Cannabina: Raw Hemp + CBD Soap Bar

If you’ve been reading The Amazing Blog  for a while, you’ll know that we like to try lots of different products that contain CBD. Today we are looking at massage soap bar infused with Raw Hemp CBD from Cannabina, who we have recently featured here with their CBD Bath Bomb Trio.

Cannabina is founded by Gemma McKay, and a brand specialises in all kinds of healing products infused with hemp-based broad-spectrum and THC-free CBD ingredients. These products have been created for everyone to enjoy the healing and soothing benefits of CBD. Cannabina offers a variety of CBD infused items from bath bombs and skincare to tinctures and edibles. McKay’s passion and interest in cannabis are the motivating factors behind the brand’s mission to improve the quality of life for their consumer, through this incredible plant's relieving and healing properties. Cannabina is an all-natural CBD brand where the products are free from harmful chemicals, pesticides, solvent residues, chlorophyll, fats and lipids. There are no preservatives, sulphates, mineral oils, parabens, artificial colouring, flavours or perfumes. The brand’s products are also cruelty-free and are tested and certified by both US and UK laboratories. The brand’s products are also cruelty-free and are tested and certified by both US and UK laboratories. Cannabina also has a strong sustainability ethos with its recycling and asks customers to return their product empties, for which they’re rewarded with a 5% discount on further purchases.

The Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar has 100mg of CBD and is made with super-clean formulas, intended for use with those with sensitive or irritated skins. This is a gender-free soap bar, where This is a gender-free soap bar where Mc Kay tells us that she initially created this as a massager for the breast area and lymph nodes. However, it is also proving popular for using on the face, and with those who have back acne. Alas, we don’t have to full ingredients to tell you about, as this is such a new product for Cannabina (nothing listed on packaging or website). They tell us that it is 95.8% organic. We will hazard a guess that this semi-translucent CBD Soap Bar has flecks of hemp and is made with glycerine and 75% hard oils like coconut; the 13 nodules moulded into the bar making it particularly good as a massager. We’d also add that it’s ‘fragrance-free’ with no hemp or essential oil scent evident. The raw hemp and CBD interact with theendocannabinoid receptors to help moisturise, balance oil levels and heal the skin as well as reduce any inflammation. This Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar is also efficient in treating skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis. If you are looking for an antioxidant, pore cleansing and anti-acne actions, then this is designed for you. We used it in the shower, gently massaging our body and breast lymph area - we found it uplifting. It seemed to work wonders on our mood (and body) after yet another long and tedious #lockdown day. This 100mg Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar is available here £6.00.

Fuishena Skincare - Divine Ambrosia Serum with 8% VitaNova™

At The Amazing Blog, we can't resist luxurious skincare not just with the branding but for the ingredients too. As regular readers will know, discovering new formulas is our passion, and today we have an Australian skincare that has a new ingredient that we want to introduce.

Fuishena Skincare comes all the way from beautiful Byron Bay. Founded by two sisters Fiona and Lucia Berwein. They took their inspiration from their parents, who asked them to join them in their supplement and lifestyle business. The two sisters have taken the leading role in creating a new brand and developing the existing formula into a super antioxidant skincare line in collaboration with Canadian and Australian laboratories. They teamed up with formulators who helped them with proven clinical trials as the effectiveness of their advanced formula VitaNova™ This super-antioxidant ingredient interacts with the skin on a cellular level. There are two lines of skincare Divine Ambrosia and Divine Nektar. Divine Nektar, is designed for brightening dull complexions and ideal for those with sensitive, oily/ combination skin, who live in warmer climes.  The Divine Ambrosia is for normal to dry skin, again it's also for those with sensitive skin but who live in a colder climate and have fine lines and wrinkles. Fuishena is a skincare where science meets nature and wherever possible, they only use organically grown products from the region. It claims to have remarkable anti-ageing properties with this patented VitaNova™ antioxidant, which is designed to return skin back to its natural, glowing beauty. They are cruelty-free brand, have packaging without plastic and support recycling with their glass bottles..

 We were sent the Divine Ambrosia Serum with 8% VitaNova™. This serum is a rejuvenating, anti-ageing serum which nourishes and regenerates helping to counteract the ageing process. This looks and feels luxurious, presented in an elegant frosted recyclable glass bottle with a dropper;  we love the branding with its white faux leather embossed pouch (to store this serum out of sunlight). They are the first Australian brand to utilise the VitaNova™ ingredient, which was originally introduced into Asian skincare over ten years ago. It is made up of a carbon allotrope called fullerene, where its antioxidant power is unlocked by emulsifying with a blend of amino acids and vitamins. They produce their products in small batches, in darkness, to ensure all ingredients are kept fresh and active. The VitaNova™ has excellent versatility and can detox, brighten, moisturise and be used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-ageing formula. How does it work? VitaNova™ is a super antioxidant that can find, bind and remove free radicals and other toxins from your skin. It is over 100 times more potent than vitamin C. It rejuvenates the skin by converting free radicals into water and oxygen. Its anti-inflammatory properties deal with redness, irritation and impurities, which is especially helpful after laser or other invasive treatment. The antimicrobial function eradicates infected areas and helps to reduce noticeable pores size. This serum has the highest concentration of VitaNova that will make it a firm but also be a gentle rejuvenator. The other ingredients here are vitamin E, which can also block free radicals, and replenish lipids and in turn slows down the signs of skin ageing. The sweet almond oil improves your skin's overall appearance and luminosity. It also contains some vitamin A, also known as retinol, which evens out skin tone and texture, brightening the complexion. Vitamin C promotes collagen production as well as prevents premature ageing. It also has properties that suppress aggressive melanin production in the skin, which can cause skin discolouration, dark spots or hyperpigmentation. The aloe vera will act as another antioxidant; it contains enzymes and vitamins, aiding inflammation, acne or dry skin. The avocado and pomegranate oils will shield and offer protection from UV damage. Finally, the white tea extract has further antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress on the skin’s surface. I used this serum for two weeks and loved how it was hydrating enough, to use alone. The honey-coloured liquid has a soft floral/white tea scent. The serum's velvety texture glides evenly with its abundance of active ingredients that left a delicate and protective layer on my skin. I did notice my complexion was less dehydrated and fine lines were plumped up too, although I would need to use the serum for a longer period of time, to give a proper conclusion. Yes, I would buy more… to purchase your  30ml Divine Ambrosia Serum for £79.00 see here.

Pure Anada - Delicate Compact Palette & Sweet Stillness Nail Polish

At The Amazing Blog, we think there is nothing better than having a new selection of make-up to experiment with to cheer us all up! Particularly, when it has a range of beautifully subtle daytime shades of blush and eye colours. We’re talking about Pure Anada and today we’ve bringing you another of our #amazingfinds with the Delicate Compact Palette and their softest pink Sweet Stillness Nail Polish. 

If you want to know why we’ve chosen to review Pure Anada a Canadian beauty brand, then see our other feature here. Let’s do a quick recap of their inspiring story behind this brand. Growing up in a eco-household, Candace Grenier, founder of Pure Anada, already had a vast knowledge of what proper nutrition should be and the importance of what the body needs. Passionate about making things for herself, she decided in 2003 to make her home and environmental as holistic as possible, discarding anything chemical. She went on to create a line of ‘natural, safer alternatives to mainstream cosmetics’ homecare, skincare and make-up which is where this success story began. These products are ethical, i.e. no discrimination or child labour is ever involved in the processing of making her raw materials. With clean formulations free from common allergens and ingredients that are naturally sourced, and everything is made in their certified organic labs in Manitoba. Their products are also cruelty-free, mainly vegan and certified with the Leaping Bunny programme. We found these at their UK retailer Live in The Light, so it’s a big thank you to them for sending us these products for review. We’re big fans of this online retailer and recommend a visit to their website as they also share our ethos in promoting holistic and environmentally friendly brands.  

Today we want to talk about Pure Anada’s Delicate Compact Palette and Sweet Stillness Nail Polish.  First things first, the Delicate Compact Palette’s colours are discreet, natural and gave us an effortless no make-up look. The pale rosy pink blush named Sweet Pea pairs perfectly with four eye-shadow colours: The satin luxurious taupe/grey that shifts to a shimmering pink called Haunt, a velvet taupe/mauve titled Macchiato, an iridescent champagne blush named Darling, and finally a matte ballet slipper pink Water Lily. If these moreish colours don’t swipe you off of your feet, then perhaps their win with the Sweet Pea blush at The 2020 Beauty Bible Awards here will. The packaging is recyclable with a pretty floral designed outer box and metallic foil etched cardboard inner palette, that also comes with a mirror inside. It only contains all-natural formulas comprised of pressed mineral pigments and jojoba oil for softness. The jojoba oil keeps the texture silky and smooth and most importantly, non-greasy.  Apart from the colours and natural formulas what we particularly like about this make-up is its cost-effectiveness. Unlike most palettes, this one is refillable! When finished, you can buy the individual colours and pop them right back into each of the magnetic slots in palette. Best of all,  the coverage is sheer but buildable and the blusher promises a demi-matte fresh healthy glow to the face and that’s exactly what it delivered. This is for us a smart investment with its natural everyday colours and is available for £29.95, you can find it here.  

Moving on to the Sweet Stillness Nail Polish which is from a range of twenty long-lasting colours. This Sweet Stillness is a pale rose pink non-toxic nail polish. More importantly, it is free of the five most toxic ingredients which are usually found in regular nail polish. The three most toxic ingredients being dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and toluene. They are followed by another two which are formaldehyde resin and camphor.  If you wish to know how toxic they are, here’s a quick explanation:  The dibutyl phthalate, or otherwise called the plasticizer, is used to provide sheen. It has a carcinogen effect and can cause thyroid problems and is often linked to hormone changes. Formaldehyde used to harden the nails, is also carcinogen when inhaled and while it’s evaporating can sometimes cause allergic reactions if it comes in contact with your skin. The toluene used to give a smooth finish and keep a uniform colour can cause eyes, lung, and throat irritation when inhaled and can also affect the central nervous system. The formaldehyde resin used to strengthen the nails is a skin allergen and remains active for up to three days after your nail polish dries, and can cause dermatitis. Finally, camphor, which used to be a treatment for cold or flu, is now chemically manufactured and can have a serious side effect when ingested. When exposed in large doses, primarily through inhalation, it’s known to cause irritation, nausea, dizziness, and headaches, it is therefore highly toxic! Quickly added the formulas in the Sweet Stillness Nail Polish are solvent-based and not water-based, but this is long-lasting and a more durable option than water-based.  We’d also advise applying it with their Super Base Coat and the Free Topcoat. You can find Pure Anada’s Sweet Stillness Nail Polish here for £8.95.