The Bluebeard’s Revenge – The Ultimate Hair Tonics for Real Men

At the risk of being labelled 'a touch predictable’, we at The Amazing Blog couldn’t resist the obvious parallel with our favourite theatrical pastime - that of Panto … ‘Oh NO We Didn’t/ Oh Yes We Did’ etc, when Bluebeard’s Revenge presented us with two of their different Ultimate Hair Tonics for us to try. As regular readers will know we’re fans of this brand, and recently featured their Soap Stack Kit here.

You only have to read the information on the bottles to get a very clear idea that Bluebeard’s Revenge are a company with a cracking sense of humour, is clearly welcomed in the market place with razor burn weary men flocking to try the various products on order to sort the daily assault on our fac es. But be reminded, Bluebeard himself makes it very clear that this range is absolutely only for the REAL man- the kind of man who can wear lace down his chest, but still works the machismo vibe without apology or explanation - who has time for that when there are ships to be plundered and adventures to be had? 

However, we are here to tell you about both their Ultimate Hair Tonics for Real Men The Classic Blend and The Cuban Blend which are stand alone products in themselves and sit right up there with the best of them. The Classic Blend pays homage to traditional barbershop finishes, while the Cuban Blend offers an altogether more exotic, Caribbean-inspired fragrance. Both are oil-free making them ideal for all hair types, and head massages and can even be used as a cutting lotion or to break down product. Both have delicious fresh fragrance The Classic is more citrus/fresh whereas The Cuban is a tad more exotic. As a brand that has Men’s Grooming awards coming thick and fast, it is small wonder then that this range is going from strength to strength. Bluebeard’s Revenge have priced themselves very competitively, and offer much in the way of a total grooming regime to keep us boys in tiptop shape whilst we navigate our daily lives in search of that treasure chest - elusive though as it continues to be. Both these products have vegan friendly ingredients and are available online at an accessible price point of £9.99 for 200ml all from Bluebeards Revenge themselves!

Williams Handmade - Leatherwork Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course

We like to shake it up a bit on our activity weekends. After all, we can’t let those precious free days go to waste. This is when The Amazing Blog discovered Williams Handmade, a company who specialises in craft leather goods.  They offer several leather-working workshops, like the Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course.

Designer Sarah Williams founded Williams Handmade in 2010. As award winners of the Accessories Collection of the Year Award at ITS#NINE, The Accessory Award from Absolut Vodka, and taking part of the “Power of Craft” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Williams Handmade truly deserves the description of high-quality craftsmanship. The company has also been shortlisted for the Ketel One Modern Craftsman Award and was nominated by Selfridges as one of their Bright Young Things.

From glasses cases to bags, Sarah Williams creates each of these items herself in the Williams Handmade Workshop in Bircher, Leominster which is located on the Hereford/Shropshire borders. If you love to support local artisans as we do, you should also know that the products are made from English Bridle leather coming from Northamptonshire.

We’re particularly excited about their Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course. By the end of the day, you’ll have your own clutch bag or iPad case to bring home and put to use.  Our team members have never worked with leather before, but luckily there’s no need for prior experience to take this course. The day entails learning the basics of leatherwork (i.e. how to cut and prepare leather), the traditional saddle stitch, and learning how to finish the edges. You also get to choose your preferred colour and pattern combination, so your lovely bag or case is just to your liking!

The Williams Handmade Half Day Clutch Bag/iPad Case Course runs from 9am-1pm on the 20th of October for £65. Tea, coffee, and cake are included. If you’d like to spice up your Saturday with this fabulous course, click here. If you’re interested in finding out about their other classes, click here.

Hydranure - Dry Skin Cream

Unfortunately, The Amazing Blog team are no strangers to dry skin and eczema, and it seems to us to be a bit of a modern-day epidemic. So you can imagine how glad we were to learn about this new product Hydranure, which is specifically designed to help heal skin issues ranging from acne to dryness, infant eczema, and psoriasis.

Scottish founders, Paul and Laura McGregor, welcomed their first baby who arrived with dry, rough, red skin. The couple grew frantic as they tirelessly searched for products that would calm their child’s incessant itching. The doctor’s prescribed short-term fixes that temporarily would relieve irritated skin. However, after finding a cream in America, the couple thought they had solved the problem. That was, however, until their son grew out of it. Then, when they welcomed their second child who also had eczema, that’s when their third child was born, their company Hydranure. In their hunt for help creating their formulation, they found a botanicals expert in south of Aberdeen, who helped them design their unique emollient and dry skin healer Hydranure. It contains only natural ingredients aloe vera, calendula, grapeseed, shea butter, sesame seed, vitamin E, all preserved in an olive oil derivative.  Finally, they had found a solution not only for their child but a product to help other children and adults who were tormenting with eczema and dry skin problems. In fact, after conducting a brief survey amongst Hydranure users, 94% of respondents saw skin improvement – some within 24 hours. Obviously, hearing this we were eager to try.

It is great to find a product that avoids using any harsh chemicals which are far too often found in commercial dry skin emollients; it also derives its ingredients from botanicals and the product is preserved naturally. The Hydranure Dry Skin Cream, a 2018 Beauty Shortlist Mama & Baby Awards Winner, was formulated with the intent to help those dealing with dry skin, including infant eczema, eczema psoriasis and rosacea. It cools the skin, reduces redness and itchiness, repairs the top layer of skin and builds a protective layer. And, if you think this is too good to be true – 96% of 141 respondents are said to have had softer skin after using it. We found it to be very gentle, it absorbed quickly, was fragrance-free and it provided excellent skin nourishment. It is also not tested on animals. If you’d like to try Hydranure Dry Skin Cream 100ml, it can be purchased here for £14.99. Hydranure offers free delivery within the UK.

Friday Favourites - Natural Cleansers

What’s more important to you… A skincare regime in the morning to pep up your skin? Or perhaps in the evening, to help get rid of the daily grim? When we did a quick poll in the office and found that we all tended to lean towards an evening ritual. Although maybe one or two of us might admit to having fallen asleep with our make up on - oh what a sin! Of course, when this is the case we’ve paid the price; you know the look of dark panda eyes, streaky cheeks and an irritated skin breakout. Today we at The Amazing Blog explore four natural, cruelty-free and gentle cleansing products to help you up your cleansing game - whether its for the day, night or both.

First and foremost, we all know that we’ve got to remove our make up. Nadur is an Irish natural and vegan skincare brand that has a wonderfully gentle and effective make up remover. Nadur was a Pure Beauty Global Awards 2018 Finalist, and they are committed to crafting non-toxic and well-designed products that are safe for the environment and the user. The name ‘Nadur’ means nature and comes from the ancient celtic/viking alphabet ‘Ogham’, with their 20 symbols that represent sacred trees. They focus on the ‘acid mantle’ (the skins natural defense mechanism) and their products are a careful blend of science and artistry using ‘green chemistry’.

We tried their Genie Rinsable Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover and were pleased to find the naturally ethical formula is non-greasy and hydrating. This cleanser and make up remover hybrid works well for normal, oily, combination, and dry skin. To use it, smother over dry skin, wetting the face to emulsify it, and gently work it in. Give your face a rinse, and you’ll feel squeaky clean, without the tight sensation. This water-soluble solution is gentle on the skin’s natural protective barrier because of the inclusion of organic jojoba oil, which means the skin’s moisture levels are restored. We particularly like all the antioxidants and minerals, such as pomegranate seed, that help to rejuvenate the skin. The Genie Rinsable Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover is vegan, gluten, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and 100% natural. Its faint floral, nutty fragrance comes from the sweet almond oil and ylang-ylang flower extract. Purchase Nadur’s Genie Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover 200ml here for £25.00.

Let’s move from Ireland to Britain, to explore Nakin Skincare. We’re particular fans of this new British brand which focuses on natural anti-ageing products, and recently featured their Active Dew Face Cream here. As a nominee for Best New Skincare Brand in the Pure Beauty Awards, founder Cris Beetham said: “Our whole ethos is about effective natural skincare, for people who want great skin without the use of harsh chemicals.” And we certainly do! Hyaluronic acid, seaweed and plant extracts, healing butters, and reviving oils are some of the powerful ingredients in Nakin’s products that help to enhance your skin’s natural beauty. All of their products are cruelty-free and are without parabens and artificial colour and fragrances.

We took their Natural Anti-Ageing Advanced Cleansing Milk for a spin. This cleanser is 98% natural and wheat and gluten-free. We particularly enjoyed using this product because of how gentle it is on sensitive and dry skin, and it proved to be a great hit with our Exec Editor. The Cleansing Milk is easy to apply, simply massage in circular motion before removing with a cotton pad - it’s brilliant for removing stubborn make up. The hyaluronic acid and pomegranate fruit extract help to fight the key signs of ageing. The seaweed extract also helps to even skin tone. The completely natural, light floral fragrance is refreshing but more importantly we liked that this cleanser was effective. If you’d like to try Nakin Skincare’s Natural Anti-Ageing Advance Cleansing Milk, it can be purchased 150ml here for £15.00.

If you’re in the mood to try something different, then Speak Skin Beauty has got you covered. They are a natural skincare company founded by Nisa and Tiara, who wanted to make a difference. Their mission is to empower women with fair and reliable information on skincare ingredients, to allow them to make an informed decision; and wishing to make a positive impact on their community and environment. Both had struggled on their journey to find a suitable skincare for their complexions; Nisa with dermatitis and Tiara for her ever-changing, hormonal skin. This skincare brand is all about advocating good clean and conscious products. They carefully choose their ingredients to ensure that their products are appropriate for even the most sensitive skin. We love how they are minimising waste by getting rid of unnecessary packaging. We received their 01 Cleansing Powder in a charming fabric mini tote all made from recycled material. This packaging makes the product all the more meaningful in our eyes. They’re strictly cruelty and paraben-free, and make all their products in small batches.

Speak’s 01 Cleansing Powder system was new to most of the team here, as they hadn’t used a powder cleanser before. It is a gentle, soap-free cleansing powder that has only four ingredients: organic oats, lavendar extract, kaolin clay and sweet almond oil. It’s simplicity at it’s best. The scent is particularly enticing, the fragrance of this almost poultice-like texture is lead by the combination of lavender and oatmeal. The oats help to soothe the skin; the lavender calms redness; the sweet almond oil prevents dryness and hydrates, and the kaolin clay diminishes sebum production. This cleanser proved very popular with those of us who have more oily skin with frequent breakouts, as it helps to calm and stabilise. Mix the powder in the palm of your hand with warm water to make a paste, then apply by gently massaging the paste on the face, rinse off, et voila! You too can purchase Speak Skin Beauty’s 01 Cleansing Powder 60g here for £8.88.

Last but by no means least, we found Skincare with Compassion, an organic skincare company founded to be entirely cruelty-free and vegan. Based on the Island of Jersey, founder Emma Froch explains that the brand is “dedicated to changing the way in which people think about skin care” by advocating natural and animal-friendly products. Emma’s thirst for expertise in the skincare industry began over nine years ago when she realised that cruelty-free and vegan products were in short supply. She made it her mission to formulate 100% natural and non-animal derived products, working with beauty experts to discover ethical ingredients without nasty additives. We certainly admire the ethics of the company and were thrilled to try the Geranium and Thyme Purifying Face Wash.

This face wash is designed for those with oily or spot prone skin, a welcome discovery for certain members of The Amazing Blog team who suffer from hormonal blemishes. It contains 83.7% certified organic ingredients, including four superpower botanicals: geranium, thyme, lavender flower and rosemary. The geranium provides the benefit of minimising the look of wrinkles whilst still leaving your face feeling moisturised and supple. The thyme is a powerful force against bacteria, helping to eliminate and calm sebum levels. Similarly, lavender flower has antibacterial properties, reducing blemishes and fighting against the dark spots and scars that we are often availed with (as if having the spot in the first place wasn’t bad enough!) Finally, rosemary is antiseptic, helping to reduce redness and puffiness, by balancing congested skin. All in all, a robust set of ingredients that not only soothe our skin, but smell light and fresh.

To see the results for yourself, apply a small amount of the cleanser to wet skin (we suggest opening your pores with warm water first) and gently massage. You’ll be met with a silky foam, which needs only to be rinsed with warm water to remove. To purchase a 100ml bottle of Skincare with Compassion’s Geranium and Thyme Purifying Face Wash for £18, then click here.

There is a natural cleanser here to suit almost every skin type. We think that all four of these cleansers are fabulous alternatives to the plethora of chemical-infused cleansers, that are so readily available on the high street. Please let us know if you get try out some of our new finds, otherwise we hope that we’ve inspired you to go and search out new cleansing alternatives.

Red Love Apple Juice by Biddenden

Classic, refreshing, delicious; three words that come to our minds here at The Amazing Blog when we think about The Biddenden Red Love Apple Juice.  Biddenden is a family run vineyard based in the garden of England, Kent. They have gained their experience over generations from producing award winning wines and by using this expertise in viticulture, they launched in 2015 their non-alcoholic drink made from pure red apple juice. Biddenden Vineyards are the first to create a naturally red apple juice in the UK.

The Red Love Apple Juice is a freshly pressed with a rosy coloured hue, sweet and zesty unlike any other apple juice that we've tasted! Red Love apples are a variety originally grown in Switzerland which are distinctive with their sweet, crisp and delicious rounded flavour. The apples are cultivated in East Malling and bottled at the Biddenden vineyards. The juice is a refreshing and fruity beverage with no added colourants, chemicals or sugars, it is just sweetened naturally by the Red Love apple themselves.

The Red Love Apple Juice is simply delicious and was gulped down greedily when it first arrived. We think that it makes a great key ingredient for Chritstmas cocktails, think an Appletini: Red Love Apple Juice (1 part), Vodka ( 3 parts) and Cointreau (1 part) all shaken, not stirred and  served in chilled martini glasses, garnished with a single red apple slice. Perfect! The Red Love Apple juice is a very light and fruity drink with a balanced acidity and sweetness  giving it versatility and making it the a great partner for lots of different food pairings. We are not the only ones to be won over by this apple juice, as it has also been awarded a two star Great Taste award in 2016. The Red Love Apple Juice is a non-alcoholic drink and is suitable for anyone who enjoys a high-quality fruit juice. However, let's not forget that this apple juice also come with the added benefits of high levels of anti-oxidants and lots of health benefits. Purchase this delicious apple juice here for £3.70 for a 1 litre bottle.