Acqua di Stresa – Roburis Eau de Parfum

If you’re still in a quandary as to what to get him or her for Christmas, then we at The Amazing Blog all agree that fragrance is the way to go. Personal and useful, plus if you know, the genre of fragrance notes that they love – this is a sure way to please. When you get it right, perfume is one of the most memorable presents you can give. As regular readers will know we like to patronise unique artisan brands and Acqua di Stresa is one that we’ve recently uncovered that will help you out on your Christmas mission.

Acqua di Stresa was created in 2002 by Giovanni Castelli (former Fashion designer), and Andrea Patrucco. They wanted to share the scents of the thousands of blossoms from their Castello di Ripa’s garden, that stands on the Lake Maggiore shores, facing the Borromeo’s Islands. After almost 20 years of capturing the lake’s green and floral essences, the brand now has six core Eau de Parfums in their collection. These have also given rise to sets of reed diffusers with an additional three new fragrances, and now a hand sanitiser. With boxes, flacons and caps decorated with their refined wave motif, what we love about Acqua di Stresa is that it exudes both luxury and poise.  

We were sent Roburis Eau de Parfum to try. This is the perfect Christmas fragrance, even with the first spritz it took us on a winter promenade and journey into forests laden with berries and sweet-smelling bark. In fact, ‘Robur’ translates from the Latin as hard timber or oak and ‘Roburis’ is used metaphorically in Latin for ‘strength’. It is a rich and warming fragrance where you can almost imagine the warmth of the sunlight filtering through the leaves onto your skin. This is a robust scent with strong base notes evident with the tonka bean, leather, ambrette, and vanilla that linger giving a slightly musky aroma. That said, it is relatively fresh at the beginning with the top notes of juniper berries, cinnamon and blackcurrant. The fragrance becomes warmer with the middle notes cedar, cloves, myrrh, and then in time when the spices and smokiness mingle, the middle and base notes take the lead. We love its androgynous qualities, which in our view, make it truly gender-neutral and a ‘his and hers’ fragrance to share. You can purchase this 100ml mood-lifting winter fragrance for €78 here, it also comes in 50ml for €58. For further items such as Shower Gel, Body Lotion or Reed Diffuser from the Roburis collection see here. 

Puritx - Superior Hand Sanitisers

In this new strange world of COVID-19, none of us at TheAmazingBlog leave home without some sort of hand sanitiser tucked away in a pocket. However, knowing how we all like to use natural products, finding a hand sanitiser that has 99% natural ingredients has proved tricky to find – until now. Meet Puritx and their deliciously fragranced superior hand sanitiser.

Puritx is a brand born mid-quarantine, as their parent Canova a home fragrance company, went temporarily on hold in order to speed up the production hand sanitiser to meet the nation’s demand. Puritx’s mission is to create the most superior hand sanitiser with the finest ingredients available. Based in Herefordshire, they have produced six fragrant products that have 99% natural (29% organic) ingredients in a skin-soothing aloe vera base. All the ingredients are sourced responsibly and ethically and contain 70% ethanol alcohol from British grain. Apart from this brand being a shining light in these dark times, we love the fact that they support the local key workers by donating 20% of their production of hand sanitisers to help keep them safe.

We received two x 60ml samples to try. First the Manuka, Cedar & Grapefruit. This has a great combination of healing ingredients with the manuka honey here as the miracle worker, with its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, studies show how it has wound-healing capabilities and tissue regeneration. Thus, it’s an effective skin barrier and helps to prevent any infection. Besides being an excellent mood lifter in aromatherapy, grapefruit essential oil also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties too. Finally, the cedarwood in this blend is an all-natural antiseptic and known to be used topically to help combat bacterial and fungal infection. The fragrance is mellow and warm with keynotes of citrus and wood. 

Then we tried the Geranium, Lime & Peppermint. This is a refreshing blend of geranium oil which works as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agent and is used in natural medicine for infection and pain management. The lime oil provides both uplifting and invigorating properties together with its limonene which contributes to its cleansing ability. Then, the peppermint oil will cool, clear and refresh the surface of your skin and with its antiseptic powers help to purify your skin. The geranium is the dominant fragrance note here making it floral and revitalising. All Puritx Superior Hand Sanitisers contain aloe vera known for being a natural moisturiser helping to rehydrate dry and rough skin, as well as being a cleansing agent that will shield the skin from bacteria. Squeeze a generous amount onto dry hands, spread from fingertips over palms and back of hands. Allow it to dry for 30 seconds giving time for the aloe vera and essential oils to absorb fully.  Why not invest in these fantastically fragranced, 100% vegan and natural hand sanitisers here starting from £4.50 for 60ml.

Azzedine: Raw Moroccan Rose Water & True Moroccan Rose Serum

Nature never ceases to amaze us. For centuries it has blessed us with its most exceptional ingredients for our body and soul, and today, at The Amazing Blog, we’re diving deep into the beauty of the rose. And what better country to talk about this majestic rose than Morocco, where they’ve been cultivating this queen of flowers for centuries. This highly-scented rose is from the Damask Rose variety and was originally grown in the Dadès Valley for dried flowers and rosewater. In the 1940s the French built distilleries in the area to produce rose oil which has been widely used in perfumery and skincare ever since. Each year during April and mid-May, the M'Goun Valley, also known as the Vallée des Roses produces between 3-4k tonnes of wild roses. This precious Moroccan rose has intoxicating rosy notes accented by spicy facets. Today, we want to introduce you to another of our #amazingfinds with the award-winning pure organic rose skincare range from the newly launched brand Azzedine.

The festival of roses is an annual three-day celebration in Morocco derived from the Berber traditions. Every year, thousands of people gather with garlands of fragrant roses, and a queen rose is elected to reign over the valleys for the year. The brand Azzedine, is a family run business and a recent start-up that brings the essence of Morocco rose right to your doorstep. When you close your eyes, and spritz their Raw Moroccan Rose Water, you can almost imagine yourself immersed in a sea of rose petals, smelling every fragrant note that it has to offer. Sourcing the roses directly from Vallée des Roses at the base of the Atlas Mountains, you can feel the love, passion and absolute devotion that has gone into their products. Where local Berber women harvest the fresh petals, which are then immediately steam distilled. During this process, purified distilled water passes through fresh rose petals, and extracts all of the soluble elements. The water then condenses and drips into a collecting vessel which is then called rose water. Azzedine recently won Editor’s choice in the prestigious 2020 Beauty Shortlist Mama & Baby Awards and we couldn’t be more delighted to share with you their two products: Raw Rose Water and True Rose Serum. They are an organic, authentic, ethical and luxurious skincare brand beautifully packaged in 100% recyclable bottles and boxes.

It’s no secret that we have a weakness for all things rose….so let’s start with Azzedine‘s Raw Moroccan Rose Water.  Rose water has been used throughout the ages not only topically but also to ingest. In fact, this majestic rose has been used for a multitude of purposes. Drinking rose water (NB this Raw Rose Water is not for consumption) is said to relieve depression, bloating and constipation. It is also a remedy for colds, flu, and sore throats and thought to help respiratory illnesses too. However, we’re concentrating on topical application. We used this 100% pure organic Raw Rose Water as a refreshing spritz spray during the hot weather, as well as a toner after cleansing.  It is also good for maintaining pH levels and controlling any excess sebum production. However, it’s the antioxidant properties that we like the best, where it protects against harmful free radicals and environmental aggressors. It is also a skin calmer, soothing eczema, dermatitis and acne inflammations. We found that with just a quick spray, it invigorated the skin and aura throughout the day, keeping us looking and feeling fresh. It is ideal for travelling, as a chemical-free perfume, on your hair, or tension-relief for tired eyes and is also gentle enough even for those with a sensitive skin. The aroma of roses is said to be a powerful mood enhancer and helps in the fight against ageing skin, keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay. 

The next product from this Azzedine duo is their True Moroccan Rose Serum. Made primarily with raw organic Moroccan rose essential oil, all sourced from distilled pure rose petals, it smells unbelievably good and is super-soft on the skin. It’s mixed with natural texture enhancers and emollients such as cyclopentasiloxane,  dimethiconea, isopropyl myristate and finally, coco caprylate - all of which are considered true vegetable alternative for light petrochemical-based emollients.  The Serum is a great multitasker they recommend it as a mattifying primer before make-up or to applied to hair keeping it shiny and frizz-free, or even beards to keep them conditioned and smelling more fragrant!  We used it as a serum during the day under our SPF and then alone at night. We loved both the scent and texture – it left our complexions feeling like velvet. This together with a regular spritz of their Raw Rose Water made the perfect combination to keep our skin cool and hydrated during the heat of the summer months. We’re sure you’ll be just as charmed by these as we are. You can purchase this duo as a set here for £50.00 

LENGLING Parfum Munich - No 9 Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum

A scent can immediately change your mood, bringing good memories back or creating new and exciting ones. Finding that one and only fragrance that encompasses your style, personality and suits each season - is a case of trial and error. This is why we at The Amazing Blog love exploring new fragrances. It’s always so interesting to see how each person’s skin interacts, together with the different perceptions we have of the same fragrance. For these reasons, we were thrilled to receive the deliciously summery No 9 Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum from LENGLING MUNICH. 

LENGLING Parfum Munich was founded by partners Ursula and Christian Lengling in Germany in 2014, launching with their first collection a series of seven scents ‘Extraits de Sentiment’. They use only the finest ingredients inspired by the purest forms of nature, all of which are hand-poured into each bottle. They combine elegance with sustainability by making sure that their formulations are vegan. The silver Isar pebble design found on their hand-polished perfume stopper is the heart of their inspiration, this pebble originates from Isartal (south of Munich) where many people use it as a lucky charm or for meditation. Their fragrances are based on two ingredients that contrast (i.e. are opposites) but also complement each other. They like to call these their ‘LENG’ and ‘LING’ notes. As they say, opposites attract, and with combinations like raw cedar and soft vanilla or dark leather notes mixed with candyfloss, the fragrances used in each bottle are a juxtapose designed to stimulate the senses.  As Ursula Lengling says, “…they will touch you in the place where memories reside and feelings collide. In your heart." The collections are ‘Extrait de Parfum’ not to be confused with ‘Eau de Parfum’.  The fundamental difference between the two is that the Extrait has the highest concentration of fragrance compounds, lasting the longest and with the strongest sillage (lingering in the air). Whereas, the Eau de Parfum has the second-highest concentration and is the one most commonly used by fragrance houses. The Extrait de Parfum will offer a closer-to-the-skin performance, becoming a more intimate scent offering a rate of concentration sometimes lasting up to 24 hours or longer.

No 9 - Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum is a bold and sensational scent launched by LENGLING in 2018. This fragrance won a Dufstars Award for 2018, (the German Oscars of perfumes). Their award was for Best Artistic Independent German Perfume. Which when we learned this, it gave us even more of a curiosity to try this exceptional unisex fragrance. The LENG notes here mirror a ‘shady pine tree grove’ with pine needles absolute, honey, rosemary, thyme absolute and resiny incense. Whereas the LING notes here are a ‘sunny sea’ with sea breeze tones, floral ozone notes, lemon, musk and watermelon. When we closed our eyes and spritzed, it transported us back to summer holidays, Greek islands, wandering through the pine and lemon groves to the beach where it meets the warm salty foaming sea. This for us, was deliciously citrus fresh with a hint of spice. Thyme and rosemary are the Mediterranean herbs that gently waft together with the honey and soft musk as the base notes. They say that it is to: “Let it all go and fly free. Wunderwind.” Wunderwind loosely translated means ‘wonderful wind’ and we think that this will truly awaken the senses and evoke treasured memories of Mediterranean holidays...if you are looking for an extraordinary, fresh and individual new summer fragrance, this is the one to buy. To purchase see here, 50ml for £180.85 

Alvarez Gomez - Agua de Colonia Concentrada

As someone who loves a great refreshing aftershave or cologne, those lovely girls at The Amazing Blog have been sourcing me some great new signature smells to go forth into the summer. I told them to find me something light, breezy and a classic fragrance to boot. They bobbed up with Agua de Colonia Concentrada from the Spanish fragrance brand Alvarez Gomez  In fact, they’ve actually written about their Flores Mediterrneas collection here, so I was curious to try the Agua de Colona Concentrada find for me…

Agua de Colonia Concentrada is a timeless classic cologne and is one of the first fragrances created by the Spanish fragrance house Alvarez Gomez in 1912.  Now with its fourth family generation of owners, this company is a global name with over 100 years of experience in the fragrance sector, well-known for its quality and distinctive traditional fragrances. And as they say about this cologne, “it’s a product that has survived the intense competition of fashion and is knows no age, gender or time…” You’ll often find their fragrances in top 5-star Spanish hotels, showcasing their stylish art deco bottles and sitting in pride of place on many washroom shelves.

This cologne is somewhat zesty and fresh with prominent lemon citrus that really lifts up the fragrance to set it apart from the others. The other top notes are geranium and lavender (two varieties here Spanish and English!) both of which add a little piquant. The middle notes of rosemary and thyme give a more mellow sweet and sour quality to the fragrance followed by the base notes of aromatic bergamot and lavender. This Agua de Colonia Concentrada perfectly captures the scents of the Mediterranean. What I particularly like is their Travel Kit which offers a selection of cologne, deodorant, body lotion and shower gel all for just £34. If you’d like to try Alvarez Gomez - Agua de Colonia Concentrada, it can be purchased here for £30 for 300 ml.  This is definitely topping the list for my go-to summer fragrance must-haves - in fact, it’s a ‘must-have’ for any time of year!