Terre de Mars - 010 Irrévérence Nourishing Shampoo

The shampoo is an essential part of a good hair care routine to keep beautiful and healthy-looking hair. However, the most crucial step is to choose the right one from the huge array that is available. At The Amazing Blog, we found a shampoo to suit almost every hair type, in fact, it’s so nourishing that you don’t really need a conditioner - making it almost a co-wash. It’s another one of our #amazingfinds, meet the 010 Irreverent Nourishing Shampoo from Terre de Mars. As regular readers may remember, our wonderful reviewer Simon already tried their amazing Resonance Body and Hair Oil.

The French brand was founded by three friends: Alexandre, Poulad and Salem all of whom have parallel careers with the company, one works in fashion design, another in consulting and the last one in new technologies. These three serial entrepreneurs have created a 100% natural, coffee-based, vegan and cruelty-free unisex skin and hair care brand. All their products are made and packaged in France and are COSMOS, COSMEBIO, vegan and cruelty-free certified, and gender fluid. They have designed all their formulas to comply with ECOCERT Standards.

The initial thing that attracted us to this brand is the design. We love their packaging it’s stylish enough to adorn any bathroom. The shampoo is made from coffee extract, aloe vera, almond protein and rosemary leaves and a lemony fragrance, which gives it a delicious and subtle smell. At first, we were a little afraid that the coffee element might be too overpowering and strong, but there’s not even the slightest whiff of coffee here! It only has the mildest touch of citrus. The hydrating elements are the wheat and sweet almond proteins, helping to make hair shiny and supple, and the result after two rinses with this shampoo was very good. Furthermore, it is unisex, which means that everyone can use it. You can now say goodbye to the nightmare of finding the right shampoos for each of the family, because this will make the whole household happy. Best of all it’s organic, vegan, chemical-free and silicone-free; this product is quite simply a must-have. Furthermore, for those who are familiar with the Yuka App, this shampoo is very well rated! To purchase the 500ml 010 Irrévérence Nourishing Shampoo see here for £33.

Beckford’s Rum & Caramel

OK, it’s time for a hands-up, we admit it, everyone here at The Amazing Blog (including my good self) likes nothing better than to indulge in a sweet tipple. As regular readers will know we’re particularly partial to cream liqueurs (see here) which are somewhat calorific, slip down far too quickly and swiftly add extra inches to our waistlines! So, we were delighted to find a delicious rum liqueur (minus cream) as one of our latest #amazingfinds. Let us Introduce you to Beckford’s Rum & Caramel which has made a very welcome appearance as a digestive here in the office.

This range of Beckford’s Rums are named after and in honour of the one Beckford from history that Society can be proud of. Henry Beckford was a freed slave who attended the world's first anti-slavery congress by invitation, it was held in 1840 in London.  An ardent abolitionist he was accepted into polite society and became a beacon of light emerging from a dark past. An impression of Henry features on all our bottles and our premium Rum is also called “ Henry”. The four Beckford Rums offers the drinker a blend of anything from Rum & Caramel (we have that), Black Pearl Spiced, White Pearl Rum & Coconut to the delicious Rum & Spiced Pineapple. All of which sound eminently quaffable!

Let’s talk about our rum – the Rum & Caramel. This bottle had to be prized out of my hands, as the girls got a little greedy and wanted more than their fair quota. It’s become an award-winning rum and earned Beckford’s a 3 Star in the 2019 Great Taste Awards. What makes this rum so special is its carefully pared recipe, as historically in Regency Britain, rum and caramel were two of the nation’s favourite treats. Beckford’s decided to bring these two delicious flavours together again, and brought this forgotten recipe to life. Apart from being gluten, vegan and nut-free it’s made with only the finest premium Caribbean rum, in case you hadn’t clocked-it already, both the caramel and rum originate from the same plant – sugar cane.  Today this Rum comes in two strengths: 25% ABV (ours) and a more recent addition of the powerful cask strength of 40% ABV.  All their Rums have environmentally friendly credentials, as they’re produced in small batches with recyclable packaging and cork stoppers.  Dare we say this, well we will anyway, we think this would be absolutely delicious poured over strawberries and cream too. This drink has inspired me to share a little drinking ditty with you all: “When I want it – I want it awful bad, when I don’t get it – it makes me sad, and when I do get it, it makes me hot to trot and some. Now don’t get me wrong – I mean a shot of rum!” You can purchase your bottle here for only £ 25.00. 

errbshop CBD Infused Massage Oil Candle – rb+ Lavender

Apart from completely changing our daily habits, this current global pandemic has also increased our anxiety and stress levels at The Amazing Blog.  Today we thought we'd feature another great stay-at-home product to enhance all our wellbeing, making quarantining both more enjoyable and peaceful. We're excited to be one of the first to feature the rb+ candles from errbshop.  It's a three-in-one candle to relax, renew and rebalance. These are not just any candles, they are multi-functional massage candles with the addition of THC-free CBD oil. It's almost like having your very own home spa. 

The founder, Maggie Finneran was born into the fashion world and a leader in the luxury goods sector, where she launched a global girl's footwear brand. Ever the entrepreneurial spirit, with her great passion for travel and food, these led her on to launch renowned Californian eateries such as The Beverly Hill Beignet and Charcuterie Boss. With this hectic lifestyle, Finneran was always striving for balance which is when she had the inspired idea of creating the errbshop massage candle range. She explained: "We all search for a balance of lifestyle and wellbeing, I experienced this several years ago while having a candle massage in the Amalfi Coast. There was something to be said of the 400 year old recipe created by Franciscan Monks and the cavernous calmness of the Monastery I was staying in and enjoying this massage. I knew I needed to share this with everyone." Hence the errbshop brand was born, with selected candles in the range containing the blended healing ingredients of THC-free CBD Oil and pure plant oils. All their products are sustainably-sourced and ranked at one on the EWG list. errbshop is an online health and wellness lifestyle brand that aims to ignite balance of mind, body, and spirit through personal health products and education. The company is founded on the belief that wellness is not an indulgence, but a necessity. Their specially curated blend of nourishing botanicals, soothing soy wax, and full-spectrum CBD is designed to deliver plant-powered healing and optimal wellness to every system of the body. Fueled by harmoniously healing ingredients and driven by a passion for wellness, errbshop is dedicated to enhancing your sense of balance and wellbeing, one candle at a time.

The rb+ candle is in a 6oz (170g) tin that features a convenient pouring lip, making it easily portable and extremely travel friendly. The candles are vegan and made out of bio-cellulose with formulas that are so clean that they claim that you can almost eat them! This rb+ range offers five fragrances: Unscented, Eucalyptus, Rose, Grapefruit and Lavender (our candle). As several studies have shown, CBD oil has many potential health benefits; we find it particularly good for reducing anxiety and stress. So, you can imagine how happy we were to try this out.  As regular readers will know we are big fans of CBD (see here) as it also helps to relax soothing our minds and improving our focus. As mentioned earlier, their CBD oil is THC-free and extracted by the CO2 method making it full-spectrum with over 80 naturally occurring phytocannabinoids. In fact, there are 120mg of CBD in this 6oz tin!  The other ingredients are soy wax, apricot oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, vitamin E, shea butter, jojoba oil, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties and aid in deep relaxation of the mind and body. The primary ingredients here are lavender and CBD which are particularly good in helping restore the body's natural biorhythms and relaxing the nervous system. The fragrance here is deliciously subtle and not at all overwhelming, and the oil from the burnt candle is warm to the touch, never hot – making it easy to handle. Firstly, light the candle and enjoy watching the flickering flame and inhaling the fragrance - ideal for creating calm. When it has sufficiently melted, blow out the candle and pour the oil into the palm of your hands to begin your massage. If you have any specific areas of pain (in my case arthritic hips!) then target this area first. Otherwise, concentrate on inner wrists to help you create your own inner calm. The candle is reusable – we relit it about 3 or 4 times. So, to feel energised, more grounded, and most importantly, nourished, you can get yours here at $40 USD Or for more information, contact info@errbshop.com.  Namaste!

Nursem – Caring Hand Cream & Caring Hand Fix

Something during these pandemic times it has become second nature to us is to keep washing our hands. Of course, after constant washing, most of us at The Amazing Blog have noticed irritation, dryness and cracked skin. However, let us just take a moment to consider what everyday life must be like for nurses who are on the frontline. Did you know that the average ICU nurse washes their hands 150 times a day? Which results in 85% suffering from painful and sore hands. Not anymore, step forward the new British brand Nursem who has created a specific range of solution-based hand care. 

Nursem is a skincare brand, created by Jonny Philp who teamed up with his wife, Antonia (an ICU nurse), to create a range of special hand care products. As Jonny commented: “Our aim is to make every working day better for all hardworking hands, so we’ve developed a range of products that are formulated to care for, hydrate and replenish your skin’s natural defences.”  What testifies to this brand’s success is that its products are loved by nurses, mums and many more. We met Nursem at the CEW Showcases and were so thrilled to be given both their Caring Hand Fix, and Caring Hand Cream to try out. 

Let’s start with the Caring Hand Fix which is a cruelty-free, vegan and dermatologist approved. This works like a healing balm (although it’s a cream) it’s intensive care for hands where it soothes and calms. It’s fragrance-free with the main ingredient of calming colloidal oatmeal, this works together for layers of protection with avocado oil, shea butter and glycerin to help minimise moisture loss from the skin. Avocado oil is known for its healing benefits on skin, rich in vitamin E and other nutrients it nourishes the skin to accelerate the healing process. While shea butter is an ingredient known for softening the skin and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. The Caring Hand Fix soothes redness and irritation, as well as regenerates the skin using a blend of pro-vitamin B5, naturally derived hyaluronic acid and allantoin. We think that using the product overnight probably brings the best results.  To purchase click here The product comes at a size of 50 ml for £14.99.

Next, the Caring Hand Cream that has been created by using natural ingredients. The Caring Hand Cream’s key ingredient here is medical-grade manuka honey, which is known to help aid the healing of sore hands and improve the skin’s appearance. The manuka honey can balance the skin’s pH levels and remove the dead cells, leaving the skin soft and clean. The Caring Hand Cream has a subtle scent similar to orange water which comes from the combination of citrus and bergamot. It also has an extract of white willow and oils such as grape seed, coconut, passionflower and pomegranate seed all of which help soften the hands. To purchase the 75 ml size for £9.99 click here. To purchase the 300 ml size for £19.99 click here. This is a long-lasting and effective formula for sore and dry hands.

Both of the products contain no parabens, mineral oil or silicone and we think are a must-have for everyone who has over washed hands that are suffering. What is also important to mention, is that Nursem has a ‘giving back’ philosophy and for every product sold, they offer a month’s worth of free Nursem to a nurse or a midwife. Please help us to keep this mission going by purchasing their hand care products here.

Squeeky Life Bottle: Organic Glass Cleaner & Multi-Purpose Cleaner

With all of us in lockdown, we’re cleaning our homes like never before! No more time-poor excuses, we’re all wielding the Dyson or mop. However, with cleaning at such close proximity both the girls at The Amazing Blog and I agree that we’re tired of having lingering chemical nasties in our homes. Think phthalates, ammonia or chlorine – to name but a few... With this in mind, dear reader, we’ve searched out some effective and organic cleaning products which are Squeeky Cleaners. Their products range from limescale remover through to bathroom, glass, floor, multi-purpose cleaners and so much more. These can also be refilled with a concentrate, so great for the planet with fewer bottles used. 

Claire Nicolas originally founded Squeeky Cleaners as a laundry and cleaning company in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Claire said: “It started to take shape around the kitchen table! To cut a very long story short, my cleaners were about to be made redundant. I was at a loose end and said (quite naively) I’ll start a cleaning business…. In 2016 The Squeeky Cleaners were born. Our business grew very rapidly, outgrowing the kitchen area and within a year we were looking for a unit that would accommodate our growing Squeeky family.” She went on to say, “our products are completely natural and harmless, and of course they do the job. When cleaning your home, you won’t have to worry about potential health impacts to yourselves, your family or your pets. It’s completely safe, even if you ingest it. We are also reducing the carbon footprint by making refill bottles of concentrate available to our customers.” The company has developed its household products to be plastic-free organic, pet-safe and vegan. We had the opportunity to try their Glass Cleaner and the Multipurpose Cleaner which both arrived in their aluminium spray trigger bottles with one free dose of the cleaners, which you fill up with tap water, give it a shake and you’re up and running.

The Glass Cleaner is quite surprising, I found the fragrance actually quite uplifting! With its plant-based ingredients such as citric, acetic and caprylic (from coconut) acid it is gentle on the nose but ruthlessly removes greasy marks left on glass, giving you a ‘squeaky’ clean. It’s easy to use and effective on both mirror and glass surfaces – they even suggest using it in the car! Next, we used the Multipurpose Cleaner, again easy to use with a pleasant smell and leaves surfaces streak-free. It’s great on kitchen tops, desks and gentle enough for wooden surfaces. The ingredients are similar to the Glass Cleaner, although the addition of PSL6 (1004) left us baffled - what’s that?! The one criticism that we have, is that we’d like to see Squeeky Cleaners give more of an explanation on each of the ingredients used together with their origin.

Both bottles are 500ml, the Glass Cleaner can be bought for £9.99 here or Multisurface Cleaner here also for £9.99. They also offer refills at £7.99 which can be bought here. Why not order up today and not only help to save the planet but your health too.