Jonathan Ward – Roscuro Candle

We don’t know about you, but when we eventually flop down on our sofa after work, we think that there’s nothing better than relaxing, watching a flickering candle flame and surrounding ourselves with a gorgeous fragrance. And as regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog we’re big fans of candles! As the nights draw in with this unpleasant dank autumnal weather, it’s speeded up our search to find exotic scented candles to uplift our flagging spirits. Today we wanted to share with you one of our latest #amazingfinds and candle discoveries with ‘Roscuro’ from Jonathan Ward.

Jonathan Ward is a British home fragrance producer, who makes hand-poured candles using organic coconut oil, bees and vegetable waxes. They are all about clean-burning. These candles are certified organic by the Soil Association and the brand has fast become something of a pioneer in the world of home fragrances. Jonathan Ward made his foray into fragrance back in 1979 developing his first-ever perfume. Fast forward into 2018, where together with his European partners in Greece and London he developed his first candle collection ‘Scent of Time’.

This collection is a combination of thirteen candles all inspired by historical figures and their legacies, but in a rather unique way represented through fragrance. We were very kindly sent ‘Roscuro’ to try. This is candle is inspired by the artist Caravaggio, where ‘chiaroscuro’ defines his painting technique of creating ‘light and shade’. For those not familiar with Caravaggio, let us explain, he is probably best known for his painting ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ where he uses a painting technique bringing people and objects from the shadows into the light. Talking of light, we lit this candle last night and can happily confirm that it gave a glorious aroma with a heart-warming fragrance blending base notes of Bailloni wood and amber; hints of iris, honey, and hay giving it a delicacy, and shots of prune and patchouli as top notes. Particularly now with the sun so low in the sky creating dramatic shadows as the days shorten, this candle’s fragrance takes us seamlessly through a journey from autumn to winter. Best of all, its hypnotic aroma fills the room without being overpowering.

This elegant candle is contained in a glamorous double old fashioned style whisky glass which is perfect for repurposing for a second life. We also love their use of the traditional GF Smith British papers used for the stylish boxes and labels. Not forgetting to mention their double cotton wick which allows the candle to burn cleanly for up to 45 hours. Jonathan describes this candle as ‘warm nostalgia’, and we couldn’t agree more. He has an excellent nose for an enticing fragrance and now we’ve experienced the mesmerising Roscuro - we’ll certainly be returning to try more. These candles are available exclusively online here for £40 (240 mg); or at one of their eight partner shops here in London, Los Angeles, Hove, Stockport or Fife.

Repêchage – Triple Action Peptide Serum

The Amazing Blog brings you once again, another pearl from the sea, with the brand Repêchage. We’ve written about quite a few of their products from Repêchage serums to moisturisers. However, today we want to talk about their new launch, the Triple Action Peptide Serum which promises to help give us a brighter, firmer and more hydrated complexion.

Repêchage was founded in 1980 by Lydia Sarfat, a renowned aesthetician, who created this salon brand out of her passion for skincare. All Repêchage products are made with sustainably harvested seaweed from Maine, USA. This is then processed through an extraction that retains at least 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 42 trace elements/minerals, and phlorotannins; all perfect ingredients for deep surface hydration and balance.

Their new Triple Action Peptide Serum is made with powerful peptides and marine seaweed extracts. The palmitoyl tripeptide 1, 5 and 7, in this serum, will help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines by firming and smoothing it.  That’s not only it, but other ingredients found in this serum are acetyl hexapeptide-8 which has a water-binding function that aids the reduction of wrinkles. It also has Laminaria digitate (seaweed), aloe vera, sweet almond, chrysin and mirabilis Jalapa extract. These ingredients are rich in vitamin B12, C, E, K, beta carotene, amino acids, minerals and enzymes which smooth out our skin by providing elasticity, removing imperfections like dark circles, dry skin and again, by hydrating your skin, it will feel firmer, brighter and more youthful. Suitable for the face, neck and décolleté just massage eight or so drops twice a day into these areas. Let it settle for about ten minutes and then you can keep applying your creams or make up etc. We found that this serum layered easily with our other skincare, it didn’t feel greasy and absorbed well. So, if you’re looking for a serum that has advanced skincare science with natural ingredients, then this potent seaweed and peptide-based serum is for you. Make this Triple Action Peptide Serum from Repêchage part of your daily skin routine by getting it here for £75.00.

PÉRGATIS – Brows Revitalising Solution

It’s no secret that eyebrows seem to be a current beauty obsession. At The Amazing Blog, we’re big fans of all eyebrow products, particularly those that will help them grow! Looking at the brow icon Cara Delevingne, it makes us all want to have those thick, perfect and shapely brows. Many brow trends come and go and unfortunately for some of us this has led to over-plucking, which has now caused gaps and thinning. We heard lots of good things about the Pérgatis products, so when received the Pérgatis Brows Revitalising Solution to strengthen and thicken the brows, our reaction was something like what Ariana Grande would say: ‘I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it’.

Over 15 years ago, Dr Amir Jafri who is a medical doctor by training, began to experience hair loss and was introduced to a natural haircare product based in Malaysia. After seeing the unbelievable results, he decided to invest in this brand. Initially launching in the Asian market, the satisfaction rate was high and thus the demand grew so fast, that’s when he decided to take the brand global, hence creating Pérgatis, the personal care group. As a pioneer in the field of hair growth and also with his experience and background in business management, Pérgatis was assured an outstanding start. The name Pérgatis derives from the work Pergamon, an ancient city in Turkey (now known as Bergama). This city was recognised worldwide due to Galen, the man that revolutionised the knowledge of human health, and therefore, the brand wanted to pay homage.

Pérgatis Brows is a 100% natural product that’s rooted in Ayurvedic methodology. The main ingredients are nigella sativa seed oil, black mustard extract, olive oil, sesame seed oil and hydrogenated egg oil; all of which enhances the growth of the brows making them stronger and thicker. Easy to apply by gently massaging 1 or 2 drops of Pérgatis into your brows, then leave the product on until fully absorbed, which is about 4 hours (or it can even be left on overnight). NB when applied at night the liquid is dark amber in colour, so they suggest covering your pillow to avoid staining the bed linen. Pérgatis Brows will help to create voluminsed brows filling in imperfections . Results are normally visible in approximately 6 weeks – we did notice a slight density at 4 weeks but we still need to persevere a little longer to see more of a difference.

You can buy your 10ml dropper bottle of Pérgatis Brows here for £39.00 and make it part of your daily routine, to help achieve those defined and full eyebrows you have always longed for.

Les huilettes - Mon huilette night

After a long and tiring day, we at The Amazing Blog can’t think of anything better than taking off our makeup and applying a soothing night serum. What makes  a night serum stand out for us from other skin care products is that they’re jam-packed with ingredients that nourish and brighten your skin while you sleep. We can never get enough of serums, as each one has specific properties to enhance the skin, such as anti-ageing from les huilettes we are referring to, of course, their very special mon huilette night serum. 

The brand was started in France in 2015 by two long-time friends, Pascale Gal and Claire Auzouy. Gal was a pharmacist with a degree in Aromatherapy while Auzouy had a background in luxury gastronomy. Gal desired to ‘return to a simpler beauty, essential and without sacrifice, summed up in a few principles and gestures’. The pair combined their unique experiences to start a cosmetics company that is 100 per cent natural, vegan, and botanical. Les huilettes is also committed to the environment and partnered with Up2green Reforestation, a French nonprofit organisation that helps replant fruit trees in communities affected by deforestation. 

The Mon huilette night serum is made for all skin types to smooth and enhance your skin’s suppleness. Overnight, it leaves your skin looking more radiant overnight and repairs any signs of anti-ageing such as wrinkles and skin dullness. The formula of a ‘plant synergy of essential and vegetable oils to be effective without fluff’makes the night serum stand out. Essential oils like Italian helichrysum have an anti-inflammatory benefit while myrtle and bourbon geranium have therapeutic aromatherapy effects to enhance positive well-being. Argan and avocado oils deeply moisturise and plump your skin while prickly pear cactus prevents the formation of premature wrinkles and lightens dark circles. These elements result in a light-feeling oil serum that melts evenly into your face and neck and doesn’t make you feel greasy. 

A little goes a long way, and you only need 3-5 drops per use. You should purposely but gently massage the serum into your freshly cleansed face for optimal results. However, for extra pampering and an at-home massage, we suggest you watch their serum application video here . On top of it all, rose and white flower leave a tangy and therapeutic scent on your face to relax you before bed. You can join ‘tribe of huilettes’ and amp up your night skin care routine by purchasing the mon huilette night (15ml) here for 45€

ChicP - Houmous

Houmous. It’s a food that dates back to as early as the 13thcentury in Egypt and something we at The Amazing Blog have devoured since it became a trend with the likes of Whole Foods. What we adore about this food is it makes a hearty and healthy snack that leaves you satisfied for hours unlike a bag of crisps. With our tastes for houmous in mind, we were interested to try two flavours from ChicP 

The company was founded by Hannah McCollum, who worked predominantly as a private chef, on the‘passionate commitment to reducing food waste’. All of ChicP’s five colourful houmous flavours are made with raw vegetables that were discarded due to their irregular shape or size. Supermarkets reject approximately 40 per cent of produce because of these qualities and nearly 1/3 of UK produce goes to waste because people don’t eat it. McCollum wanted to combat this with ‘houmous made from imperfect veggies’ to promote better choices for your health and the environment. 

We were drawn to not only the company’s ethos, but also the delicious taste of its houmous. This houmous is much lighter than any others we’ve tried and is creamy, satisfying, and flavourful. The first flavour we tried was the Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric  The spread immediately tastes like you’ve dipped a carrot into an ordinary blend of chickpeas, saving you the extra step of doing it yourself. While the carrot taste is evident, the ginger and turmeric follow after and linger yet don’t overpower. This flavour works splendidly as a dip, but we liked putting it over baked chicken and pasta. We felt the second one we tasted would be more suitable as a midday snack or sandwich spread. Herby is true to its name and has a strong veggie taste, as 16 per cent of the recipe is spinach and parsley. However, lemon juice concentrate, vinegar, and garlic purée increase the flavour’s depth and tastiness. 

The houmous here is vegan and contains no additives or added sugars. Carrot, Ginger & Tumeric and Herby also only have 113 calories (469 kJ) and 127 calories (526 kJ) per quarter pot, respectively, and are reasonably priced at £3 for 170g. Additionally, there are three other flavours available in ChicP’s collection: Beetroot, Horseradish & Sage, Chilli Pumpkin, and Banana Chocolate. You can purchase their houmous here, or at one of the retailers listed here.