Berrichi - Day Age Defence & Night Power Defence

We think it’s important to use different types of skincare for day and night and at The Amazing Blog, we’ve discovered a great natural skincare brand Berrichi with their Day Age Defence and Night Power Age Defence, both of which contain very special extracts from green and red microalgae. Berrichi firmly believes in the philosophy that clean and natural is best for the skin, which is a philosophy that we can certainly get behind!

Berrichi is a brand that hails all the way from Estonia, it was founded by Berit Joosep, whose struggle with dry skin and inflammation prompted her to look for natural alternatives. Thus Berrichi was born where it started life made small batches in Joosep’s kitchen, where she drew inspiration from books on herbal culture and ancient beauty techniques. Today Berrichi is a multi-award-winning skincare brand, exporting globally and recognised for leading the way with ‘clean beauty’ and its unique botanicals.

The two products that we reviewed were their Day Age and Night Power Defence creams, both which are recommended to be used together. They feature some of nature’s strongest antioxidants, with their unique microalgae-based astaxanthine an extract derived from the green algae haematococcus pluvialis, the carotenoids contained in the astaxanthin protects the cells from free radicals (a natural antioxidant 500 x more powerful than vitamin E. and 800 x more effective than CoQ10). The red algae furcellaria which is found in the Baltic sea is a strong neutraliser of free radicals, anti-pollution and removes toxins. These are blended with other ingredients of cacay, avocado, apricot, jojoba and kukui oils, all of which help the skin to bloom. You may be questioning the ingredient of algae; well we learned that it has long been a hero ingredient for centuries in Asian beauty with its moisturising, calming and anti-ageing properties. This powerful combination of botanical ingredients penetrates the dermis to give the skin an even texture, aiding skin tone and supporting elasticity and immunity.

Let’s begin with The Day Age Difference, which won Editor’s Choice at The Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2018. It offers 24-hour hydration for a soft, youthful glow while calming irritated, inflamed or hypoallergic skin. The Day Cream is light and absorbs quickly, making it ideal to use alone or as a makeup base. It retails for 36€ for 50 ml here.  Then there is The Night Power Defence, which has a thicker formulation for slower, deeper overnight absorption. The Night Power Defence cream provides deep nourishment, hydration and regeneration, leaving the skin firm and balanced. It helps to slow down the signs of ageing while improving collagen production and the removal of toxins. It can be purchased for 39€ for 50ml here.  

Both products are free from parabens, sulphates and vegan, organic and cruelty-free. We think that they make a perfect combination for city living protecting us from pollution, whilst also delivering long-lasting hydration. Keep an eye out for Simon’s review of their Smoothing Age Defence which will appear shortly. We can’t wait to try more from Berrichi and they certainly get the thumbs up from us!

Pura Vida Organic - CBD After Shave Moisturiser and the Shaving Gel & Wash

At The Amazing Blog we learned that Pura Vida is a phrase that originates from Costa Rica, and translates as ‘pure life’ or ‘simple life’. Today we’re talking about CBD infused grooming products from the Croatian skincare company Pure Vida Organic. As regular readers will know we are big fans of all things CBD (see here).

According to Pura Vida Organic founder Jennifer Deegan, ‘pure life’ is a philosophy that she encourages us to apply to our own lives, just as she applies it to the products that her company creates.  In a world where we have to address the issues of sustainability alongside those of our own consumption, here is a manufacturer proudly bringing us the purest natural alternatives to mainstream cosmetics, whilst also keeping the environmental impact as low as possible. Now of course as soon as one mentions CBD or Cannabidiol, there are going to be those who inevitably will flinch at the association with anything remotely cannabis-related (which we explain in our CBD feature here). However, it is worth noting that there’s some research now available on the benefits of CBD oil. With reports of good acne management, as well as relief from anxiety, neuroprotection and pain relief it opens up endless healing possibilities for the future.

The two products that we tried from Pura Vida Organics were the Shaving Gel & Wash, and the CBD After Shave Moisturiser. Apart from the obvious convenience of having a Shaving Gel & Wash in one handy bottle, the Budrovic Lavender from Hvar (Croatia) and peppermint water base gives a welcome refreshing boost to the morning ritual. It helps to set the skin up perfectly for an onslaught of a steel blade and includes aloe vera into the mix, which gives a gentle and soothing effect during cleansing. This continues unabated through to the completion of the shave, keeping irritation to a minimum.

However, should there be any stress or redness to the skin, then this is where the Pura Vida Organic’s CBD After Shave Moisturiser steps in with a defined calming sensation that comes through from the essential oils again of peppermint and lavender. These ingredients are also aligned with that of pine needles and the moisturising butter both providing immediate relief from irritation, with the 30ml – 620mg organic cannabis sativa seed extract (CBD) full-spectrum with 0.001% THC. Sustainability is also a priority for this brand, with all its packaging uniquely made from 25% grass. All products are vegan, Cosmos Organic approved, cruelty-free and handmade in Croatia. Pura Vida Organic’s Shaving Gel & Cleanser is 50ml, priced at €15.98 here, and the CBD After Shave Moisturiser is 30ml priced at €17.90 here. This is most certainly a brand to watch, and we can’t wait to try more from their skincare and body butters.

Terre De Mars - 004 Resonance Body & Hair Oil

At the Amazing Blog we’re big fans of the humble coffee bean and its versitility - not only can it give a wonderful boost to those of who find the early mornings a bit of a trial, but the health and medicinal benefits of caffeine-based cosmetology is now also sitting centre stage and rightly getting the attention it deserves. Terre De Mars is a company at the forefront of this.

Started by three friends who had memories of their grandmother espousing on the virtues of coffee as more than just a beverage, they started their empire from the humble beginnings of a 100% pure coffee face scrub. Alexandre, Poulad and Salem had such a phenomenal success with their scrub, that they progressed onto a more sure footing with the launch of a full range of coffee-based products, all of which are COSMOS, COSMEBIO, vegan and cruelty-free certified, and gender fluid. They created their formulae which comply completely with ECOCERT Standards, having researched and understood the benefits of using caffeine in a highly concentrated form, and along with the other totally natural ingredients, the results are a perfect fit for skin bio-compatibility and sensorial richness.

Today we’re talking about the Terre De Mars Résonance 004 Resonance Body & Hair Oil which contains antioxidant and nourishing oils to achieve radiance and smoothness. Castor oil regenerates the skin, and that vital caffeine component tones and invigorates the skin tissues, with Argan oil providing much-needed hydration. The complete range is a happy marriage between science and nature, formulated from powerful bioactive and probiotic ingredients, thus providing a powerful cocktail of nutrients. The benefits do not end there, not only is this nurturing balm kind to our skin, but the packaging is all created with recycled material, meaning the environment reaps huge rewards also. By the way, It doesn’t smell of coffee and has only a hint of zesty citrus scent from the bitter orange water.

Available here at €58 for the 100ml bottle, this is clearly unlikely to be an impulse buy, but the benefits of this newfound elixir are there to be experienced, and the results celebrated. We also believe from their retailer’s page here that it is currently available instore at Wolf & Badger or Make Me Feel (in London) for approx. £48.

Bee Approved - Vegan Honey

Veganista is a new company that we at The Amazing Blog  have discovered on our continual quest to search out healthy and nutritious options. And they have an absolute belter to tempt us with … especially if we have opted for the vegan route to our nutrition, in the form of  Bee Approved  their alternative to honey.

Being an animal product, honey of course is not suitable for the vegan diet, and therefore Veganista have come up with Bee Approved Honey as the go-to alternative for those people who wish to avoid animal products where possible. Now our first question - probably like yours - is: how? Step forward the often overlooked brown rice to take a bow, for it is this humble larder staple which when cooked and with its starch broken down, gives us brown rice syrup with easily digestible sugars. Not only is this particular nectar mushy, sticky and thoroughly delicious, but when you consider the vast range of uses that honey gives us, then the field opens up completely for Bee Approved Vegan Honey’s versatility, since it can be used in as many and varied ways itself. It can be used raw, cooked, as a garnish or indeed as the main ingredient in a plethora of dishes from desserts to cocktails, and much in between.

With the Certified Vegan Trademark  behind it, each pot of goodness is authenticated by an acutely experienced team of professionals ensuring the high standards as set down in 1944 by The Vegan Society are continually met adhering to the strict code of total exclusion of any animal products, either in manufacture or final product. All BeeApproved foods are also Certified Organic and Gluten Free.

The primary supplier of Bee Approved Honey is Veganista’s own online shop here, for 150g, we won’t be breaking the bank at the competitive price of £3.49. Larger jars are also available in 250g and 500g sizes as well as the incredibly travel friendly 10g tube for just 50p! So, these jars of golden goodness tick all the boxes - not least of all giving all those hardworking bees a thoroughly well-earned day off the perpetual round of honey production!

Friday Favourites – Healing Face Mists

Don’t you love it when you wake up, spray your face with a natural, delicate and fresh face mist, both invigorating and uplifting, all to start your day off right. At The Amazing Blog, we’ve always been keen on facial mists, but in our recent search we’ve found that too many high street facial mists are ineffective, watery or filled with chemicals. Today we’re happy to say that we’ve discovered some new and natural healing mist solutions to share with you.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

The first #Amazingfind healing mist we have is from Max and Me, a company dedicated to making you look better but also feeling better.

The brand was founded by Max and Tanja Gruber, who set out to create skincare that they quote that it “Goes beyond mere product performance. Skincare that suffuses you with a most beautiful, vibrant flow of energy.” Max is the entrepreneurial spirit of the pair, and designed the company’s structure so it is as fully ethical as possible particularly regarding ingredient sourcing and sustainability. His partner, Tanja trained in Energetic Healing, Kinesiology, and Aromatherapy for three years at the Austrian Academy of Kinesiology. The couple’s respective backgrounds fused into a line of unique skin care products with an energy-healing basis.

The Intuitive is a botanical facial mist that has a blend of ingredients to ‘elevate skin, soul, and spirit’. One of the main ingredients, palo santo, is an Ecuadorian-sourced plant that heals and increases positive energy around you, which uplifts your mood. On top of this, wild agonis essential oil regulates your circadian rhythm for better sleeping at night, and blue tansy relaxes and calms your mind. These natural ingredients work to balance the flow of energy around you and reduce any negative ions while smelling like the woods after it rains. They are also gentle yet effective for inflamed, dry, or acne-prone skin.

Besides providing much-needed relief to our dry summer skin, what drew us to this product was its healing effects. When we sprayed it, we instantly felt tranquil - and it’s something that we’ve carried with us throughout the day even as we walked through the busy London streets. You can use this facial mist for many purposes, such as a room and pillow spray or mixed with a balm for a face mask, but we preferred using it on freshly cleansed skin to let our moisturiser soak in better. The spray has very fine particles, which evenly distribute the mist onto your face, and is hand-blended into a sturdy glass bottle. You can purchase The Intuitive (100ml) here for 70 €.

The next product we have for you is made specifically for skin hydration by Alexandra Soveral. As regular readers will know, we recently featured her Sweet Orange & Rosemary Shampoo. Soveral founded the brand with her business partner Jori Aleem to form natural products developed using cutting edge science. Before starting her beauty and perfume line, Soveral spent time understanding skin as an aromatherapist and facialist. She also learned how to curate products organically as a cosmetic designer. The company is also dedicated to sustainability and given the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark, which ‘identifies the luxury brands that meet the highest standards of verified innovation, social, and environmental performance’. It uses pure and natural ingredients found in its Floral Rain Hydrating Face Mist.

This face mist combines vitamins and antioxidants with essential oils that hydrate and even your skin, making it optimal to use as a toner to prep your face for oils, serums, or moisturiser. Aloe vera nourishes your skin but doesn’t make the product watery so that you can use it over make up for a midday skin pick-me-up. The orange blossom and rose scent is also refreshing to use on your neck and décolletage. We found that it smells good when sprayed around your surroundings as with just a single spritz of the mist, the fragrance holds its aroma. It is hand-blended in London and packaged in a recyclable plastic bottle. You can buy the Hydrating Face Mist (250ml) here for £45.

Finally, to complete this week’s Friday Favourite’s trio of healing mists, we have the Universal Soul Company’s, 3-in-1 Soul Mist in their signature fragrance STILL. The luxury lifestyle brand was founded by well-known British actress Sara Griffiths to value all five of your senses amid all the media and technology that surrounds us and empower others through positive well-being. The company focuses on the idea of ‘profit for purpose’ and donates a portion of its revenue to different causes as another way to enable others. The Universal Soul Company also has the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark of approval for sustainability.

The name of the Soul Mist comes from its three intended uses: room spray, meditation, and pillow mist. Instead of needing three separate products, only this mist is necessary throughout your day from morning until night. Patchouli and vetiver base notes combine to create a strong musky scent while lavender oil and may chang layered on top of it create a sweet floral fragrance that appears a few moments after spraying the mist. May chang has been proven to relieve fatigue and lethargy, leaving you in a better mood and lavender helps you sleep and relieves body aches. The mist is made with 100 per cent natural essential oils and mineral waters, which break up air molecules and generate negative ions of well-being like being near a waterfall or the ocean. It is alcohol-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and has no artificial fragrances, so it is safe for use on your face and around children, animals, and furniture.

The 3-in-1 Soul Mist is Universal’s first brand product, and it does not disappoint. The smell made us feel instantly relaxed and lasted. We found it was particularly helpful in making us feel less stressed when waking up and getting going in the morning. You can purchase the hand-blended product (100ml) here for £37.

These three healing mists prove that creating a relaxed state of mind is not just reserved for a retreat or an exclusive yoga studio. In fact, they teach you how you can build a tranquil zone of your own with just one spray. Using each of these healing mists helped us to feel like we could conquer the day with both an uplifted mood and more radiant looking skin!