soapNskin - Skin Cashmere Face & Body Mask

Most of us have long perfected the art of our regular skincare routine. At The Amazing Blog, we love to put our best face forward, but then often end up forgetting about the rest of our body. It’s time to start developing a proper daily body care regimen too, it’s as important to take care of the skin on your body, as it is the skin on your face. One of our favourite brands soapNskin, who recently launched a very special mask that we’ve been waiting to try with anticipation! Regular readers may recall how much we love this brand, when we featured their Argan & Orange Blossom Elixir here .

Founded based on friendship and heritage, soapNskin was created to empower women to change the way they see beauty. Beauty has been a part of culture for thousands of years and soapNskin pulled from some of that ancient beauty wisdom. Drawing inspiration from the mystical Silk Roads of the East, founders Rabia & Samar learned that nature, when harnessed correctly, offers interesting alternatives to chemical-based products. Every product from soapNskin is hand-bottled on demand, in their London studio. Freshness and quality is not something they’re prepared to compromise on when it comes to beauty, and they certainly prove this. We love how everything is made in Britain, cruelty-free, natural and that they support empowerment and gender-quality, providing a fair wage for workers where their ingredients are sourced.

Today we decided to pay homage to the more neglected parts of our skin with the Skin Cashmere Face & Body Mask. After cleansing your skin, simply combine the Skin Cashmere with your favourite floral water (we used rose water) and mix it into a thick paste. It’s quite fun to mix the Skin Cashmere yourself and apply it to the skin. Leave it on for 5-7 minutes, allowing the ingredients to soak into the skin, then remove with a warm damp cloth before the mask dries. It left our skin feeling fragrant, cleansed, hydrated and smooth, after rinsing off the mask we followed with applying our regular body moisturiser. The Skin Cashmere Mask is inspired by the ancient bridal rituals of the region of Kashmir, the mask contains rose petal, turmeric and sandalwood powders to protect the skin from ageing and pollutants. It also contains yoghurt and chickpea powders which exfoliate nicely and leave your skin glowing and silky. Kashmiri brides have practiced this tradition for hundreds of years to achieve cashmere-like skin and now you can, too. We urge you to discover a true test of time, with the soapNskin’s Skin Cashmere Face & Body Mask, a pot of 100g can be purchased here for £55.

amaiaa - atma oil secrets of the soul & morning radiance facial elixir

The skin is the largest organ in our body and our face is what gives the first impression of us. Therefore, at The Amazing Blog being number one fans of natural products, we like to know exactly what the ingredients are, that we’re about to put on our faces. As winners of 2019 Beauty Shortlist Award amaiaa, a natural skincare brand with Indian methodology, caught our eye, they have everything that we value with their ethos and quality botanical ingredients.

amaiaa brand is based in the USA but was born in the Himalayan Mountains of India. Ashu the founder of amaiaa, who took on a soul-searching journey that drove her to her native land, India. Inspired by her mother and grandmother as well as the culture and history of the country, she began developing what we know today as amaiaa. The brand is known for two products, atma and saya facial oils. Atma, Ashu’s grandmother’s name meaning ‘soul’, embodies her grandmother’s knowledge as an alchemist to provide skincare through natural products. Both products are primarily composed with jasmine, rose and sandalwood which boost rejuvenation and restore your skin. With every ingredient carefully picked and blended, amaiaa’s products make you want to travel all the way to India to explore the mysteries of Mother Nature.

We tried their atma Oil which we think will soon become your new best friend. With ingredients like Argan oil known as liquid gold, it offers amazing source of hydration. There is also apricot kernel oil which has a natural anti-ageing properties, rich in vitamin C and E which enhance collagen production and skin elasticity. The jojoba oil here is packed with vitamin E and other antioxidants that boost cell regeneration. The avocado and jasmine oils remove blemishes; and finally the sandalwood oil a natural illuminator of the skin. atma oil’s formula will undoubtedly help to encourage great results for all skin types. We mustn’t forget to also mention the vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5, all of which treat rosacea, acne, sun-damage and ageing with its cell regeneration properties that aid redness and inflammations.

We applied it in the morning as a face oil or serum, this oil absorbs easily which means you can follow it quickly with your regular skincare routine, if you so wish. atma is cruelty, fragrance, paraben, sulphate, alcohol, toxin, additive and gluten-free. It’s vegan, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, making it perfectly suitable whether you have dry, oily, combined or hypersensitive skin. What we particularly admire about amaiaa is their giving-back policy, with a mission to empower women and young girls to lead a life of dignity, the association with the Animedh Charitable Trust ACT, through a series of a projects, which stays true to their core ethics of sustainability. This trust helps Indian girls get an education – so by buying amaiaa’s award-winning atma morning radiance facial oil, you’re helping, too.

Why not pamper yourself and get your Atma Oil here for $75.00 (worldwide shipping) for a 30ml bottle which will give you nurtured skin for around 3 months, a little goes a long way. Also, enjoy a 15% discount off your first order using the code WELCOME15.

Sampure Minerals – Flawless on The Go Set

As our regular readers know, The Amazing Blog loves ethically-sourced makeup inclusivity in the beauty world. Sampure Minerals, formed in 2009, combine both of those topics, to create an authentic all-natural, vegetarian, and Halal certified makeup line. Sampure Minerals, is the first Halal certified make up line in Europe, founded by two sisters, one of whom, Samina Akhter, who sought to provide Halal cosmetics to Muslim women in the UK: “We believe in harmony between people, and between human beings and nature.” Well bingo, so do we! Everyone should have access to quality make up that suits their skin type and colour.

Sampure Minerals’ deluxe products range from face, eyes, lips to nails. They are also free from nasty ingredients, such as harsh chemicals, animal ingredients, mineral oil, paraben preservatives, and fillers. We tried their Flawless on The Go Set, in the fair complexion colourway, which is a perfectly sized 5-piece Mineral Starter Kit. The biggest advantage, these are small enough to pack away even in the teeniest clutch bag. The starter kit is available in three shades: Fair, Fair-Medium and Medium. The set comes with a foundation 2.5g, setting powder 1g, mineral bronzer 1g, mineral blush 1g, and mini kabuki brush. Additionally, it has natural sun protection SPF 15 and anti-inflammatory properties that do not clog pores, allowing the skin to breathe, which also makes the product ideal for acne prone and sensitive skin. 

It felt luxurious to apply the delicate powders, which set quickly and proved to be very long-lasting. Our favourite item is the blush, which we tried in the colour Blossom. Throughout the day, it gave our cheeks a wonderful, healthy glow. What we particularly liked about this set is that it is Halal, vegan and vegetarian certified, and cruelty-free. The Flawless on The Go Set should last you up to three months with regular use, a little really does goes a long way. If you would like to purchase Sampure Minerals’ Flawless on the go set for £19, click here.

Celtic Herbal - Balms and Candles

We at The Amazing Blog tend to opt for peaceful scents that lift our mood, and Celtic Herbal certainly does just the trick. Celtic Herbal is a Welsh artisan company, who incorporate both their love for natural ingredients, and the surrounding Welsh landscape, the one in which they source some of their key ingredients. What makes each product all the more special, is the fact that they are handmade, and not tested on animals.

We tried four products from their range: two balms and two candles. The handy-sized balms offer a simple solution for dry and cracked skin and fit perfectly into our handbags to use on the go. Celtic Herbal’s Peppermint Lip Balm is made from 100% natural beeswax and has a cooling effect. It’s made up of lovely ingredients, like peppermint oil, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and calendula officinalis flower extract. We loved the piquant of the mint which gave a teeny bit of a tingle, and we found that this balm kept our lips moist and supple throughout the day.

With the Celtic Herbal Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang, we found that when applied to the pulse points it helped to relax our mind. This Sleep Balm is made with warming mandarin oil to ease pressure and Ylang Ylang for calmness. It’s 100% natural and contains mandarin orange peel oil, beeswax, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, and cananga odorata flower oil. Good to apply at the end of a busy day to bring peace and harmony.

Aromatherapy harnesses the power of botanicals and essential oils, and there are so many different ways to utilise it. Celtic Herbal has created candles from ethically sourced soy wax which are made in small batches to ensure the highest quality. Their Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle comes from the Refresh range, emitting a sweet and floral scent that is connected to the balance of the nervous system. It’s said to help lift depression and relieve anxiety - we found it very mood enhancing.

The final product that we tried was their Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle. This comes from the Purify range. Its warm and uplifting scent intends to bring clarity and fresh perspectives. Perfect to help you unwind after a long journey. The 30g travel candles have a clean burning time of four hours, and the 105g candles can last up to twenty-five hours. Time to breathe in and relax! Purchase the Celtic Herbal Peppermint Lip Balm 15g here for £4.00; Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang 25g here for £5.50; Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50; Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50.

Charlotte Rhys Eau De Toilette - Victor

Everyone searches for their signature scent, you know the one that says it's you. There is nothing more annoying than your best girlfriend copping a sniff of your favourite fragrance, and then sneakily going out to buy the very same! We at The Amazing Blog are always keen on discovering new and unique fragrances to help us stand out in a sea of perfumes. This is why we were intrigued to receive the luxurious Eau De Toilette in Victor from Charlotte Rhys. This South African brand was founded in 1999 by Janet Rhys and Shaun McDermott. They have since established themselves as a leading luxury brand, recently launching here in the UK. What we love about this company is that their focus is on being environmentally friendly. Their ‘green policy’ is something that they are rightfully proud of, as they strive to ensure all their ingredients are ethically sourced and cruelty-free.

This brand has a fragrance for every personality, mood, or occasion and the one we can’t get enough of is the scent Victor. Each perfume in their Classic line is inspired by their hometown of Cape Town. This ‘aromatic and enticing’ perfume has top notes of Nutmeg, Baie Rose and Grapefruit to give you a sweet and sultry allure to carry along into every room you enter. The heart notes of Lavender, Geranium and Black Pepper gives a well-rounded aroma that lingers all day.  Despite being just an eau de toilette, we found that this scent had staying power; it was as subtly fragrant by the afternoon, as it was when we first spritzed it on in the morning. We think that this enigmatic scent is perfect year-round; ensuring to make you stand out from the crowd on a night out. Charlotte Rhys Eau De Toilette in Victor is available to purchase here for £39.00.