SKINEGO - The Prime

When you look good, you feel good! That's why we at The Amazing Blog, always put extra emphasis on having thoroughly cleansed skin. If like us, you live in a polluted city it becomes your number one priority. Today we’re featuring a new launch skincare device by SKINEGO, and when we spoke to the founders and learnt more about their Prime, we couldn’t wait to put it to the test. We've reviewed many different cleansing products, but this is a dual action facial cleansing device that goes above and beyond, not only does it cleanse but has a thermal eye massage mode too. Meet the Prime by SKINEGO, another one of our #amazingfinds.

The SKINEGO brand is co-founded by best friends Shazia and Fay, who have created a luxurious and carefully crafted high-tech skincare device. It brings a spa-like experience into the comfort of your own home, where the Prime can deliver similar results as some professional beauty treatments. Shazia and Fay grew up together, sharing their great passion for skincare. They were always trying out many different skincare products and as busy Mums were continually searching for new and effective beauty and self-care solutions. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the resulting anxieties and uncertainties caused them both to feel that they didn’t have time for self-care; it felt more of a luxury rather than a necessity. This made them take a step back and re-evaluate their skincare routines. They soon realised what they were missing was a high-performance, portable, easy to use cleansing and self-care device; hence the Prime was born. Shazia commented: "We created SKINEGO to remind ourselves that no matter what path you cross in life or whatever stage you may be at, it's not selfish to love yourself, to take care of yourself. It's time to make happiness a priority." And we couldn’t agree more!

The Prime is a revolutionary device with a dual-action facial cleansing brush with a thermal eye massage. It uses a combination of sonic and thermal technology, is battery-operated and portable - making it ideal for those on-the-go. It is 100% waterproof with skin-friendly silicone bristles and anti-microbial properties that provide a gentle and deep cleanse. It breaks down an astonishing 99.5% of dirt and skin impurities. The eye massager head heats up to 42 degrees and targets fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles around the eye contour area. 

Let’s start with the facial cleanser mode; moisten the face, wet the brush head and apply your regular cleanser.  Press once and feel it glide smoothly over the skin, move the Prime evenly around the face in circular motions. And don't worry about leaving it on, the device will automatically turn off after 2 minutes. When finished, rinse your face and the device. We want to mention how soft it feels on the skin (compared to other well-known cleansing devices), it’s gentle, in the way that it removes daily grim and even the most stubborn mascara, but without tugging on the delicate eye area. SKINEGO recommends using the Prime in the bath or shower, although not to submerge the device or use it for longer than 30 minutes. It’s a unisex and cross-generational device, and one that’s suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types. Impressive!

Now to activate the thermal eye massage mode. Press twice to get it to pulse and then give the device 10 seconds to warm up. Place the massaging ridges in a stationary position on the eye or move it slowly around the contour of your eye and r-e-l-a-x. This eye massage mode helps to soothe tired eyes and can be used either alone or with eye cream/gel. I like how the heated head speeds up the absorption of eye creams or gels compared to my regular manual eye contour tapping technique. Best of all, with daily use, I’ve noticed that a stubborn crease under my left eye now seems less visible and more plumped out!

The Prime is delivered in a stylish linen card presentation box, with a luxurious taupe travel pouch, 2 x AAA batteries and a 1-year warranty. It has indeed won us over with both its performance and versatility, and we’ll be continuing to use it on a regular basis. To purchase The Prime for £95.00 see here. 

Folli Oil - Emergency Fix

Have you ever turned down an invitation to great beach party, all because of some unsightly inflamed ingrown hairs, bumps or itchy re-growth? I’m sorry to say we at The Amazing Blog are guilty! After much discussion here, we scoured the internet and came across Folli Oil. This brand has created a very clever range of products specifically designed to tackle those nasty rashes and bumps. Today we review their rather aptly named Emergency Fix. 

Folli Oil was created by Liz Allen who previously lived in the Caribbean, where in this sunny environment showing perfect, hair-free skin, is the social norm . After years of pressure, stress and embarrassment with her sometimes sore and inflamed ingrown hairs; and frustrated at being unable to find a product that worked – she set about researching a solution to soothe and heal these breakouts. This was when Follio was born, offering a life-changing skincare solution for those who experience niggling irritation and discomfort after shaving or waxing. All products are 100% natural and free from artificial colour/fragrance, synthetic preservatives, parabens, petrochemicals and are also gluten-free and vegan. There are four products in the range a Body Scrub, Exfoliating Tonic Daily Treatment Oil and Emergency Fix (which we are reviewing below).

The Emergency Fix  not only heals but prevents inflamed bumps and itchy regrowth. It’s a two-part set in 10ml rollerball bottles, namely ‘Intensive Care’ and ‘Exfoliating Tonic’. Formulated with willow bark extract, aloe vera, tamanu, comfrey and borage seed oils. It’s a blend of essential oils that both replenishes and exfoliates the skin. These unclog, purify, nourish and heal the follicles preventing any ingrown hairs and spots. Both products are completely natural, sustainable, cruelty-free, handmade in the UK and suitable for all skin types. However, because they contain peppermint oil, they recommended not using this product during pregnancy. 

The set is small enough to pack in hand luggage and the rollerball makes it super-easy for precision application on small areas. First, apply the Exfoliating Tonic directly onto clean, dry skin to gently exfoliate and kill bacteria preventing infection. Once the skin is dry, soothe the area by applying the Intensive Care. This healing treatment will reduce inflammation and nourish the skin helping it stay smooth. Massage in Intensive Care until it’s completely absorbed and then leave. This Emergency Fix can be applied up to 3 times a day, and they say that you should feel an improvement within 30 minutes of application! I used this on my underarms – where skin was inflamed with a hair that was trying to push through. It was red, sore and extremely uncomfortable – so it offered the ideal opportunity to test this out. I was impressed with how soothing it felt, the area became less inflamed and with a few more applications, it eventually broke through the skin, where I then braved the tweezers! We think that this Emergency Fix is a bit of a game-changer and certainly deserves the title as one of our #Amazingfinds. To purchase your Emergency Fix it’s available here for £25.00 - and it’s worth every penny!

Fiini Naturally: Balm To Cleanser - Gentle Oat, Oat & Bilberry Powder Face Mask and Oat Sea Buckthorn Oil Serum

How come so many of us have sensitive skins at the moment? At The Amazing Blog, we've noticed that with this type of skin, there's always something that triggers it - whether it's stress, strong sunlight, city pollution or cold weather. We recently discovered Fiini Naturally, a Finnish organic brand immersed in natural and raw ingredients, who are environment-friendly with products for beauty and home - all are aimed specifically at helping sensitive skins. Let’s tell you more about them…

Fiini Naturally was founded by two longstanding friends Heidi and Essi from northern Finland, who share the same interests and are linked by their appreciation of well-being and nature. Unable to find suitable natural everyday products in their local stores, either for themselves or their pets. This spurred Heidi on to start producing natural formulas for her pets; whereas Essi focused on developing skincare formulas for extra sensitive skins. When the first large-scale trial of their first product the Oat and Honey Cream was successful, this inspired them to explore more regional raw materials and formulas. Eventually, they came up with more product aimed at treating the diverse skin ailments for their friends and family. For the brand, honesty is as important as the ethics. This is why all formulas are kept simple, cruelty-free and with organic ingredients which are mostly INCI certified (marked with an INCI star). Being respectful of the environment, this means no chemical preservatives, additives and all formulas come in large sizes with recyclable packaging. This genuine interest in preserving the environment and responsible business practice has made them a member of the Finnish Eko Entrepreneurs Association, which certifies their environmentally-friendly working methods and processing. They kindly send us three of their products to try, all of which contain their special hero ingredient of Finnish oat oil. 

The first product to talk about is the Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat. This is a moisturising and balancing balm and the perfect cleanser for all skin types, it cleanses all impurities, pollution and make-up. In this gentle fragrance-free formula, it’s full of antioxidants, vitamin E, fatty acids, amino acids and beta-glucans. All of which are present in the oat oil to help nourish, protect and relieve the skin and boost its elasticity - while the jojoba oil here works its magic to balance the skin. To use, simply massage gently on dry face, then add water and continue massaging where you will see it transform from the balm consistency to a milky one, and then rinse off. We found it excellent for removing everyday makeup (no eye stinging!) and also for perking up skin first thing in the morning. This 156ml jar of Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat was our favourite out of the trio we tried. It’s available here for €38.90.

The Oat & Bilberry Powder Face Mask  is the second product sent. This raw powder face mask was recently a bronze winner at the Global Green Beauty Awards 2020. Again, perfectly suitable for sensitive or atopic skins, it’s more of a treatment where it hydrates and gently cleanses, making the skin feel softer with a more even skin tone. Like the Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat, this mask powder contains the same bundle of organic ingredients – the Finnish oat oil moisturises and boosts the circulation and collagen production. This Powder Face Mask is also enriched with ground rice which helps the skin renew its pigment, and the vitamin E here nourishes. The pink clay is here to minimise couperose, and the freeze-dried Finnish bilberries soothe and calm the skin thanks to their anti-inflammatory action. To use, we mixed 2 teaspoons of powder mask with a teaspoon organic yoghurt (or you can use water), plus a few drops of serum to give an extra smooth skin. Mix together until it becomes pasty, then we applied this on to a dry face and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinsing off with warm water. We used only once or twice a week, which refreshed and brightened our skin. Again, this comes in a 156ml glass jar and is available for €22.90 here.

And last but not least, the Oat-Sea Buckthorn Oil Serum the third product. In this oil serum, the oat oil once again features helping to moisturise and revitalise. It also stimulates the skin’s metabolism, increasing elasticity, and the production of collagen. This serum contains jojoba and vitamin E, as well as Finnish sea buckthorn oil to ensure maximum cellar renewal. It’s a potent antioxidant that offers a soothing action and reduces inflammation for those with sensitive skins. We enjoyed experimenting with mixing this serum with the Powder Face Mask and also with our regular day and night cream which boosted their antioxidant and vitamin content. This comes in a 30ml tinted glass bottle and is available for purchase at €34.90 here. Initially developed for skins that face harsh everyday conditions, we think Fiini Naturally  will soon become your go-to for all things eco and sensitive skin-friendly orientated. Plus see all their home care products on the website here - we can’t wait to try these next!

Cannabina: Raw Hemp + CBD Soap Bar

If you’ve been reading The Amazing Blog  for a while, you’ll know that we like to try lots of different products that contain CBD. Today we are looking at massage soap bar infused with Raw Hemp CBD from Cannabina, who we have recently featured here with their CBD Bath Bomb Trio.

Cannabina is founded by Gemma McKay, and a brand specialises in all kinds of healing products infused with hemp-based broad-spectrum and THC-free CBD ingredients. These products have been created for everyone to enjoy the healing and soothing benefits of CBD. Cannabina offers a variety of CBD infused items from bath bombs and skincare to tinctures and edibles. McKay’s passion and interest in cannabis are the motivating factors behind the brand’s mission to improve the quality of life for their consumer, through this incredible plant's relieving and healing properties. Cannabina is an all-natural CBD brand where the products are free from harmful chemicals, pesticides, solvent residues, chlorophyll, fats and lipids. There are no preservatives, sulphates, mineral oils, parabens, artificial colouring, flavours or perfumes. The brand’s products are also cruelty-free and are tested and certified by both US and UK laboratories. The brand’s products are also cruelty-free and are tested and certified by both US and UK laboratories. Cannabina also has a strong sustainability ethos with its recycling and asks customers to return their product empties, for which they’re rewarded with a 5% discount on further purchases.

The Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar has 100mg of CBD and is made with super-clean formulas, intended for use with those with sensitive or irritated skins. This is a gender-free soap bar, where This is a gender-free soap bar where Mc Kay tells us that she initially created this as a massager for the breast area and lymph nodes. However, it is also proving popular for using on the face, and with those who have back acne. Alas, we don’t have to full ingredients to tell you about, as this is such a new product for Cannabina (nothing listed on packaging or website). They tell us that it is 95.8% organic. We will hazard a guess that this semi-translucent CBD Soap Bar has flecks of hemp and is made with glycerine and 75% hard oils like coconut; the 13 nodules moulded into the bar making it particularly good as a massager. We’d also add that it’s ‘fragrance-free’ with no hemp or essential oil scent evident. The raw hemp and CBD interact with theendocannabinoid receptors to help moisturise, balance oil levels and heal the skin as well as reduce any inflammation. This Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar is also efficient in treating skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis. If you are looking for an antioxidant, pore cleansing and anti-acne actions, then this is designed for you. We used it in the shower, gently massaging our body and breast lymph area - we found it uplifting. It seemed to work wonders on our mood (and body) after yet another long and tedious #lockdown day. This 100mg Raw Hemp & CBD Soap Bar is available here £6.00.

Happy Carrot Skincare – Incredible Carrot Hero Balm

Today at The Amazing Blog we’re looking at a simple and effective vegan skincare – well after all it’s still ‘Veganuary’. Today the humble carrot is the key ingredient with the  Incredible Carrot Hero Balm which is full of plant-based goodness, award winning and a great multi-tasking product from Happy Carrot Skincare.

Victoria Carpenter, founder of  Happy Carrot Skincare decided to name the company Happy Carrot because she believes in the benefits and power of the plant-based ingredients -  mainly the carrot! Launched in 2019, the Happy Carrot Skincare is committed to creating plant-based skincare - that works. This Vegan Society registered brand, wants to bring a positive change to our skin and the planet. Carpenter commented: “We focus on ingredients that are amazing for combination skin which are also great for the planet. Our skincare superheroes are extremely nourishing and calming for even troubled skin, and deliberately fragrance-free.” All pots are made from recyclable plastic with compostable labels, and they use cold-pressed oils from Europe with up-cycled fruit seeds and kernels, which are excess and have been discarded from food production. They consider themselves to be a zero-waste and low carbon footprint brand. Happy Carrot Skincare keeps their ingredients to a minimum, where all their ‘superhero’ products contain less than ten in total. The brand has won by numerous awards such as The Beauty Shortlist Awards, Global Green Beauty Awards,  Free From Skincare Awards and VegFest UK Awards. Their four products range from Terrific Tomato Facial Oil, Awesome Apricot Lip Balm, Reusable Cleansing Pads to the (below) featured Incredible Carrot Hero Balm.

The Incredible Carrot Hero Balm comes in two sizes a 15g or 40g pot with recyclable plastic. This Balm helps cleanse, calm, and moisturise your skin. This one of their superhero products which only contains eight plant-based ingredients. The hero here is the carrot extract because of the number of antioxidants it has, and it also gives the skin a golden glow. Carrots contain two types of vitamin A, carotenoids and retinoids (which the liver converts into the magical ‘retinol’). These are key in producing new skin cells, being high in antioxidants reduce skin inflammation and sun damage – reducing age spots and pigmentation. The murumuru butter mixed with vegan waxes such as myrica and candelilla wax, give the Balm a smooth texture making it easy to apply and leaving the skin soft.  The other fruit seeds oils used are watermelon, tomato and raspberry which are light and fast-absorbing; they’re clarifying for those with oily skin but also nourishing for dry.  Combined they protect and moisturise with antioxidants, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. The Balm can be used in numerous ways; we used it as a cleanser, mask, moisturiser and lip balm. However, we see that many others like it as a nail and cuticle balm. We recommend scooping a little into your hands and massaging onto the face or neck, leaving it overnight to give skin an extra vitamin A and retinol boost, then removing any excess with a gentle toner in the morning. With a whole host of vitamins and nutrients, it left our faces feeling moisturised but not greasy. This is a one-pot-wonder; we think a good investment and ideal for using when travelling light. To purchase The Incredible Carrot Hero Balm see here  40g for £25.00.