YUNI Beauty : Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm

Now the world is opening up, and spring is on the way, it’s time for us at The Amazing Blog to think about booking a flight for a much needed weekend away. Which leads us swiftly onto multitasking products for hand luggage. One product we’ll be taking with us is this Gliding Bright Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm from YUNI. This multipurpose balm is excellent for the face and body, not only for keeping the skin protected but also to add an extra holiday glow.

YUNI is a US-based beauty and lifestyle brand founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Emmanuel Rey and Suzanne Dawson. They met at Aveda though they both followed different paths to get there. Emmanuel has a degree in agricultural engineering and went on to earn his MBA, which led him to work in marketing for beauty brands. Whereas Suzanne’s career has focused on natural and plant-based remedies, wellness and self-care. After several years at Aveda, Suzanne and Emmanuel found their lifestyle impacted their health and well-being, so they decided to take time off to reconnect. During this time, they travelled to Greece, where they became yoga instructors. They also encountered a gap in the beauty market; they found no beauty brand committed to providing active health seekers and yogis with sustainable and organic products that enhance practice and training. The YUNI body care products aim to prepare both mind and body before any exercise with a short and refreshing post-workout clean up, which leaves a feeling of pure goodness. In conversation with The Urban You, Emmanuel explained, “At YUNI, we create healthy, natural skincare and body products that save time, restore health, and relieve stress—so active people who pursue life with passion can do more, live more, and find more joy in every moment.” YUNI dedicates itself to sustainability, with 90% of products manufactured and stored in either solar or wind-powered facilities. They package their products with sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic from water bottles and certified recycled paper. All tubes are sugarcane bio-resin and all product cartons are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified recycled paper and printed with soy ink. In fact, they go out of their way to ensure that each ingredient is organic and ethically sourced (from plants that are not endangered) and a product of fair-trade, eco-friendly cultivation and harvesting, which support sustainable local businesses. The brand also makes sure they work with factories that follow responsible waste disposal. As a vegan brand, it has eco-friendly formulas, and they are non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, plant-based, gluten-free and cruelty-free. They are certified by Leaping Bunny and as a top 2022 cruelty-free brand with HEAL-ablel; plus, they won an Eco-Excellence Award in 2020 for their Shower Sheets.

YUNI’s Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm is a moisturising balm that adds a subtle radiance to the skin. The key ingredients include organic kukui seed oil, olive oil, fair trade turmeric root, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, ethically sourced mica. The kukui seed oil has moisturising capacities, full of fatty acids like linoleic acid and omega-3; it also has vitamin A, C and E; all of which can penetrate deep into the skin to repair, nourish, and calm the skin. Olive oil full of antioxidants revitalises and strengthens skin's tonicity and repairs damaged tissues. The turmeric root powder is also full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, and gives the skin a warm lustre. The jojoba seed oil, for its ability to hydrate the skin and balance natural oil production, and the shea butter hydrates and protects the skin’s natural barrier,

The enhanced shimmer qualities are due to mica; mica refers to a mineral incorporated into beauty products to give the ‘illuminating’ effect in this balm, making the skin glisten. Talking of glistening, there’s castor oil which gives a further sheen to the skin; plus it has anti-bacterial properties, much like the tocopheryl acetate, also found here, which is a form of vitamin E that protects skin from free radicals. 

Other ingredients found are caprylic triglyceride, made from coconut oil and glycerin, making skin feel smooth. The carnauba wax and candelilla wax are both vegetable waxes that give body to the balm. Hydrophilic fumed silica has sun protecting qualities and improves the elasticity, texture and hydration of the skin. Iron oxides and titanium dioxides are naturally occurring minerals. Iron oxides are generally known for adding pigment but have also been shown to offer enhanced protection against blue light. The titanium dioxide protects against UV light creating a transparent barrier that protects the skin from harmful sun rays.

The YUNI Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm is one of our #amazingfinds for its versatility to enhance any beauty look. It nourishes and gives the skin a delicious shea butter aroma, and we used it as a highlighter on cheeks, shoulder and lips, and even on hair to heal split ends. We think this natural golden balm is a beauty must-have and predict that once tried, it’ll fast become your new and trusted travel buddy. To purchase YUNI’s 55g Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm for £29, see here for the UK shop.

Strangelove – Fallintostars Eau de Parfum

Change of season always means a change of fragrance for us at The Amazing Blog. Which is where we look for a scent that makes us feel unique, i.e. a signature. Today we have discovered a very special fragrance that resonates well with the autumn, with it’s delicious wafts of oud, meet the Eau de Parfum Fallintostars by Strangelove.

Strangelove is a fragrance brand that wishes to provoke a passion amongst all those who have the olfactory experience. Founded in 2013 by Elizabeth Gaynes, who took her inspiration from the three years she lived in Italy before moving to New York. In Italy, she discovered oud and fell in love with its history and richness; thus this brand’s success story began. Besides being friends, she works closely with Helena Christensen, the famous supermodel and creative director of the brand. Where Christensen is influential in developing the narratives of each fragrance with the collection and the presentation of the brand.  Onboard also is the master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel who has been instrumental in creating Strangelove’s distinctive collection. Gaynes is also co-founder of GaiaOne, a company changing the way raw materials are sourced for fragrances with sustainable practices for essential oils, and it was through this work that she first discovered oud that has become integral for the brand. Oud is sourced from a rare aromatic wood resin and harvested from the agarwood of the Aquilaria tree. This is a fast-growing evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia. Agarwood is among the most expensive timber in the world. Strangelove only ever uses genuine oud from sustainable suppliers; where every batch undergoes strict quality control. The success of Strangelove is echoed in a plethora of countries such as Canada, USA, England, Qatar. The blend of sensual pure perfume oils combined with the splendour of the majestic oud and other precious and sustainably sourced ingredients give these coveted fragrances their originality and a cult following.

Today we’re going to be talking about Fallingintostars which first launched in 2019, Gaynes explained “With fall​intos​tars, I wanted to bring the wonder of the universe to the wearer. fall​into​stars is a meditation on the universe itself: dark, mysterious, yet leaving a trail of powerful illuminations. The scent contains a core of pure oud, which gives fall​into​stars a deep, primal quality, emphasised with amber and labdanum notes. It’s complemented by ingredients like pink peppercorn and rosewood, which make the scent dreamlike and ethereal.” Let’s start with the base notes of this fragrance. First and foremost is the oud. It is at the heart of all of the Strangelove Eau de Parfum collection. When first applied, we could instantly sense the woody nuance of the oud adding a richness and dimension, then came the leathery notes that immediately melted into honey, amber and peppercorns. Oud has no parallel in the western world, and this is what makes the fragrance unique and luxurious.  The Indian oud is mixed with amber, warm and musky, adding depth and sweetness, making it perfect for autumn. The cooler fresh air of this season with its hint of earthy aromas marries so well with the warmth that this fragrance provides. The mixture also includes a delicate sweetness, almost majestic with light touches of woods and cinnamon found in the Peru balsam which is also bright and clean smelling. Another scent in the base note is the Siam benzoin. It’s a milky, vanilla-like smell, reminiscent of brown vanilla beans that are often used in the making of fine fragrances. Finally, for the base notes is the Labdanum which gives a leathery scent elevating it and giving it even more warmth. Moving on to the middle notes, with henna flower. The sweet, green and persistent smell of the henna feels almost narcotic. In contrast, the addition of rose here adds a floral lightness to the blend. The last middle note is the rosewood which adds peppery aroma on top of the sweet floral scent. Now the top notes, these are the ones that are instantly evident when the fragrance is applied. Pink peppercorn which has an aroma that is fresh, very intense, diffusive, warm with sweet-spice and a faint floral note and a dry woody slightly smoky undertone. The saffron here has a unique and unexplainable soft sweet earthy musk. The ginger is warm, peppery and sometimes with a camphoraceous or lemon note. Finally, the bergamot has a bright, sweet aroma with notes of tartness and acidity. However, its unique floral, spicy edge distinguishes it from other citrus scents making its addition here extremely unique. 

What is it really like? The bottom line for me is that Fallingintostars is quite inexplicable moreish – it’s probably one of the more extraordinary fragrances that I have recently worn, and will continue to wear. I always know when I have found something special, as I get stopped in the street and asked what fragrance am I wearing and Fallingintostars is that scent. Tempted? Fallingintostars can be purchase here for £105.