Root Minerals : Moisture Infusion Lipstick & IntensifEYE Me Natural Mascara

After a long year stuck inside, there is no better feeling than being able to go out again, and for us at The Amazing Blog, this means putting a little more effort into ourselves and our appearance! That is why we went on the hunt for new and unique beauty products to break us out of our post-pandemic slump. Root Minerals caught our attention with its multitude of natural products. We decided to try the Moisture Infusion Lipstick in the shade Strawberry Kiss and the IntensifEYE Me Natural Mascara. 

Root Minerals is a vegan makeup brand that is “inspired by love.” The company, which is based in the UK, was founded by Jay Baharj in 2016. Jay’s story starts with the love for his wife and a fascination with natural ingredients. When Jay’s wife, Amy, used makeup, her sensitive skin would have a bad reaction, eventually leading her to stop wearing makeup altogether. Jay began to wonder if other people suffered this way and why makeup couldn't benefit the skin. These questions drove Jay to research many different “natural” brands that contained many harmful and unnecessary ingredients. Out of frustration and love for his wife, Jay founded Root Minerals to create makeup products that would be cruelty-free, ethical, and all-natural. Jay now has a well-established makeup line featuring over 60 super pigment eyeshadows, 30 organically infused lipsticks, 36 foundation shades, and more! Root Minerals proudly holds the vegan certification and uses its brand to advocate against animal cruelty. Root Minerals began with a story of love and continues to promote love through its natural and ethical products.

The first product that we tried was the Moisture Infusion Lipstick in the shade Strawberry Kiss.  All of the lipsticks in this collection are infused with organic oils and plant-based waxes, which protect the lips from the sun and provide staying power for all-day colour. Natural oils and waxes are also beneficial due to their moisturising and nourishing power, setting apart the Moisture Infusion Lipstick from others that dry out our lips as the day goes by. Some of the most notable ingredients in these products are castor oil, shea butter, and iron oxide colouring. Castor oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acid ricinoleic acid, which helps retain the skin's moisture by preventing water loss through the outer layer of the skin. When used in lipstick, castor oil keeps the lips hydrated and helps avoid the product's bleeding around the lips. Shea butter is an easily absorbed ingredient that goes to work at treating and preventing chapped lips. The fatty acids and antioxidants found in shea butter help smooth lips and create a soft and supple look. Iron oxide colouring is a natural colourant that comes from the oxidation of sedimentary rocks, leaving us with brilliant shades of silver, red, yellow, brown, and more. Iron oxide is moisture resistant, making it perfect for the gym or summer heatwaves. The shade Strawberry Kiss, a dark metallic orangey-red colour, and is reminiscent of the natural wonders left behind by oxidised rock. The colour is earthy and rich, perfect for a pop of colour and has a fabulous bit of shimmer for this festive period. The application was smooth and felt nourishing even hours after applying. 

The second product that we tried was the IntensifEYE Me Natural Mascara. This cleverly named mascara has a specially designed brush and formula meant to thicken and darken lashes. This multifaceted mascara is waterproof, quick-drying, and perfect for sensitive eyes or contact wearers. The unique formula contains natural plant oils and vegetable waxes for long-lasting wear. One ingredient that stood out to us is oryza sativa bran oil. This bran oil helps to repair dress and brittleness while contributing to hair growth. This oil helps treat and nourish the eyelashes while being worn, making a multi-purposeful product. In addition to healing the lashes, the mascara can be used as an eyeliner due to its creamy texture or used to eliminate white hairs. We liked how the formula was buildable, which meant we could add more or less mascara to create a day or night look without the mascara clumping. Just a few swipes left our lashes fuller and thicker, and the creaminess of the product made for a smooth application. If you are looking to add mineral makeup into your routine, then these natural and ethical products will be for you. To purchase the Moisture Infusion Lipstick for £25, click here. To purchase the IntensifEYE Me Mascara for £25, click here.

The Soap Loaf Company : Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit

We love a challenge at The Amazing Blog, and this time, we thought we’d try our hand at making a hand-crafted soap as it looked like a lot of fun! This award-winning Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit is from The Soap Loaf Crafting Company the same company that sent us their Solid Deodorant Making Kit, which we reviewed here. 

After working as a finance broker for 11 years, founder Natasha Green felt it was now time for her to get in touch with her creative side. This manifested itself into creating a bath and body care business, The Soap Loaf Company , in 2012. The company brings to market handmade toiletries and cosmetics, which has gone on to expand into their renowned DIY cosmetic workshops. Through The Soap Loaf Company, Natasha began to host soap-making parties for children's groups and organisations. As the parties expanded with new products and ideas, she decided that it was time to attract the adult customer audience. In 2018, Natasha launched a sister brand Cosmeti-Craft. It offers customers unique experiences to nurture their creative side and provides them with a wide array of cosmetic products to craft at home, from soap and bath bombs to deodorants and lip gloss. Now with over thirteen different locations around Yorkshire, The Soap Loaf Company has opened up spaces for adults and children alike to explore their crafting abilities. These workshop crafting parties include making body butter, lip balm, solid shampoo bars and deodorant, moisturiser, and many more. They also extend past the borders of Yorkshire and travels around the country hosting events and supporting charities. Cosmeti-Craft works hard to foster a self-care environment for its customers. The brand points out how it excels in the "field of self-care, wellbeing, and mindfulness offering the resources to create a unique self-care, personal hygiene based and creative cosmetic product." The essence of both these brands is to allow others to develop new creative skills in a way that improves their well-being. Many healthcare experts have linked crafting and participating in handmade activities, to a boost in an individual's morale together with a positive effect on mental health. The company also prioritises sustainability, as they're a plastic-free business and only use 100% recycled product wrapping and biodegradable glitter. They focus on offering fully compostable packaging, reusing and recycling all materials from their suppliers, and ordering materials in bulk to reduce shipping frequency and CO2 emissions. They also collect bottle tops for a specialist recycling group, offer paper bags in store for customers, and reward customers with a 20% discount for bringing refillable containers when making further purchases. As a vegan and cruelty-free company, their Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit Kit  (see below) was recently awarded the Best Soap Bar Gold Winner at the 2021 UK Global Makeup Awards. Natasha Green has also been recognised for her impressive business acumen and was a finalist for the Best Business Woman in Retail or Consumer Business at the 2019 Best Business Women Awards.

This time we were lucky enough to be sent the Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit.  The Soap Loaf Company promotes this crafting experience as "the best bar of soap, is one that the consumer makes for themselves." This Soap Making Kit allows you to create two different 85g soaps, which you can decorate and colour in your own manner, giving you the opportunity to explore your creative side. The kit comes with two different kinds of SLS free soap bases, a fragrance oil, two different types of floral petals, soap colour, soap mould equipment, and a step-by-step tutorial to help you through it.  All you need is a microwaveable mixing bowl or large jug, a wooden spoon, and a microwave. The two types of soap bases are translucent, which we used (see photo above) or an opaque one. They are both glycerin and SLS-free (SLS is an acronym for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), a surfactant known to irritate the skin. Glycerin, on the other hand, is a humectant; it hydrates and helps the skin to retain moisture. Without SLS's, the glycerin soap base is more effective in soothing all skin types, including sensitive ones. The kit also comes with a rose fragrance oil that gives the soap its calming floral scent. Rose essential oil combines vitamins and minerals with benefits for both the mind and body; and has antiseptic properties that help combat redness and irritation. The dried rose petals in the kit, apart from the fresh floral fragrance roses emanate, also have other benefits mentioned above. The dried marigold petals are known as an anti-inflammatory and have antioxidant properties to aid with collagen production. Apart from the refreshing botanicals, both these petals contribute to the soap exfoliant properties make the skin soft. The brand also encourages you to experiment with other ingredients, like dried flowers or coconut oil, for increased moisturising and further exfoliating effects. We particularly liked making this soap bar because it avoids all artificial preservatives, chemical foaming agents, and palm oil. 

To help you create your hand-crafted rose soap bar, the kit has an in-depth set of instructions. The process includes using a 'melt and pour' method, where you melt the soap base in the microwave and then mix the ingredients in, using your own unique blend. Then simply pour the contents into the mould and let it set. This will take about thirty minutes, but if you are feeling eager to see your finished product, you can pop it in the fridge, and it should be cool and set in just fifteen minutes. Once it’s all set, gently peel off the mould, and voila! The soap is now ready. If you are not using the soap immediately and avoid surface condensation, it is best to store it in a cool and dry area in an airtight container or cling wrap. NB Cosmeti-Craft advises that this soap should be used within six months of making as it doesn’t have any preservatives.  We loved how the soap smelt, looked and felt and think that it makes not only the perfect Christmas gift but also a super-easy crafting and activity project. The Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit can be purchased here for £19.99, and if you are looking for more structured guidance, you can purchase it for £29.99 here with the Online Workshop Session.

Nourishe : Nectar of Life - Beautifying Face Serum

If you’re reading The Amazing Blog, then you’ll know that we love brands that combine cutting-edge science with potent, natural botanicals. This is why today, we'd like to introduce the organic and vegan skincare Nourishe and their rather aptly named face oil serum, The Nectar of Life.  We were interested to find out more about how this serum strengthens the skin from within, using whole plant complexes and geometric formulations only found in nature.

Natural and organic USA based skincare brand Nourishe is founded by master alchemist Kristin Bauer. She developed an interest in DNA mutation and the skin treatment of patients while working early on in a hospital burns unit. This is where she began to study the science behind skin growth and regeneration. Once she became pregnant with her daughter, she began to realise the magnitude of chemicals in our everyday daily lives, wondered to herself, "How can we expect to have healthy bodies if we are using polluted chemical products on our skin?" Over ten years, Kristin travelled to the Amazon jungle of Peru, where she studied herbalism with Indigenous peoples and native healers. Through this experience, Kristin discovered the power and potency of nature and how it can work to heal the body. Nourishe puts that power at the forefront of their beliefs, using 100% organic cruelty-free and vegan ingredients, which are also ethically grown and harvested raw from nature and, therefore, free from preservatives, fillers, and chemicals. They use only botanicals as ingredients, instead of using, say, four or five certified organic ingredients, they use an astonishing twenty to forty in each product, allowing the maximum potential for nutrition absorption into the skin. Plant neurobiology studies have shown how plants respond and survive against all odds in environmental variables; Nourishe uses this plant intelligence to integrate some of these evolved learnings into their skincare to heal and work on a cellular level. They also believe in the power of self-love and self-care, carefully selecting ingredients and providing education about the truth of toxicity in skincare products. In addition, the brand uses quantum entanglement science to encode each product with the Schumann resonance, which is scientifically proven to repair DNA and help new DNA helices form! Their passion for nature doesn't end there; the brand also uses environmentally friendly packaging, with biophotonic glass, allowing only three spectrums of light to pass through.  All products are certified organic by Where Food Come From (formerly known as A Bee Organic).

The Nectar of Life is a rich amber-coloured face oil serum full of plant and botanical extracts and made with worldwide botanical ‘nectars’. As mentioned above, these all come together with their plant intelligence using the Schumann resonance method, where they adapt to enhance the skin’s needs. There are over thirty-two organic ingredients in this small 15ml bottle! For us, the star ingredient here is the helichrysum flower extract from the yellow helichrysum stoechas plant, which has been used for centuries in ancient medicine for its anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. The flower has been referred to as "Immortelle" due to its anti-ageing properties and is considered one of the oldest healing oils in Europe. We love how the helichrysum is rich in flavonoids, kaempferol flucosides, apigenin luetolin, quercetin and essential oils. Then there is its cousin the chrysanthemum flower extract, also yellow in colour, but with a much larger flower head, it helps to clear up skin irritation, redness, and even eczema and psoriasis. It also reduces skin discolouration and puffiness and offers numerous healing benefits i.e. being currently used to treat prostate cancer. One of our other favourites here is the prickly pear seed oil, high in essential fatty acids, omega-6, omega-9, and the natural antioxidant vitamin E. These ingredients brighten and replenish skin while reducing skin inflammation and preventing skin damage and acne. Finally, the last of the key ingredients is red ginseng root, known as the "root of immortality". it contains high levels of phytonutrients that increase oxygen circulation to skin cells, boosting energy production within the cells and brightening skin. The serum is waterless and doesn’t contain aloe vera gel, glycerin, or fillers that could disrupt the skin or cause increased bacteria growth in the serum.

We loved how it’s fragrance-free ( with only the natural scent of the botanicals) and how this amber nectar made skin soft and gave it a radiant glow, so it’s no small wonder that it was an Editor’s Choice Gold Winner at the 2021 Global Green Beauty Awards. To use the serum, apply a few drops to a clean face after toner and before moisturiser to get the maximum benefits for the skin. Although it may appear a little on the pricey side, we think it's excellent value for money when you consider the plethora of nutritious organic oils and plant extracts. If you'd like to purchase the Nectar of Life Serum, you can get it here on the Nourishe website at $108.00 for 15ml. 

Sens8ate : Morning Dew CBD Day Cream

Whenever there is an opportunity to discover a new launch skincare, at The Amazing Blog - we’re on it! And as regular readers will know, we’re big advocates of CBD, so imagine our delight when we received Sens8ate, a CBD infused skincare range with their Morning Dew CBD Day Cream.

Sens8ate is a UK based vegan-friendly skincare brand launched in 2018 by husband-and-wife duo Patrick and Gomolemo Shirley. The brand’s priority is to provide the consumer with “products that look great, work effectively on the skin and are kind to the environment.”  The fact that the founders both grew up using herbal remedies and botanical extracts meant that Sens8ate had to reflect these practices. So the emphasis here is on the importance of their 95+% natural ingredients. The brand has been built on the philosophy of “producing ethical skincare that also looks desirable.” The Sens8ate skincare range is cruelty-free and is without parabens, sulphates or harmful toxins. There's also a trio of CBD infused skincare within the range of seven products that include cleansers, moisturisers, and serums. Gomolemo recently said, “When it comes to CBD-based beauty products, CBD promises a range of health benefits, many of which have been praised for treating and preventing skin breakout,” which is why they have infused CBD into some of their offerings. As an eco-aware company, Sens8ate also ensures they do their part in protecting the planet by using a minimal amount of plastic with all their products to help safeguard the environment for future generations. The brand is manufactured in the UK, using recyclable luxurious porcelain glass containers, with lids made of natural bamboo and ashwood, and the unique scroll boxes which use real birchwood.  Gomolemo went on to say, “I feel we have so far managed to achieve that balance and created products that are effective, sustainable whilst being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. We will continue to find innovative ways of eliminating plastic altogether whenever possible.” Sens8ate’s eco-friendly practices have obviously not gone unnoticed, as they recently won Best Sustainable Beauty Brand at the 2021 Hip & Healthy Sustainability Awards.

So back to CBD skincare, we were eager to try their Morning Dew CBD Day Cream a hydrating CBD infused moisturiser, with 98% natural ingredients and is deemed suitable for all types. This Day Cream is one of three products in the THC-free CBD range. Although the CBD here is sourced the USA, the brand is conscious about reducing its carbon footprint and has recently appointed a UK-based supplier. Apart from the 50mg of CBD, there is also a blend of botanicals and essential oils. The CBD is isolate (the purest form of crystalised CBD) and produced by removing all other compounds found in the hemp plant, including other cannabinoids isolating the CBD. This isolate is thought to be the best type of CBD for use in skincare, as it’s odourless, doesn't clog pores and is packed with skin-rejuvenating antioxidants properties. CBD’s other USP is that it interacts directly with our endocannabinoid receptors to help maintain moisture levels. This ensures that the sebum production is regulated correctly, to avoid overly dry or oily skin. In this formula, the CBD isolate is mixed with a blend of natural ingredients which are high in efficiency to help fight off the first signs of ageing.

The other key oils in the Day Cream include avocado, coconut, baobab, prickly pear, sunflower, olive, apricot kernel, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, oat extract and vitamin E (oils and lipids). However, we couldn’t find the other’ key ingredients’ mentioned on the website, with rosehip, argan and buriti fruit - they’re not on the Day Cream packaging..?! Perhaps those listed on the website are for more general ingredients other than this skincare. We particularly like prickly pear and baobab oils rich in vitamin E and fatty acids which soothes inflammation, acne and reduce redness. Green tea is a powerful antibacterial agent for treating acne and unclogging pores. Polyphenols in green tea have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties that help fight against skin infections. The meadowfoam seed oil maintains the skin’s natural balance of sebum production; and the cherry fruit extract is a very potent antioxidant, packed with vitamin C to protect skin from environmental stressors, addresses hyperpigmentation and even out the skin tone. And finally, we should mention our old friend hyaluronic acid, which, as we all know, hydrates and firms the skin.

These botanical infusions make this Day Cream not only effective with the antioxidant and antibacterial properties but also refreshing with the floral scent, which significantly adds to its overall appeal. Easy to apply, it absorbed swiftly leaving no excess and felt cooling and replenishing. As the temperature drops and seasons change, so does our skin. Therefore it’s important to keep it hydrated and protected against the elements, and this Day Cream certainly offers a good first step with its plethora of nutritious and natural ingredients. To purchase The Morning Dew CBD Day Cream for £49.99,  see here.

Havuka: Five Herbs Balm and the 30% Spruce Resin Balm

Living amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, at The Amazing Blog we love brands that transport us to faraway lands with their natural and organic products. Today, we’re back with the Finnish botanical brand Havuka, who we recently featured here, this time it’s with their  Five Herbs Facial Balm and 30% Spruce Resin Balm.

Havuka is a Finnish brand launched by entrepreneur Anna-Leena Toivanen that creates natural, artisan cosmetics "from the Finnish forests and land." Their products utilise natural remedies from the Finnish landscape inspired by Elias Lönnrot's recipes. Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish physician, philologist, and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. During his travels, Elias collected poems and stories across Finland, resulting in the creation of the Kalevala, a collection of literary works based on the Finnish landscape. Throughout his journey, Elias discovered the healing powers of Finnish botanicals and herbs. Particuarlly the spruce resin, which has been used in Nordic countries for centuries as a healing balm to treat skin infections, insect bites, chapped hands, cuts, scrapes, eczema, burns and rashes. Havuka continues his journey by bringing "natural products made according to his recipes bringing them into modern times." The brand is a family-owned company that has passed on the tradition of creating these natural products for three generations. Anna-Leena first learned about Elias Lönnrot from her father, and now her son Timo Tynys is the current CEO. Havuka's resin-based spruce products are made by hand using traditional Finnish techniques, where they take great care when sourcing their materials, selecting spruce resin harvested domestically and combining with other organic ingredients. 

Havuka sent us two of their products to try, the first being their Five Herbs Balm.  As Elias Lönnrot wandered across the northern meadow, he collected five herbs from which he prepared an eye cream that he gave to his wife, Maria. The Havuka Five Herbs Facial Balm is modelled after this very cream. The first botanical is dandelion. Rich in antioxidants, it has anti-ageing benefits for the skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Dandelion also contains vitamin C that promotes healing and detoxifying properties that help reduce clogged pores and acne. The second herb is yarrow, said to have been used on battlefields to slow bleeding, it also has antimicrobial properties. In this balm, it works to restore the skin, soothing irritation and healing broken capillaries. The Five Herbs Facial Balm also contains burdock, which includes multiple types of powerful antioxidants like quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic acids. These antioxidants reduce inflammation and protect skin cells from damage caused by free radicals, and is ideal for treating skin conditions like acne and eczema. The next herb in the balm is broadleaf plantain, the leaves of this plant contain many anti-inflammatory compounds like tannins and flavonoids. It can also support healing by blocking microbial growth and relieving pain. The fifth and final botanical is chickweed, which has a high concentration of vitamin B that soothes skin and eases any inflammation caused by bug bites or eczema. This balm is specifically aimed at helping to calm and soothe the skin around the delicate eye area. To apply, take a small amount with your ring finger and gently tap the cream onto your skin, starting from the inner corner of the eye and going outwards. They recommend keeping the cream in the refrigerator, as the coolness feels refreshing on the skin helping to calm and heal, plus, the darkness of the refrigerator protects the integrity of the balm's delicate ingredients. 

The second product that Havuka sent us was their 30% Spruce Resin Balm. Throughout his journeys, Elias Lönnrot developed wounds on his feet, prompting him to utilise the powerful healing benefits of Spruce Resin. And legend has it that this resin immediate soothed his feet and gave him the strength to continue on his travels. Spruce Resin, known as ‘nature's own antiseptic balm,’ has rejuvenating and calming benefits, repairing skin damage while also providing antibacterial and antimicrobial protection. It's a renewable natural resource that contains hundreds of active compounds, including antioxidants, flavonoids, delicate oils, and natural resin acids. Spruce Resin is said to be so potent that with regular application, beneficial effects are visible within only 3-5 applications! Again, this balm doesn't contain any chemicals, fragrances, or additives, only pure raw materials with 30% spruce resin, organic beeswax and rapeseed oil. Ideal for use to treat dry skin, abrasions, scratches, insect bites, burns (including sunburn), and even healing tattoos. And also suitable for our furry friends too, it can treat wounds, burnt or day paws, and even tick bites and insect stings. This is a balm that’s good for treating the body as a whole (rather than specifically the eye area). For skin and nail issues, they suggest applying the balm to the area once or twice daily until healed. It’s also recommended to use the resin balm in a warm environment like a sauna where the heat enhances its absorption. We love how both these little jars of balms have a multitude of uses - perfect for keeping in the medicine cabinet or on the dressing table. To purchase the Havuka Five Herbs Balm, 40ml for €27.90 or 100ml €49.90 here and The 30% Spruce Resin Balm is available here at €27.90 £ for 40ml or 100ml at €39.90.