Les Parfums de Rosine - Ballerina No 5

As spring has sprung, the birds are chirping and we at The Amazing Blog cannot resist spring’s bucolic charms. With brighter skies and our gardens radiating colour - it’s hope! When this frustrating #stayathome self-isolation is lifted, we hope it will be perfect timing for us to spend more time outside to enjoy the sunshine. Which brings us swiftly on to thinking about changing our winter fragrance for something lighter that will suit the spring mood. We were kindly got sent a new scent launch from the French perfume house Les Parfums de Rosine with their Ballerina N°5.

We’re been fans of the brand and have previously written about their Bois Fuchsia here. The founder and creator of Les Parfums de Rosine is Marie-Helen Rogeon who was born into a family of perfumers, with her great grandfather Louis Panafieu creating Eau de Cologne for Emperor Napoleon III. Her inspiration for her collections comes from her garden, from which she has developed a collection of perfumes around the rose, this ‘queen of flowers’. From bush to shrub, the rose has many varieties as well as unique subtle variants in fragrance. The Ballerina collection stems from the special variety ‘Rosier Ballerina’ whose small hydrangea-like flowerheads Rogeon compares to a delicate tutu of a young ballerina. With five individual fragrances in the Ballerina collection, each relates to a particular story i.e. “she is an enigmatic woman…” or “she is a desirable woman… both pure and innocent”. 

it is Ballerina N°5, from the range we are talking about today. Inspired by the famous ballet La Bayadère, which recounts the frustrated loves of the sacred Hindu dancer Nikiya. This fresh and delicate perfume works so well for the spring. It is feminine and exotic and seduces us with its heady and warm notes. This Ballerina N°5 has got a slight sweetness with a floral and wood finish. The top notes are from the rose, tangerine, Indian fig and orange blossom. The heart (or middle) notes are from Turkish rose essence, crystallized violet, lychee, almond blossom and heliotrope. Finishing with the base notes of sandalwood, tonka bean, patchouli and cedarwood. Despite the depth of its woodiness, it’s light and subtle and gives sensual and captivating aromas of the orient. We also love the pretty gold bottle with its very own organza tutu adorning the bottle’s neck.  Why not let yourself be tempted by the subtle and irresistible charm of Ballerina N°5, to purchase see here for the 100ml at 140€ or the 50ml bottle at 108€.

Dr Russo - Once A Day Sun Protection SPF 30 & SPF 50 Invisible Face Gel

Good skin starts with prevention, and here at The Amazing Blog we’re always on the lookout for the best SPF and suncare. Today we’ve got one of our #amazingfinds, meet Dr Russo’s Sun Protection Invisible Face Gel ideal for protecting the complexion and combatting harmful rays when out and about. 

The founder Dr Luca Russo is renowned internationally for his work in reversing sun damage and premature ageing. He is a London-based cosmetic and dermatologic surgeon who lecturers on skin rejuvenation. This sun protection gel features Dr Russo’s innovative long-wear SPF technology that creates a force-field on the skin to deflect the harmful sun’s rays. His philosophy is to protect the skin with broad-spectrum SPF 30 and SPF 50 sunscreens and potent antioxidants throughout the day, followed by reversal agents that stimulate new collagen production and repair all signs of photo-ageing. The beneficial ingredients are antioxidants, such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. All of these repair existing signs of DNA damage, inhibit tyrosinase, help to maintain elastin and collagen levels, reduce glycation of proteins and soothes inflammation, so the skin becomes stronger, more luminous and resilient. These ingredients also help repair existing signs of damage, as well as stopping the production of melanin which causes dark spots. The product is free from PABAs, parabens, artificial fragrance and compatible with all sensitive skin types.

The formula is light-weight, non-greasy, and does not leave a chalky film on the skin, making it perfect to wear everyday under makeup. Protect, moisturise and repair your complexion with a single sweep with this once a day application.  It keeps skin protected and is waterproof and sweatproof for up to 80 minutes. The product comes in SPF 30 and SPF 50 variants, to apply, use the unique click brush applicator, sweeping the product over the face and neck area. It retails for £26 for 15ml and can be purchased here. In a 15ml bottle, this is the perfect size for your handbag or to take on a bike ride.

The Wine and Spirits Show

Like most people, here at The Amazing Blog, we love to unwind after a long day with a nice drink, and we’re so excited to expand our knowledge at The Wine and Spirits Show returning to London on the 3rd and 4th of April.

After two sold-out shows in 2019, attended by over 1500 people, The Wine and Spirits Show will be back at One Whitehall Palace this spring. The show will feature the best brands in wines and spirits as well as a beer zone, a gin and tonic bar and two free masterclasses on exciting topics, including champagne. Delicious food stands will also be featured at the event. We all know wine and cheese make an excellent pair, and Paxton & Whitfield, official cheese providers to the Queen, will be onsite to offer the perfect cheese pairing to your favourite wine or spirit.

The Wine Hall will highlight international producers, wine regions and wine merchants. The Wine Hall will also showcase award-winning wines judged by Masters of Wine in the prestigious Global Masters competitions. 

The other hall featured at the show, The Spirits Hall, will offer everything from gin and whiskey to tequila, rum and mezcal. Both halls include a New Products Zone showcasing popular wines and spirits launched within the last year, keeping attendees up to date with trends and new releases. Also included in the show is a Global Beer Zone where guests will have the chance to sample a wide variety of brews from every style produced all over the world.

Tickets can be purchased for £55.00 here. One Whitehall Palace is located at 1 Whitehall Ct, Westminster, London, SW1A 2EJ. Starting at 14.00 – 20.00 we’re looking forward to an afternoon of sipping some of the best vineyards and distilleries in the world!

Maiiro - Organic Lip Salve & Organic Soap

It’s now a known fact that seaweed has many wonderful benefits for both the skin and body with its vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. As regular readers of The Amazing Blog will remember we’ ve reviewed beauty brands like Seavite, Voya and Repechage all of which contain this magical ingredient from the sea. Today we’d like to introduce you to our latest discovery from the sea, a new British brand called Maiiro.

Created in Guernsey, Maiiro was inspired by the sea and shoreline, which is an ever-present part of life on this beautiful island. With one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, Guernsey’s pristine clean waters are home to an abundant and rich marine life. The brand was born from a deep desire to help skin look and feel better, naturally. Maiiro’s aim is to become an industry leader in terms of sustainability and recyclability, supporting the environment. They have reduced the use of plastics wherever possible, and are only using natural, organic and ethically sourced ingredients in their products. They’re entirely transparent and their packaging is 100% recyclable where some of the cardboard used is actually made from seaweed!

Maiiro’s key ingredient of seaweed, thus making the brand stand apart from others. Seaweed has long been foraged from their Guernsey shores and is a natural source for a powerful skincare ingredient containing antioxidants like CoQ10 or Vitamin C. Whilst on the journey to create Maiiro, they formulated their signature ingredient, Kelpogen5™ to harness the full power of seaweed. This is a skincare superfood that gives the complexion all the nourishment and protection it needs to look its best and is suitable for all ages and skin types. We at The Amazing Blog had the privilege to try out their Organic Lip Salve and the Organic Soap.

The Organic Lip Salve provides a lot more than just temporary relief to dry, sore and chapped lips. Apart from the Kelpogen5™ it also contains organic tamanu oil for healing and palm fruit extract to help prevent sun damage; all in a base of antioxidant-rich organic cocoa butter and shea butter. This veil of hydration helps the delicate skin on your lips to restore itself from within. We found that it was effective both in this current chilly weather, as well as the scorching heat (it got taken off to sunnier climes too!) We’re sadly only too aware of the temporary relief and increased long term dryness that some other lip balms offer. Which is why we like the Maiiro’s Organic Lip Salve as it doesn’t have this countereffect, priced at an affordable £21.95 here.

We also tried out their Organic Soap it’s a seaweed soap that suits all skin types and ages. With a gentle, low lather, this back-to-nature skin cleanser is rich in essential oils, botanical extracts and Maiiro’s signature five-seaweed formula, Kelpogen5™. With organic ingredients of essential oils tea tree and lemon as well as jojoba and tamanu oils combined with goji berry and fenugreek extracts, this seaweed soap leaves the skin feeling fresh, calm and comfortable - never taut or dry. It’s got a beautiful bright orange colour, which you certainly can’t miss on bleary-eyed morning. What makes this soap extra special is its packaging. We love the charming little blue wooden boxes it comes in. Let’s not forget to mention that it has no SLS, parabens, phthalates or added fragrance and is 100% organic and vegan. For those of you looking for a refreshing boost then look no further, you can purchase the Organic Soap here for an absolute steal at £11.95.

Muk – Hot Muk Thermal Protector & Smoothing Serum

Sometimes in our hurry, we forget how much damage we inflict on our hair with everyday blow-drying, straighteners and styling. At The Amazing Blog we take haircare very seriously, continually searching out new heat protectors and serums. This is where we recommended the haircare brand Muk’s with their latest Hot Muk range.

Muk is an Australian haircare brand that was founded in 2006.  Looking to revolutionise the hair care industry and stand out, this is a plain talk brand and unlike others has no need to communicate their message with scientific and unfathomable jargon. It is a natural brand, and although they do use silicones, they are plant-derived with large molecules that don’t build up on the hair shaft. We particularly like that their products are 100% accredited by PETA, are cruelty-free, vegan (NB: a few products do contain beeswax), and the packaging is made from 100% recycled aluminium.

We started with the first of the two products, the Hot Muk Thermal Protector which has a non-greasy finish and gives a great sheen to the hair. Apart from being natural, it also contains UV filters that help to protect the hair from sun damage and seals it to stop humidity and frizz. We used this spray on towel-dried wet hair before blow-drying for heat protection. It has a delicious orange citrusy fragrance that stays on your hair throughout the day.

The second product we used is their Smoothing Serum that complements the Thermal Protector. A little goes a long way only 1-2 pumps needed, and this serum is brilliant to help eliminate static while boosting shine. As recommended by Muk, we’ve been using this focusing on our ends after blow-drying or before straighteners (make sure your hair is dry). When it came to styling, this serum certainly made life easier. It also has UV protectors which guard against colour fade and has a similar citrus scent as Thermal Protector, which means that they work well in tandem with no conflict of fragrance.

After trying these two Hot Muk range of products, we’d definitely recommend making them part of your hairstyling routine.  You can purchase Hot Muk Thermal Protector 250 ml spray for £11.75  here and Hot Muk  Smoothing Serum 55 ml bottle for £11.75 here. Or for better value, buy them together as gift pack here for only £16.75.