Friday Feature - Lips

The fun, or perhaps daunting, part about cosmetics for your lips is that the variety is vast, from sheer lipsticks, to opaque lip glosses, to shimmery lip glosses, to matte lipsticks, to moisturising salves and lip balms, the options are endless. We at The Amazing Blog maintain that the staples are a matte lipstick with longevity, a shiny lip gloss to use as a matte lipstick topper or on natural lips, an intense lip salve to use as a rich treatment, and an on the go lip balm. In our selection today, you’ll find all of these.

Lip preparation is very important when you’re going to be putting product on your lips, as you don’t want cracks and dried skin. Smith’s have a range of lip moisture products, and we were lucky enough to try the Rosebud Salve and the Tropical Ambrosia Balm. The former is their self-proclaimed ‘miracle in a can!’ and is their original salve dating back to 1892. The latter is a modern twist on the traditional formula with a heady combination of coconut and mango. The base formula has remained unchanged for over 100 years, with just some additional flavours added in to ramp up the vintage recipe for a modern generation. The concentrated blend of oil is high in vitamins A and E, which will do so much good for dry skin. The salves have a buttery, emollient texture which soothes chapped and cracked lips and anywhere that is craving for some extra-hydration – our cuticles and elbow love it! You can even add some dewiness to your face by tapping some onto cheekbones or keep unruly eyebrows and flyaway hairs in check with a touch of salve. Really, the options are endless.

Dr Smith’s company is still owned by his grandchildren, so we recommend getting in on this family’s secret recipe for some skin repair. Purchase tins here for £8.50.
 

Of course, these little tins aren’t always the most convenient to carry around with you, which is where ISUN’s Golden Lip Balm comes in. With equally intense hydration, it comes in a small chapstick for moisture on-the-go. This little lip saviour contains antioxidant herbs and high nutrient berry oils for nourishing lip therapy. One key active ingredient, Buriti Fruit Oil, extracted from the Amazon rainforest, has the highest known levels of protective carotenoids. Cacao Butter forms the base and is known for its antioxidants and fatty acids for intense moisture, and is responsible for the heavenly chocolate smell and taste.

All of ISUN’s products are created with natural ingredients, and these are harvested from the plants in their natural habitats, untouched by humankind. It is the rich nutrients that gives ISUN’s products their naturally nourishing properties.

Purchase ISUN’s Golden Lip Balm here for £12.50.
 

It is no secret that matte lipsticks have been the prominent trend of the past year or two, and they are definitely here to stay. With a matte formula, you get longevity and rich pigment. These lipsticks from LOLA say it all in the name; Matte Long-Lasing Lipstick, so make no mistake about it, these colours will last hours on your lips, with infrequent touch ups. Of course, as it is autumn, we’re into the colours Glacier Cherry, a rich, true red (which, to be honest, is timeless) and Purple Rock, a very autumnal, vampy purple.

The formula of these lipsticks does something special. It helps lips to appear fuller and smoother, which matte lipsticks usually do the opposite of. This is thanks to the blend of polymers and emollients which helps fill in fine lines and create an even surface. The jojoba oil and vitamin E nourish lips, making this matte lipstick a creamy and comfortable wear.

Purchase the Matte Long Lasting Lipsticks here for £11.95 each.
 

Now onto the gloss, a necessity, we believe, in everyone’s makeup collection. Jane Iredale’s PureGloss range has a plethora of shades to choose from. We have the shades Hot Cider, a golden-peach toned gloss, and Pink Lady, a classic pink gloss with a hint of shimmer. High-shine, sheer, but with a touch of colour, these glosses are perfect for transforming your natural lip colour or adding a shine and colour depth to lipstick. Despite being a gloss, these PureGlosses are remarkably long-lasting and contain Moringa butter and avocado oil to condition your lips. The added bonus? To us, they smell like gorgeously sweet pink lemonade.
These glosses are all vegan and certified cruelty-free, luxuriously creamy but with a slight stick which helps them to last longer on the lips. They are everything we love in a lip gloss.

Purchase the PureGlosses here for £19.95 each.

With an abundance of lip products and formulas to choose from, we hope we've helped you navigate the maze slightly. We think lips are one of the most fun facial features to decorate, so prep them and go forth and rock a bold or glossy lip!

PureLash Lash Extender & Conditioner - Jane Iredale

Full and long lashes are our favourite accessory here at The Amazing Blog, whether you're foregoing makeup or glamming up. We especially love when our lashes are lengthened and strengthened and making  our much more mascara long-lasting. That’s why we were delighted when Jane Iredale sent us their Purelash Lash Extender & Conditioner.

This multi-purpose product is the perfect way to achieve thick, long and strong lashes. It can be used as a mascara primer, adding measurable thickness and length to the lashes when used under your favourite mascara and helping the mascara to last-longer. Not only are you left with fluttery and flirty lashes, but it also allows you to use less of your mascara, therefore helping your purchase last longer. The second purpose is perhaps our favourite; apply the product to clean lashes before bed for an overnight lash treatment. The Aloe Extract and Vitamin B Complex Factor moisturises the lashes, helping them to grow stronger and healthier. Hydrolysed Wheat Protein aids in thicker growth and with the added bonus of curlier lashes. You can even use this product to condition your eyebrows if you're coveting some bushier brows.

The majority of mascaras slow the growth of the hair follices along your eyelid. This results in scarce lashes that struggle to grow, and is why the Purelash Lash Extender & Conditioner is such a beneficial product. What's more, the product is cruelty-free so as your lashes grow, your guilt won't!  If you're still somehow not convinced, think about it this way, you wouldn't skip the conditioner in your hair-wash routine, so why skip it on your eyelashes?

Purchase the Pure Lash Extender and Conditioner here for £16.00. 

Jane Iredale - Jelly Jar Eyeliners

Are you constantly on the hunt for eyeliner that will actually last throughout the day? Well, look no further! The Amazing Blog team has finally found the perfect eyeliners from Jane Iredale that you just have to try.

The founder of the company, Jane Iredale, was the first to supply the aesthetic industry with a line of make-up that has skincare benefits. Jane Iredale’s Jelly Jar Gel Eyeliner naturally creates a rich and captivating look along the eyes, but with a formula free of chemicals and irritants. Packaged in a compact pod, each eyeliner provides longwearing, water-resistant colour that gives you the precision of a liquid eyeliner with a silkier and softer finish. Available in matte black, shimmering warm brown, a matte deep violet and an iridescent gold olive, each highly pigmented jar provides colour that glides on smoothly for a defined or smudgeable line.

If you want to ensure precise application on the lash line, you can also try the new Angle Eyeliner Brush. I absolutely love these eyeliners and the eyeliner brush. With the brush, all you have to do is gently press it into the jelly jar and apply along the lash line. I just have to make one long swoop along my lash lines and the eyeliner goes on perfectly. Plus, it lasts all day and makes my eyes pop.
You can purchase a Jelly Jar Gel Eyeliner for £16.50 here and the Angle Eyeliner Brush for £12.22 here.

Friday Favourites - Travel Kits

Travelling is a beautiful way to experience new places, people and cultures but often takes a toll on your body. It is easy to forget about skincare regime while travelling, therefore making the trip a bit more exhausting than it should be. We at The Amazing Blog have found products to keep you refreshed and healthy while on-the go.  We hope these travel kits make your adventures even more delightful!

Ayurveda Pura has introduced these wonderful Natural Wellbeing Survival Kits which include natural remedies to support everyday needs.  There are various kits available for individual needs such as Daily Detox, Calm Your Mind, Anti Hangover and the kit we sampled, Rise and Shine. Each kit comes with a variety of products including herbal teas, food supplements and organic skincare products. The company is named after the 5000 year-old Ayurveda practice, which is a holistic Indian health system creating harmony in the body while strengthening the body both physically and mentally.  The Rise and Shine Kit is perfect for travel as it kick-starts the body with a boost of energy. Sipping the De-Tox Herbal Tea made of ginger, lemon, orange and lemon grass is the first step of the natural routine. Following this relaxing step, wash your face with the Daily Face Wash followed by the Rejuvenating Skin Toner.  Last, finish the regimen with the Daily Replenish Face Cream. These skincare products are filled with all natural ingredients like Neem Tree Oil consisting of antibacterial and rejuvenating properties in addition to lavender, aloe vera and lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin essential oils.  The Rise and Shine Kit is available for £58.45 here.  The kits range in price, depending upon needs.

Face it ladies, some of us can’t ‘face the day’ without make up, so why not carry around a kit with all the essentials?  Jane Iredale has just introduced the Starter Kit which includes their most popular products like the Smooth Affair primer, Amazing Base Loose Powder, PurePressed Powder, Mini Powder Brush, Pom Mist Facial Spritz and a Cosmetic bag.  The starter kit offers samples of the basics, allowing you to pick from five shades.  We love that Jane Iredale products include UVA and UVB protection to protect skin in the sun-filled holidays to come!  Their products, including this kit, are vegan and gluten-free.  You can find the Starter Kit online here for £35.96 or find a store close to you here.

Travelling with Gatineau Paris’ Collagene Expert Discovery Collection is another great way to keep from falling behind on your beauty regimen.  With 81 years of history and research behind the brand, they continue to introduce new formulas to help combat the appearance of ageing. Given that collagen production starts to decrease after 25, why not be proactive!  Helping to restore and boost the body’s natural collagen production, this collection will have you feeling young and fresh at any destination!  The kit includes three of our favourites from Gatineau Paris such as the Collagene Expert Ultimate Smoothing Cream.  The cream is new to the line but is a combination of two popular salon treatments including the award winning Force Collagene Anit-wrinkle Concentrate. The Collagene Expert Targeted Wrinkle Corrector is for specific trouble spots and helps flatten out wrinkles leaving a fuller and smoother appearance.  The Collagene Expert Smoothing Eye Concentrate not only helps fill out the fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes but also evens the skin tone giving the appearance of younger and healthier skin.  All three products are simple to use!  Apply after cleansing, during your morning and evening routine, making your travel skincare regimen simple! To get your hands on this kit you can go here.

Lastly, if you want to invest in a multipurpose kit to keep clean and rejuvenated on the go, try Hunter and Heath Forever Young Luxury Hamper.  The hamper includes eight products from both the One Love and Frezyderm lines featured on the Hunter and Heath website. This hamper allows you to take your everyday skincare routine and turn it into a luxury spa treatment.  These One Love items are multipurpose products which fit easily into any carry-on. One of our favourites is the Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser because it doubles as face wash, body wash and shampoo, therefore eliminating excess bottles during packing. The cleanser is made with Chilean soap bark, apple oil and vegetable glycerin leaving skin soft and hydrated. The One Love Skin Saviour is also great because it can be used with the Skin Shammy for cleansing or used alone for general moisturising.  The lovely thing about this hamper is it also includes Frezyderm Creams for a touch of luxury. The Frezyderm Rich Moisturising and Neck Contouring creams are aimed at treating ageing, dry skin. The creams have properties that help improve the dermal structure and synthesis of collagen production to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you would like to treat yourself to this hamper click here.

We hope these kits help you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and beautiful during your travels!