Cosmetics of London Chelsie - AHA Exfoliating Mask

At The Amazing Blog as you’ll know, we like to champion new indie brands – particularly with cosmetics and skincare. Today we’d like to introduce a brand that has just launched and is one of our latest #amazingfinds, it’s a British skincare Cosmetics of London Chelsie.

The founder, Chelsie Benjamin, spent nine years as an aesthetician, skin practitioner and acne specialist working with some of the leading skincare companies.  With her passion for skincare, she decided to create her own range which has been over three years in development. Chelsie said: “We have created a solution-based skincare that will not only enhance a client skincare routine at home, but will also be effective in helping them maintain their treatment routine at home.” She went on to say, “although Cosmetics of London Chelsie has only just launched, we believe in giving back to charities and our communities, so we’ve made our prices affordable for everyone and will be seeking to work with different charities throughout this year.” We can’t wait to see more of their products and think that Chelsie’s new skincare is one to keep on our radar! 

We tried their first product the AHA Exfoliating Mask which is unisex, vegan, cruelty-free and comes in a reusable glass jar. As well as being an ethical product, we found it to be both effective and great to use.  The texture is creamy, and the fragrance is a subtle geranium (which is one of the oils used). The mask contains active ingredients from fruit acids that help to treat acne, dehydration and fine lines. It also includes key essential oils grapefruit, geranium flower and cedarwood oils to aid inflammation, redness and damaged skin. Although the mask gently exfoliates, helping to reduce acne and wrinkles it does contain lactic (from the decomposition of citric acid), malic, citric and glycolic acids (the latter being the holy grail for exfoliation). So we’d suggest a patch test first (waiting 24 hours before using on face) and always avoiding the eye area. We found that it did a good deep cleanse and left the skin soft, fragrant and hydrated. Chelsie suggests leaving the product on for 5-10 minutes and then rinsed off with warm water. It can be used 1-3 times a week; however, after using, it’s recommended during the day to wear an SPF 30 or 50 to protect the skin after this exfoliation. It is suitable for normal to oily skin (but not recommended for sensitive complexions) and we found our face looking brighter, pore size reduced and skin tone more even after only two weeks use. You too can purchase the 100g AHA Exfoliating Mask here for £23.99.

Bnatural CBD UK - Award Winning Face Oil

 We love to exploring new products at The Amazing Blog and one of our latest #amazingfinds is a new CBD skincare, which as regular readers will know is currently riding the crest of the UK beauty wave. Meet the Award Winning Face Oil (yes it really is called that!) by BNatural CBD UK. Those with oily skin often swerve face oils, but this CBD infused oil has many benefits for ALL skin types -  including oily. We first discovered BNatural CBD when they won a silver award at The 2019 Hemp & CBD Awards, and it’s a very well done to them, as they were pitted against some of the biggest CBD industry players.

BNatural CBD UK is a family run business that offers some of the highest quality ingredients, at a very competitive price point. They sell full-spectrum CBD cosmetics (skincare) and oral tinctures and are proud to announce that all their products have full traceability from farm to shelf. This way they can not only proudly offer products from the best suppliers and extractors but also carry out their own third-party lab tests on every product. For their ingestible products, they source hemp from the hills in Switzerland and only use Co2 extraction (we talked about this method with a previous CBD brand here ). They are also members of the trade associations Cannabis Trades Assoc. and CannaPRo which gives us all the assurance that their products are all fully compliant with the current UK laws. We want to applaud this brand for their giving back policy to Zellweger UK, where they donate each month a percentage of their sales. Zellweger Spectrum Disorder which is a rare genetic condition which belongs to a group called Peroxisomal Biogensis Disorder (PBD).

The Award Winning Face Oil, is a full-spectrum CBD skincare, which means that it contains a small amount of THC coming in line with the UK regulations. It combines 100mg of full-spectrum CBD golden oil together with other natural and vegan oil ingredients. Best of all, you can rest assured that it is free from pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. In creating the Award Winning Face Oil, they have chosen each element carefully to work in harmony with the cannabinoids, which includes rosehip, jojoba, geranium and orange essential oils. All of which when combined with the CBD, offers a fragrant, light to the touch, nourishing and moisturising face oil. Contained in a dark blue glass bottle with pipette, this face oil is a delightful slightly citrus-scented golden liquid. It was easily absorbed, leaving the skin smooth and without any oily residue. We think it would work perfectly too for all makeup lovers out there, as a great primer to give their complexions a wonderful radiance prior to applying foundation. Plus, all the cannabinoids here bind directly to the endocannabinoid system in the skin, helping the skin find its balance. CBD has many healing properties and added benefits such as being anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory, again making it ideal for anyone who has acne and mild eczema. You can purchase the 30ml bottle of Award Winning Face Oil for £ 30.00 here.

Douvall's Argan & Ungurahua Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

Most people when you mention Argan oil, think about it from a culinary perspective and their gastronomic trips to Morocco. However, here at The Amazing Blog we want to talk about it as a key ingredient in skin and hair care. For centuries women in the Arab Maghreb have been using Argan oil for its beneficial properties in their hair. Today we’re featuring Douvall's latest launch of Argan & Ungurahua Shampoo and Conditioner. Douvall’s were one of the first British brands to use organic Argan oil here in the UK.  We’ve reviewed their Moisturiser here and more recently, their Organic Hemp & Argan Oil and  Cannabis & Argan Oil here. Knowing how much we love their products, we couldn’t wait to try these! 

As mentioned previously, Douvall's is a British make-up and skincare brand whose key ingredient is organic Argan oil, founded by mother and daughter, Alicia and Georgia Douvall.  They produce vegan, cruelty-free, eco-friendly cosmetics made from only natural ingredients. They use no chemicals, artificial fragrances, sulphates, parabens or alcohol and the brand also commits to support charitable causes such as the breast cancer charity The Haven. They also partner with the women's cooperatives that produce their argan oils in Morocco. This partnership has led to the construction of a school and a reforestation project. 

The Shampoo and Conditioner look quite similar; the packaging is recyclable brown plastic pump bottles which are useful as it allows us to see how much product we’ve used. The label is a pale salmon pink with gold and black writing which makes the duo both girly and aesthetically pleasing. The fragrance of each is natural and subtle where we could easily pick out green tea extract. The key ingredients in both are Argan oil (which we know about) with its antioxidants, vitamin E, omega 3,6 and 9. The other, Ungurahua oil was new to us. It derives from the rainforests of Central and South America, dating back centuries to the time of the indigenous people. It is high in unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid and due to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, Ungurahua is also considered to be one of the best remedies for treating scalp problems, especially itchy dandruff and hair loss. Plus, it stimulates the regeneration of follicle cells. Impressive!  We wonder if this will set the trend, and we’ll see more hair care containing this new ingredient soon. 

They both also contain the same ingredients such as organic green tea, aloe leaf, rosemary leaf, honeysuckle flower and raspberry leaf. The Shampoo complements the Conditioner perfectly. We particularly like that they are both colour safe, which we find this is a rare find in the world of organic and natural hair care. As one of us has coloured, long, fine and curly hair, this cetainly set a challenge. Not only did it step-up to the mark but actually detangled without damaging and left hair silky, shiny and soft to the touch. Will we be buying more? Absolutely! To purchase 275ml Argan & Unguraha Oil Shampoo for £24 and the 275ml Conditioner for £26 see here.

Esteem Royale Cosmetics - Goat's Milk Soaps

Here at The Amazing Blog we’ve long been fans of goat’s milk. From drinking it as an alternative to cow’s milk (easier to digest and not pumped full of hormones) to using it as a body wash see here. So when we heard about an international brand Esteem Royale Cosmetics with their Goat Milk Soap, Royale Marrakech Blend (which was the winner in the Pure Beauty Global Awards 2019 for Best New Bath and Shower Product here) we knew we had to try it.

The brand was created in 2013 by two Nigerian sisters Odion and Idowu Ejere. They commented: “We have developed skincare potions and makeup that cater to people of every colour and every age in different climates with inputs from our loyal customers, retailers, distributors, dermatologists and beauty experts.”  Thanks to being online, the brand sells its products globally and you’ll find all kinds of skincare products for face and body (including their Goats Milk Soaps) as well as a range of lipsticks. Their cosmetics were initially created for women of colour but can also be used by everyone.

They kindly sent us their full collection of four Goat Milk Soaps.  First of all, the packaging is a set of stylish rounds that are made of eco-friendly cardboard boxes. Each soap comes in a 3/4 ball shape with a flat base, making it easy to handle. They are all rich with anti-ageing properties, vitamins, nutrients, proteins and naturally occurring triglycerides. Plus, they are formulated with carefully sourced ingredients that exfoliate, soften, nourish and visibly brighten the skin. The rich lactic acid content helps to remove dead skin cells on the surface to reveal younger-looking skin, and hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, lactic acid, vitamin A, selenium helps protects the skin from sun damage.  Let’s start with the Bubblegum Tang – its fragrance is sweet and fruity (like bubblegum) key ingredient (after goats milk) is brown sugar which is a natural humectant and has natural anti-bacterial properties. Then there is Mucatti Mandarine Crush  - this is as it sounds citrusy. It has mandarin orange extract and vitamin C from grapefruits and limes which lighten the skin and promote collagen production. Then there is the Toasted Coffee Blend - the scent is like sweet milky coffee which is not surprising as it’s main ingredient is black coffee beans, which are highly exfoliating, help to fade dark spots, prevents acne and combats cellulite (we preferred using this on our body, not our face!) Finally, their award-winning soap Royale Marrakech Blend this was undoubtedly our favourite. With its subtle fragrance and creamy texture, it also has the additions of oatmeal, soybean protein, coconut oil essence and Xinjiang liquorice extract.

For those of you who are not in the know, goat’s milk is a very gentle cleanser rich in fatty acids and it also has many anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial qualities. It helps to give the skin a healthy barrier keeping it nourished and moisturised. To purchase your any of the Esteem Royale Goat Milk Soaps for £8.67 see here.

Inspira Cosmetics - Pure Vital C Booster Pearls and Activator Fluid

Sometimes, it is all about searching out the right serum for your skin, to boost and restore it back to its former glory and at The Amazing Blog we’ve tried many! Today we wanted to re-introduce you Inspira Cosmetics a brand that we recently reviewed with their 4 Men Only 24H Skin Supercharger here. They are a German newcomer to the UK, and today we’re featuring their Pure Vital C Booster Pearls and Activator Fluid from their Inspira Med range.

In 2000 Inspira Cosmetics was founded by Walther Janssen, who created this brand after 30 years of experience in the cosmetics industry. This ‘Inspira Med’ range was developed to meet professional spa and clinic standards but is also gentle enough for clients’ home use. It is a solution-based skincare range with the latest scientific advances to ensure the most effective results.

As mentioned, they kindly send us their skin refining serum Pure Vital C Booster Pearls and Activator Fluid. This skin-refining liquid has clinical studies that are over three-week period reporting: 21 % less of wrinkles, 24% reduction of rough skin, 20% improvement of elasticity and 80% reduction in fewer age spots with improvement in skin tone. It arrived stylishly boxed like a magic potion and looked most promising. With key ingredient is the antioxidant of pure L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) which is in a powder form moulded into a ‘pearl’ in a carrier of jojoba oil, this is then mixed together with three drops their Activator Liquid. Vitamin C is notoriously unstable therefore by mixing the Vital C Pearls with the Activator Liquid, it keeps it fresh with all the actives working to an optimum. We couldn’t wait to begin! Before applying the skin must be cleansed and completely free of any residue. When we mixed together, the pearl dissolves and becomes a light fragrance-free clear liquid that swiftly absorbs into the skin. They recommend using this serum daily or weekly at night – depending on your skin issues. We used it once a week, for a period of 7 weeks and found it to be gentle and effective. What we noticed was a reduction in skin pigmentation and pore size, which in retrospect would have offered swifter results if we’d used it daily. To can purchase the Pure Vital C Booster Pearls (7 x Pearls) and 5ml Activator Fluid see here for £70.