Cally King London- Fragrances

For some young girls trying to navigate their way around the world of fragrance, can be really quite daunting. We at The Amazing Blog have heard this from various younger sisters, nieces and friends. So, where do they begin?  Step forward Cally King a welcome newcomer to the beauty world, who has created an original concept with a range of fragrances mainly aimed at the teen market.

Cally King London was created by Kate Wright, whose inspiration came from wanting to give her teenage daughters a bearing in the over-populated and confusing world of perfume. Kate herself, recalls falling in love with different fragrances as a young girl. For her, it all started when seated in her grandmother’s bedroom watching her daily ritual of spritzing her favourite scent. She said “bottle after tantalising bottle was unstoppered for me to try, Guerlain, Chanel, Dior and I was quickly hooked. But confused!” Years later, curious to see how her own daughter would navigate her way in this world, Kate took her to a perfumery. They started trying all the different fragrances until they both became dizzy with choice and couldn’t tell one from the other. Kate added, “I realised we needed to get back to basics – to try some scents out at home, to find out what we really like. Which is how Cally King was born.”

Cally King is not only perfect for teenage girls, but for anyone who wants to experiment with fragrance. They have a handy selection on four scents which can used by mixing and matching at home. A perfect way to discover what kind of scents suit you, by smelling them individually or layering in any combination you choose. It also gives young perfume aficionado the chance to experiment on their own, without feeling pressurised by pushy sales assistants. The choice of these four eau de toilette fragrances helps to demystify perfume by offering four distinct aspects of the fragrance wheel - fresh, floral, exotic and woody. Their Gift Set presentation box containing all four is stylish, girly and elegantly designed and comes with an explanatory notebook and sample strips.

The first scent in the Gift Set that we tried was Aspen, which is a woody scent reminiscent of a forest after a heavy down pour. It smells of a combination of sandalwood/cedarwood and has a delicious chocolate and earthy finish to complete it. The second is Honor (named after Kate’s daughter), which has a fresh smell identifying to us as mainly citrus. Awakening the senses, it also has a hint of mint and fresh green leaves which adds another dimension to this zesty scent. On the other hand, Maya is a stronger more exotic and sophisticated fragrance with a moreish fruitiness of ripe apricots and spice. The final quartet in the Gift Set is Grace which is floral, feminine and light. Grace reminds us of English flower garden in full bloom, it’s the perfect fragrance to brighten up even the dullest days. Our favourite? Layering Aspen and Grace, to strengthen the floral top notes and tone down the woody base notes, it’s a great combination do try it.

To purchase Aspen, Honor, Maya and Grace see here. All fragrances are eau de toilette, 10ml and individually priced at £9.95. These scents are also available in roller balls at the same price. Cally King also offers a Gift Set here with the full quartet of scents at £30.

Bloomtown Botanicals-Clay Masks and Roll-on Infused Oils.

Here at The Amazing Blog, our readers will know that we are constantly searching for new products that will help to give us that elusive perfect complexion! Today, we're featuring a skincare brand that we've heard so many great things about Bloomtown Botanicals. They are natural skincare company that prides itself on creating vegan skincare products and are also palm oil, paraben and cruelty-free.  We also the fact that they use recycled/recyclable materials and packaging wherever possible in order to reduce an environmental impact. Bloomtown Botanicals were kind enough to send us a selection of their Blue Clay and Indigo Leaf Soothing Mask, Black Clay and Tea Tree Treatment Mask and roll-on infused oils including The Woods, The Meadow and The Rose Garden.

The Blue Clay and Indigo Leaf Soothing Mask is designed for sensitive skin that needs extra care.  Formulated with soothing and skin calming natural ingredients such as blue bentonite clay, indigo leaf extract, nettle root, coconut extract, and radish root extracts this mask helps soothe skin irritation and works for smoother and more even complexion.  Indigo leaf the star ingredient of this mask is renowned for calming skin irritation and its anti-inflammatory benefits. The mask leaves skin silky soft and more refined. We are not the only ones to be loving this mask, as it won an award with our client Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2017.

While the Blue Clay and Indigo Leaf Soothing Mask calms and hydrate skin, the Black Clay & Tea Tree Treatment Mask purifies and detoxifies oily and acne prone skin. The mask contains anti-bacterial tea tree oil, white willow bark extract, coconut extract as well as oils of bergamot, cedarwood, pine, juniper and rosemary. Together these ingredients work in harmony to effectively remove excess oil, dirt and impurities. The black clay and tea tree treatment mask acts as a gentle exfoliator that cleanses skin and minimises the appearance of pores. After using the mask skin is healthier, clearer and more youthful-looking.

For those of you who like to sport a natural scent, the brand’s Roll-on Infused Oils might be just the ticket. All the oils are made with sweet almond oil, meadowfoam oil, sesame oil, vitamin E and specific essential oils. There are six different fragrances in total; however, we tried these three: The Woods infused oil is our favourite! It's a heady mix of vetiver, cedar and bergamot oils all of which gives it a sophisticated and earthy scent. The Meadow infused oil contains rose geranium, lavender and chamomile oils, its floral and garden-fresh scent is simple and refreshing and it immediately evokes memories of the lush countryside. The Rose Garden oil has a more romantic and sensual fragrance, enriched with musk rose and white floral its perfume gives an enchanting and mysterious feel.  More than just their fragrance what we love about these Roll-on Infused Oils is their longevity and quality. For such a small bottle, they are very economical and have a great staying power. You can purchase the Blue Clay and Indigo Leaf Soothing Mask for £12 here the Black Clay & Tea Tree Treatment Mask for £12 here and the Roll-on Infused Oils here for £4.80.