Kalahari – Mafura Body Balm & Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser

The changes of seasons and central heating always makes our skin dry, flaky and dehydrated. As the skin is the largest organ of the body, it’s probably the one that is most forgotten about, hidden under layers of clothing during these cold months.  At The Amazing Blog we take winter skincare very seriously, which is why today we wanted to bring you our latest #amazingfinds with the South African based salon brand Kalahari Lifestyle We initially met Kalahari Lifestyle at a London trade show and found ourselves intrigued by their products. They very kindly gave us the Kalahari’s Mafura Body Balm and Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser to review.

Carina Franck, Founder and Director of Kalahari Lifestyle had always shown an interest in nature and through exploring ancient formulas and secrets for natural health from the Kalahari Desert, she built up a strong connection with the local Khoi San families. Their lifestyle and secret remedies inspired her to create a range of natural skincare and body products that would encapsulate the African itself with harvested authentic botanical ingredients. These are plant oils and extracts, from reputable Phytotrade organisations and certified sustainable resources, with stringent eco-awareness protocols ensure the safety of the vulnerable African ecosystems.

Let’s start with Kalahari’s Mafura Body Balm which is an ultra-moisturising balm with mafura seed butter, shea butter and baobab seed oil. These exclusive blends of African key ingredients help to reduce signs of premature ageing as they contain an enzyme that exfoliates, and a complex of vitamins A, D, E, F and other multiple antioxidants to deeply nourish the body. These natural ingredients will make your skin look much brighter leaving you with a delicious subtle sweet and fruity fragrance. Kalahari Lifestyle suggests applying it after using your shower gel paying extra attention to those drier areas like elbow and knees. We found that this Body Balm to be very long-lasting (all day!) effective and intensely replenishing. We’ll be buying more!

Now let’s talk about their Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser, this comes in a smaller tube making it ideal to carry with you and applying on the go. This moisturiser contains grapeseed oil, which is high in Omega-6 and linoleic acid that helps to unclog pores and has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Also containing guna beans and ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, these seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that is rich in triglycerides mainly ricinolein acid; the combination of which makes it an excellent skin hydrator. We enjoyed using the Hand & Body Moisturiser with its gentle illuminating shimmer (from the mica and titanium dioxide) on our décolleté and shoulders which gave us an even more of a radiant glow.

If you too want to give your body a little love this winter, get your Kalahari Lifestyle products in select salons. Or purchase the 200ml Mafura Body Balm for €43 here and the 50 ml Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser for €19.90 here .

Love for hair: THERAPI

The Amazing Blog has long been on the hunt for salon quality haircare at home, so we were practically giddy when we came across the luxury British haircare brand THERAPI. The brand was created to offer luxury salon professional hair care available now to the consumer all at an affordable price.  Their hero ingredient is the multi-functioning Baobab Oil, which is extracted by ethical trade charter practices, and provides moisturising, strengthening, repairing and conditioning properties. Their products will leave all hair types with lustrous shine.  They have an easy to follow three step system which includes a cleanser, a conditioner and styling product. We decided to try their Signature Cleanser, Volumising Conditioner their Shimmer and Shine Spray combined with the Smoothing Cream

The Signature Cleanser is suitable for all hair types and gently cleanses hair without stripping the natural oils from the hair. The cleanser also contains Keratin Amino Acids to strengthen hair and Panthenol Vitamin B5 for added sugar. The Volumising Conditioner is ideal for those of you looking for lift and boost and is the perfect product to follow the Cleanser.  Leave the conditioner in your hair for 1-2 minutes before rinsing for unrivalled effects. After this use Smoothing Cream, enriched with Baobab Oil, contains a unique formula to smooth, hydrate and tame frizz. With its moisturising and anti-ageing properties this really is a smooth operator. Finally for the finished look use the Shimmer and Shine Spray for the ultimate polished look. The spray tames flyaway hair and smoothes split ends, so your hair looks shinier than ever before.  We loved THERAPI and not only are their products effective but they are also paraben and sulphate free, they protect your hair from harmful UV rays, contain Colour Lock technology and give extreme heat protection up to 250°c.

You can purchase the Signature Cleanser here for £9.99, the Volumising Conditioner here for £9.99, the Smoothing Cream here for £9.99 the Shimmer Shine Spray here for £9.99

Hair Care - Friday Favourites

At The Amazing Blog, we love switching up our hair care products. We know that after using the same shampoo and conditioner for a while, our hair just doesn’t reap the same benefits anymore. So to keep our hair soft and shiny, we’ve been testing out a few new products with some exotic new ingredients.

We all know that harsh winters dry out our skin, but it’s also important to remember that it’s also drying on our hair! The new OGX Argan Oil of Morrocco Extra Strength collection is the perfect way to revive and renew your weather-worn locks. We’re all very familiar with this beloved brand, so we were especially excited to receive the Argan Oil of Morocco Extra Strength Shampoo, Conditioner, and Miracle In-Shower Oil.

This ultra-hydrating shampoo and conditioner duo contain a potent blend of extra-strength argan oil and silk proteins to nourish your damaged hair. The sulfate-free products also form a rich lather that stimulates and rejuvenates your scalp while cleansing. You should get ready for compliments because they also have an amazingly soft and sweet scent that really lingers after we get out of the shower. The Miracle In-Shower Oil is an amazing, multi-purpose in-shower oil for head-to-toe hydration. You can add a few drops to boost your shampoo or conditioner, moisturise your skin, or smooth onto damp clean hair to prevent damage. It also has the same luxurious, soft smell as the rest of the collection.

We love OGX products because they’re effective and also easy on your purse! Each product is available for £7.99 from your local Boots.

If your hair has been feeling a bit dull or limp recently, it might be time to try out Vatika’s Black Seed Complete Hair Care Shampoo and Black Seed Enriched Hair Oil. Black Seed has been used in Asia and the Middle East for centuries for its potent ability to improve texture, shine, and volume. For hair repair, try the Vatika Wild Cactus Deep Conditioning Hair Mask.

The shampoo provides all of the nutrition that your scalp needs to keep your hair in great condition. Its formulation of black seed and olive fatty acids makes the Enriched Hair Oil is the perfect pre-shampoo treatment to boost growth and prevent thinning with its formulation of black seed and olive fatty acids. The Wild Cactus Mask is enriched with ingredients like cactus, garlic, and coconut that prevent breakage and promote silkier hair growth.

Check out your local Tesco or Superdrug for the ultra-affordable Vatika products, or purchase online from Amazon.

We saved the most interesting product for last on this list—Repcillin offers an Extra Mild Shampoo with Crocodile Oil and Wild Harvested Baobab Oil and a Hair Conditioner with Crocodile Oil and Organic Marula Oil. Repcillin products are based on crocodile oil which is obtained from the fat of the Nile crocodile native to Africa. The oil has shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, and it has been used to treat a variety of skin conditions including eczema, acne, and allergy symptoms. Repcillin only processes crocodile oil that is a by-product of commercial crocodile farms so that no wild animals are harmed.

The Extra Mild Shampoo is perfect for sensitive scalps and thirsty hair. The blend of naturally derived ingredients gently cleanses the hair and scalp without stripping away natural oils. The crocodile oil helps prevent breakage and nourished dry scalps whilst the wild harvested baobab oil locks in moisture. A blend of Lavender, Rosemary, Geranium, and Sandalwood essential oils also helps balance, condition, and moisturise hair while leaving behind a clean earthy scent. The Hair Conditioner hydrates, detangles and thickens, and helps to restore and maintain the health of the cuticle layer of the hair. Best of all, the products contain no parabens, no sulfates, no mineral oils, no phthalates, no artificial colours, and no synthetic fragrances.

Test out the magical properties of crocodile oil by purchase your own bottle of the Extra Mild Shampoo and Hair Conditioner here.