Cosmetics of London Chelsie - AHA Exfoliating Mask

At The Amazing Blog as you’ll know, we like to champion new indie brands – particularly with cosmetics and skincare. Today we’d like to introduce a brand that has just launched and is one of our latest #amazingfinds, it’s a British skincare Cosmetics of London Chelsie.

The founder, Chelsie Benjamin, spent nine years as an aesthetician, skin practitioner and acne specialist working with some of the leading skincare companies.  With her passion for skincare, she decided to create her own range which has been over three years in development. Chelsie said: “We have created a solution-based skincare that will not only enhance a client skincare routine at home, but will also be effective in helping them maintain their treatment routine at home.” She went on to say, “although Cosmetics of London Chelsie has only just launched, we believe in giving back to charities and our communities, so we’ve made our prices affordable for everyone and will be seeking to work with different charities throughout this year.” We can’t wait to see more of their products and think that Chelsie’s new skincare is one to keep on our radar! 

We tried their first product the AHA Exfoliating Mask which is unisex, vegan, cruelty-free and comes in a reusable glass jar. As well as being an ethical product, we found it to be both effective and great to use.  The texture is creamy, and the fragrance is a subtle geranium (which is one of the oils used). The mask contains active ingredients from fruit acids that help to treat acne, dehydration and fine lines. It also includes key essential oils grapefruit, geranium flower and cedarwood oils to aid inflammation, redness and damaged skin. Although the mask gently exfoliates, helping to reduce acne and wrinkles it does contain lactic (from the decomposition of citric acid), malic, citric and glycolic acids (the latter being the holy grail for exfoliation). So we’d suggest a patch test first (waiting 24 hours before using on face) and always avoiding the eye area. We found that it did a good deep cleanse and left the skin soft, fragrant and hydrated. Chelsie suggests leaving the product on for 5-10 minutes and then rinsed off with warm water. It can be used 1-3 times a week; however, after using, it’s recommended during the day to wear an SPF 30 or 50 to protect the skin after this exfoliation. It is suitable for normal to oily skin (but not recommended for sensitive complexions) and we found our face looking brighter, pore size reduced and skin tone more even after only two weeks use. You too can purchase the 100g AHA Exfoliating Mask here for £23.99.

Kora Naturals - African Pearl Luxury Body Butter & Organic Papaya Seed Oil

As summer is now here, at The Amazing Blog what we want is for our skin to glow and feel hydrated. so our search to find a new body butter soon became a matter of priority!  We looked at the list of award-winners for 2019 The Beauty Shortlist and found the African inspired brand Kora Naturals. What attracted us to this brand is that they only use organic, natural and environmentally friendly ingredients. We tried their award-winning Body Butter as well as their new Organic Papaya Seed Oil. Although these are were originally formulated for women of colour, we found these products perfect for all of our different skin types too. 

Kora Naturals was founded in 2010 by Corrine Hayford-Kwatchey who found that there was a lack of premium skincare available for (and made by) women of colour.  Corrine has created her brand based on natural, ethically sourced and wildcrafted premium African ingredients. She explained about the brand name: “Kora is taken from the Ghanaian Twi language (pronounced Kraa) for the calabash, a common natural utensil in Africa and the Caribbean. It is widely recognised as a reference to the natural or 'Ital' lifestyle of using organic, unrefined products.”  The idea of creating Kora Naturals came to her with the birth of her first daughter, when she was addressing post-pregnancy skin issues. It has since developed from being an artisan business into the luxury skincare brand that it is today. We think that so many unique African ingredients are very underused here in Europe (see where we recently wrote about the special African Baobab here). Kora Naturals utilises African native raw ingredients and oils, where they are all ethically produced using traditional methods, which is so refreshing. 

We were excited to try the African Pearl Luxury Body Butter which is very rich and smooth. You can almost feel the vitamins, antioxidants and omegas 3 and 6 working into your skin.  The ingredients include cocoa butter, organic shea butter, coconut oil, wildcrafted baobab and marula seed oil. All of these make the Body Butter effective at holding in the moisture and giving the skin a silky finish. This Body Butter certainly lives up to its reputation and is our number one choice to get our skin summer-ready. You can buy a 200ml pot here for £25.00.

Next we tried the Organic Papaya Seed Oil which is for the face, we found that it helped control sebum and remove impurities by unblocking pores.  This is also another product rich in omegas 6 and 9 and vitamins A, C and E; all of which help to reduce the appears of brown spots and scars.  Some studies have indicated that the enzymes of papain in papaya can decrease acne inflammation. It’s effective in removing the dead skin cells which clog the pores, and our skin did appear to benefit from using the oil - so another thumbs up to Kora.  This is a reasonably priced product at £7.00 for 50ml here, we found that a little goes a long way.  Both of these products can be bought directly from Kora Naturals.

MITOMO Samurai Masks – Purifying & Brightening Galactomyces Firming Essence Masks

In the last couple of weeks,  I’ve noticed my complexion was looking dull and in need a bit of a pep-up. So as always, my first thoughts were to ask the girls at The Amazing Blog for advice. They introduced to some MITOMO Samurai Masks, which are face sheet masks, and I must say that they offered me a wonderful pampering opportunity. In fact, they proved to be quite addictive, as not only did they force me to take some meditative time out (20-30 minutes for masks to work), but left my skin as soft as a baby’s bottom! Best of all they’re are specifically formulated for the male complexion: the Purifying Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask & the Brightening Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask both from Mitomo’s Ukyioe Essence range.

MITOMO as the name suggests is Japanese. They launched in 2006, and are best known from producing beauty products – particularly sheet masks. All ingredients are sourced in Japan where they also create and manufactured all their products. They’ve become a globally recognised brand and are now available in over 60 countries. If you’ve been reading our features, then you might remember that we have introduced MITOMO’s products here with their Eye Mask and their Essence Mask collection here. 

I tried both the Purifying Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask and the Brightening Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask. Both these sheet masks are easy to use and are made from eco-friendly biodegradable bamboo fibres. The main difference between these two is that the Purifying Mask has the actives of vitamin B, minerals and amino acids – all of which help draw out the impurities in the skin. Whereas the Brightening Mask has key actives of aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to help revitalise the skin, giving it deep hydration and elasticity. Both masks have galactomyces ferment filtrate, which is a nutrient-dense yeast, and a by-product of fermented sake, it’s used as a moisturising agent and has powerful antioxidants. This helps to improve the skin quality, regulating skin tone making it softer.  We’d suggest using the Purifying Mask first and then a day or two later the Brightening Mask. These are both suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.  I thoroughly enjoyed taking 30 minutes of relaxation time, to use the sheet masks.  When I removed the masks, I massaged any excess liquid into my face to aid further absorption of all the ingredients. The results were noticeable, my skin was clearer and fine lines plumped up. Quickly added after each application, the results seem to get better and better making it rather easy to get hooked on this my new skincare routine! To purchase the Purifying Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask or the Perfect Galactomyces Firming Essence Mask from here, both are available singly from £3.49 each or in a box of 6 sheets for £ 17.49. 

Bnatural CBD UK - Award Winning Face Oil

 We love to exploring new products at The Amazing Blog and one of our latest #amazingfinds is a new CBD skincare, which as regular readers will know is currently riding the crest of the UK beauty wave. Meet the Award Winning Face Oil (yes it really is called that!) by BNatural CBD UK. Those with oily skin often swerve face oils, but this CBD infused oil has many benefits for ALL skin types -  including oily. We first discovered BNatural CBD when they won a silver award at The 2019 Hemp & CBD Awards, and it’s a very well done to them, as they were pitted against some of the biggest CBD industry players.

BNatural CBD UK is a family run business that offers some of the highest quality ingredients, at a very competitive price point. They sell full-spectrum CBD cosmetics (skincare) and oral tinctures and are proud to announce that all their products have full traceability from farm to shelf. This way they can not only proudly offer products from the best suppliers and extractors but also carry out their own third-party lab tests on every product. For their ingestible products, they source hemp from the hills in Switzerland and only use Co2 extraction (we talked about this method with a previous CBD brand here ). They are also members of the trade associations Cannabis Trades Assoc. and CannaPRo which gives us all the assurance that their products are all fully compliant with the current UK laws. We want to applaud this brand for their giving back policy to Zellweger UK, where they donate each month a percentage of their sales. Zellweger Spectrum Disorder which is a rare genetic condition which belongs to a group called Peroxisomal Biogensis Disorder (PBD).

The Award Winning Face Oil, is a full-spectrum CBD skincare, which means that it contains a small amount of THC coming in line with the UK regulations. It combines 100mg of full-spectrum CBD golden oil together with other natural and vegan oil ingredients. Best of all, you can rest assured that it is free from pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. In creating the Award Winning Face Oil, they have chosen each element carefully to work in harmony with the cannabinoids, which includes rosehip, jojoba, geranium and orange essential oils. All of which when combined with the CBD, offers a fragrant, light to the touch, nourishing and moisturising face oil. Contained in a dark blue glass bottle with pipette, this face oil is a delightful slightly citrus-scented golden liquid. It was easily absorbed, leaving the skin smooth and without any oily residue. We think it would work perfectly too for all makeup lovers out there, as a great primer to give their complexions a wonderful radiance prior to applying foundation. Plus, all the cannabinoids here bind directly to the endocannabinoid system in the skin, helping the skin find its balance. CBD has many healing properties and added benefits such as being anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory, again making it ideal for anyone who has acne and mild eczema. You can purchase the 30ml bottle of Award Winning Face Oil for £ 30.00 here.

Douvall's Argan & Ungurahua Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

Most people when you mention Argan oil, think about it from a culinary perspective and their gastronomic trips to Morocco. However, here at The Amazing Blog we want to talk about it as a key ingredient in skin and hair care. For centuries women in the Arab Maghreb have been using Argan oil for its beneficial properties in their hair. Today we’re featuring Douvall's latest launch of Argan & Ungurahua Shampoo and Conditioner. Douvall’s were one of the first British brands to use organic Argan oil here in the UK.  We’ve reviewed their Moisturiser here and more recently, their Organic Hemp & Argan Oil and  Cannabis & Argan Oil here. Knowing how much we love their products, we couldn’t wait to try these! 

As mentioned previously, Douvall's is a British make-up and skincare brand whose key ingredient is organic Argan oil, founded by mother and daughter, Alicia and Georgia Douvall.  They produce vegan, cruelty-free, eco-friendly cosmetics made from only natural ingredients. They use no chemicals, artificial fragrances, sulphates, parabens or alcohol and the brand also commits to support charitable causes such as the breast cancer charity The Haven. They also partner with the women's cooperatives that produce their argan oils in Morocco. This partnership has led to the construction of a school and a reforestation project. 

The Shampoo and Conditioner look quite similar; the packaging is recyclable brown plastic pump bottles which are useful as it allows us to see how much product we’ve used. The label is a pale salmon pink with gold and black writing which makes the duo both girly and aesthetically pleasing. The fragrance of each is natural and subtle where we could easily pick out green tea extract. The key ingredients in both are Argan oil (which we know about) with its antioxidants, vitamin E, omega 3,6 and 9. The other, Ungurahua oil was new to us. It derives from the rainforests of Central and South America, dating back centuries to the time of the indigenous people. It is high in unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid and due to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, Ungurahua is also considered to be one of the best remedies for treating scalp problems, especially itchy dandruff and hair loss. Plus, it stimulates the regeneration of follicle cells. Impressive!  We wonder if this will set the trend, and we’ll see more hair care containing this new ingredient soon. 

They both also contain the same ingredients such as organic green tea, aloe leaf, rosemary leaf, honeysuckle flower and raspberry leaf. The Shampoo complements the Conditioner perfectly. We particularly like that they are both colour safe, which we find this is a rare find in the world of organic and natural hair care. As one of us has coloured, long, fine and curly hair, this cetainly set a challenge. Not only did it step-up to the mark but actually detangled without damaging and left hair silky, shiny and soft to the touch. Will we be buying more? Absolutely! To purchase 275ml Argan & Unguraha Oil Shampoo for £24 and the 275ml Conditioner for £26 see here.