Balipura's Pure Love Crystal-Infused Healing Mist

For some of us at The Amazing Blog crystals and crystal therapy have become a significant part of our lives. Therefore the discovery of Balipura's Crystal-Infused Healing Mist was a very welcome one. Promising to enhance love, compassion, understanding and harmony; it Inspires us to be more positive on days when we feel a little jaded or down. This aura style spray is certainly different from our regular ‘uplifting’ aromatherapy oils that we use (peppermint, lavender and lemon). It was a joy to discover a new natural product that adds to our wellbeing without being just another aromatherapy oil.

Balipura is an authentic Indonesian brand, bringing their healing expertise to us in the form of all-in-one healing auric spray products. This brand is an interesting one, their premise forms from knowledge of energetic, crystal and sound healing, with the belief in the transfer method. This refers to the understanding that within our cells, we are sound and vibration. When using Balipura's crystal products, we can pass crystal vibrations into our Aura, thus healing ourselves. More simply, the brand believes that we must exercise our defence systems as much as we do our bodies, using regular spray products to encourage a new state of body and mind.

With this newfound knowledge, we were keen to try their Pure Love Crystal Infused Healing Mist. Promising to open and harmonise the heart chakra, this mist is made with volcanic spring water, cleansed with energetic healing and infused with crystal energy from rose quartz, chrisoprase, jade, aventurine and amazonite. As with all products from Balipura, with direct infusion of Bali Temple flowers into the water, so it’s not just the oils but direct energy from ylang ylang and cempaka, all of which enhance love. All these ingredients are pure, and only certified organic essential oils are used. The sprays are also 100% handmade and straightforward to use; simply spray the mist above the head from 2-4 times per day and you'll feel euphoric in no time!

We think that this an uplifting handbag essential - especially for when you have those low mood days. Get spritzing to open your heart chakra, enhancing and harmonising your day with Pure Love from the Balipura website here for $25.

By Sarah London's Organic Hair Oil

We're sure we're not alone in admitting that we spend our early mornings armed with a hairdryer (and other hot hair styling tools…) Whether we're going for a straight or curly style, we're no strangers to using a little heat to tame our tresses at The Amazing Blog; and while our hair looks well groomed, we do struggle with the inevitability of dry and damaged ends. From this issue emerged a quest to bring the shine back, bringing vegan brand, By Sarah London, into the frame. They introduced their Organic Hair Oil to us, and this has been our newfound way of injecting some much need moisture, and we couldn't wait to share this with you all!

By Sarah London is a natural and organic brand, providing products that demonstrate full transparency concerning ingredient choices. From humble beginnings, this brand emerged when founders Sarah and Lauren took on the challenge of soothing Lauren's skin while recovering from leukaemia. Their plant-based goal has since developed into a full range of hair care, body care and skincare products that promote conscious living and natural wellbeing simultaneously.

We tried their Organic Hair Oil, a 98% organic and 100% natural product, without the use of artificial ingredients, essential oils or fragrance. Instead, this gem of a find contains Argan oil, sea buckthorn oil and Vitamin E, actively working to prevent thinning of your tresses, and preventing the split ends often associated with the use of heat treatment. Having used this for a few weeks, we can confirm our hair looks and feels both stronger and softer, and with a pretty and recyclable glass bottle - it looks great on any dressing table too. The oil is also unscented, and is a nice addition in the market of heavily fragrance hair oils. To use, add 1-2 drops to clean, damp hair before blow-drying - or, we were also pleased to discover, this oil can be used before air drying your hair (with no sticky residue - bonus!)

To bring the shine back to your hair, visit the By Sarah London website here, where you'll find the 20ml bottle available for £21.50, a little goes a long way!.

Dadima's Panjiri

We might be enticed by a good beauty product (or two) at The Amazing Blog , but we’re also equally interesting in discovering new (and delicious) foods. One thing we’ve concluded through our foodie research is that there is often a focus on new crazes and fads – and while there is no problem with this, the focus on tried, tested and traditional recipes can often be forgotten. We were therefore thrilled to discover Dadima’s, a brand sharing our desire to celebrate the wisdom of generations, providing us with their traditional and high energy Panjiri – a recipe that has well and truly stood the test of time.

Panjiri or Panjeri is a recipe and staple that originates from the Punjab and Hyderbad regions in India. It is treated as a nutritional supplement and has been used for thousands of years, by the ancient Hindus and Sikhs. It is usually eaten in the winter to ward off cold and also given to nursing mothers as it’s considered very nutritional. The story behind this brand is a lovely one. Founder, Anneeka, has taken inspiration from the wisdom and knowledge of her grandmother, creating a version of the Panjiri recipe which is full of tradition and flavour. This inspiration even draws as far as the brand name itself, taken directly from the name she uses to address her grandmother. We don’t mind admitting that we were novices in relation to Panjiri, however we are now huge lovers of this high energy snacking food. With a recipe deep rooted in Ayurvedic medicine. It boasts a plethora of health benefits, boosting energy and fibre levels simultaneously, and thanks to the handmade recipe, both artificial preservatives and added sugars are avoided.

For those wondering what this snack tastes like – we concluded that it is a cardamom and sultana infusion with a kick of almond, fennel, ginger and carom seeds. The texture is soft, making it easy to sprinkle over porridge, fruit or yoghurt. The texture comes from the use of semolina and ghee, while melon seeds, dessicated coconut and Arabic gum are all used to add flavour. We tried the no added sugar version, but for those with a sweeter tooth, the traditional version contains a little extra sweetness. Alternatively, we have added a sprinkling of Panjiri to a traditional British crumble, for a flavour kick, but also to add a little bit of goodness to a perhaps not to good pudding!

To try this family classic for yourself, then both the original and no added sugar Panjiri products can be purchased from the Dadima’s website here for £6.99. Enjoy!

Myrto Natural Cosmetic's Summer Face Oil and Argan Eye Serum

We're almost at the end of February, and if we're honest, our New Years Resolution to make a better effort with skincare has slightly fallen slightly to the wayside. That’s why we have turned to Myrto Natural Cosmetics, and their all-natural, vegan, alcohol-free and perfume-free products. Made by hand in small production, we were quickly encouraged to up our skincare game after discovering their richly laden ingredients. Having tried their Argan Eye Serum and Summer Face Oil - we couldn't wait to share our new found secret for healthier skin on The Amazing Blog.

Founded by Eva Silvana Kruck (who has over 20 years of research and experience in natural cosmetic skincare) and Professor Dr Peter Kruck (the technology driver of the company) - this brand aims to produce premium quality products that are free from preservatives, conventional additives and emulsifiers. In a less technical sense, their products do not contain chemicals and processed ingredients.

Firstly, having noticed ever increasing dark circles (thank you cold weather and deadlines) we were keen to try Myrto's Bio Argan Eye Serum Roll On. Promising to firm the under eye area, with the use of specific ingredients which promote regeneration and hydration, this serum contains organic and hand-pressed Argan oil, to regenerate vitamin C; and hyaluronic acid, added to improve hydration and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The formula also contains powerhouse ingredients such as pomegranate extract, sea buckthorn fruit oil and rose water - all of which are organic, working simultaneously to hydrate, counteracting pesky dark circles and premature ageing. Packaged in a sleek glass roll-on-bottle, this is best applied twice a day to reap the full benefits. We found the bottle lasted well and were thankful for the floral fragrance. To purchase this little bottle of magic for yourself, click here, where it is available for £24.50.

Secondly, we noticed that many of our go-to facial oils are great at hydrating our skin, but not so great at protecting it. We were therefore pleased to discover the Bio Summer Day Oil , an effective anti-ageing oil that also contains herbal sunscreen. Despite the summer feeling oh so far away, we try our best to protect our skin on a daily basis, so a 2-in-1 face oil and sunscreen which entirely ticks the box. Designed mainly for blemish-prone combination skin, this day oil moisturises without a greasy finish. Bio Summer Day Oil contains powerful ingredients: organic grapeseed oil for strengthening properties, organic seabuckthorn pulp oil to delay UV damage and schizandra berry extract for anti-inflammatory results. However, the star ingredient has to be avellana oil, a natural sunscreen with factor 10 to reduce skin ageing. This oil has helped to not only hydrate our problem skin but also to protect it against daily UV rays. To try this multi-tasking product for yourself, visit the Myrto Natural Cosmetics website here, where it is available for £29.90.

Ecologic Cosmetics

They say prevention is better than cure and this certainly applies when taking care of our complexions. Welcome our latest #amazingfind  Ecologic Cosmetics; founded in Mallorca, it’s a brand that has created natural, organic, sustainable and vegan beauty products for over 25 years. Following the hashtag #ClimateFriendlyCosmetics, their motto is: “Caring for your Beauty, Caring for our world”. This is certainly something we can get behind at The Amazing Blog, and were excited to learn more.

We particularly like about this brand is its credentials with environmentally conscious packaging (100% recycled), plus their simple and straight forward organic ingredients. As explained by founder, Linda Nicolau - a trained skincare professional and therapist:, “What we put on our skin enters our bloodstream, and matters. I cannot emphasise enough that it is never too late to care for your skin with natural, respectful, non-toxic ingredients.” Something we heartily agree with.

We tried Ecologic Cosmetics’ Hydrating Lipsome Serum and Bio Facial Elixir. We were very pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of the Hydrating Liposome Serum. This 10 day action water-based serum contains vitamins C and E, helping to lock hydration into the skin. The formula also contains marine plants and botanical hyaluronic acids, making it 99% of natural origin, containing 89% eco-certified ingredients. This serum is powerful at cell-repairing and moisturising, leaving the skin both smooth and luminous. It can be applied around the eyes, as well as on your face, neck and décolleté. Simply add a thin layer over the desired areas, after cleansing. It smells light and natural, and the wooden lid of the clear bottle gives it a simple and pure touch. This super hydrating serum also closes open pores, regenerates the skin and diminishes wrinkles and blemishes. What more could we ask for?

We were similarly impressed by the Bio Facial Elixir. Restoring and regenerating, this elixir contains organic botanical oils, including rosehip chia seed and geranium, an excellent combination for anti-ageing. With 99% eco-certified ingredients, this elixir is also suitable for all skin types. The rich and luxurious formula helps your skin to recover and replenish, while the unique blend of essential and organic oils helps to improve elasticity and firmness, The elixir’s lightly sweet scent and silky rich composition immediately relaxes your skin and facial muscles. It regenerates, recovers and replenishes, for progressive and long-lasting effects.

To restore your skin, by giving it a hydrating boost and healthy glow, purchase the Hydrating Lipsome Serum here for £69 (30ml) and the Bio Facial Elixir here for £49 (30ml).