in a stylish frosted glass bottle and is part of Connock London's Home Fragrance collection. It is a floral fragrance with the exotic aroma of Hawaiian flowers, made with a high-quality blend of pure essential oils containing floral notes of gardenia and jasmine blended into a warm, woody base of sandalwood and vanilla. This Room & Linen Mist is 100ml alcohol-based and, as the name suggests, is designed for spritzing around the home, and to freshen up bed linen.

The kukui oil is sourced from a family in Hawaii that both Amanda and Connock have worked with for over 20 years. Hawaiians use their native kukui oil to keep the skin soft and smooth; it contains essential fatty acids - ideal for boosting the immune system and treating dry skin. Gardenia flower is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to help fight colds, and respiratory or sinus infections; and is said to be full of antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral compounds. The plant also symbolises trust, hope, peace, renewal, and protection. In some cultures, jasmine is used as a natural sedative, much like lavender. Its sweet scent is known to help stress and anxiety and helps the body unwind. Not forgetting its aphrodisiac properties, which is why it’s a popular ingredient in massage oils. The sandalwood is sourced from the fragrant bark of India’s santalum trees, offering unique benefits to mental and physical health; it’s also used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to promote calmness, lower stress and improve sleep quality. Vanilla, after saffron, is the second most expensive spice in the world. It’s known to be a mood-booster and has a calming effect on any sharper fragrance notes.

How would we describe the scent? Exotic with a nuance of warmth and complexity. It is a ‘floriental’, which means the woody base notes of sandalwood and slightly powdery and creamy vanilla, pair well with the floral heart notes of buttery gardenia and sweet-smelling jasmine. The mist is guaranteed to create a delicious and moreish scent throughout the house.

Connock London also has a Ceramic Disc which can be sprayed with the Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist, then tied to hangers and door hooks to keep clothing smelling fresh - we even put it in the car! It makes an elegant statement while adding a light, fresh scent to wardrobes, drawers or luggage - in fact anywhere where it can be hung. A lovely way to maintain your clothing’s freshness, and imbue this delightful scent into your clothing, mischievously clinging to the top of your favourite summer shirt.

A fragrance that’s perfect for the summer, or for summoning up the feeling of a sultry summer’s eve in the middle of our cold wet winter months! As far as high-end fragrances go, we think that the luxury features and finishes of the packaging and its exotic aroma set this Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist apart. To purchase the 100ml Kukui Oil Room & Linen Mist for £22, see here, or to buy the Kukui Scented Ceramic and 10ml Mist for £15, see here.

Kalmar : Large Scented Joy Candle

Who doesn’t love to burn a beautifully fragranced candle on a warm summer evening? At The Amazing Blog, we love how the flickering ambient light from a solo candle under the stars, always adds to the mystical evening glow. This is another of our #amazingfinds with the Joy Candle from wellbeing and lifestyle brand Kalmar. More than just a candle, it’s full of botanicals and infused with amber gemstone to enhance positivity with crystal healing.

The journey of Kalmar begins with its founder, Karen Ruimy. She was born in Morocco and moved to Paris with her family when she was seven. Karen was thriving in the world of finance as she climbed up the corporate ladder and landed a position as a director at the age of 28. This also happened to be the beginning of her spiritual journey. Since then, her spiritual awakening has led her to focus on her spiritual healing, writing, dance, music and philanthropy. In 2016, she began her brand Kalmar to help others on their journey to wellbeing. She has made this her life's work - realigning the mind, body and soul through energy and intention-setting, assisting individuals to move forward on their own unique journey to wellbeing. The brand is centred around four soul states joy, calm, peace, and love; focusing on the positive holistic impacts on the body. As Karen says, "It's our passion to create indulgent self-care products that help you create sacred rituals to rejuvenate your being, uplift your mood, and boost energy." The bath, body care and candles are suitable for vegans, non-toxic, and cruelty-free. Kalmar's products are sustainably sourced as their packaging is FSC Certified. With every purchase, Kalmar will also plant one tree across the UK. They are also a member of the Forest Carbon’s Carbon 100 Club. Kalmar has made a name for themselves in the wellbeing and lifestyle industry as they won multiple awards for their range. They recently won three awards at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards, ‘Best Solid Natural Fragrance’ for their Peace Balm of Serenity and two Editor’s Choice Awards for their I Am Loved Body Cream and Calm Deep Cocoon Shower Cream. The Scented Joy Candle won ‘Best Luxury Candle’ at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards.

The Joy Candle is a luxurious candle, with a scent that lifts spirits and gently fragrances a space, it also enhances energy and positivity. As they say, "The invigorating scent freshens your mind to start a new day or open yourself up to new possibilities." According to Kalmar, this candle is good for bringing warmth and comfort to your space with an essence of a late summer evening. This candle is made from natural vegetable waxes (not specified) and contains a fresh and zesty scent of lemon, ginger and bergamot, jasmine, magnolia and white musk; that is also combined with rhodiola, cocoa, orange extract, and amber gemstone extract.

Let’s take a look at the slightly more unusual ingredients. Rhodiola is a plant that has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and is thought to increase the body's resistance to stress. It also helps with fatigue, reduces symptoms of depression, and improves brain function and exercise performance. Cocoa, when used aromatically, actually helps calm your body and mind, and in addition to a delicious citrus scent, the orange extract boosts your mood and reduces stress. The amber gemstone extract, sourced from fossilised tree resin, has many emotional healing properties, including emotional stability through relaxation, and also helps with the reduction of depression and anxiety. It also offers strength, protection, peace, trust, wisdom, and memory.

The candle is great for setting intentions, and Kalmar recommends lighting the candle when you need a vital energy boost.. "After lighting the candle, close your eyes and say the mantra, ‘I'm so inspired at this moment, my soul is thriving." i.e. inhale the zesty scent, and exhale all the stress. Edwina, our executive editor, was one of the judges at The Beauty Shortlist Awards, and she loved lighting this candle - even in the morning - to enhance her energy, getting her prepared to conquer the day! This candle is poured into a striking buttercup yellow recyclable glass container, and packaged in a sustainably sourced card. We think that this is one to gift to a friend or to keep and enjoy for yourself. The Joy Candle makes the perfect addition to any space. To purchase see here for the 200g Joy Candle £45, or here the Smaller 75g Joy Candle £25.