Nouri Healthy Balls

At The Amazing Blog we have to admit to some of us having a penchant for sweet treats. However, with summer coming unhealthy sugars have to go, particularly as we look at our waistlines and start thinking about getting bikini-ready. With this in mind, we’ve been testing out many sweet treat alternatives but still find that many contained high amounts of calories with added sugar. That’s when we came across newly launched food brand Nouri Health, one of our #amazingfinds towards our healthier nibbling. We’re very happy to report that our sweet tooth habit couldn’t be easier now with their range of indulgent, yet healthy, truffle balls.

Nouri Health was launched last year after the founder discovered a lack of confectionary alternatives which were completely vegan, sugar and gluten-free. Their use of simple and natural ingredients in their truffle selection gives delicious and indulgent flavours while simultaneouslyly nourishing the body. Since Nouri doesn’t use artificial ingredients and aromas, they aim to use only the freshest fruits and nuts to ensure each truffle is up to par with their taste standards.  The founder Kalina Halatcheva said: “We found that many healthy treats taste very similar (concentrated with dates and other dry fruits) and leave you searching for something more satisfying with a proper sense of indulgence. That's why we decided that our number one focus on Nouri was taste!” After winning the prestigious SIAL INNOVATION Selection 2018 award in Paris , Nouri commemorated their win by releasing a luxurious 16 count box of four flavours of healthy balls all, equally full of goodness, rich and chewy.

The Nouri Vegan Healthy Balls box contains four indulgent flavours, Chocolate & Hazel, Coconut & Chia, Matcha Green Tea and the special edition Sesame & Cardamom. While all the flavours are delicious, our favourite amongst the four is the Chocolate & Hazel truffles. Made with dates, hazelnuts, almonds and vanilla, this truffle is the perfect balance between chocolatey and nutty. For a more crunchy texture, the Coconut & Chia truffles are a sweet mix of coconut, dried apricots, sultanas and chia seeds offering a refreshing, tropical twist. The third flavour, Matcha Green Tea is a creamy, matcha flavour made with other superfoods such as pumpkin seeds, sultanas, dates, cashew paste, almonds and millet flakes. Wrapped in a gold foil, the special edition Sesame & Cardamom truffle, infused with turmeric, left us feeling satisfied without the guilt with its decadent and earthy taste. While fruits, nuts and dates are combined into the recipes; unlike other natural sugar-free confectionary alternatives, these truffles don’t have that typical identifiable fruity or date-y taste. They are just so moreish! Like us, you can now satisfy your inner-sweet tooth, as well as 'nourish your body, indulge your soul' and enjoy a 16-count-box of delicious truffles from the Nouri Health website here for only £14.95.

Tyme - Upstaged Thermal Protectant

At The Amazing Blog we’ve collectively bought dozens of hair oils, masks, leave-in conditioners in an attempt to treat our heat damaged or coloured hair. Whilst some these products have helped in reversing the damage of hair dryers and hair dye, it’s great to discover just ONE product, that does what all! Step this way the creator of the revolutionary TYME Iron, who have now delved further into the world of haircare, by releasing their one-stop Upstaged Thermal Protectant. This spray that not only protects the hair it also helps to improves hair strength, shine and softness.  

TYME, is US based haircare company, whose mission is to '…create a hair care line that will perform its best.’ As someone who has dyed, straightened and curled their hair, those words sounded like music to my ears. It’s difficult to find products that help with my combination of damaged, fine and sometimes frizzy hair without weighing it down. However, I’m impressed with TYME’s Thermal Protectant spray that has really ‘upstaged’ my daily haircare routine.  

In addition to being heat resistant up to 300° C, Upstaged Thermal Protectant is also gluten, paraben and sulphate free so it doesn’t weigh down or cause unnecessary build up in the hair. The spray protects from heat and UV rays while giving hair volume, texture and shine in the process. Whether you have coarse, thin or even extensions in your hair, this spray will leave your locks looking pumped-up and shiny. A sulfate and paraben-free formula,  the key ingredient is extracted from the baobab tree, the hydrolysed adansonia digitata seed extract which is then infused into the heat protectant spray as the all-in-one repairing, strengthening and moisturising agent. Added Aloe Vera provides the shine and softness while additional polymers keep hair from feeling stiff and greasy. For optimal results, TYME recommends using the Upstage Thermal Protectant spray on towel-dried hair and comb through. After evenly distributing the spray, style as you would in your regular styling routine. So you can now reduce the number of products in your bathroom cabinet, but not forfeiting the results towards getting softer and stronger hair. See here to purchase your Upstage Thermal Protectant at £18.99 for a 120 ml bottle. We think you won’t be disappointed.

Fruits Of The Forage

At The Amazing Blog, we love writing about brands that have adopted sustainable practices, especially food brands that have joined the fight against our current consumer-driven society. Fruits of the Forage, is one that has made it their mission to capture the ‘sustainable taste of the British landscape’ with their range of chutneys, jams, cordials, wines and beers which are made using less than conventional ingredients. Recently, they kindly sent us five of their amazing chutneys and chilli jams to try – and trust us, we were not disappointed!

Based in founder Freddie Throrneycroft’s hometown of Cheshire, Fruits of the Forage uses neglected fruits from abandoned British orchards and other wild British native plants in all their products. Chutneys, are widely used in South Asian cuisine, are made up mainly with a mix of vegetables, fruits and spices. Their tastes, spice-levels and textures can range as well depending on the concoctions of ingredients used. What we like about Fruit of the Forage’s products is that they have elevated jams and chutneys contain less-known ingredients such as Cheshire Damsons, heritage plums and even Hogweed seeds.

After trying their Hogweed Curry Chutney, Hot Crabby Chilli Jam, Perfect Pair Chutney, Damsloe Chutney and Hot Rhuby Chilli Jam, we can see why Fruits of the Forage has won not one BUT 10 Great Taste Awards in the last three years! Each of the jams and chutneys have a delicious and very individual taste which will suit all sorts of different taste palates. The Hot Rhuby, is made out of rhubarb, garlic and ghost peppers, is a good mixture of warm and spicy and, like Fruits of the Forage and is indeed very moreish. If you’re craving a more fresh and fruity spread, the Hot Crabby Chilli Jam, made with crab apples, adds a sweetness to cured meats, lamb or game. Or perhaps you want to add a savoury kick to your cheeses and meat? Fruits of the Forage’s trio of chutneys (Hogweed Curry, Perfect Pair and Damsloe) are a great mix of fruits, vegetables and pickling spices and add a great piquante to any food. For our vegan readers, don’t worry, all of their products are entirely animal-product free. We particularly liked spreading some of the Hogweed Curry Chutney on our veggies to give them that perfect little kick – Yum!

If you want to try Fruits of the Forage’s chutneys and jams for yourself, purchase a jar on their website here for £4.

Nunaïa's Nourishing Radiance Serum

Spring has sprung, and the year seems to be flying by! This provoked a question in the office, how often do we take the time to switch off completely? It seems we do so very infrequently at The Amazing Blog, a revelation that has pushed us to think more consciously about including wellbeing rituals into our daily routines. When Nunaïa introduced their brand to us, we quickly realised it was the perfect way to do so with our skincare. Sharing our concerns for living in the fast lane, founder Nicola Connolly has created a brand focused on ritual, wellbeing and health – so you can imagine that we were eager to try their philosophy for ourselves. Not only that, but this seedling company are truly a great discovery, as they were recently awarded ‘winners’ in the category of The Best Facial Oil for Dry Skin in the prestigious 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Nicola believes that there are means and ways of bringing greater meaning and balance. Through travels to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuadorian Amazon and Andes Mountains of Peru, she discovered a unique and balanced way of life; one in which nature, wisdom of the land and oneself could live harmoniously. More simply, she realised that her work/life balance was somewhat out of sync, driving her goal to create a skincare brand that would bring intention and meaning into people’s lives (and glowing skin as a result of this). This is where Nunaïa was born – providing raw, living and superfood products from ‘Soil to Skin’.

We couldn’t wait to try their star product: Nourishing Radiance Serum; a vegan, cruelty-free and dermatologically tested serum, containing top-notch ingredients. These include sacha inchi, maracuja, chia and avocado – rich in essential plant actives and sourced uniquely from both the Peruvian Rainforest and Andes Mountains. We particularly love the texture of this oil; it has a perfect juxtaposition of a rich oil with a non-greasy finish, helping to soothe redness and inflammation simultaneously. Thanks to the use of vitamins A, B, C and E, our skin felt smoother and nourished after use, and if that’s not enough, the concoction of ingredients also protects against pollution, and both UV and blue lights. The packaging is also eye-catching, the serum itself is in a delicate glass bottle, encased in a mint green box. Nicole has thought of everything!

To use this oil, we recommend using every night after cleansing. If you have dry skin (or are taking the time to pamper yourself one weekend morning) then it is also a treat for a dehydrated complexion. You can purchase Nunaïa's bottle of goodness for 79 Euros Here. Enjoy!

PHB Ethical Beauty's Gentle Cleanser

Anyone with sensitive, dry or eczema-prone skin will know that finding skincare is somewhat of a challenge. It is particularly difficult to find a gentle and effective cleanser; and as some of us suffer from mild eczema at The Amazing Blog, we thought it was about time to actively search for new and effective products. This is when we returned to one of our trusted favourites: PHB Ethical Beauty, a vegan, ethical and organic brand, bringing gentle skincare to the market, without an ounce of medical looking packaging. Regular readers will recognise this brand, having featured both their Skin Brighten Gel (see here) and 2-in-1 Hand and Body Moisturiser (see here). With raving reviews previously, we were excited to test whether their Gentle Cleanser would live up to expectations.

PHB Ethical Beauty is a family-run company providing a range of natural, handmade and palm oil free products. The brand is similarly alcohol-free, and halal certified - inclusive to all, no matter skin type or religion. One particularly admirable element of the brand is their charitable contribution, with 20% of net profits going directly to charities across the UK and around the world. There is a reason for the name PHB Ethical Beauty, and this brand indeed is one that favours people over profit.

We tried their Gentle Cleanser with Rosehip and Avocado, a cleanser designed for sensitive, overly dry and eczema prone skin. Thanks to the addition of vitamins A and E, this cleanser not only soothes and softens the skin, but equally reduces inflammation and redness. Rosehip is known for its antioxidant properties, which we gather is the critical ingredient for attaining that youthful glow. On the other hand, avocado (the nation's best-loved brunch ingredient) is particularly effective at moisturising the skin, protecting against unnecessary dryness. The real winner here though is the use of organic ingredients, and avoidance of essential oils and fragrance. For anyone with reactive skin, you'll know this is a make or break element of any product, and in fact, we would suggest, products with either are best to be avoided for any skin type. Additionally, the packaging also feels very premium, with a lovely glass bottle and eco-friendly box - not a single cheap plastic bottle in sight! To try this bottle of goodness for yourself, visit the PHB Ethical Beauty website here, where is it available for £17.00.