The Kind Planet Company – Power Balm

To keep up with our minimalism goals this spring at The Amazing Blog, that also means using less products that currently clutter in our dressing tables. Besides doing a bit of tidying up around your flat, fewer beauty products mean fewer minutes spent getting ready and more time enjoying the gorgeous warm weather. We have found the perfect product that to do just that. The Power Balm is an all-in-one organic product that will clear your counters of masks, moisturisers, and lip balms.

One of the nine ‘power ingredients’ in the Power Balm is red palm oil, which is used for skin care and eaten as a superfood in West Africa. Palm oil has gotten negative press lately because it is in almost everything we consume (foods, cosmetics, cleaning products) and it causes devastating destruction to ecosystems. We know that, as does The Kind Planet Company, so they’ve come up with a sustainable and kind solution. Working with Sierra Leonean women, Kind Planet’s red palm oil is handpicked and certified by the Rainforest Alliance to ensure animal habitats are not destroyed in the collection process. The company’s shea butter ingredient follows a similar process in Ghana. At the core of Kind Planet and its Power Balm is giving power to its customers and female workers as well as kindness to the environment.

The Power Balm has a mix of red palm oil, other natural plant oils, shea butter, and vegan wax to nourish your body while providing protection and long-lasting moisture to your skin. Key ingredients in the formula in addition to red palm oil, which is rich in antioxidants and hydrates your skin, are jojoba oil (removes excess dirt and oil), mandarin essential oil (brightens and diminishes scars), and rosehip oil (reduces redness). These oils combine to create a fresh and aromatic scent. The balm is useful on all skin types as a cleansing tool, face or body moisturiser, face mask, lip or beard balm, and even a highlighter. Our personal favourite is using it as a hand moisturiser at night because it is incredibly soft and hydrating, great for nails and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Due to its versatility and 100 per cent organic formula, we predict the Power Balm could be the next multipurpose staple.

Power Balm also does not have any preservatives, parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrolatum, animal by-products, or animal testing. You can purchase the Power Balm (50ml) here for £19.50 (postage and packaging included in the price). Five per cent of the sales go to Planet + People Power charities.

Ayuna – Minimum Collection

With summer approaching, the thought of slathering a million products on our faces amid the humidity already makes us at The Amazing Blog feel like our pores are already clogged! We’ve decided to take a minimalist approach to our skin care this summer as the Marie Kondo method remains popular, and Ayuna’s Minimum Collection offers three core products to make our minimalism dreams come true.

Besides the collection being called ‘Minimum,’ Ayuna’s slogan is ‘less is beauty’ – something that encapsulates everything in the brand from its chic packaging, simple aesthetic, core products, and clean ingredients. Founders Isabel Ramos and Begoña Sanjuan, who have backgrounds in science and the cosmetics industry, were inspired by simple beauty and graceful ageing, and they approached skin care with a scientific-botanical mindset. The result? Luxurious beauty products with natural ingredients that encourage you to use less.

The first product in the Minimum Collection is the Natural Rejuvenating Treatment – Light cream. A small amount of this cream goes a long way, and you can use it in the morning and night. Phyto-peptides firm while turmeric root and Centella rejuvenate skin throughout the day. Additional ingredients such as green carrot, Arabian cotton, and pomegranate add to this cream’s nourishing properties. The second product is the Volcanic Revitalizing Mask balm. The volcanic glass and active carbon reduce skin sensitivity and draw out impurities, making your skin feel refreshed after just one use. Use this balm 2-3 times per week for extra hydration from the pullulan (a natural sugar). Lastly, there is the High Protein Cream-in-Oil Peel, which contains alpha-amino acids to restore skin and grain-free formula to polish. After using this peel, your skin will feel softer and brighter than with any other exfoliator on the market. These three products can be added to your current skin care routine or used on their own for a week of detox. For each, remember: don’t neglect your neck!

After using this collection for a week, we saw brighter complexions and felt cleaner. Not to mention, these pearl-coloured containers (rounded plastic jars with the logo in simple cursive text) look gorgeous next to our luxe perfumes in our bathrooms. Join us and the minimalism trend by purchasing the collection here for €255 or separately. €175 for the cream (50ml) here, €115 for the balm (80ml) here, and €115 for the essence (80ml) here.

Skin Dewi – Ginkgo Biloba Firming Facial Cream

No matter how old you are, it’s always good to have a product that is anti-ageing – or a lot (The Amazing Blog isn’t a place to judge). In addition to products that fight off fine lines and wrinkles, it’s a bonus when they firm skin. So, we were very excited to try Skin Dewy’s line of natural and organic skin care products, especially their Gingko Biloba Firming Facial Cream.

The Indonesian-based brand was founded by Dewi Kauw, a mother who found it difficult to find organic and non-toxic products for her baby with allergies and atopic eczema. Kauw became highly educated in natural preservation and essential oils as well as chemical engineering, which has her approaching skin care scientifically and creating products that are effective at a cellular level. However, the fact that she is motivated by her children is seen in the all-natural ingredients of products like the Gingko Biloba Firming Facial Cream.

The gingko biloba and green tea extracts are what really set this anti-ageing cream apart from others on the market. These two ingredients work together to boost collagen production and prevent skin water loss, which results in more radiant and firm skin after only a few uses. The face cream is part of the Skin Dewi Brightening series and uses rosehip oil to brighten your complexion for a more youthful glow as well as protect skin cells from the sun. The formula has ingredients like botanical extracts and omega-rich oils for extra hydration, but the moisturiser itself is lightweight, sinks in quickly, and leaves your face feeling fresh rather than greasy. Did we mention it’s also recommended for sensitive and dry skin? This face cream is truly able to do it all in terms of making your skin look soft and supple whether you’re 25 or 45.

You can purchase the moisturiser (30g) here for 65.85€.

Disco Dust – Biodegradable Extra Chunky Glitter and Natural Glue

What better way is there to make yourself stand out at the festivals this summer, than with a little splash of glitter on your eyes or face? Although, most commercial cosmetic glitters have a microplastic film that pollutes the environment and takes almost 1000 years to decompose. Yes, 1000 years. We’re happy to say that The Amazing Blog has found a biodegradable and sustainable fix to these woes: Disco Dust.

The London-based company was launched in November 2016 to ‘break stigmas and push boundaries in the beauty industry’, similar to the way disco broke social and racial barriers in the 70s. Disco Dust advocates for having fun and expressing yourself while also taking care of the environment. Their glitter is made of a biodegradable film, which is even compostable in your own home, and renewably sourced raw materials.

We tried two shades from Disco Dust’s Biodegradable Range of extra chunky glitter in Gold and Silver. The individual pieces of glitter are quite large and rich in colour for a bold look. You can layer the extra chunky glitter with other colours as well as sizes in your hair and face for a unique look or use them alone to match your jewellery. Our favourite method was layering the glitter on top of liquid eyeliner for extra sparkle to an ordinary eye look. The product can be applied with a makeup brush or your fingers. Lastly, the glitter is easy to remove with a makeup wipe or soapy water, so you’re not harshly scrubbing your face before bed or finding remnants of glitter the next day. Of course, to keep the glitter on your face, you need glue. To complement the biodegradable glitters, Disco Dust created 100% Natural Disco Glue (an aloe-based and vegan glitter adhesive) as an alternative to slippery Vaseline and harsh chemical glues. The formula lasts all day and is hand poured into recyclable containers in Bristol.

Add more shine to your makeup look and your life this summer with these extra chunky glitters. You can purchase the Gold Extra Chunky Mix glitter (3g) here for £6, Silver Extra Chunky Mix glitter (3g) here for £6, and Glitter Glue (5ml) here for £5. Each product is available in a larger size and glass container, with the glue £10 for 45ml and the glitters £15 for 20g. Why not have some fun and let yourself sparkle this summer.

Voya Men's Grooming Range

We head over to the glorious the isle that is emerald, for this post, indulging in, without apology, Voya’s dreamy range of men’s skincare- with such a deliciously smelling combination of clove and lime, it certainly wasn’t a hardship - indeed more an exceptionally unrestrained bout of serious pampering. Such a start to the day really sets you up perfectly for what may lie ahead - good or bad (the day we mean!) the skin is certainly going to be in tiptop shape. The girls at The Amazing Blog have already experience the gorgeousness of this organic Irish brand with a few of their goodies including their Hydrating Body Lotion  So now it’s my turn!

The provenance of this range stems from a formidable heritage, rooted in the luxury spa marketwhich originated in the indigenous bathhouse tradition of Co. Sligo. The bathhouses which opened in 1912 may have since closed, but the essential ingredient which continues to provide it’s magic of course remains in bucketfuls … well vat-fulls really. And this essential ingredient which provides such incredibly healing results is of course seaweed. Naturally, the benefits of seaweed have long been known to soothe and heal, but more thorough investigation continues to throw up advantages not simply in deep detoxification, but also in aiding weightloss amongst other things. As nature’s most powerful anti-oxidant from the vegetal world, it’s hydrating and nourishing properties come from it’s plethora of minerals and vitamins, which have proven to effectively treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis and acne, and is particularly good for sensitive skin. It also naturally moisturises, whilst reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by improving skin’s elasticity and stimulating the renewal of damaged cells.

The Voya Men’s grooming range is totally focused on organic seaweed and the following two scientifically proven and 100% natural active ingredients. Speci’MenTM derived from the Baobab tree, and DEFENSIL®-PLUS: A complex of Blackcurrant Seed Oil and Balloon Vine extract. Here we have a three step routine to savour: An Invigorating Face Wash, (recently awarded Winner in the 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards) Cooling Shave Gel  and Rejuvenating Moisturiser. These Seaweed-based products use the highest-quality botanical elements and aromatherapy oils in sustainable and historical processes to attain their high level of quality. The organic seaweed itself is harvested by hand to help protect the delicate coastline of West Ireland and no artificial colours or fragrances are used, with all products adhering to the strict COSMOS standard. All this science could easily overshadow the fundamental treat that comes with using this Voya For Men range -  but  we enjoyed, and enjoyment is certainly the route we took! It must also be added that they are perfect for fighting signs of aging, reduce enlarged pores, calm inflammation from shaving and soothe dehydrated skin.

Available here priced at £27.00 for the 125ml Invigorating Face Wash, £23.00 for the same sized Cooling Shaving Gel and £45.00 for the  50ml Rejuvenating Moisturiser … For the level of luxury on offer here, and the chance to bathe in some Irish magic, trust me the cost is well worth it.