Tweezerfile

With the sudden focus on perfectly shaped and groomed thick eyebrows, At The Amazing Blog we’re well aware of just how important a pair of tweezers truly are. Plucking those stubborn hairs can sometime be difficult and even painful and the thing that makes the process all the worse is a pair of horrifically blunt tweezers. We came across a perfect revelation (as well as a solution) to blunt tweezers at a beauty trade event.

Met Tweezerfile which is a simple solution to a small problem but one that will save you money in the long term. The only investment you have to make is a pair of tweezers and one Tweezerfile Sharpener and then you’re set for life! No more running back and forth to the pharmacy or online beauty shop because your tweezers are blunt and no good anymore. It is a simple tool to refresh your old and blunt tweezers that can neatly be stored in a back pocket or beauty bag. The Sharpener has diamond plated stainless steel for the highest quality sharpening and is complemented by a handle that fits in the palm of your hand.

This multi award winning and eco-friendly product, is recognised by industry experts and comes highly recommended. This little gadget will make your tweezers work like new again. It will re-sharpen any blunt tweezers within seconds thus saving you time as well as money. Perfect eyebrows are now just a few seconds away. The product will save you all the frustration that most of us face when dealing with blunt tweezers as you pluck your eyebrows. We think these are a beauty essential and from what we’ve noticed online, all those who have purchased are beyond satisfied and are simply raving about this product. Hop on over to their official website here to purchase your own sharpener for £19.99 in either a fetching shade of petrol blue or coral.

Shakeup Cosmetics

My turn dear readers to say ‘Happy New Year’! Today I’m kicking-off with one of our #amazingfinds which is a new brand of men’s cosmetics. Apparently us boys have different skin to the girls… (NB: Girls at The Amazing Blog!) that may sound a glib expression, but there is an increasing amount of data to show that our skin is 20 - 25% thicker due to the presence of testosterone, which goes some way to explain why certain products manufactured for women can be ineffective for us. Since we also have slightly larger active sebaceous glands, our pores tend to be larger leading to a higher propensity of acne and pore blockages. Of course, we also put our skin through the dreaded daily slash of a sharp blade which inevitably stresses the epidermis, making it far more sensitive.

Happily, for us twin brothers Shane Carnell-Xu and Jake Xu have come to our rescue - they are the driving force behind Shakeup Cosmetics and are shining the light ahead for us boys to reap the benefits of a skincare range as diverse as that for women, but specifically tailored for our needs. Whilst we all want to look our best, not everyone wants to make it headline news when we walk into a room, which is where Shane and Jake have come to our aid with their Shakeup Cosmetics For Men range. Although born in Beijing, the boys emigrated to the UK in their teens and are proud to have formulated and produced their line here, ensuring the highest standards, as well as rejecting animal testing, and keeping their products totally vegan-friendly.

At the moment, we have the Under Eye Concealer and Moisturiser, called ‘Eye Eye Captain’, the ‘Let’s Face It’ Tinted Moisturiser, and the ‘Lip Life To The Full’ Volumising and Moisturising  Lip Gel, with the first two of that list coming in Light, Medium and Dark shades for the skin palette. Retailing at £20 for the Concealer, £25 for the Moisturiser, and £12 for the Lip Gel, we can get our hands on these goodies from here and that stalwart of the pioneer brands, Harvey Nichols - and when HN starts stocking a range, you know it’s one to watch! This range is certainly one to try, as there is a revolution afoot in the male grooming world, and it is being spearheaded by dynamic teams like Shane and Jake who believe in natural, wholesome skincare, and are bringing it to market for us to enjoy.

Eloise Beauty - Ultimate Luxury Brush Collection

We love how make-up is so mainstream and global, YouTube is full of seductive make-up videos and all the colour cosmetic brands now align with each and every fashion-led trend. In order for us to keep up, The Amazing Blog went in search of new and stylish make-up brushes to show off our ever-changing medley of cosmetics. With a little bit of research, we discovered Eloise Beauty with their super-glamorous brushes, which we hear are used by those in the know…

Eloise Beauty is a brand that emerged in 2017, with its founder Risi Jinadu who after a decade in the industry, saw a niche for creating innovative, premium and affordable make-up brushes. Since then she has developed the brand with not only make-up brushes but also a range of extraordinary cosmetics that suit all skin tones (which we will be reviewing from January onwards). Eloise Beauty has fast become a beloved brand of the beauty elite and sits easily alongside the likes of Huda Beauty or Tati Westbrook. These premium brushes are vegan, cruelty-free and all have velvet-soft synthetic bristles. With a full range of six rose gold stylized make-up brushes, we love how the handles are ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in the hand. Plus they’re well-made and able to withstand a certain amount of pressure from make-up application.

Let’s talk about the four brushes which we were given to review. Starting with the ‘So Stiletto’, the brush’s flat surface will give you a guaranteed immaculate finish. Cleverly styled with a tall stem and an oval head, it gives an even, quick and smooth distribution of any liquid or powder cosmetic product. We found it particularly good for contouring and with its multi-functionality we think that it’s a great buy. There is a certain amount of technique needed, if you rotate the brush in circles away from the centre of the face (when using a liquid foundation), this will help you to achieve the perfect finish.

Next, we have their hero brush ‘Tear Drop’ conceived in 2016, it is the first ever tear-shaped make-up brush to be created. It is versatile enough to be used on both face and body and will make any base application flawless. With an astonishing one million densely packed bristles, it also makes it the softest and quickest brush for application. With the party season upon us - this is one of our favourite brushes for larger areas i.e. contouring thighs or highlighting shoulders.

Finally, we come to both the Kabuki Brushes, these are smaller in sizes but do the job just as well. The first of these is the ‘4D Brush’ which is shaped to a point at the tip for precise application, i.e. for areas such as under eyes or around the nose. Best of all it offers excellent blending opportunities. Whereas the Kabuki ‘Bullet Slant Brush’ works well with weightier foundations or powders, again delivering a great finish. We found that all these brushes are easy to clean, simply massage damp bristles either liquid soap or shampoo and then rinse, gently press dry with an absorbent paper towel and leave to dry overnight.

Want to add one of these beauties to your Christmas list? Then see here with the prices ranging between £35-£40. Or you might like to get all four with Ultimate Luxury Brush Collection here for £140. We think that these are not only elegant but extremely good value too! These are definitely make-up brushes to flaunt, and one of our very special #amazingfinds.

Bili Beauty – Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette

India is well known for its bright colour palette, diverse culture and unique beauty. Bili Beauty is a brand that creates makeup inspired by India’s evident diversity and celebrated explosion of various different shades and tints. All their products are made in California, vegan, cruelty-free and made with natural and organic ingredients. Bili Beauty brings together Indian beauty trends and presents it to a spectrum of individuals to all different corners of the world.

The founder of Bili Beauty, Sarah began the company with an underlying political motive. Although many of the major stores have an array of different cosmetic brands and products, they are often unable to cater to all the different skin tones. This is where Bili Beauty sets itself apart from others as it is highly pigmented and adapts to suit all given skin shades, textures and tones.  With the combination of her love for Indian culture and her passion for makeup, Sarah was able to create a cosmetics brand with clean ingredients and high pigmentation that celebrated and educated people about the beautiful diversity of Indian culture.

The Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette is one of our #amazingfinds and our new favourite here at The Amazing Blog. The palette features ten matte as well as glittery shades of pink, gold, red, green and various others that will make your eyes pop. While the palette will enhance your eyes with their vibrant shades, its fragrance will also take you on an olfactory journey all the way to the hidden roads of Jaipur and the magical wonders of Agra. This eyeshadow palette takes you on a cultural beauty that walks you through the enchanting beauty of India, all from the convenience of your blending brush and creativity. The key natural and organic ingredients in these pigments are vitamin E, sunflower and moringa oils, rosemary leaf, Indian gooseberry terminalia chebula and bellerica, caesalpinia sappan bark and bamboo extract. It’s 100% vegan with no animal byproducts and almost 70% of these eyeshadows are made up of pure pigment. We also applaud Bili Beauty who donate a percentage of their annual sales to Destiny Rescue a non-profit organisation to help end child sex trafficking all over the world.

We think that this special eyeshadow palette is not only perfect as a Chrismas gift but as a present to yourself! To embark on this cultural experience, simply visit here to get your very own The Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette is $49.00.

Siam Botanicals - Wild Roots of Zingiber

Thankfully in 2019, many beauty brands are now realising the power of harnessing all-natural ingredients. If you can find all-natural skincare products that work way better than anything synthetic, why wouldn’t you use them? At the Amazing Blog, we’ve been stressing the importance of all-natural beauty for years now, with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

We’ve been lucky to find Siam Botanicals, an award-winning and cosmos certified brand whose mission aligns so well with our beliefs. Their inspiration came from a search to find natural products for their own spa in Thailand. When they couldn’t find what they wanted, they went on to create their own. Combining traditional Thai-inspired ingredients and scientific know-how; Siam Botanicals uses the purest ingredients and source responsibly only using local suppliers whenever possible. We love how all of their products are made in small batches ensuring the best quality in every pot, jar or bottle. Living in a big city, we consider having a good cleansing routine to be a vital part of our daily regime. Which is why we wanted to try both the natural Cleansing Balm and Facial Scrub from Siam Botanicals. Their latest range is the Wild Roots of Zingiber  are all formulated with premium organic seed oils and essential oils distilled from the roots of zingiber. These remarkable asian rhizomes including plai, turmeric, ginger and ginger lily have natural skin healing properties that have long been used in effective eastern skincare remedies.  

The first product for us to try was the Lime & Turmeric Cleansing Facial Balm. The balm is formulated with cold-pressed organic seed oils, zingiber roots and boswellia tree resin all of which provide a deep cleanse and hydration. Use a generous amount on your fingertips and massage into the face and neck. Remove with a damp cotton pad and see all of the dirt and makeup come right off! We love how it doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils and left our face feeling soft and refreshed. Turmeric root is known for its antibacterial properties, calming the skin and preventing blemishes. The turmeric combines beautifully with the uplifting zing of lime to calm the skin.

For an even brighter and healthier complexion, we exfoliated twice a week with the Ginger Lily & Plai Clarifying Facial Scrub. Its fine jojoba wax beads with argan and moringa oils offer the perfect amount of exfoliation without leaving the skin irritated. The essential oils of ginger lily and plai have natural anti-inflammatory properties and our skin looked noticeably brighter after using the scrub. If you’d like to purchase the Lime & Turmeric Cleansing Facial Balm, it can be purchased here and costs £30 for 50ml. or The Ginger Lily & Plai Clarifying Facial Scrub here which can be purchased for £19 for 15ml.