Aromatherapy

Bōbé Beauty: Natural Perfume Oils

The power of fragrance to influence our mood or recall a memory…is something we all tend to underestimate. These could be key moments in our lives: people, places and situations…like the smell of a cake slowly baking in the family kitchen, or the scent that our grandmother wore. Today at The Amazing Blog  we’re featuring  Bōbé Beauty, a Canadian aromatherapy brand that has created a unique trio of 100% natural perfume oils. 

Marlese Assman is the founder of Bōbé Beauty and a practitioner in aromatherapy, reflexology and Chinese medicine based in Saskatchewan CanadaHer curiosity for flora and fauna fuelled her passion for creating her own line of botanical perfume oils. Assman trained with fragrance experts based in Barcelona, New York and France; making her dream of producing a natural fragrance line become a reality, where she has transferred her aromatherapy expertise into the world of perfumery. Assman said: “I’ve been scouring the French countryside for ancient roses, the hidden apothecaries of Greenwich Village for the perfect patchouli, and slipping into Saskatchewan’s own fragrant forests to encapsulate fresh cut wood and campfire.” Her trio of Bōbé Beauty perfume oils offer an intimate, sensual botanical journey where her goal is to provide a feeling of “youthful experience through assured independence” and ancient luxury for the modern muse. These perfume oils are all free from parabens, petroleum, alcohol, phthalate, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. With their all-natural ingredients tested on humans, not animals are made with love and care in small batches (photo here by special request is credited to Flint + Feather Photography).

The first out of the three perfume oils that we tried is Darya with the silver top which embodies ‘the modern mermaid’. In this subtle yet complex fragrance, the purple passion fruit and citrus balance the jasmine and coconut. While the seaweed brings this earthy, seaside smell that transports you to a tropical island with its fruity notes; you can almost visualise the beach with lapping waves. Other ingredients here are blackcurrant bud, myrrh, liquidambar, amber resin, rock roseDarya is available here. Moving on to the second perfume oil Metsa with the gold top. This one captures ‘The woman of the forest’ (see our photo above) With its earthy scents, this perfume oil reflects the strength of nature. The musk and the wood intertwine to create a mixture of warm, spicy and sweet yet powerfully green fragrance that is perfect for inspiring sensuality. Ingredients include perus balsam, labdanum, patchouli, clary sage, rose de mai, davana, pink  peppercorns and juniper berry. Metsa is available here. The third perfume oil that we tried is Sepeideh with the rose gold top, which translates as ‘before the dawn’ in Persian. This youthful but sensual perfume oil was named after Marlese’s daughter. In this fragrance, the green leaves gently mix with the smell of sunbathed flowers, while the citrus adds a twist and the softwoods carrying you to the beginning of the forest, in the quiet early morning when you feel safe and in harmony with nature slowly awakening. This was our favourite with its more unusual ingredients of nerolina, rhododendron, vanilla and ambette seed.You can purchase Sepeideh here

These empowering and uplifting natural oil perfumes are in a base of organic jojoba oil, and the unique combination of essential oils and fragrances have all been strategically sourced from around the globe. We used these alone and even combine one or two of the trio to create an individual scent that resonated with our given mood. They lift the spirits and are comforting to wear - we think ideal for our current #lockdown situation! They are available for purchase on Bōbé Beauty’s website here each of 10ml rollerball bottles are $50.00 CAD (approx. £28.92).

Shake CBD:  Moisturising CBD Epsom Salts - Twinset

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Now we’re all at working from home; there is nothing better than taking time out to reflect on our day with a relaxing bath before bedAt The Amazing Blog we’re back with some new CBD bath-time gems to soak away the day with Shake CBD  and their Moisturising CBD Epsom Salts.

Shake CBD founder Leighton was always a fan of all things CBD, especially when he witnessed the difference it’s made to the lives of friends and family. Many people are sceptical of CBD, its effects, and what it does, which is one of the main reasons Leighton started Shake CBD, as he wants to encourage more people to experience the benefits it offers. The CBD industry is beginning to become quite saturated here in the UK, which is why Shake CBD wants to provide cost-effective natural CBD infused products.  The brand is proving to be very popular with the body-building fraternity; and now has a brand ambassador with Will McKeown, the athlete and bodybuilder. McKeown recently commented on using these CBD Epsom Salts: “ With sleep being of critical importance for muscle repair and cognition, I was surprised by just how relaxed I felt after using some of Shake’s CBD infused Epsom Salts. After a tough day of work and training, I was instantly put in a more relaxed state which allowed me to settle down for the evening and get the most out of my night’s rest. I firmly believe using CBD products had a drastic and positive effect on my training.”  Currently, Shake CBD have three CBD products in their range with 1000mg Full Spectrum CBD oil, 1200mg CBD Muscle Rub and their 100mg Moisturising CBD Epsom Salts. They try to keep a low carbon footprint with their CBD which is sourced and manufactured here in the UK.

These handmade artisanal Moisturising CBD Epsom Salts  are a twin set and come in 200mg recyclable and reusable clear glass bottles with metal screw tops. There are only four natural ingredients used which are a combination of Epsom salts, sweet almond oil, 100% pure essential oils and 100 mg of CBD. The sweet almond oil hydrates and nourishes the skin and the type of CBD used in these Bath Salts is a mix of isolate and full-spectrum oil. The orange label bottle has the botanicals of lavender, bergamot and sweet orange essential oils. Lavender can help ease anxiety and also fights insomnia by helping you get a better night sleep. Bergamot is a stress reducer, lessens feelings of fatigue, and helps alleviate inflammation and sweet orangel is also anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. The blue label bottle contains a combination of lavender, jasmine and thyme essential oils. Here the jasmine oil can be a form of anti-depressant and helps release stress whereas the thyme oil is stimulating and anti-bacterial. Apart from the CBD, the other main ingredient in both is the Epsom salts which are not ‘salts’ but are made up of therapeutic magnesium, sulphates and oxygen. They provide the body with magnesium (did you know that most people don’t consume enough magnesium in their daily diet?) Having an appropriate amount of magnesium helps boost sleep and ease stress by regulating over 325 enzymes, reducing inflammation and aids muscle and nerve function. The sulphates improve the absorption of nutrients, flush out toxins and soothes headaches.  It was hard to choose a favourite between the two, if pushed, we’d say the orange label as the fragrance we found to be slightly more uplifting.  To purchase these Moisturising CBD Epsom Salts see here for £19.99.

Cannabina – CBD Bath Bomb Trio

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Here at The Amazing Blog, we highly recommend soaking away 2020 and welcoming in the New Year with a nice relaxing bath, and a CBD infused Bath Bomb. Today we are featuring the deliciously scented CBD Bath Bomb Trio collection from Cannabina.

From growing up in sunny Jamaica, Cannabina’s founder Gemma McKay already had a knowledge and understanding of cannabis with all its properties and benefits. Which is why she recently launched this British brand with its hemp-based THC-free broad-spectrum CBD ingredients. These products have been created for everyone to enjoy the healing and soothing benefits of CBD. Which is where 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. Cannabina also has a strong sustainability ethos with its recycling and asks customers to return their product empties, for which they are rewarded with a 5% discount on further purchases.

The CBD Bath Bomb Trio is a collection of all three bath bombs. Each contains 100mg of broad-spectrum CBD and Epsom salts and are formulated with a specific combination of essential oils for a specific purpose. Let’s start with our favourite; this was the Purple CBD Bath Bomb we used this bath bomb when we were feeling particularly restless and wanted to soak-out a stressful day. With key ingredients of lavender flowers and oil, we knew we’d get a good night’s sleep. It dispersed slowly into the bath and filled the room with a glorious scent that left us feeling relaxed and aided towards a good solid seven hours sleep. Next, the Red CBD Bath Bomb which they described as ‘sensual’. It’s made of ylang-ylang, patchouli, rose geranium and orange essential oils. Ylang-ylang is known to calm the nervous system and offers a feeling of euphoria. Patchouli helps boost circulation and has a soothing effect on both the body and mind. Orange helps ease muscle pain and is also considered an aphrodisiac. Whereas rose geranium is often used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. There were rose petals that floated in the water when this bath bomb dissolved and the four oils when combined offered a sweet slightly fruit/rose floral scent - we’d say that this is mood-enhancing and relaxing. The third Bath Bomb is the Yellow CBD Bath Bomb which comprises of cypress, lavender, chamomile and lemongrass essential oils. Cypress has strong antiseptic qualities, lavender is relaxing, chamomile an anti-inflammatory and lemongrass relieves aches and pains. It has a robust, zesty lemongrass/cypress scent, where we found it more invigorating than relaxing. We think it’s best used after a run or a hard session at the gym with its great anti-inflammatory qualities. 

Quickly added, all three of these Bath Bombs are designed to ease tension in the body.  The Epsom salts found in each Bath Bomb are not ‘salts’ they are comprised of magnesium sulphate and oxygen. Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body, including regulating over 325 enzymes, reducing inflammation, helping muscle and nerve function, and prevents hardening of the arteries. Sulphates improve the absorption of nutrients, flush out toxins and soothes headaches. As a rule, we don’t consume enough magnesium in our diet, and these Bath Bombs release a good ratio of magnesium ion as well as CBD and essentials oils. Which when combined in these Bath Bombs and melted into the bath, are then absorbed into the body helping stimulate its healing process. We highly recommend giving these a try, not only will your bathroom smell amazing, but your body will unwind into a state of blissful tranquillity. The CBD Bath Bomb Trio are each 200mg, and you can buy them here for £20.00.

Kiskanu - CBD Face Oil

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As we enter into Tier 3, here in London – the pandemic stress levels of 2020 are taking their toll on our skin. That’s why at The Amazing Blog we’ve been concentrating on find healing and soothing skincare to calm our complexions and help to stop our miserable skin-stressed breakouts. Our latest #amazingfinds is the CBD Face Oil from Kishanu which offers the perfect solution with this curative and multipurpose skincare. 

With over 20 years in the cannabis industry, Gretchen and Jason Miller run their family-owned and operated business, Kiskanu in California where they’re based within the Wiyot Nation ancient and sacred land. This is where they’ve put their knowledge and learnings into their product research and manufacturing. Using only organic ingredients, as well as whole-plant extracts, with virgin and cold-pressed oils as a base - gives their products both purity and simplicity. One of their goals is to be environmentally friendly by using organic farming, sustainability methods, and providing safe lab-tested products. Their paper tubes, cardboard boxes, and glass jars are all recyclable or reusable; they want to avoid as much plastic packaging as possible. This practice is carried through and implemented into their facilities by reducing paper products and usage, as well as no single-use plastic in production. Sourcing their CBD from the United States keeps a low carbon footprint, and their CBD products contain only 0-0.3% THC. Kiskanu said: “Rather than isolates or concentrates, we believe in the effectiveness of whole plant medicine to imbue healing qualities into our products that are palpable.” They currently offer a small range of CBD skincare, an intimacy oil, botanical drops, capsules and even a suppository!

The CBD Face OIl is encased in a sleek pale blue tubular cardboard casing, which when opened, reveals a stylish 30ml frosted glass spritz top bottle. We used this unisex Face Oil as a moisturiser, makeup base and even as a beard oil. Due to the 100mg CBD (cannabidiol) here, this Face Oil is for all skin types including sensitive ones, where it repairs free radical damage. The base is a combination of cold-pressed organic oils with sunflower, argan, coconut, and jojoba. These hydrate, soothe, moisturise and help to minimise ageing. The full-spectrum CBD is derived from hemp and has anti-inflammatory properties that are high in antioxidants that help to calms the skin. Other key ingredients are calendula (extracted from marigold flowers) which is primarily used for healing soothing eczema or irritated skin. Rose geranium and lavender essential oils help to brighten the skin by removing dead skin cells and reducing wrinkles.  Whereas, the wild carrot has carotenes and vitamin A which repair the skin’s tissues and offers protection against harmful radiation. The oil is light in texture, absorbs well and has delicious subtle fragrance notes of lavender and rose geranium. This is one of the best face oils that we’ve used in a long time; it felt both restorative and healing. It’s also so versatile, we used it morning and evening, alone and under makeup (and I even caught my partner sneaking a drop to rub into his whiskers!).  Whether for you or a loved one, you can purchase the Kiskanu Hemp CBD Face Oil here in two sizes 30ml for $40 or a 5 ml for $17.

B Loved - Hormonal Bath & Body Oil

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With the winter season in full swing, soaking in a hot bath is just what we long for at The Amazing Blog. So let us introduce you to one of our favourite aromatherapy brands B Lovedwhere we’ve previously reviewed one their Naturally Scented Candles, The Balancer here. Today we want to talk about their Hormonal Bath & Body Oil which we think is the perfect way to soothe away the day. 

After going through professional and personal challenges in 2016, Elizabeth Burchill started to make her products as a source of therapy. She loved essential oils and their aroma, which prompted her to pursue a diploma in aromatherapy and essential oil science while also taking product making courses to perfect it. She is now a clinical aromatherapist accredited by the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists. Fast forward three years and she now has a wellbeing brand that creates aromatherapy candles and bath and body products, all of which are natural, sustainable, cruelty-free and vegan friendly. B Loved also sources their ingredients from UK suppliers who are members of the ATC. Products in the range include pulse point oils, body lotions, body scrubs and their hormonal bath & body oil.

This Hormonal Bath & Body Oil comes in a reusable glass bottle and pipette. In times of emotional stress or hormonal tension, this product help to alleviate these symptoms. You can use this product in two different ways, either by adding a few drops into your bath to fully relax and ease tension or directly massaging into the skin. It is packed full of numerous oils, the key being rosehip which is full of anti-inflammatory fatty acids to firm and moisturise the skin. The argan oil here contains oleic and linoleic acids which absorb quickly and hydrateApricot kernel oil also has moisturising properties, but can also gently exfoliate the skin and relieve inflammatory conditions. There are also key essential oils here: The grapefruit has soothing effects by balancing the cortisol levels to help ease stress. Whereas Clary sage is known to reduce premenstrual tension, periods pains, and anxiety. Finally, the patchouli oil treats skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne, dry and cracked skin; it can also aid relaxation, easing anxiety. As some of us who don’t have a bath to soak in, we particularly like that this formula is also gentle enough to use as a body oil. So, for those of you who do, before hopping in to destress after a long day, week and even year, we highly recommend purchasing your Hormonal Bath & Body Oil here for £35 - it also smells divine!