Raven Botanicals: Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil

If you're familiar with The Amazing Blog, then you’ll know how much we love our skincare! We think finding the right product always starts with understanding the ingredients used. With the longest day fast approaching, we thought it'd be rather appropriate to feature this Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil from Raven Botanicals. A new natural skincare brand who offer full transparency on all their ingredients.

Raven Botanicals was founded in July 2020 by two sisters, Arabella and Charlotte Harvey. Growing up surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Scotland, they began to experiment with the natural ingredients that surrounded them. "From the only CO₂extracted sea buckthorn oil in the country, hand-picked on the ancient East Lothian coastline, to lavender oil from Fife, our range of serums, facial oils, masks, balms and cleansers pay tribute to the power of nature's finest ingredients." Choosing high-quality and locally sourced ingredients is a priority for Raven Botanicals. A cruelty-free brand, most of their ingredients are organic and either vegetarian or vegan; where these handcrafted products are created in small batches without preservatives. In addition to the ethical practices in the formulation of their products, the packaging is ‘deliberately simple’ with biodegradable and compostable labels. Their labels are made from sugar cane, hemp and linen to replace wood-based paper, and they strive to deliver their products without unnecessary shipping materials. Their products also come in widely recycled materials like glass and aluminium, with reusable components like pumps and droppers. Raven Botanicals also believe in the transformative power of self-care, and have a giving-back policy with regular product donations to the charity Womens' Aid. By joining their 'Love Raven Rewards' community, purchasers can use these points towards a discount on their next order or go to support Women's Aid. Although the brand is less than a year old, six out of the nine products have already been recognised as award winners!

The Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil has plant-based ingredients like sweet almond, rosehip, sunflower, pumpkin and evening primrose oils. It effectively addresses dry skin and the appearance of fine lines in mature skin types. Other natural plant derivatives like jojoba and camellia seeds oils are also used to help hydrate, moisturise and restore a healthy and youthful complexion. The combination of these oils stimulating collagen and elastin production, repairing and healing blemishes.

The 'Solstice' element of this Facial Oil gets its name from drawing on a rich heritage of ceremonial and symbolic ritual ingredients like myrrh and Damask rose in this skincare. . One of these time-honoured ingredients Myrrh, is resin obtained from a wound that penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, where the tree secretes a Myrrh gum. This has been used as a perfume and for medicinal purposes for centuries. The Ancient Egyptians so highly prized Myrrh that they purchased entire boatloads, using it in incense and salves to heal wounds and sores. There is also rosa damascena (damask rose); this highly-scented rose was originally grown in Central Asia and Damascus, but then it was brought to Morocco in the Middle Ages. Now its mainly grown in the Dadès Valley for dried flowers, oils and rosewater. It’s said that the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to have rowed along a canal filled with rose petals with the Empress consort Mumtaz Mahal. In the intense heat of the sun, the scent was intoxicating: so much so, that the surface of the water was skimmed to capture the beautiful perfume and her luxurious residence furnished with opulent rose water fountains. In the 1940s, the French built distilleries to produce rose oil which has been widely used in perfumery and skincare ever since. Each year during April and mid-May, the M'Goun Valley, also known as the Vallée des Roses, produces between 3-4k tonnes of wild roses. This precious rosa damascena has intoxicating rosy notes accented by spicy facets, which are evident here in the Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil.

To get the best results, they suggest massaging 2-6 drops on your face and neck with your fingertips for a healthy, radiant glow. We used this for a morning and evening skin routine either by itself or under makeup. This Facial Oil helps lock in the moisture and delivers a soft and smooth complexion whilst also targeting and restoring problem areas such as dry or dehydrated skin. We can’t think of a better Facial Oil to use to celebrate the growth of life, and to see the shifting of the seasons with the sun rising on Monday June 21st , the first morning of summer!. They describe it as "lightly spiced, naturally, floral aroma is uplifting and soothing,” and we couldn't agree more. Available in 30ml here for £26 with free shipping on orders over £45. 

Corpo Sancto: Botanical Perfume Oil Collection

At The Amazing Blog, we love to try new fragrances, especially those that transport us to a different place or time, and with the Corpo Sancto’s newly launched Botanical Perfume Collection, we can wistfully imagine ourselves somewhere far, far away. This Botanical Perfume Collection takes us on a fascinating olfactory journey with their five unusually named perfume oils: Going To California, Marrakesh Express, Norwegian Wood, This Bird Has Flown, Gold Dust Woman, and Where The Wild Roses Grow.

Corpo Sancto is an Anglo-Scandinavian brand based in fashionable Brighton, which sells perfume oils, scented room diffusers, biodegradable luxury rapeseed wax candles, and a range of other home-related products made from reclaimed goods. Their perfume oils are made in small batches, vegan, and use only natural ingredients. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand, and wherever possible, their suppliers are UK-based and their packaging is made from recycled materials. Corpo Sancto is run by Chris and Annelie Bystrom-Turner, who are a husband and wife duo. In addition to being co-owners of Corpo Sancto, Chris is the drummer in Orange Goblin, and Annelie is a well-known makeup artist. Corpo Sancto’s mission is to be as eco-friendly as possible, carbon-neutral, with biodegradable products that are paraben-free and all without compromising on style or quality.

The Botanical Perfume Collection has a base of jojoba oil, and each perfume oil is then blended with a unique combination of scents. We’ve heard that the process of creating these fragrances is a highly guarded secret that involves weeks of sampling and testing to get it right. When asked about this new launch, Corpo Sancto said that they were tired of the misleading descriptions for traditional scents, and that’s why they deliberately chose obvious ingredient explanations here for each of their aromas. Which by the way, if you hadn’t already guessed, the five perfume oils are named after a rock or pop anthem (look them up!) - this is where lyrics, melodies, and scents meet.

Here are the perfume oils in the Botanical Perfume Oil Collection: Going To California which they describe as “Thumbin’ a ride to Laurel Canyon” with warm citrus notes of neroli and grapefruit mixed with coriander and spicy black pepper on a base of frankincense and myrrh. Marrakesh Express is of “Memories of Morocco through the haze of hashish smoke” with woody and warm amber fragrance notes blended with black pepper, tobacco, vanilla, sandalwood, tolu balsam and smoke. The Norwegian Wood – This Bird Has Flown is “A stroll through a Scandinavian forest on winter solstice” with fresh, woody notes of pine, cedar, rosewood and opoponax on an earthy base of patchouli and oakmoss. Gold Dust Woman is “A fragrance for the dark” with notes of Middle Eastern spices, rose and jasmine on a warm base of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood. And finally, Where The Wild Roses Grow is described as “Petals crushed underfoot as you journey through the woods” with a hint of clary sage blended with rose, orris and labdanum on an earthy base of oakmoss, patchouli, and sandalwood. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but if we had to, it’d be neck and neck with Where The Wild Roses Grown and Gold Dust Woman.

Given the choice of wearing perfume oils or an Eau de Parfum, it’d be perfume oil every time for us. Why? Did you know that a perfume oil is more concentrated? With over 20% of fragrance concentration in the oil, this gives the wearer up to eight hours of scent, and even then, it still deliciously lingers. Whereas Eau de Parfum (EDP) contains about 12% fragrance concentration in alcohol, which evaporates after approximately four hours, leaving the wearer in need of reapplication. When using these perfume oils, we suggest anointing the pulse points, especially the wrists, rub a little to warm up the oil, and then take deep breaths; it helps to soothe the mind, uplifts the spirits and gives us our own little piece of calm throughout the day. We used these alone, but you could combine one or two from the collection to create an individual scent that resonates with your given mood. These are another of our #amazingfinds and we highly recommend experiencing these exceptional perfume oils; you can buy them individually at 10ml for £30.00, and 2ml for £5.00, or for the set of five in the Botanical Perfume Collection see here at £120.00.

Holistic Highland Hemp: Organic Acacia Hemp Honey

On The Amazing Blog, we love to search out lots of new and different products that incorporate CBD, due to all the good benefits that it offers.  Today we’d like to introduce Organic Acacia Honey here which has been blended with a full-spectrum hemp paste extract, which has cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids from Holistic Highland Hemp.

Holistic Highland Hemp is one of Scotland's leading suppliers of full-spectrum CBD oils, capsules, pastes, chocolates and honey. Founded by Kyle Esplin in 2012, Holistic Highland Hemp is a member of the Scottish Hemp Association (where Esplin in chairman), their aim is to work with all hemp and CBD providers, to help support the growth and development of the industry. Esplin started Holistic Highland Hemp after an illness caused him to turn to natural alternatives when conventional medications failed to treat and bring relief to his condition. Esplin now works with clients looking to optimise their health and wellbeing through natural methods, such as CBD. Esplin is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience to help others take a more holistic approach to self-care and self-improvement. Holistic Highland Hemp prides itself on the integrity of their CBD which they put into their products. Esplin said, "All of our CBD products are regularly tested to the highest quality laboratory standards, allowing us to make sure we offer only the highest-grade CBD." This is an award-winning brand where in 2019 they won a Silver in the category of ‘Best Edibles’ at the Hemp & CBD Expo. All products compliant with the UK regulations and contain less than 0.01% of THC. 

Organic Acacia CBD Honey is blended with Holistic Highland's hemp paste, where both ingredients are sourced from the EU, but all blending, branding and packaging is done in Scotland. The mixing of the raw honey and the 8% full-spectrum (CBD) hemp extract is combined at low temperatures in order to help preserve the benefits of both the CBD and raw honey.  Full-spectrum CBD, we often talked about previously, with all for all it’s glorious cannabinoids that not only help to alleviate anxiety but can offer pain relief too. Honey itself is antibacterial and anti-fungal agent, a powerful prebiotic rich in antioxidants, and can even help to reduce bad LDL cholesterol. We tried the Hemp Honey with 250g of CBD (which has 1mg of CBD per gram of honey). The choice of an acacia honey here stems from its light and sweet taste, which complements the strong savoury hemp extract flavour. This Hemp Honey is intended to be taken straight and is particularly good for those who find the hemp extract's flavour alone too strong and earthy. It's versatile and easy to use, where you can simply spoon it straight from the jar. However, during this hot weather, we found it blended beautifully with vinegar, olive oil, and mustard as a simple salad dressing, or it paired rather well with toasted dark rye bread with lashings of butter! Watch this space, as Holistic Highland Hemp tells us that they hope to introduce Scottish honey soon to help reduce their carbon footprint. The 250ml Hemp Honey is available to purchase here in two CBD strengths: 25mg for £10.99, and a 250mg option available for £29.99. 

Mal & Mod: Active Hydration Tonic

As our summer kicks in and our complexions suffer from the humidity and heat, as always at The Amazing Blog we need to find a solution. This is where we turn to a hydrating facial mist which is cooling and uplifting. However, in a recent search, we’ve found that too many high street face mists are ineffective, watery or filled with chemicals. So, today we’re happy to introduce another one of our #amazingfinds with the natural multipurpose Active Hydration Tonic from Mal & Mod to revitalise, hydrate and even brighten the skin.

Mal & Mod is a British brand founded by husband and wife team Louise and Dan Malcolmson. Together they studied at Formula Botanic just for fun, to learn how to make products for themselves. However, in 2016 while creating products, they realised a niche in the market, “We became increasingly conscious of what we were exposing our skin to every day and so was inspired to create something we could both use to simplify our skincare routine. So, Mal & Mod Mal & Mod was born, based on a shared desire for a stripped-back skincare approach for both genders.” Mal & Mod is a gender-free natural skincare brand that keeps skincare simple, with only four core products in the range, they contain only bioactive and plant-based ingredients. In their view, although women and men have different skin types, they don’t necessarily need separate products. Their ethos is strongly focused on sustainability by offering fewer products for a skincare routine that everyone can use, which in turn means fewer bottles in the bathroom. The brand uses Miron glass, which is 100% recyclable, together with its tissue paper and packaging. They also source their ingredients as locally as possible, working with manufacturers who are also committed to limiting their carbon footprint using sustainable and cruelty-free ingredients.  

The product we tried is their Active Hydration Tonic which was shortlisted in the 2020 Pure Beauty Awards. Thanks to its plethora of 32 ingredients, this Tonic is energising, refreshing and super-cooling on the complexion. There are five key elements; the most unusual is glasswort. This helps protect the skin from environmental stress; with betaine, amino acids, and minerals, this extract can strengthen the skin barrier, increase skin recovery and evens skin tone. Hyaluronic Acid here is a moisturising boost that hydrates the dermis and reduces signs of fatigue. The plant extract selaginella pulvinate also hydrates skin, whilst also strengthening the skin’s protective barrier function. Kumquat extract contains vitamin C, antioxidants and calcium to repair and increase skin vitality. Finally, Aloe vera is there to soothe, hydrate and repair. Together with the other ingredients, this Tonic gives the skin a dewy, brighter and more lifted appearance.The Tonic has fine particles, which evenly distribute the mist onto the face The fragrance is garden-fresh with a light combination of citrus, spearmint and lavender (all in the formula). We used it after cleansing, to tone the skin; on top of makeup, to set it; and intermittently during the day, to fresh up in the heat. We think this is a great little multitasker to keep close at hand to cleanse, hydrate, cool and tone the skin. To purchase your own 100ml Active Hydration Tonic, see here for £32.

Hempura: Hemp Tea in Natural Raspberry

As regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog, we’re big fans of CBD (see here) mainly because of the numerous benefits it provides, especially the calming effect, which is much needed during these uncertain times. We always try to seek out new and more unusual CBD products to introduce you to, and today we’re featuring another CBD infused tea, but this time it’s Hempura’s Hemp Tea in Natural Raspberry, which has no THC and a more summery and fruitier flavour. 

Hempura is a British brand launched in 2016 by Lewis Hadaway.  Passionate about CBD, he quit his job in nuclear project management to set up this CBD brand, Hempura, where even today, he is still very much hands-on. In this over-crowded and confusing world of CBD, Lewis wants to help inform and educate the consumer, providing us with high-quality authentic hemp extract CBD products, which are 100% traceable from seed to shelf. Hempura imports their raw cannabidiol from organic farms in Eastern Europe, where they use an advanced ethanol extraction method, for Hempura, they feel that this ensures the preservation of the naturally occurring terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, nutrients and minerals present. Every batch produced is automatically sent to an approved third-party laboratory for complete analysis. Lewis recently commented, “We build relationships with our customers because CBD is a lifelong product.” He went on to say, “We empower our customers to make informed decisions. This reduces concerns and fears, especially for seniors.” The Hempura range consists of vapes, topicals, edibles and CBD Oils. The Original (full-spectrum) and the Refined (broad-spectrum) CBD oils contain the same amount of CBD. However, the Original contains all the natural hemp components (including the accepted amount of less than 0.05% THC) without the refinement of the broad-spectrum. There 10ml CBD Oil bottles with approximately 200 drops in each, and a strength starting from 250ml (2.5%) cannabidiol up to 1000mg (10%). The brand has been members of the Vegan Society since July 2019 (except the chocolates due to dairy) and all products are GMO free.

We originally wanted to try their CBD infused chocolate but, alas, these were out of stock. So, as it’s now summer, we thought trying this Hemp Tea in Natural Raspberry instead. Although THC-free, it’s still rich in natural terpenes and all-natural ingredients found in hemp and has 5% or 5mg of CBD (we think…from lab report) per tea bag. Let’s look at the ingredients. This has 100% organically grown hemp made with hemp leaves with no herbicides or pesticides. They say it’s free of additives (or not as the case may be!) We couldn’t quite understand why there is a ‘trace of propylene glycol’ here?! There are also dried raspberries with the addition of natural raspberry flavouring. Raspberries, themselves provide vitamin C with a small amount of vitamin A, thiamine (B1) and riboflavin (B2). Moving onto the potent terpenes found in this hemp CBD tea. With limonene, A-pinene, B-pinene and citral these have a hugely beneficial effect on the gut, intestine and also help to regulate blood pressure, see here. These combined are also known to help sleep and inflammation and studies have also shown that these terpenes can produce an antidepressant-like effect. We prepared the tea using one tea bag in the cup, and let it steep for about 5 minutes, until the tea was a glorious berry colour (see above photo). What we liked was that this had a robust and fruity taste, a far more complex and in-depth flavour than that of a regular fruit tea or plain hemp CBD tea. We think it’s ideal for the caffeine sensitive, or for those wanting a warming and fruity drink at night to help them relax and sleep. With 20 tea bags, weighing in at 11g, you can purchase the Hempura Hemp Tea in Natural Raspberry here for £9.99.