The Speak Collective : Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist

During these colder months, skin hydration is more important than ever for us at The Amazing Blog. We notice how our skin suffers from the yo-yo-ing effects as we go from warm central heating to the chilly outdoors. We’ve always keen to use facial mists as they stop our skin from feeling tight and dry, so we were thrilled to be sent the Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist from natural skincare brand The Speak Collective.  

The US-based skincare The Speak Collective was founded in December 2017 by Nisa Zulkifli and her cousin Tiara. Nisa had been struggling with eczema for years when she began researching all the ways she could help her condition. With the lack of natural remedies available, she decided to handcraft her own formulas. At the same time, Tiara was also on the hunt for a skincare product to improve her hormonal skin and ended up trying one of Nisa’s creations. Tiara knew this skincare product had to be shared with others, so from this, The Speak Collective was born. Nisa is certified in organic skincare formulation from Formula Botanica, a leading teaching institution for organic cosmetic science. The brand aims to solve “the frustration of looking for effective products for sensitive skin, by using plant-based skin essentials to unleash your confidence.” They offer a range of skincare essentials made from carefully selected biocompatible ingredients, with no parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrance or colour. The Speak Collective prioritises optimum skin health, as their products are created in a GMP certified facility, tested in independent labs, and use pure and gentle botanical ingredients. They are built upon the values of transparency, education, and respect for the planet and community. By educating customers on what is in their skincare, the brand empowers customers to make informed decisions about their choice of skincare. They also put sustainability at the forefront of their mission by using recyclable packaging and teaming up with upcycling NGOs. The Speak Collective contributes to the reforestation effort, and are partnered with One Tree Planted, where they donate $1 from every product sold to plant trees. They advocate for clean and conscious skincare, as all their products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and specifically made to treat sensitive skin.  

The Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist is a refreshing botanical face mist that hydrates skin with each spritz. Facial mists are ideal for dehydrated skin because they give it an instant dewy, fresh, and restored feeling. This mist is created as a multitasker, as it can boost hydration, strengthen the skin barrier, nourish irritated skin, and of course, help to improve the appearance of the skin leaving it soft and dewy. The mist is made from a blend of plant-based ingredients designed to combat the effects of any dry, tight, red, or itchy skin. It contains a blend of 9 natural and functional ingredients may rose water, peach, evening primrose, yuzu ceramide, artichoke, eisenia (a type of algae), jiou, oubaku, okra and houttuynia. These are 97.55% naturally-derived ingredients and are kind to sensitive skin, the mist is also free from any essential oils and fragrances. The Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist harnesses the power of four key active ingredients, in particular, may rose flower water, evening primrose seed extract, peach leaf extract, and yuzu ceramide extract. 

The rose water comes from the may rose flower, this gives the mist a very light, honeyed sweet scent. The may rose, AKA rose centifolia, is one of the key ingredients used in the legendary perfume Chanel No 5. Unlike other roses, it’s edible and sometimes has 100 petals per rose. the may rose flowers once a year in may (hence the name) and can only be harvested on the same day that it blooms! The two most common species of rose used in perfume and cosmetics are the damascena rose (grown in Morrocco, Turkey and Bulgaria) and this may rose found in France, where it’s the emblematic rose of Grasse. Not only does the may rose water provide a natural, delicate fragrance, it also acts as a skin conditioner and an anti-inflammatory to help calm skin redness and hydrate the skin. 

The evening primrose extract is rich in fatty acids and linoleic acid, which help improve the skin by retaining water and balancing sebum production. Excess sebum is often a cause for acne and clogged pores, so regulating it is key for healthy-looking skin. The extract is also known to effectively fight inflammation and soothe dry skin.  Another key ingredient is the peach leaf extract which is packed with phenolic compounds that calm irritated skin and reduce inflammation. It also has powerful antioxidant properties and can stop free radicals, the damaging molecules that create wrinkles, dark circles, and uneven complexions. 

Finally, the mist uses a potent little citrus yuzu fruit extract high in vitamin C it’s an antioxidant powerhouse for brightening the skin, fighting signs of ageing, and even helping to combat dry skin. It also helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and restores the skin barrier function, so your skin is left healthy and radiating.

As we’re all about natural products, it’s good to know that this mist is only naturally coloured with hibiscus flowers extract – meaning that there are no artificial pigments that can irritate the skin. We used it in a variety of ways, after cleansing our face, and on top of makeup to give us a more dewy look. In fact, keeping it at our desks and spritzing it during the day, also protects it from the effects of the drying air-con or heating. We found the rose scent subtle and soothing, with the mist leaving our skin feeling immediately hydrated. For an even more refreshing and cooling sensation, The Speak Collective suggests you keep it in the fridge - however for us in the UK, perhaps not now in mid-winter!. They also recommend following the mist with a facial oil to ensure your skin seals in the moisture. To keep your skin nice and hydrated throughout these cold weeks, you can purchase the Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist here for $36.00.  

Mighty Green : Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream

Yes, we admit it, we’re big fans of CBD infused products and always on the lookout for new discoveries. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re featuring CBD skincare Mighty Green and their Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream; it’s a brand we stumbled upon last year at Professional Beauty.

Mighty Green is a UK-based company co-founded by Claudia Le Feuvre in 2019. Her passion for CBD grew out of her work as a nutritionist, where she observed the healing powers of CBD. She went on to develop Mighty Green with a team of experts who include healthcare professionals, a personal trainer, a psychologist, and even a facialist! Claudia hopes that Mighty Green can make a difference in people’s lives, in the most meaningful way it can – with their health. She also wants to make CBD as accessible as possible, offering a series of books for further education on CBD. In an interview with The Leaf Desk, Claudia explained why she started Mighty Green, “I looked into the marketplace, and there are so many discrepancies and a lack of standards. I was alarmed.” She went on to say, “I hope to bring credibility to the industry by sourcing high-quality CBD products. We’re trying to create a brand that customers will trust.” Her brand Mighty Green has broad-spectrum based CBD products, complemented by some of nature’s finest ingredients and all have certified lab reports here. These products currently range from an anti-ageing face cream to a range of balms and CBD oils. What sets them apart is that the brand offers a unique combination of industry knowledge, clinical experience and technical expertise. 

We got tempted by Mighty Green’s Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream, which is formulated with the help of their in-house facialist. It’s a natural skincare that is infused with CBD broad-spectrum distillate and contains 150mg of CBD and CBG respectively. As we’ve discussed many times, CBD has demonstrated excellent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant capacities in skincare - all of which we love. It also supports the skin’s natural cell cycle aiding in the replenishment and protection of skin. The addition of CBG or cannabigerol is a lesser-known cannabinoid found in the hemp plant. It helps boost the overall effect and has similar capabilities as CBD. Also rich in antioxidants, it fends off free radicals, making it an age-defying ingredient to help give skin a more youthful-looking appearance. The great thing about the combination of CBD and CBG - it keeps the skin free of excessive oil and bacteria and helps control oils produced by sebaceous glands. 

In addition to CBD and CBG, Mighty Green has added beta-glucan, and hyaluronic acid to their Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream to lend moisturise and hydrate. Beta-glucan is a relatively new ingredient in cosmetics. It’s essentially polysaccharide sugars (or starch) extracted from oats and is a humectant that attracts water to the top layers of skin. Did you know that it has a 20% higher moisture capacitance than hyaluronic acid? Hyaluronic acid itself, as we’ve often discussed, plumps up the skin, smoothing out fine lines even if it is on a more temporary basis. Other key ingredients are essential oils and carrier oils, each playing a significant role in this cream. The carrier oils are neem, evening primrose, grapeseed and sweet almond oil. Whereas the essential oils are sweet orange and bergamot oil. Neem oil and evening primrose oil both contain anti-inflammatory linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, which help sustain skin softness and elasticity to reduce the effects of ageing. Grapeseed oil protects skin from sun damage and, like neem and evening primrose oil increases skin elasticity and softness. Sweet almond oil has been used in ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic practices to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It’s highly emollient and contains vitamin A, and E, with omega 3 fatty acids and zinc; these vitamins help reduce fine lines and aid in cell regeneration. The essential oils with sweet orange promote collagen production, and the bergamot stimulates skin cell renewal with the added bonus of being super helpful in ridding skin of blemishes and hyperpigmentation. All these ingredients come together to give this CBD Face Cream its silky smooth consistency.  

The great thing about the Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream is that it has little or no fragrance making it suitable for sensitive skins. We liked how it’s versatile enough to be used morning, evening, or both; and found it to be a good stand-alone face cream with no need for the addition of serum. The combination of the CBD/CBG, beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid and botanical oils, make it rich enough to hydrate even our parched skin! This is the first CBG infused skincare that we have tried, and a new powerhouse ingredient to watch as it’s just beginning to appear in the world of skincare. Tempted? Then see here to purchase Mighty Green’s Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream 50ml at £37.50.

Ancienne Ambiance : Bacca Berry and Adriatica Fig Soaps

We believe that it’s always quality over quantity. This is why at The Amazing Blog we want to introduce you to one of our favourite luxury lifestyle brands, Ancienne Ambiance and their Adriatica Fig and Bacca Berry soaps. Not only do these help to keep skin soft and hydrated but are fragranced with delicate botanical extracts. If you’re curious to know more about the other products we’ve reviewed, then see here.

Founded by Adriana Carlucci in 2004, with a boutique expansion in 2014 in Chelsea, Ancienne Ambiance truly is a unique and wonderful brand. Adriana’s background in antiquities fuelled by her passion for fragrance inspired her to bring together the curation of these exceptional products. Historical elements and themes run through the entire range with either the ingredients or with the methods that the products have been created. Ancienne Ambiance brings history to life and embraces their corporate colour purple, often dubbed one of the papal and royal colours and a time-honoured symbolic colour with historical significance. The award-winning brand uses sustainable and ethical practices, which include no testing on animals and the use of recyclable packaging. Products range from perfumes to jewellery and skincare to candles, where each product also has its own story. Ancienne Ambiance produces some of the finest quality luxury lifestyle goods exclusively in the UK, France, Lebanon and Italy, all delivered in beautiful purple hand-crafted gift boxes.  

We chose two of their soaps, The Bacca Berry soap and Adriatica Fig soap from their set of four here.  All the soaps are made in France using the traditional Savon de Marseille techniques, and each soap is made with safe, sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients. Beautifully embossed with the Ancienne Ambiance logo, these are made with a 100% vegetable oil base and includes key ingredients such as shea butter and coconut oil (as the natural glycerine). The shea butter, in particular, improves the skin’s natural barrier and protects the skin from environmental stressors. They lather well without the presence of SLS and are gentle enough to use on hands, face and body. Apart from the fragrance, we love how they both cleanse and hydrate the skin keeping it nourished and moisturised.

The Bacca Berry soap, they refer to it as berry-licious, and we couldn’t agree more! It’s a beautifully light and berry scented with hints of redcurrants and blackcurrants, all of which help cleanse and gently purify the skin. Translated from Latin, Bacca means berry, and it is also the botanical term used to describe a fruit that is a pulpy and juicy fruit with one or many seeds but not encased or with a stone. Historically, these succulent berries were included in soap to treat or cleanse impurities. This soap delivers a beautifully soft and gentle berry-like scent that gives a delicate fragrance to the skin. 

The Adriatica Fig soap is another beautiful and luxurious soap with nourishing and moisturising qualities. This type of Mediterranean fig has fresh, top notes with green florals and green leaves and gives base notes of warmth and calm. The Adriatic Fig, a highly prized ingredient in ancient times and is known to symbolise rebirth, abundance, and prosperity. 

We loved the gorgeous fresh fruity fragrance of these soaps, they’re almost too good to use. In fact, some people tuck soaps into an empty suitcase or even an underwear drawer to keep clothes smelling fresh. Not a bad idea! Also, did you know that the word soap originates from the Latin word ‘sapo’? Soap production dates back to around 2800 BC in ancient Babylon. The first known formula for soap was written on a Babylonian clay tablet around 2200 BC. It is said that soap was first discovered at the base of Sapo Hill in Rome by washerwomen who noticed while doing their laundry in the River Tiber that using cleansing substances like clay made for cleaner laundry. To quote Ancienne Ambiance, “Mother nature – or Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of the earth’s fertility – provided everything the ancients needed to create effective products for beauty and wellbeing in a sustainable manner, so why change things?”  Why change things indeed!

To purchase BACCA Berry Soap 100g at £6 please see here, or for the ADRIATICA Fig Soap 100g at £6 please see here. Or with ten soaps in the collection you can build your own set of four soaps please see here.

Herbal Earth - No 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil

At The Amazing Blog we like to give our readers the ‘heads-up’ when we find a new natural skincare brand with eco ingredients and biodegradable and recyclable packaging. That’s why today we want to talk about Herbal Earth’s No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil.

Based in Ireland, Herbal Earth was founded in 2017 by Nancy O’Reilly to “provide natural solutions to common problems.” A year into this business, Nancy graduated with a diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation from Formula Botanica, where the knowledge and education she received have helped her create a range of skincare that is honest, natural, and gentle. The ingredients are simple yet effective, with no cheap fillers or exaggerated claims, and are “rich in high-performance components carefully selected for their skin benefits.”  Nancy believes that creating clean skincare is crucial, but knows that sustainability goes beyond just the ingredients. Inspired by the trailblazing Jo Chidley from Beauty Kitchen, Nancy has adopted a similar “return, refill and repeat scheme” for her products. With this process, once you finish your favourite Herbal Earth product, you simply return the bottles to Herbal Earth, where they will clean and sanitise the glass jar to be used again. This process allows everyone to feel good about their choices in a world that is consumed by increasing waste and overconsumption. Beyond this approach, Herbal Earth uses biodegradable packaging to help reduce its impact on our planet and are looking to install wind and solar technologies to power production and run the office. Plus, they have partnered with Mossy Earth a global organisation that helps rewild the planet. Herbal Earth’s goal is to “combine the best of nature and science to create natural skincare for sensitive skin.” 

What we like about Herbal Earth’s No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil is that it protects the skin from harmful effects of pollution, UVA, UVB and blue light (HEV) damage; while also nourishing and repairing the skin and its natural barrier. Launched in June last year, this award-winning facial oil is packed with natural antioxidants and botanicals with scientifically proven benefits. Let’s talk about the ingredients; each has its own unique benefit and is delivered in a concentrated oil form. Passion fruit seed is high in vitamin C, which promotes collagen formation and reduces redness; it also has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Marula seed is high in antioxidants and fatty acids and so it helps improve the skin’s ability to hold moisture. Watermelon seeds are full of vitamin C and magnesium, which enhances the complexions overall appearance. Grapeseed is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals; these strengthen collagen and maintain elastin. It is also known to be “exceptionally high in the omega-6 fatty acid”, leaving a lightweight feel while penetrating the many layers of skin. The next ingredient in this facial oil is meadowfoam seed, an oil pulled from the seeds of the meadowfoam flower; it delivers nutrients deep into the skin while also locking in moisture. Astaxanthin, here, is one the most potent antioxidant that can be found, belonging to the carotenoid group. Carotenoids are the most widespread group of pigments that are found in nature, visibly seen in algae, lobster, salmon, and prawns. This is where astaxanthin improves the appearance of fine lines and protects the skin against UVA, UVB and blue light damage. Last but not least, are frankincense and myrrh. These two ingredients are both derived from tree sap and are best known for their fragrance in incense. Frankincense is known for being antifungal and for rejuvenating damaged skin. Myrrh is an ancient ingredient that dates back to Ancient Egypt when used for face masks and other cosmetic purposes. This extract has rejuvenating properties, where it evens skin tone giving a more youthful-looking appearance.

This facial oil is a glorious rich russet colour, probably from carotenoid in the astaxanthin, and has a subtle warm and slightly wood scent, all of which help the skin “recapture its radiant glow.” Best of all, for those with sensitive skin, this No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil doesn’t contain any essential oils or nut oils. To use simply apply 1 or 2 pumps day and night to damp skin, and then gently massage in an upward and outward movement. According to Herbal Earth, an impressive 86.7% of users tested said their skin was smoother and more moisturised. Made in small batches with only natural ingredients, Herbal Earth pays particular attention to the little details that make this facial oil stand out. If you live in Ireland, this facial oil is included in Herbal Earth’s sustainability initiatives by offering a refill purchase option. If you choose just to refill your facial oil, you will receive a bottle with a cap (you need to hang onto your pump insert for reuse) and this option is sent without a product box, reducing paper waste. The No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil is available in a 30 ml jar for €54.95 or a mini, 3ml jar for €7.50 here.

Founder's Formula : Post-Workout Australian Clay Detox Mask

At The Amazing Blog, we’re always on a quest to find new natural products with unique plant-based formulas. And in our search, we discovered the Australian botanical skincare brand Founder’s Formula. Regular readers will remember that we recently reviewed their Phyto-A+ Australian Native Tobacco Serum here. Today we’re featuring their equally intriguing face mask, but this is not just any face mask… It’s a Post-workout Australian Clay Detox Mask, see below to learn more.

Founder’s Formula was launched by anthropologist Dr. Annie Holden in 2021, but the brand’s story starts three years earlier. After visiting Cosmoprof, the world’s biggest beauty trade show in Italy, Annie realised that there were plenty of beauty products from around the globe, but none with Australian botanicals. This inspired her to go back to Australia and conduct research on Australian botanicals and how to include them in modern-day skincare. Dr. Holden immersed herself in the research, as she had done previously when spending 35 years of her professional life working with indigenous peoples in remote parts of Australia. During this time she built her lab where she experimented with gentle formulas rich in wild-harvested and organic ingredients. Australia’s geographic location makes its plants extremely unique, in fact, 85% of its plants grow only in Australia. Also, did you know Australia has 23,000 known species? However, those that have been properly studied, are less than 1,000! These botanicals have adapted to the harsh Australian climate and have developed ways to store large quantities of phyto-compounds (chemicals believed to have medicinal properties) to survive in this environment. As a skincare enthusiast, Dr. Holden was eager to create her own skincare range using these potent plant-based ingredients. Once she shared her newly created products, she received overwhelmingly positive feedback and Founder's Formula was born. The brand was created to be the “best possible in uncompromising, potent, effective skincare using Australian Botanicals.” By working with one of Australia’s leading formulation chemists and applying research from Australia's leading 5-Star Plant Science universities, the company has created a range of skincare to target hydration, anti-inflammation, depigmentation, and pro-ageing. Specifically, the 13 products within the range are crafted to bring hydration back into the skin, fight and prevent inflammation and combat hyperpigmentation which can be a result of sun damage, helping to revitalise the skin bringing it back to optimum health. Dr. Holden purposely avoids the use of essential oils and fragrances, formulas are developed using only the most simple and natural ingredients to be kind to both the skin and planet. These evidence-based formulas are clinically clean, and the ingredients are sourced from certified organic suppliers, making the brand CertClean certified. Founder’s Formula shows their commitment to harvesting organic ingredients, and they also meet the Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACO). The products are all manufactured in Australia, are toxin-free and are developed without animal testing.  

We received the Post-Workout Australian Clay Detox Mask designed to cleanse and soothe the skin. This mask won the Best Natural Skin Mask (Bronze Winner) at the 2021 Global Clean and Green Beauty Awards. With the mask’s exceptional blend of natural Australian botanicals, let’s just say, we weren't surprised it was award-winning. Clay masks are known to help skin heal, brighten the complexion, improve blood circulation beneath the skin and promote collagen production. The Founder’s Formula mask here aims to draw out toxins, deeply cleanse, maintain clean skin health, and soothe the skin. This product combines key ingredients like Australian clay, Tasmanian mountain pepperberry, babassu seed oil, and squalane to nourish and respect your skin's natural balance. Australian clay works to draw out toxins from your skin, which can strengthen the skin barrier and improve skin elasticity. The Tasmanian mountain pepperberry (pictured above), comes from a shrub found in south-eastern Australia. It’s used in skincare to reduce inflammation redness and sensitivity. This pepperberry consists of the powerful active polygodial, which has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It’s also a bushfood condiment added to curries and alcoholic drinks and even export to Japan to flavour wasabi!  As for the certified organic babassu seed oil, this extract is packed with lipids and restorative essential oils to moisturise the skin, and it is highly recommended for people with eczema or dry skin. Plus, we found that this babassu seed oil doesn't clog pores as many other oils do! Another ingredient to highlight is the plant-based squalane, a hydrocarbon and natural emollient, which means it helps your skin deeply retain moisture. Squalane has a long shelf life and is a common ingredient in skincare, as it prevents dry patches and is highly effective at leaving your skin feeling smooth and hydrated. A few other elements worth mentioning are the peptides (tyrosine and arginine based molecules) that are included in the mask. These peptides work with skin nerve cells to trigger met-enkephalin, an opioid peptide, to help calm the skin and prevent inflammation at the source. In a sea of face masks, this one stands out. It leaves skin feeling cleansed and refreshed, plus we were impressed with this mask’s ability to promote longer hydration in the skin. The clay mask is easy to use, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, and suitable for vegans. It is packaged in an aluminium tube, as aluminium is a highly recycled and circular economy material; but there’s a plastic cap, so please recycle this too! The mask also comes with a complimentary muslin cleansing cloth to help with removal. Founder’s Formula suggests using the mask after a workout, a run, or any time after your skin is exposed to an unclean environment, this is when the clay mask is at its most effective as it binds oils and draws out the residue of sunblock and other toxins. We thoroughly enjoyed taking 15 minutes of relaxation time to use the clay mask, and applied a light layer directly onto our post-workout skin and left it on for 10 minutes - for optimum performance - then rinsed away in lukewarm water. By the way, the brand says to get the best results, please refrain from cleansing your face prior to mask application. The results were noticeable, skin felt was hydrated, and our complexion softer. The mask can be applied daily, and with the results we received, it seems like we have a new product to add to our post-workout skincare routine. We are looking forward to featuring more from Founder's Formula, to share with you its array of magical antipodean botanicals. You can purchase the 75ml Post-Workout Australian Clay Detox Mask here for $68.00AUD.  AND to get a 10% discount please click here expiring 30 June 2022, Adding code AMAZING at check out, valid one per customer.