Baie Botanique - Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash and Renew Regenerating Anti-Ageing Serum

The rose has been coined ‘the queen of flowers’ for its natural beauty and properties that protect the skin from ageing, fine lines and wrinkles; it’s also been used in beauty routines for thousands of years from Cleopatra to the Duchess of Cambridge. At The Amazing Blog, it’s no secret that we have a penchant for all things rose. So, we’re excited to share with you another one of our #amazingfinds  Rose Renew Regenerating Anti-Ageing Serum and Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash by the organic skincare Baie Botanique. We first spotted this brand as one of the award winners at The 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards and have been itching to try their products ever since!

When launched in 2014, Baie Botanique’s mission was to create a powerful botanical skincare range with pure and natural ingredients and high organic content. The founder, Sophie Oliver has over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry as a makeup artist. During this time she transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle where she fused her twin passions to form this unique skincare range. Now a multi-award-winning brand, this innovative rose-based botanical range contains plant stem cells that combine ‘wisdom of our ancestors with the power of modern skincare technology.’ Impressively, this brand also has all its products certified cruelty-free and vegan by PETA .

We find it’s best to start with a cleanser, so here’s The Rose Renew Regenerating Face Wash. With ingredients such as rose water, rose absolute and rosehip oil combined together with orange flower water, olive oil and green tea, it’s soothing and cleansing. Plus with the vitamin C here, it’s got added protection for the skin against UV sun damage. We like that it’s easy to use, and gently removed our everyday makeup (and city pollution!) Simply apply to wet hands and massage onto the face and neck. Rinse with warm water to leave skin looking clean, healthy, refreshed and of course rose-radiant. The formula boosts being 70% organic and with 98% naturally derived botanicals and can be purchased here at £19 for 125ml.

The Rose Renew Regenerating Anti Ageing Serum has enriched Ingredients which include bio-actives such as 15% Hyaluronic acid (plant-based), MSM and Glycolic Acid (AHA); these aid cellar renewal, firming and improve the appearance of any fine lines and wrinkles. Apart from the bio-actives, the main ingredients in this award-winner serum are rose water, witch hazel and aloe which together with the other selected botanicals leaves the skin with a brighter, softer, and healthier appearance.  It is light in texture, cooling to the touch and truly smells divine! We also liked that this serum has 80% organic and 98% naturally derived botanicals, it’s quick to absorb and versatile enough to be used both morning and evening, at £34 for 30ml it can be purchased here. This light-weight, gel formula is perfect for applying after the use of Baie Botanique’s Rose Renew Face Wash, and you can buy the two in a duo Cleanse & Hydrate Bundle for £47 here. We hear that they’ll be launching lip balms sometime this year - and we can’t wait to try them and more from the range!  

Lily England – The Marble Luxe Makeup Brush Set & Bag in Black & Rose Gold

Although we’re currently in lockdown, this doesn’t give us the excuse to let our makeup gather dust. Now is the ideal time to ‘brush up’ (excuse the pun!) and improve our makeup skills. However, we remember being told by an esteemed makeup artist that when applying makeup it’s all down to the quality of brushes and ‘technique, technique, technique’. So imagine our delight when The Amazing Blog received this very timely Lily England’s Marble Luxe Makeup Brush Set & Bag in Black and Rose Gold.

Lily England is a British beauty brand created in 2015 by Kayleigh Graham, who previously worked in social media with brands like Selfridges and Burberry. That was when she spotted a gap in the market for stylish makeup brushes and bags, that were both affordable and mirrored the millennial trends. The brand is cruelty-free and vegan with its synthetic hair brushes, and if you’re searching for good quality, ethically produced beauty tools, then Lily England’s brushes are your answer.

The Marble Luxe Makeup Brush Set & Bag comprises of nine brushes: Crease, Angled, Smudger, Pencil Eye, Eyeshadow Packer, Sculpt & Glow, Kabuki Foundation and Large Powder. Not only are these super-soft and great quality, they also have sturdy and stylish rose gold mouldings around the bristles. This brush set comes in a waterproof black marble pouch, making it an elegant and stylish (not to mention insta-friendly) ‘must-have’. Let’s talk about three of our favourite brushes, beginning with the Kabuki Foundation Brush, a foundation brush that is great to use whether it’s with a liquid, or mineral powder. We found that brush strokes magically vanished, it was deliciously soft on the skin and best of all none of the hairs shed on our face! We also enjoyed using the Eyeshadow Packer with our Eloise Queen Eye Shadow Palette (see here for our recent feature). This brush quickly picks up the colour pigment and then reapplies it evenly, which makes it super-easy to blend. Last but not least in our top three, is the Large Powder Brush because it’s an essential finishing step for lightly dusting our loose powder to set makeup.

There’s so much you can do with this Marble Luxe Makeup Brush Set, whether it’s a natural glow or a stronger night-out look, there’s no limit to what you can create. As mentioned earlier, the set comes with its handy pouch so you can keep the collection in your handbag or pack it away for your travels. We think that this set makes the perfect gift or just an update for your makeup brushes. Your Lily England brush set is just one step away… Purchase your Marble Luxe Makeup Brush & Bag in Black & Rose Gold here for £39.99.

Douvall’s - Skin-High: Organic Hemp & Argan Oil and Cannabis & Argan Oil

We don’t know about you, but recently we seem to be plagued by dry skin. Maybe it’s caused by #stayhome #staysafe stress or perhaps the constantly fluctuating change in temperature. In our search for a solution, we’ve returned to one of our favourite and trusted brands Douvall’s, who recently launched two skincare products in their Skin High collection. In the past, some of you will have seen that we’ve written about one of their hero products the Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser here.  At The Amazing Blog what we like about argan oil is that it’s a one-stop ingredient for skin, hair and nails. Today we are exploring their products that combine their hero cold-pressed organic argan oil with both organic hemp and cannabidiol.

Douvalls are best known as a trailblazer with their cold-pressed organic argan oil skincare. Created by mother and daughter Alicia and Georgia Douvall, it’s an award-winning range that harnesses the benefits of organic argan oil either using it pure and combining with other ingredients for their skincare, makeup and more recently hair care too. This is a responsible and eco-conscious company that gives back to the planet. They are also natural, cruelty-free, vegan and contains no chemicals, toxins, artificial fragrance, sulphates, parabens or alcohol. They work closely with The Breast Cancer Haven charity and partner with women’s cooperatives in Morocco where their argan oil is sustainably harvested.

Let’s start with Skin-High Organic Hemp & Argan Oil but don’t get confused with this and their Skin-High Cannabis & Argan Oil. The difference between these two is the ingredients of either hemp or cannabidiol (CBD etc).  The hemp oil is made from seeds of the hemp plant whereas cannabidiol is made from leaves, flowers and stalks of the hemp plant. Both offer their own potent health benefits. Hemp oil is simply obtained by a basic cold pressing extraction; whereas cannabidiol (CBD etc) has to go through a complex and expensive extraction method (known as supercritical CO2 extraction). All ingredients for the Organic Hemp & Argan oil are 100% eco-certified and contain simply 50/50 of each and only that! This rich and powerful oil glides effortlessly onto the skin, rich in linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and vitamin E. The combination of organic pressed argan and hemp oils here have many extra health-enhancing minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron and zinc. Rich and nutritious, a little goes a long way; it’s great to use by itself or a few drops mixed with your regular moisturiser for added benefit. And in case you are wondering, it’s CBD and THC free and only has the faintest natural hemp oil scent. This comes in two sizes 50ml at £48 see  here or 15ml at £18 see here.

Next is the Skin-High Cannabis & Argan Oil made from cannabidiol and cold-pressed organic argan oil; the argan here contains a high concentration of antioxidants (including oleic acid and linoleic acid) which helps to fight ageing by neutralising free radicals which damage cells. Whereas the 200 milligrams of full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD,CBDA,CBDV,CBC and CBG) offers this and so much more.  As cannabidiol is produced using the whole plant, it naturally contains very high levels of CBD as well as other organic compounds, known as phytocannabinoids and terpenes. It protects against oxidation and reduces sebum due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It nourishes and hydrates helping the skin to absorb vital nutrients with its high concentration in vitamins A, D and E together with a balance of essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9 in the same proportions). The cannabidiols also treat skin disorders like dry skin, psoriasis, and eczema. They say it is THC free but the packaging states that it’s full spectrum too (?) Douvall’s, we’re a little confused here… However, we loved the texture and were surprised by its divine delicate and slightly grape-like fragrance. I think out of the two ‘Skin-High’ products this was our favourite. We recommend this as a night oil, as it left skin feeling soft, boosted and revitalised in the morning. This also comes in two sizes, where you can purchase 50ml for £58 here or 15ml for £20 here.

Skin in Motion – Exercise Friendly Skinwear

In the forthcoming months, we’re looking forward to returning back to the gym. However, we do like to look our best without being puce in the face or with smudgy mascara. We’re rather ashamed to admit to the damage that we’ve probably already done to our delicate skin, working out with layers of heavy makeup left on! Many of you may be unaware of the fact that exercise can break down the skin's collagen, causing premature signs of ageing. Particularly when you use products such as foundation or bronzer which clog up the pores and often lead to breakouts, this is why at The Amazing Blog we were very curious to try out the exercise-friendly beauty brand Skin in Motion who claims to address all of these issues.  

The revelation for us is that with  Skin in Motion, is that you can wear breathable and sweat-proof makeup to the gym. It’s a lightweight solution that is easy to apply and remove after any workout. The co-founders Gia Mills and Sophia Lahlou cleverly spotted this niche addressing the need for workout friendly beauty. Gia is a London based celebrity makeup artist with well-known clients including the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill, Cara Delevigne and Julia Restoin Roitfeld. She’s also long been a yogi, marathon runner, cyclist and racer and so understands the physical and mental benefits of working out.  Sophia Lahlou, a marketing professional with 17 years of experience in beauty brands, joined forces with Gia helping to help make them an unstoppable team. The idea came about when they discovered many women don’t go and work out because they were concerned over their appearance. This spurred them on to develop a range of cosmetics to not only make women look better, but feel better too. Skin in Motion has three main goals: encourage women to exercise, boost women's confidence, and donate to female empowerment charities like This Girl Can and we love how they’re advocates for causes such as Breast Cancer too.

Their current products include the Lift It Mascara, Work It Tinted Moisturiser, Cool It Mist and Clear It Wipes. Let’s start at the beginning of a beauty regime with the Clear it Wipes which remove all the dirt and sweat from the pores. The wipes are thin but loaded with salicylic acid and pomegranate enzymes. These ingredients help clear any harsh ingredients from the skin’s surface while moisturising and balancing. The pot comes with 40 pads and is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Apply the wipes before and after the workout to clear clogged pores. This product helps cleanse the face and dissolve sweat and also promotes balance in the skin. The Clear It Wipes can be purchased here for £16.00. Next, we have the Work It Tinted Moisturiser which comes in three different and matchable shades: light, medium and dark. With plenty of coverage, the product manages to cover the skin while still maintaining a lightweight and matte finish and best of all, it looks completely natural when applied. The Tinted Moisturiser comes in a 30ml bottle and is cruelty-free, vegan, and paraben-free. It's nourishing and sweat-proof for even the most intense workouts. The product is incredibly smooth in texture, is best applied with a beauty blender and has a subtle citrus scent. The Tinted Moisturiser is a non-comedogenic formula and contains Argan oil to help hydrate and protect the skin. With fast-drying ingredients, you can take comfort in knowing that your makeup will stay put.  Work It Tinted Moisturiser can be purchase for £25.00 here. Something we find difficult to be without is mascara, and we know we’re not alone here. The Lift It Mascara is infused with beautiful Japanese berry kernels from the Sumac tree, the waterproof and smudge-proof mascara is cruelty-free and manages to lengthen and define even the sparsest of eyelashes. For a flawless look, apply the mascara at the base of the eyelashes and wiggle side-to-side in an upwards motion. The mascara comes in an intense black and is available for retail price £20.00 here.  We all know how our skin tends to get irritated when combined with sweat. Here is where Skin in Motion has created a face spray that helps hydrate and calms the skin. The Cool It Mist has a subtle floral fragrance, the bottle is 50ml and has 95% natural ingredients that are vegan, cruelty and silicone-free. To use just shake the bottle and hold 5 inches away from the face with your eyes closed and spray. Apply a liberal amount and wait a few seconds before leaving for your workout. The mist has hydrolysed hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate, mint to help cool and glycyrrhizic acid (liquorice extract) to calm the skin. The mist is lightweight and easily absorbed. the Cool It Mist can be purchased for £20.00 here. Lastly, we want to mention the rather fetching transparent neon orange and pink Gym Friendly Pouch For Life which is perfect as an on-the-go make up bag, or for taking with you in your gym kit. The Gym Friendly Pouch for Life you can buy for £15.00 here.  Or, if you are like us you can buy their Complete Beauty Care kit for £82 here. We think that they have struck on a genius idea and can’t wait to see more products in the range.

SOS - SPF 50 Sun Serum

Despite only being allowed outside our homes for a limited amount of time, at The Amazing Blog we know how important it is to protect skin from the dangers of the sun. Today we're talking about SOS SPF 50 Sun Serum where they use only simple, effective non-irritating and simple ingredients. Regular readers may remember that we wrote about their hero product the gentle cooling and repairing SOS Serum here.

Scientist and chemist, Bruce Green founded SOS Serum and has contributed to the formulations of many cosmetic brands in the UK & North America, and he also sits on several EU advisory committees. With a long dedication to the skincare industry, although he is now semi-retired, his fascination with skincare still continues, particularly with his understanding of skin sensitivity which is a common problem for most people. Which is why he set out to focus and create on his own range of skincare with this issue in mind. All of the SOS products are made in the UK and are cruelty-free and vegan.  

Based on science, this unique SOS SPF50 Serum formula is significantly higher with the SPF and has fewer ingredients than its rivals. Not forgetting to mention that in our experience it's hard to find a high SPF sunscreen that is designed for all skin types, including extremely sensitive or eczema-prone. This is where SOS SPF 50 steps in, it’s made primarily with a combination of mineral-based filters (zinc oxide & titanium dioxide) and plant stem cells, which protect the skin from the harmful rays. With its key active ingredients such as soybean stem cells to help reduce wrinkles and increase the skin's firmness and vitamin E to soothes and calms, these two essential ingredients attack free radicals on the skin, whilst protecting skin from further sun damage. 

SOS SPF 50 Serum has a non-greasy and white-free application suitable for the face or body and all ages (including children), the product is also fragrance-free, without parabens, SLS, or mineral oil. Sun protection isn't the only benefit; with the moisturising hyaluronic acid (vegetable - low molecularweight) it can help eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, bites, wind-chapped and sun-damaged skin or allergic flare-ups. The product blends directly onto the skin and without a trace and with the leaf extracts combined with peppermint provide immediate relief upon application.  We recommend using this product in the morning for day-long protection, it's easy to use and perfect for providing good moisturising relief. The retail price for the 50ml serum is £15.00 and found here. 

There are three other products in this line such as the SOS H2O Day Serum with anti-ageing properties, the SOS Protect a broad spectrum hand sanitiser and SOS Serum (which we previously reviewed) for skin repair.