Friday Favourites - Body & Hand Care

At the Amazing Blog we have to confess to being a little obsessed with body and handcare products, particularly during these cold winter months. We don’t know about you, but our skin tends to be much drier and we find ourselves piling on layers of lotions and body butter. However, as always we’re ever mindful of ingredients and prefer to use more natural products. For today’s #amazingfinds we’re going to highlight some natural/organic body and handcare products, not just for winter, but for the whole year-round.

Avid readers of The Amazing Blog know that we have showcased many of the Lavera products, previously reviewing their products like their Firming Body Milk. Lavera, which means ‘the truth’ in Latin, is an affordable natural skincare range for people of all skin types. Containing 100% natural and organic ingredients, we love how transparent they are with their ingredients. With Lavera, we can rest assured that what we’re putting on our bodies is natural and safe.

That’s why we wanted to try the Lavera Neutral Body Lotion, which is specially formulated for sensitive and easily irritated skin. With organic evening primrose oil, it’s good at soothing itchy or flaky skin. Lavera body care in general consists of a rich emulsion with high lipid content, meaning that they nourish skin for longer than perhaps other body lotions. The organic jojoba oil and shea butter are the perfect combination to help lock in moisture, keeping the skin smooth and supple. We recommend using it daily after showering to experience the enriching benefits of their balanced pH-neutral composition which supports cell renewal. We also mustn’t forget to mention the all-important squalene, fennel, witch hazel and olive oil extracts. To feel the uplifting effects, you can buy the Lavera Neutral Body Lotion 200ml here for £14.95

Next, we have an award-winning beauty brand, Beeutiful. We discovered Beeutiful when they were crowned The Best Bee Beauty Brand at the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2019 as well as winning the Best Body Balm Category with the B-Rose Frankincense & Rose Body Balm. Beeutiful’s skincare is so natural that you could almost eat it! Made from 100% natural ingredients, the product range is created by using UK sourced ingredients and beeswax and honey from Beeutiful’s own hives. To quote Carly, the founder: “Our products are not tested on animals and we only harvest that from the bee that does not harm them; honey, wax and propolis. You will not see Royal jelly or bee venom in any of our products as dead bees are necessary for their obtainment!”

The B-Rose Frankincense & Rose Body Balm comes in a generous size glass pot that is fully recyclable. The luxurious oils feel rich and extremely hydrating on the skin, and we loved using it morning and night. The combination of jojoba, coconut and cocoa butter and beeswax glide onto the skin. The essential oils of frankincense and rose were chosen for their toning, skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Together they create a ‘beeutiful’ blend and fragrance, particularly with the rose absolute (one of our favourite scents). This Balm not only hydrates but also calms the skin making it an excellent anti-inflammatory for sensitive skins. It’s a hot favourite with our Exec Editor! Apart from producing this glorious body Balm they also donate 10p from every sale to Friends of The Honey Bee. All products are free from parabens, sulphates, preservatives, artificial or synthetic colours or fragrances, phthalates, silicone, GM ingredients and petrochemicals. See here to purchase your B-Rose Frankincense & Rose Balm it is £43 per 200ml or a smaller 120ml size for £28.

Philosophia Botanica is inspired by African beauty secrets. Surrounded by the nature of Cape Town, South Africa, founder Francesca was inspired to create a 100% natural beauty brand while supporting sustainable agricultural practices. Francesca who’s an oriental medicine, acupuncture spa consultant and formulator, took her passion for well-being, herbal remedies and anything natural and Philosophia Botanica was born.

The Philosophia Botanica Baobab Hydrating Body Oil is created with the key ingredient Baobab seed oil. Often referred to as the ‘tree of life’, the baobab tree is grown in Africa and produces a velvety-looking fruit the size of a coconut which is where the baobab seed oil goodness comes from. With a rich and recognisable scent, it packs a healthy punch for the skin with calcium, magnesium and ten times more vitamin C than in oranges! It’s filled with antioxidants, fatty acids & vitamins to replenish the skin all the way down to the cellular level. Baobab seed oil is an excellent choice for lightweight hydration for any skin type. The oil formula absorbs quickly and nicely, removing any signs of dryness and is particularly good for anti-ageing. The other key ingredients here are moringa oil, which is also famous for its anti-ageing properties, it helps to eliminate wrinkles and slow down the ageing process. Plus, the yangu oil which is full of linoleic acid, omega-6, and oleganic acid, omega-9 these essential fatty acids make it perfect for moisturising the body. This ingredient hails from seeds of the cape chestnut tree also found in Africa. Finally, there’s neroli oil, which is obtained from the bitter orange tree, it is steam-distilled from the small white waxy flowers. Apart from its gorgeous aroma, something we were intrigued to discover is that it also possesses actives that have the ability to reduce acute and chronic inflammation too. A little goes a long way and this Hydrating Oil is a great multitasking product and can be used as a massage oil and in the bath too. To experience Africa’s best-kept secret for yourself, the Philosophia Botanica Baobab Hydrating Body Oil can be purchased here £52 for 200ml.

While we’re making sure that our body is moisturised, we mustn’t forget about our hands, too! Born from a passion for nature, natural and organic products, Akamuti’s founder Lindsey was determined to create a range of products that were brimming with goodness and mindfulness. Lindsey aimed to develop products that told a story with their ingredients, and the Cuticle Moon Hand & Nail Butter certainly does just that. They have a zero-waste policy where all of their waste is recycled, whether it be plastic, aluminium, glass, printer toners, cardboard – nothing reaches the landfill. Akamuti also use a mixture of materials for their packaging. The PET containers are fully recyclable, phthalate and BPA free. NB since writing this, they seem to have swapped this container for an aluminum tin.

This hand cream is one of three in their range of handcare. Scented with lime, lemon and a dash of lavender, this Cuticle Moon Hand & Nail Butter smelt so good that we had to stop ourselves from slathering it all over our arms and torso! it smells divine and we recommend spreading a generous amount on your hands and nails, particularly after washing to replenish oils and moisture. This award-winning Cuticle Moon Butter (The Green Parents Natural Beauty Awards Best Buy 2016) is enriched beeswax and honey (from the forests of Zambia and Ethiopia), and organic cocoa butter to combat dryness. The lemon oil is a natural nail treatment to help cleanse, purify and strengthen with its natural antiseptic properties. The organic virgin cocoa butter has nutrients essential for skin repair to feed your dry hungry skin. The Akamuti Cuticle Moon Hand & Nail Butter 50ml can be purchased here for £6.95

The Quick Flick Eyeliner

As the fellow make-up aficionados amongst us will know just how difficult it is to create the perfect liquid eyeliner wings.  A smudge here or way too long there…. However, every problem has a solution and thanks to the brand The Quick Flick you can wave ‘bye bye’ to your wobbly lines as this creates the perfect eyeliner wing every time. We’re so happy to have found this clever stamp, as it gives a beautiful winged look with ease, which for some of us has been known to turn into a complete catastrophe!                                                  

The Quick Flick is a brand that hails from Australia and created by Iris Smit in 2017. As with a lot of us, she struggled every day with her eyeliner and was determined to try and find a solution, hence Quick Flick was born. It is both cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, all that we love at The Amazing Blog and comes in four colours: Intense black , Hot Fudge, Blue Velvet and Green Envy . Not forgetting to mention, that there are three different eye flick sizes: petite (8mm), modest (10mm) and grand (12mm). So you can keep it natural or add a little more drama . We decided to try the classic Intense Black in 10m, which won the incredible Beauty Global Awards 2019 . This has an hyper-pigmented formula that stays in place all day without fading, cracking or running and we were impressed. The composition of the product is very clean and is composed of oils (shea butter, jojoba oil, canola oil), plant extracts and vitamins E and C.

The box comes with a Quick Flick pack of duplicate dual-ended eyeliner pens (one for the left and one for right eye). Each pen has a perfectly shaped wing stamp one end, as well as felt tip eyeliner on the other, to complete your look. You have only 3 steps to use it: First prep your eyelid with an oil-free primer then align the bottom of the stamp with the edge of your upper lashline and stamp gently. Finally, use the felt tip eyeliner pen to fill in and shape. All of this in less than 2 minutes! What could be better to help rock your look at those long hot and steamy summer party nights ahead. You can buy the Quick Flick Intense Black for £ 20 here .

SLIXIR - Hand & Polish Cream

We love treating ourselves to an hour of timeout at the nail bar or just putting on the radio and doing a quick home mani pedi. At The Amazing Blog our biggest gripe with regular nail polish is that it always seems to chip after only a few days of wear. That’s why we were thrilled to try the Hand & Polish Cream from SLIXIR that we heard makes nail polish last longer, nourishes cuticles, and acts as an anti-ageing hand cream.

Helen Gilmore founded the British brand after having worked in the nail industry since 2002. She was previously the UK and ROI Head of Marketing for CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc), the company that made the popular gel manicure CND Shellac. Having had experience with consumers all over the world in nails and nail care, Gilmore found that the general feedback and biggest moan was about wanting a long-lasting nail polish. Having seen a niche in the market, she began her journey in creating a unique hand and nail product, Helen commented:  “Each day I focus on creating effective and luxurious ways to make this happen; solutions that fit easily into women’s lives and make great hands and nails a readily understood science.”

What stood out to us about SLIXIR is that it eliminates the need for both a hand cream and a cuticle oil with its unique blend of natural plant oils while improving the appearance of your nails and nail polish. We love multi-taskers! It doesn’t make your hands feel greasy and leaves them feeling heavenly soft. Honestly? Our hands felt smooth and hydrated, almost as though we ‘d put a primer on. For this kind of hydration, the formula includes avocado oil and jojoba oil as well as copper active, which specifically soothes and targets the nail beds. Colloidal oats further protects your hands from dryness and environmental stresses.

We cannot emphasise enough about the importance of giving your hands extra care. This is because the dermal layers are thinner, more exposed to the elements, which in turn reveals ageing faster than the face. SLIXIR is one step ahead and equipped with anti-ageing ingredients. This cream is packed full of  antioxidants and multivitamins which neutralise free radicals, helping to hold back visible age-related changes on your hands such as wrinkles and lack of elasticity. We also like that this cream doesn’t have any parabens, mineral oils, or animal cruelty. You can use it on all skin types and nail polishes and they recommend applying it twice a day, paying careful attention to nails. SLIXIR Hand & Polish Cream (75ml) is available here for £21.95 and offers free shipping within the UK. This all-in-one cream now has pride of place by our desks!

Friday Favourites - New Haircare

Gorgeous, healthy hair will never go out of style and here at The Amazing Blog we're always on the hunt for the latest haircare products to suit each of our specific needs. If like us, you have anything from the frizzy and unruly to the sensitive scalps or have hair loss issues, then we’ve got you covered. Please read on, as we’ve got some new and exciting brands to share with you.

There is nothing worse than unruly and frizzy hair. Those of us on this boat understand the struggle of styling this type of hair and the frustration of having it frizz-up within moments of styling.  However, the smoothing system from the new Australian brand evo got our tresses on a sleek lock-down. The creators at evo are a no frills, professional hair and beauty brand that tells it like it is. They are 'saving ordinary humans from themselves' and we like their straightforward attitude and cheeky personality that bursts from their luxurious products.

Does your hair eat combs for breakfast? Then this Lockdown Smoothing Treatment will become your newest ally in this crazy world of the hair battle. This 150ml bottle of 'liquid tamer' is formulated specifically with colour-treated, medium to course texture haired individuals. What makes this one stand out amongst the crowd for us is that it gives you the shine and smoothness you desire, without any of the weight or grease. We’ve said goodbye to those pesky strays and hello to sleek hair simplicity. This leave-in treatment is the hero of the line-up, which also has the mane tamer shampoo and conditioner. We adore the light, refreshing and subtly sweet scent of the lime and the way our hair seems to get softer with each use. You can purchase the Lockdown Smoothing Treatment here for £29.95

Next up is a new discovery for us, so we’d like to formally introduce you to Halier, a new Polish brand that specialises in creating haircare products that promote growth and prevent hair loss. They use the latest scientific technologies to provide effective products. We asked to try out their Fortesse Shampoo and Conditioner and one of us in particularly has been enjoying using them to help build up the quality of her hair.

Fortesse Shampoo works to prevent excessive hair loss and promote healthy hair growth while cleansing and preventing split ends. The shampoo is able to do so because it contains the Advanced Hair Booster ™ Formula. This formula specifically works to condition hair follicles, improve hair elasticity and regenerate the scalp. The product also contains horsetail leaf extract, fatty acids esters from olive oil, saw palmetto extract, biotin, and vitamin B3. These unique ingredients help to create moisture-rich hair that is healthy and full of vitality. We found that our hair has been noticeably shinier and much easier to style. Fortesse Conditioner contains the Hair Vitality Complex ™ Formula which works to prevent excessive hair loss and boost hair growth. It also contains horsetail leaf extract, fatty acids esters from olive oil, saw palmetto extract, biotin, vitamin B3 and ricin oil. The combination of ingredients in this conditioner work to reduce hair loss, promote hair growth, balance oil production, and promote hydration.

After using the combination of these two products we noticed that not only did our hair smell great, but after a few washes we noticed our hair was healthier with less hair loss and giving us a fuller head of hair. The only caution we have to flag-up with this haircare system is that it is not a colour-safe, so if you colour your hair, please do a patch test first. You can purchase a 250ml bottle of Halier Fortesse Shampoo here for £29 and you can purchase a 150ml bottle of Halier Fortesse Conditioner here for £32.

Finally, we're featuring an organic and natural haircare which almost feels like it came from 'mother nature' herself. These products are particularly for those of you with super-sensitive scalps, and/or chemically coloured or treated hair too. Both these products are from the very special myrto naturalcosmetics where we tried the Bio Shampoo Sea Buckthorn Chia and Bio Antistatic Hair Oil which are sourced straight from plants to give the hair the best natural shine, volume and vibrancy.  myrto naturalcosmetics is a German skin and haircare brand by Eva Silvana Kruck, founded in 2012 myrto strives to produce products sourcing only the freshest and most natural ingredients wherever possible; which means small batches with no preservatives or chemicals. Eva was initially motivated to create her own product line due to the needs of her own children's skin disorders. She paired up with Prof. Dr. Peter Kruck to create a range of organic effective, nourishing and natural beauty products for everyone. 

This shampoo is perfect for dry, dull, damaged and chemically treated hair. The combination of sea buckthorn fruit oil and organic chia seed extract work to strengthen every hair fibre, add luminous shine and help to prevent hair breakage. Derived from plant amino acids, the gentle wash-active cleansers in this shampoo leave your hair clean but never stripped of the essential oils naturally produced on the scalp. We loved this shampoo with its invigorating sea buckthorn fruity fragrance. A little goes a long way with this one and you can even dilute it with a bit of water for extra sensitive scalps that still need a good cleanse. The Bio Shampoo Sea Buckthorn Chia is available to purchase here for €9.50. 

The Bio Antistatic Hair Oil has already found its way into our Executive Editor's bathroom! This magical hair oil is an intensive repair for fine and chemically treated hair, and extremely effective if you also happen to have fly-away/statically charged tresses. Containing organic cold-pressed seed oils from macadamia, jojoba and basbass it is a superb hair repair complex that smoothes the surface of the damaged hair fibres giving deep regeneration for split-ends.  You can purchase Bio Antistatic Hair Oil here for €16.50. What we love about all the myrto naturalcosmetics products is that they have no preservatives, alcohol, silicones, petroleum derivatives, synthetic colouring or artificial fragrances. These products are also without the genetic modification or nanoparticles and... are vegan!

Feather & Down – Best Before Bedtime Set and Soothing Body Oil

Getting a relaxing night’s sleep is not always that easy, we've all experienced being physically tired but our brain is still racing. Getting a full night's rest helps to reduce stress, improve memory, boost energy and keep your heart healthy. These are just a few of the countless benefits of getting enough sleep. Here at The Amazing Blog we love our beauty sleep, so imagine how happy we were to be sent Feather and Down’s 'Sleep Matters' products that help encourage relaxation and improve our sleep habits.  Feather and Down is a UK brand dedicated to providing products that promote a restful night's sleep. These range from body and bath to home fragrance, all with the key ingredients of lavender & chamomile essential oils, which are known to encourage a deeper slumber.

Feather and Down’s ‘Best Before Bedtime Set’ contains a range of products which allow you to unwind and drift off to sleep. The set consists of the brand's Pillow Spray, Melting Shower Cream and one chamomile tea bag. Both the Pillow Spray and the Melting Shower Cream contain lavender and chamomile essential oils. These essential oils promote a calming environment making a good night’s sleep more achievable. The chamomile tea bag is an added bonus in the bedtime set as chamomile tea is known to help you fall asleep faster. One team member was just so impressed with their performance, that they immediately purchased this set in order to gift to a friend.

We also tried the Feather and Down’s Soothing Body Oil as part of our night-time routine. It is commonly known that by massaging lavender and chamomile body oils into the skin muscle tension are alleviated, providing the body with incredible feelings of relaxation. The carrier oil here is a combination of sunflower, almond, jojoba, moringa and argan oils with the key essential of lavender and chamomile. All these help to lock in moisture, provide a soothing scent and prepare your body for a peaceful night's sleep.

Feather and Down's products have certainly been helping to improve our bedtime regime. If you want to purchase a ‘Best Before Bedtime Set’ that includes a Pillow Spray, a Melting Shower Cream and one Chamomile Tea Bag you can here for £5.00. You can also purchase Feather and Down’s Soothing Body Oil here for £8.00.