The Spoiled Bee - Cleanser, Mask and Serum

Who doesn’t dream of having perfect skin? Us for one! Here at The Amazing Blog we’re lucky enough to receive lots of fabulous beauty products to test and review, and at this time of year, we’re always on the hunt for light and nutritious skincare to take us through into the summer months. As regular readers will know, we’re especially fond of bee brands particularly those that support beekeepers and their hives.  So, the latest one of our #amazingfinds is The Spoiled Bee, which we recently discovered at the CEW Awards demonstration evening. 

This is a British brand founded in 2017 by France and her daughter Violette. France is a former osteopath who also has a passion for organic products, who went on to study for a master’s degree in the field of aromatherapy. Violette even as a teenager only used the skincare made by her mother using pure and natural ingredients. The Spoiled Bee brand was born out of a desire to protect bees always making sure that the bee products they use are harvested in a way that respects bees and the environment. Within their range of 100% natural and cruelty-free skincare, they offer a specific range of bee products that offer some wonderful properties for skin, body and hair. Quickly added, to avoid any confusion, that not all their products are ‘bee products’. What we particularly applaud this brand for is that when you spend £10 on their website, they ‘give back ‘by sponsoring 100 bees for one month through their network of beekeepers. The Spoiled Bee Company very kindly sent us a selection of their products: The Honey Cleansing Balm (a bee product), the White Coconut Face Mask and their 10% Fruit Enzyme Glow Serum. 

The Honey Cleansing Balm ‘s texture is slightly waxy and what impressed us is that you only need very little to remove even the most stubborn makeup. We even tried it on waterproof mascara with fantastic results. After rinsing, the skin is incredibly soft and moisturised and left us with a subtle glow, it’s also very gentle on the skin without leaving any tight or tingling sensations. The smell is divine, which is not surprising, as it contains apricot, vanilla and sweet almond oil and of course – beeswax/honey. The honey is raw, which offers incredible benefits for the skin both anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial it’s also moisturising and gently exfoliating.

The White Coconut Face Mask was a very pleasant surprise too. It comes in a dry powder form, which unlike some creamy masks, means it has a longer shelf life with no oxidation. We followed the instructions and mixed 1 tbsp of powder with ½ tbsp of water. After leaving the mask on for 15 minutes, we then rinsed it off with a facecloth and warm water. Our pores seemed smaller and skin was left soft, moisturised and fresh. Besides, the healing properties of the coconut milk and kaolin clay the addition of jasmine essential oil is also great for reducing scars and acne. We found that it is ideal even for the most sensitive skin. You can buy the here the 30g White Coconut Face Mask here for £22.80.

Which was our favourite? We have to admit that it was the 10% Fruit Enzyme Glow Serum.  It has a delicious fruity fragrance which made us think of ripe juicy Victoria plums! What we loved about this rich serum is that the skin absorbs it quickly and with impressive ease. We used it in the morning before the makeup and in the evening before going to bed. Our skin felt beautifully silky, nourished and renewed. This little marvel is made from the enzymes of no less than ten different fruits, which act as antioxidants for the skin, and plum kernel oil has vitamins A, C and E as well as Omega 6 and 9, great protection the skin whilst giving it a great boost. You can purchase the 30ml Serum here for £31.20.

Gaia Skincare - The Facial Range Trio

If like us here at The Amazing Blog you’re still being a homeworker in lockdown,  then you too will be missing your regular beauty appointments or your days of relaxation at the spa. Well, today we have a treat for you, with the natural spa skincare brand Gaia Skincare. If you can't get to the spa, then let us bring it to you! Some of you may remember that we’ve previously reviewed some of their body care products here. However, today we’re going to talk about their trio set of facial skincare. 

This award-winning brand Gaia Skincare was founded by Diane Nettleton whose background was in hotel ownership. In 2016, she opened Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall, which has subsequently led onto the development of treatments and her Gaia Skincare range. As recent a Winner of the prestigious 2020 Beauty Shortlist Awards with their Awaken Body Cream, they also swept the board as Finalists for The Cleansing Balm (which we are featuring below), Body Butter and Awakening Bath Oil. The Gaia Skincare range features three collections: Awakening, Balancing and Calming, each of these collections contains the unique the Gaia Elixir (a crystal infusion with citrine, a crystal primarily used to treat the solar plexus chakra) this gives vibrational and healing benefits and aids emotional balance. All products are made locally and by hand with no parabens, synthetic colours or fragrances. They are natural, containing mainly organic ingredients that are cruelty-free, vegan and very eco-friendly with their fully recyclable packaging.

Indeed, this British spa brand invites you to moments of relaxation and helps you to reconnect with your inner self. We tried The Facial Range Trio which has a Cleansing Balm, an Exfoliator and a Moisturiser for a three-step skincare regime. Let’s start with The Cleansing Balm The first step is deep cleansing, and nothing beats a good facial cleanser for removing all impurities and excess of sebum. This Cleansing Balm has a creamy texture making it easy to apply and remove makeup. Key ingredients include sunflower oil which has a softening and nourishing benefit, arnica montana extract to reduce redness and protect the skin from ageing, and rosemary to prevent blemishes and help regulate excess of sebum. It leaves the skin feeling fresh and glowy. In addition to its gentle fragrance, it has left us with soft and moisturised skin all ready for our next step. Next we have The Face Exfoliator for us for nothing beats a good exfoliator and this one here keeps skin moisturised while also removing all residue of makeup offering a deeper clean. It leaves the skin looking more supple and youthful, thanks to mandarin oil which softens the skin, the extracts of calendula which make the skin and more elastic and the petitgrain which has healing and regenerating properties. Combine these with the exfoliating sugar grains and we noticed how gentle and yet effective these were particularly with those of us with sensitive or problematic skin. Final step: Pamper your skin, we finished with The Facial Moisturiser  Its creamy texture left the skin feeling hydrated and fresh. It also has properties to help the renewal of the cells with coconut oil to nourish and moisturise the skin, apricot kernel oil for a healthy glow and anti-ageing and soothing sweet almond oil to calm and relieve any irritation. We used this cream morning and evening which gave us excellent results. 

Tempted to give you skin a special treat? Then you can buy The Facial Range Trio set here for £85 (which is valued at £123 if you bought each product separately). Or you can buy each product separately with The Cleansing Balm here at £38, The Face Exfoliator here at £35  The  Facial Moisturiser here at £50.

Baie Botanique - Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash and Renew Regenerating Anti-Ageing Serum

The rose has been coined ‘the queen of flowers’ for its natural beauty and properties that protect the skin from ageing, fine lines and wrinkles; it’s also been used in beauty routines for thousands of years from Cleopatra to the Duchess of Cambridge. At The Amazing Blog, it’s no secret that we have a penchant for all things rose. So, we’re excited to share with you another one of our #amazingfinds  Rose Renew Regenerating Anti-Ageing Serum and Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash by the organic skincare Baie Botanique. We first spotted this brand as one of the award winners at The 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards and have been itching to try their products ever since!

When launched in 2014, Baie Botanique’s mission was to create a powerful botanical skincare range with pure and natural ingredients and high organic content. The founder, Sophie Oliver has over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry as a makeup artist. During this time she transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle where she fused her twin passions to form this unique skincare range. Now a multi-award-winning brand, this innovative rose-based botanical range contains plant stem cells that combine ‘wisdom of our ancestors with the power of modern skincare technology.’ Impressively, this brand also has all its products certified cruelty-free and vegan by PETA .

We find it’s best to start with a cleanser, so here’s The Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash. With ingredients such as rose water, rose absolute and rosehip oil combined together with orange flower water, olive oil and green tea, it’s soothing and cleansing. Plus with the vitamin C here, it’s got added protection for the skin against UV sun damage. We like that it’s easy to use, and gently removed our everyday makeup (and city pollution!) Simply apply to wet hands and massage onto the face and neck. Rinse with warm water to leave skin looking clean, healthy, refreshed and of course rose-radiant. The formula boosts being 70% organic and with 98% naturally derived botanicals and can be purchased here at £19 for 125ml.

The Rose Renew Regenerating Anti Ageing Serum has enriched Ingredients which include bio-actives such as 15% Hyaluronic acid (plant-based), MSM and Glycolic Acid (AHA); these aid cellar renewal, firming and improve the appearance of any fine lines and wrinkles. Apart from the bio-actives, the main ingredients in this award-winner serum are rose water, witch hazel and aloe which together with the other selected botanicals leaves the skin with a brighter, softer, and healthier appearance.  It is light in texture, cooling to the touch and truly smells divine! We also liked that this serum has 80% organic and 98% naturally derived botanicals, it’s quick to absorb and versatile enough to be used both morning and evening, at £34 for 30ml it can be purchased here. This light-weight, gel formula is perfect for applying after the use of Baie Botanique’s Rose Renew Face Wash, and you can buy the two in a duo Cleanse & Hydrate Bundle for £47 here. We hear that they’ll be launching lip balms sometime this year - and we can’t wait to try them and more from the range!  

Douvall’s - Skin-High: Organic Hemp & Argan Oil and Cannabis & Argan Oil

We don’t know about you, but recently we seem to be plagued by dry skin. Maybe it’s caused by #stayhome #staysafe stress or perhaps the constantly fluctuating change in temperature. In our search for a solution, we’ve returned to one of our favourite and trusted brands Douvall’s, who recently launched two skincare products in their Skin High collection. In the past, some of you will have seen that we’ve written about one of their hero products the Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser here.  At The Amazing Blog what we like about argan oil is that it’s a one-stop ingredient for skin, hair and nails. Today we are exploring their products that combine their hero cold-pressed organic argan oil with both organic hemp and cannabidiol.

Douvalls are best known as a trailblazer with their cold-pressed organic argan oil skincare. Created by mother and daughter Alicia and Georgia Douvall, it’s an award-winning range that harnesses the benefits of organic argan oil either using it pure and combining with other ingredients for their skincare, makeup and more recently hair care too. This is a responsible and eco-conscious company that gives back to the planet. They are also natural, cruelty-free, vegan and contains no chemicals, toxins, artificial fragrance, sulphates, parabens or alcohol. They work closely with The Breast Cancer Haven charity and partner with women’s cooperatives in Morocco where their argan oil is sustainably harvested.

Let’s start with Skin-High Organic Hemp & Argan Oil but don’t get confused with this and their Skin-High Cannabis & Argan Oil. The difference between these two is the ingredients of either hemp or cannabidiol (CBD etc).  The hemp oil is made from seeds of the hemp plant whereas cannabidiol is made from leaves, flowers and stalks of the hemp plant. Both offer their own potent health benefits. Hemp oil is simply obtained by a basic cold pressing extraction; whereas cannabidiol (CBD etc) has to go through a complex and expensive extraction method (known as supercritical CO2 extraction). All ingredients for the Organic Hemp & Argan oil are 100% eco-certified and contain simply 50/50 of each and only that! This rich and powerful oil glides effortlessly onto the skin, rich in linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and vitamin E. The combination of organic pressed argan and hemp oils here have many extra health-enhancing minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron and zinc. Rich and nutritious, a little goes a long way; it’s great to use by itself or a few drops mixed with your regular moisturiser for added benefit. And in case you are wondering, it’s CBD and THC free and only has the faintest natural hemp oil scent. This comes in two sizes 50ml at £48 see  here or 15ml at £18 see here.

Next is the Skin-High Cannabis & Argan Oil made from cannabidiol and cold-pressed organic argan oil; the argan here contains a high concentration of antioxidants (including oleic acid and linoleic acid) which helps to fight ageing by neutralising free radicals which damage cells. Whereas the 200 milligrams of full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD,CBDA,CBDV,CBC and CBG) offers this and so much more.  As cannabidiol is produced using the whole plant, it naturally contains very high levels of CBD as well as other organic compounds, known as phytocannabinoids and terpenes. It protects against oxidation and reduces sebum due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It nourishes and hydrates helping the skin to absorb vital nutrients with its high concentration in vitamins A, D and E together with a balance of essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9 in the same proportions). The cannabidiols also treat skin disorders like dry skin, psoriasis, and eczema. They say it is THC free but the packaging states that it’s full spectrum too (?) Douvall’s, we’re a little confused here… However, we loved the texture and were surprised by its divine delicate and slightly grape-like fragrance. I think out of the two ‘Skin-High’ products this was our favourite. We recommend this as a night oil, as it left skin feeling soft, boosted and revitalised in the morning. This also comes in two sizes, where you can purchase 50ml for £58 here or 15ml for £20 here.

Skin in Motion – Exercise Friendly Skinwear

In the forthcoming months, we’re looking forward to returning back to the gym. However, we do like to look our best without being puce in the face or with smudgy mascara. We’re rather ashamed to admit to the damage that we’ve probably already done to our delicate skin, working out with layers of heavy makeup left on! Many of you may be unaware of the fact that exercise can break down the skin's collagen, causing premature signs of ageing. Particularly when you use products such as foundation or bronzer which clog up the pores and often lead to breakouts, this is why at The Amazing Blog we were very curious to try out the exercise-friendly beauty brand Skin in Motion who claims to address all of these issues.  

The revelation for us is that with  Skin in Motion, is that you can wear breathable and sweat-proof makeup to the gym. It’s a lightweight solution that is easy to apply and remove after any workout. The co-founders Gia Mills and Sophia Lahlou cleverly spotted this niche addressing the need for workout friendly beauty. Gia is a London based celebrity makeup artist with well-known clients including the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill, Cara Delevigne and Julia Restoin Roitfeld. She’s also long been a yogi, marathon runner, cyclist and racer and so understands the physical and mental benefits of working out.  Sophia Lahlou, a marketing professional with 17 years of experience in beauty brands, joined forces with Gia helping to help make them an unstoppable team. The idea came about when they discovered many women don’t go and work out because they were concerned over their appearance. This spurred them on to develop a range of cosmetics to not only make women look better, but feel better too. Skin in Motion has three main goals: encourage women to exercise, boost women's confidence, and donate to female empowerment charities like This Girl Can and we love how they’re advocates for causes such as Breast Cancer too.

Their current products include the Lift It Mascara, Work It Tinted Moisturiser, Cool It Mist and Clear It Wipes. Let’s start at the beginning of a beauty regime with the Clear it Wipes which remove all the dirt and sweat from the pores. The wipes are thin but loaded with salicylic acid and pomegranate enzymes. These ingredients help clear any harsh ingredients from the skin’s surface while moisturising and balancing. The pot comes with 40 pads and is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Apply the wipes before and after the workout to clear clogged pores. This product helps cleanse the face and dissolve sweat and also promotes balance in the skin. The Clear It Wipes can be purchased here for £16.00. Next, we have the Work It Tinted Moisturiser which comes in three different and matchable shades: light, medium and dark. With plenty of coverage, the product manages to cover the skin while still maintaining a lightweight and matte finish and best of all, it looks completely natural when applied. The Tinted Moisturiser comes in a 30ml bottle and is cruelty-free, vegan, and paraben-free. It's nourishing and sweat-proof for even the most intense workouts. The product is incredibly smooth in texture, is best applied with a beauty blender and has a subtle citrus scent. The Tinted Moisturiser is a non-comedogenic formula and contains Argan oil to help hydrate and protect the skin. With fast-drying ingredients, you can take comfort in knowing that your makeup will stay put.  Work It Tinted Moisturiser can be purchase for £25.00 here. Something we find difficult to be without is mascara, and we know we’re not alone here. The Lift It Mascara is infused with beautiful Japanese berry kernels from the Sumac tree, the waterproof and smudge-proof mascara is cruelty-free and manages to lengthen and define even the sparsest of eyelashes. For a flawless look, apply the mascara at the base of the eyelashes and wiggle side-to-side in an upwards motion. The mascara comes in an intense black and is available for retail price £20.00 here.  We all know how our skin tends to get irritated when combined with sweat. Here is where Skin in Motion has created a face spray that helps hydrate and calms the skin. The Cool It Mist has a subtle floral fragrance, the bottle is 50ml and has 95% natural ingredients that are vegan, cruelty and silicone-free. To use just shake the bottle and hold 5 inches away from the face with your eyes closed and spray. Apply a liberal amount and wait a few seconds before leaving for your workout. The mist has hydrolysed hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate, mint to help cool and glycyrrhizic acid (liquorice extract) to calm the skin. The mist is lightweight and easily absorbed. the Cool It Mist can be purchased for £20.00 here. Lastly, we want to mention the rather fetching transparent neon orange and pink Gym Friendly Pouch For Life which is perfect as an on-the-go make up bag, or for taking with you in your gym kit. The Gym Friendly Pouch for Life you can buy for £15.00 here.  Or, if you are like us you can buy their Complete Beauty Care kit for £82 here. We think that they have struck on a genius idea and can’t wait to see more products in the range.