Bamwoo - Bamboo Toothbrushes

Let’s talk today about brushing teeth. We were horrified to learn that one billion plastic toothbrushes are discarded every year creating over 50 million pounds of annual waste – and that’s just in the US!  We at The Amazing Blog don't be part of this problem and have no intention of littering our beautiful planet with plastic toothbrushes. This is why we like to use more eco-friendly toothbrushes that are made from natural and environmentally-friendly materials like bamboo. We’ve found some very sustainable and stylish toothbrushes from the new indie brand Bamwoo.

Bamwoo is founded in the UK by Matt Clark, an outdoor sports lover. Matt grew up with a big love of nature, our planet and travel. One evening when Matt was strolling along the Berawa beach in Bali, taking in its beauty, he accidentally tripped over a plastic bottle – which made him stop and wonder about all the other plastic flotsam and jetsam cluttering the sea. This was his light bulb moment when he thought about what he could contribute to clean up and help stop all the plastic waste. Bamwoos’ main mission is to reduce plastic consumption and to re-forest the planet. This is where they have replaced plastic with sustainable, biodegradable alternatives with products such as toothbrushes. We like Matt’s promise: “By using a bamboo toothbrush can really help to change the world and we'll plant a tree for each one you buy from us.”  

Bamboo toothbrushes take fewer resources to be produced and than the plastic ones. Beside Bamwoo being environmentally-friendly, they are also stylish and come with three different colour strips at the base of the brush or plain. Bamwoo toothbrushes are made with BPA-free nylon bristles, which are gentle and pliable, these are not harsh on the gums or tooth enamel and makes them 96% less plastic than a standard toothbrush. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants, which need no fertilizer and turns the carbon dioxide into oxygen. Mosu bamboo, is the type of bamboo used in the production of their toothbrushes and is naturally antibacterial meaning that it doesn’t get mouldy when left damp. More importantly, they are light, gentle and hygienic to use.  There are two sizes one for adults and the other for children. We particularly like is that Bamwoo toothbrushes have different colours, as we hate our toothbrushes getting muddled with the others in our household! They are all at a very reasonably priced £3.65 each. To complete the set for your oral hygiene, Bamwoo has created Bamboo Interdental Brushes which also help you to maintain healthy gums and a healthy planet they are vegan products made of zero plastic. And lastly, for your toothbrushes to stay clean and dry, the Ceramic Toothbrush Holder adds a finishing touch. Made of high-quality ceramic, it keeps your bamboo toothbrushes upright so they can air dry quicker. For each product sold Bamwoo plants a tree, so you are helping to make the world cleaner and greener place. We think that this is something worth investing in! You can purchase any of the Bamwoo products here.

L'Organiq - Hyaluronic Acid Triple Fruit Serum

As you’ve probably already guessed by now, we’re a little obsessed about our skincare regime.  After years of research on how to ‘feed’ the skin, we know that one of the most essential items is face serum. After all, it’s the first product that we apply day and night after cleansing and toning. They are an important product that put antioxidants directly into the skin, balancing and protecting our complexions. We also find that a serum is most effective when it has hyaluronic acid, (see here ) as this helps hydrate and strengthen the dermis. Today at The Amazing Blog, we’re thrilled to have found a new serum, the vitamin-enriched Hyaluronic Acid Triple Fruit Serum by L’Organiq. We particularly love their empowering motto of: ‘Be kind, be clean be beautiful’.

Emma Chevrel, the founder of L’Organiq, has always loved skincare but she never thought of having a beauty brand of her own. She was in a city career and she describes how her life was great back then. But, as Emma says, “Sometimes it takes a bomb in our lives to wake us up to what we’re really here for. That bomb for me was when, early in 2009, I was diagnosed with Grade 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer.” Emma experienced skin problems as the treatments were intensive. Her skin became very sensitive and no skincare products could help her, so she decided to create her own with L’Organiq, a brand that puts people and the planet first. The brand started in 2019 in Dorchester, where each one of their products is lovingly crafted to be cruelty-free and has organic ingredients. These are also carefully combined to offer antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing results. L’Organiq offers a wide range of skincare, haircare and grooming products. Emma has also created a ‘return and reward’ scheme in which she encourages customers to return their empty bottles (free of charge) so that they can be recycled or reused. We also like their eco-credentials with a minimal carbon footprint using only UK based suppliers and 90% of the range produced in recyclable glass containers.

The Hyaluronic Acid Triple Fruit Serum is one of the three serums in their range. The first thing we noticed is that it is vegan, fragrance-free, with a clear and slightly gel-like consistency.  It also is oil-free and full of hyaluronic acid (which we love!)  The triple fruit extracts are: Cranberry which acts as an exfoliant and has vitamins like A and C help boost collagen production;, grapefruit which is also full of vitamin C and good for balancing the skin, whereas the raspberry protects from UV damage with antioxidants and ellagic acid keeping skin healthy and rejuvenated. These fruit extracts are the ideal combination for anti-ageing and a vitamin boost. The serum is also packed with vitamin B5 which keeps the skin quenched by absorbing moisture from the air and has anti-inflammatory properties to help heal the skin and leave it soft and hydrated.  Easy to apply, it comes in a 30ml glass bottle with pipette, we found that a little does go a long way. It was good for each of our different skin types; as it absorbed quickly and is nourishing enough to use alone - with the perfect texture and lightness to use in the current heatwave!  You can purchase your Hyaluronic Acid Triple Fruit Serum here for £26.00

Luly Guadiano - Luxury Body Lotion & Sugar Body Polish

Pampering products are the order of the day! Here at The Amazing Blog, as regular readers will know, we like to champion natural indie brands that care about the environment. Today we are featuring the luxurious organic Swiss skincare range Luly Gaudiano with their Luxury Body Lotion 250ml and Luxury Sugar Body Polish 225ml. 

Luly Guadino was founded by Lourdes Gaudiano in 2013, where it all began when she decided to move from Panama to Switzerland, hoping to find a suitable job. However, fate planned it otherwise and the brand began its humble beginnings with natural soaps being sold at local Swiss markets. This swiftly led her onto a natural cosmetics course in France and soon what started as a hobby, turned out to be a pivotal point for her successful career path. Even back in Panama, Lourdes was always concerned about the environment, and when she arrived in Switzerland, she was fascinated by their eco-awareness and advancement in the production of natural and clean cosmetics. This was when she knew she came to the right place to launch her own natural and sustainable skincare range. When Lourdes introduces her brand, she says:  “I speak about my story as a Panamanian building a cosmetic brand in Switzerland.” All products from the Luly Guadino range are ‘sustainable luxury’ made by using only green energy, with non-toxic and natural ingredients, in recyclable packaging. The brand was awarded the most luxurious sustainable skincare brand for 2020 by Lux Life and when Luly Guadiano was exhibiting at the 2018 Indie Beauty London, is when we first spotted this brand!

The first of the two products that we tried was the Luxury Body Lotion with a subtle fragrance combining both floral and citrus, this nourishing body lotion has luxurious and natural ingredients that leave the skin smooth and radiant. Its key ingredients include sweet almond oil known for its excellent hydrating properties for dry skin and cell renewal.  There are highly concentrated fatty acids with the organic shea butter, are ideal for softening the skin and its anti-inflammatory properties help to heal the skin from damage. It also contains sunflower seed oil providing the skin with a plentiful amount of vitamins A, C, and D all of which aid in regeneration. The aloe leaf and rosemary leaf extracts are rich hydrants that help improve skin quality. Finally, the edelweiss extract in the lotion gently fragrances and also provides good antioxidant properties to help keep your skin firm and wrinkle-free. This unique swiss flower will protect the skin from UV rays damages and premature ageing.

Next is the Luxury Sugar Body Polish. This body polish gently exfoliates the skin whilst also enveloping the body in its silky hydrating film. Use it all year round, to keep the skin smooth and radiant. The key ingredients found here include jojoba seed oil which is a good dry skin healer and also balances sebum, its antioxidants properties work as a protector and emollient. This Body Polish also contains coconut oil which is gentle, perfect for healing and works well together with the exfoliant of sugar crystals to remove the dirt and excess of oils. The latter will give you a much smoother, softer, and silkier skin. Last but not least, this golden sugar scrub also includes edelweiss extract to give soft and velvety skin. All products are made in Switzerland and have 100% organic and vegan ingredients. Lourdes Gaudiano advises using Luxury Body Lotion 250ml twice a day to keep skin moisturised and radiant. As for the Luxury Sugar Body Polish 225ml, massage it onto skin with warm water or rub the product in a circular motion and then rinse off. Make sure to use dry and clean hands to scoop out the product and for great results, repeat once or twice a week. To get your Luxury Body Lotion 250ml for CHF34.90 and the Luxury Sugar Body Polish 225ml for CHF49.90 see here. There is an exclusive offer of FREE POSTAGE to the UK if you enter Discount code FREEUK on the checkout for your purchases.

LENGLING Parfum Munich - No 9 Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum

A scent can immediately change your mood, bringing good memories back or creating new and exciting ones. Finding that one and only fragrance that encompasses your style, personality and suits each season - is a case of trial and error. This is why we at The Amazing Blog love exploring new fragrances. It’s always so interesting to see how each person’s skin interacts, together with the different perceptions we have of the same fragrance. For these reasons, we were thrilled to receive the deliciously summery No 9 Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum from LENGLING MUNICH. 

LENGLING Parfum Munich was founded by partners Ursula and Christian Lengling in Germany in 2014, launching with their first collection a series of seven scents ‘Extraits de Sentiment’. They use only the finest ingredients inspired by the purest forms of nature, all of which are hand-poured into each bottle. They combine elegance with sustainability by making sure that their formulations are vegan. The silver Isar pebble design found on their hand-polished perfume stopper is the heart of their inspiration, this pebble originates from Isartal (south of Munich) where many people use it as a lucky charm or for meditation. Their fragrances are based on two ingredients that contrast (i.e. are opposites) but also complement each other. They like to call these their ‘LENG’ and ‘LING’ notes. As they say, opposites attract, and with combinations like raw cedar and soft vanilla or dark leather notes mixed with candyfloss, the fragrances used in each bottle are a juxtapose designed to stimulate the senses.  As Ursula Lengling says, “…they will touch you in the place where memories reside and feelings collide. In your heart." The collections are ‘Extrait de Parfum’ not to be confused with ‘Eau de Parfum’.  The fundamental difference between the two is that the Extrait has the highest concentration of fragrance compounds, lasting the longest and with the strongest sillage (lingering in the air). Whereas, the Eau de Parfum has the second-highest concentration and is the one most commonly used by fragrance houses. The Extrait de Parfum will offer a closer-to-the-skin performance, becoming a more intimate scent offering a rate of concentration sometimes lasting up to 24 hours or longer.

No 9 - Wunderwind Extrait de Parfum is a bold and sensational scent launched by LENGLING in 2018. This fragrance won a Dufstars Award for 2018, (the German Oscars of perfumes). Their award was for Best Artistic Independent German Perfume. Which when we learned this, it gave us even more of a curiosity to try this exceptional unisex fragrance. The LENG notes here mirror a ‘shady pine tree grove’ with pine needles absolute, honey, rosemary, thyme absolute and resiny incense. Whereas the LING notes here are a ‘sunny sea’ with sea breeze tones, floral ozone notes, lemon, musk and watermelon. When we closed our eyes and spritzed, it transported us back to summer holidays, Greek islands, wandering through the pine and lemon groves to the beach where it meets the warm salty foaming sea. This for us, was deliciously citrus fresh with a hint of spice. Thyme and rosemary are the Mediterranean herbs that gently waft together with the honey and soft musk as the base notes. They say that it is to: “Let it all go and fly free. Wunderwind.” Wunderwind loosely translated means ‘wonderful wind’ and we think that this will truly awaken the senses and evoke treasured memories of Mediterranean holidays...if you are looking for an extraordinary, fresh and individual new summer fragrance, this is the one to buy. To purchase see here, 50ml for £180.85 

Clockface Beauty – Beard Oil Ho Leaf & Bergamot

They say ‘time is measured in days, weeks and beards’ and with this yo-yo-ing lockdown, it feels like I’ve been cultivating one for months! Yet again, this presents another perfect opportunity to put those girls at The Amazing Blog through their paces, to search out a natural, super-gentle and great smelling beard oil for me. Not an easy task as my skin is quite sensitive and when washing my face, which is now quite often, it becomes a little sore and sensitive. This time, they introduced me to one of their favourite organic skincare brands Clockface Beauty who has created a fantastic grooming range from cleanser, masks to shave balms and oils. They kindly sent us their award-winning Ho Leaf & Bergamot Beard Oil which I couldn’t wait to try. If the brand sounds familiar to you, it probably because you’ve read our feature on their Foot & Leg Scrub and Balm here.

Sarah Thomas founded Clockface Beauty with the help of her mother, Karen. During her pregnancy, Sarah found there to be a noticeable lack of transparency on beauty product labelling. So this is where the Clockface Beauty story began where she and her mother decided to create their brand of natural, organic, cruelty-free and vegan skincare. This luxurious and natural skincare also offers products without artificial chemicals or synthetic fragrances.

As with so many of their products, the Ho Leaf & Bergamot Beard Oil has ingredients that are 99% organic. I used this Beard Oil first thing on my freshly washed beard, massaging it in to help nurture not only my hair follicles but skin too. The result was that my whiskers felt softer and my skin soothed and hydrated. A few drops of this Beard Oil go a long way, it absorbed quickly leaving me with a very pleasant fresh and subtle aroma. Light in consistency, it’s versatile enough to use on all beard lengths and skin types. The key ingredients of bergamot have antibacterial benefits helping to reduce skin irritation, oiliness, acne, psoriasis and eczema. Whereas the frankincense here has anti-ageing properties that protect the skin cells while reducing the blemishes and shrinking the pores. The carrier oils are jojoba which stimulates the hair growth and apricot kernel gives a toning and slight tightening effect to the skin. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the ho leaf here is mildly antiseptic, stimulating and known to also be an aphrodisiac! All in all, this Beard Oil feels cooling and healing, so if you too have a newly acquired beard that is giving you some grief, look no further. To purchase the 30ml Clockface Beard Oil for £22 here.