Concrete & Wax - The Modular Collection: Tealight Trio in All Sage

It’s nearing to the end of August and we can feel that slight autumnal bite in the air. Shorter days and longer nights are not far away and the candle season is almost upon us. This is why at The Amazing Blog we thought we’d introduce you to one of our first #amazingfinds for the autumn. Meet the contemporary styled and hand-poured candle company Concrete & Wax with their versatile Tealight Trio in All Sage from The Modular Collection which are stackable tea lights where you can build them vertically or burn each one independently. 

They were founded in 2018 by Alex Sommer and Laura Keller (AKA Mr. Concrete and Mrs. Wax) who among many other things, are also expert trend forecasters in the fashion industry. They came up with this conceptual brand, which offers the consumer a variety of design choices with mix and match concrete modular and interchangeable candleholders, together with uniquely fragranced soy wax candles. The holders are available in six plain colours and three unique camouflage designs. They’re cleverly adaptable and fit into almost any interior style whether it’s a minimalist contemporary penthouse or rambling country cottage. At each stage of brand development Concrete & Wax, wanted to make sure that they kept their sourcing of materials and suppliers as sustainable as possible. And as a true testament to artisan craftsmanship, they produce all products in their Suffolk workshop where everything is hand-poured, finished and packaged. They say: “When it comes to the finishing touches, we scour the local market to source as much as we possibly can - our aim is to support local business and to keep our footprint as small as possible.” The general perception of concrete is a rough, heavy industrial material; however, here we see it being used as a smooth material taking on streamline and stylishly statuesque shapes. They produce a selection of reed diffusers, in black bottles with concrete tops that double up as a tealight holder. Also not forgetting the recent addition of coasters in all the different colourways including a new splatter design.

Concrete & Wax very kindly sent us the Tealight Trio in Sage these are three hand-poured sage green concrete tealight holders in varying heights. As mentioned, they can burn independently or be stacked to make one tall tower. Each of these concrete holders has natural cork feet making them appear as if they’re slightly floating, plus the cork offers protection for heat-sensitive or polished surfaces.  We preferred to arrange these all nestling together for an extra twinkly effect. All candles (including tealights) are made of 100% vegan blended soy wax with a choice of fragrance. We’re fans of soy wax as it’s clean-burning and tends to hold scent longer than other varieties of wax due to the slow burn which releases the scented oils gradually.

There are four candle fragrances. The Lime, Basil & Mandarin is a citrusy fragrance that is relaxing and energising all at once. Lime is known to help clear the mind, the basil is thought to boost mood, and the mandarin soothes tensions. Secondly, we have Tobacco & Oak, this is considered as a very earthy aroma with smoky tobacco and dark oak mixed with leather, spice and musk. It’s very masculine, but not overpowering. This autumnal scent makes you want to hunker down and snuggle up in the warmth. The musk here will also help elevate your mood and give a general feeling of wellbeing. Thirdly, Sandalwood & Black Pepper, which according to Concrete & Wax, this scented candle is the most luxurious in the collection. Sandalwood is believed to be beneficial in treating anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia and the warming scent of black pepper will help relieve stress. Last but not least, Amber Noir, is the latest addition to the collection and is warming, intoxicating and mysterious. Tropical and exotic, burning this candle will spirit you off to far and distant climes … Top tip: These tealight candles will also fit into the Slim Holders. We love the pick ‘n ‘mix and the interchangeable aspect, which allows us to swap fragrance, colour or style of container all on a whim to fit our mood!  To see the full range from Concrete & Wax see here starting from £22.

Cleanse & Cure - 100% Organic Gold Sea Moss

It is always hard to find the right elements to help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. Today at The Amazing Blog we’ve found something slightly different …  It’s a pure ingredient from the Irish Sea brought to us from Cleanse & Cure.  We discovered from them, that this Organic Gold Sea Moss is thought to be a bit of a natural miracle worker, which is why we wanted to try it.

Sea Moss has been played an integral and medicinal role in both the Jamaican and Irish traditions.  This type of Sea Moss can be found on the Atlantic Coastline of North America, Europe, and the Caribbean Islands. It was used by the Irish as a type of medicine in the 1800s and helped to feed the population during the potato famine. Irish Sea Moss is considered as a great digestive aid. Cleanse & Cure use a traditional recipe with wildcrafted raw sea moss, spring water and a little citrus juice to cleanse and flavour. With its gel-like texture, it makes a great agent to heal and soothe the mucus membrane in the body like the respiratory and digestive systems. It can get rid of bad gut bacteria; therefore, it has a prebiotic effect. Sea moss can improve your thyroid functions with its high concentration in iodine, an element used by your own hormones to regulate metabolism, mood, and much more.

It is a great immune booster thanks to the potassium, amino acids, vitamin C and antioxidants. We included it in our version of an alkaline Green Smoothie: with a handful of fresh parsley, 1 x juice of a lemon, 1 x small cucumber (whole), and 1 x apples (whole), ½ a tumbler of spring water and a hand full of ice cubes, all blitzed up in the blender. The one to two tablespoons of this Sea Moss is recommended to take daily. We found it to be almost tasteless and it simply vanished in this smoothie. As a superfood, it can be used as a supplement and is said to contain 92 of 102 of the body’s natural elements, 80% of which are from the important ones. Just like any other natural product, it will deteriorate over time, therefore, Cleanse & Cure advises keeping it for no more than 2-3 weeks, but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

With all these nutriment benefits and with it's a gel-like quality its ideal for using as a face mask particular for those with eczema, psoriasis or with skin sensitivity. It is rich in sulphur and therefore is an antibacterial, reduces the excess of sebum oil in the skin and hence less acne breakout. It has all the elements when applied topically to help keep the skin hydrated and enriched in vitamin A, potassium, calcium, sulphur, magnesium, and vitamin K. It can also be integrated into your daily diet, be it for weight loss or other reasons since it contains fibre and is low in cholesterol and fat.  It also contains Algin which is a phytonutrient that has therapeutic values such as a heavy metal detoxifying agent. Cleanse and Cure offers two kinds of Sea Moss: The Organic Gold Sea Moss available in either 750ml for £25 here or 380ml for £15 here. The Organic Purple Sea Moss available in 380ml for £20 here.

Danilo Manco - Gustoso Organic Apple Vinegar

Summer is really here (in between the rain showers!) and what better way to enjoy our new outdoor life than with a gorgeous salad (or a cocktail*) with Gustoso Organic Apple Vinegar.  At The Amazing Blog, all the girls and I love to try new products that have a twist, and we certainly haven’t tried an organic apple vinegar before… 

Sent to us by The Olive Oil Company, this organic apple vinegar is produced by Danilo Manco in Italy. The term ‘vinegar’ actually refers to the two-step process of fermentation from a carbohydrate to an alcohol and then to acetic acid. Sugar is converted into alcohol, which is then fermented into vinegar. This vinegar comes from the wonderful Modena area in the Emilia Romagna region Italy; and has been made from organically grown apples and then stored in wooden casks.  This process concentrates the flavours while allowing the microorganisms necessary to convert the apples into vinegar to enter the barrels. The longer the ageing time, the better the end product is. The mother apple vinegar (a substance composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops naturally during the fermentation process) turns the alcohol into acetic acid with the help of the oxygen present in the air. NB this is not apple ‘cider’ vinegar it is a pure apple vinegar made in the balsamic style. In order to maintain the delicious taste and natural antioxidant properties of the vinegar, it only contains the best selection of Italian organic apples. These are then turned into a concentrated apple juice and mixed with the mother organic apple vinegar.  The result is both yummy and healthy!  No wonder it received the Great Taste 3-star award in 2019.  

After all the baking and snacking we’ve been doing, a salad which only needs a dibble this apple-based balsamic vinegar is perfect for helping to shed the any extra kilos that might have crept on during our recent lockdown. You can taste the apple making it sweet, tangy and bursting with flavour. Dark brown in colour it is thicker than an ordinary vinegar and has the consistency almost of a balsamic glaze.  So a little goes a long way which is good as this is a luxury item. It combines well with scallops and prawns as well as adding it into strews.  Also, perfect drizzled on strawberries or in *cocktail such as this ‘Apple Vinegar Vodka Sipper.’  Take 30g of apple juice, 30 g of vodka and one teaspoon of GUSTOSO Organic Apple Vinegar. Add crushed ice and mix in a cocktail shaker, then serve and garnish with grapes on a cocktail stick. Delicious! So go forth and take the flavour of your next salad to a new level by buying a bottle here for £13.50 (200ml) of the Gustoso Organic Apple Vinegar. 

Terre de Mars - 010 Irrévérence Nourishing Shampoo

The shampoo is an essential part of a good hair care routine to keep beautiful and healthy-looking hair. However, the most crucial step is to choose the right one from the huge array that is available. At The Amazing Blog, we found a shampoo to suit almost every hair type, in fact, it’s so nourishing that you don’t really need a conditioner - making it almost a co-wash. It’s another one of our #amazingfinds, meet the 010 Irreverent Nourishing Shampoo from Terre de Mars. As regular readers may remember, our wonderful reviewer Simon already tried their amazing Resonance Body and Hair Oil.

The French brand was founded by three friends: Alexandre, Poulad and Salem all of whom have parallel careers with the company, one works in fashion design, another in consulting and the last one in new technologies. These three serial entrepreneurs have created a 100% natural, coffee-based, vegan and cruelty-free unisex skin and hair care brand. All their products are made and packaged in France and are COSMOS, COSMEBIO, vegan and cruelty-free certified, and gender fluid. They have designed all their formulas to comply with ECOCERT Standards.

The initial thing that attracted us to this brand is the design. We love their packaging it’s stylish enough to adorn any bathroom. The shampoo is made from coffee extract, aloe vera, almond protein and rosemary leaves and a lemony fragrance, which gives it a delicious and subtle smell. At first, we were a little afraid that the coffee element might be too overpowering and strong, but there’s not even the slightest whiff of coffee here! It only has the mildest touch of citrus. The hydrating elements are the wheat and sweet almond proteins, helping to make hair shiny and supple, and the result after two rinses with this shampoo was very good. Furthermore, it is unisex, which means that everyone can use it. You can now say goodbye to the nightmare of finding the right shampoos for each of the family, because this will make the whole household happy. Best of all it’s organic, vegan, chemical-free and silicone-free; this product is quite simply a must-have. Furthermore, for those who are familiar with the Yuka App, this shampoo is very well rated! To purchase the 500ml 010 Irrévérence Nourishing Shampoo see here for £33.

Bao-Med Pure Oil Bodywash & Pure Soap

We hate having dry skin, particularly at this time of year when we’re regularly applying our fake tan. At The Amazing Blog far too often we’ve experienced our sunless tan going patchy and flaking off from the hard London water. This is why we’ve been exploring new products with baobab oil, known for its super-hydrating qualities. It’s an extraordinary seed oil that has impressed us in Body Balm and Moisturiser here and as a Hydrating Body Oil here.  Today our latest baobab #amazingfinds are Pure Soap and Pure Oil Bodywash from Bao-Med UK.

Bao-Med UK has four products: Pure Soap, Pure Oil Bodywash, Food Supplements and Pure Skin, Scalp & Hair Oil (the latter won an award with Beauty Shortlist Award in 2020). All products are natural and organic and come with international certification. Baobab seed oil production contributes to the economic revival of the poorest parts of South Africa and Venda. Bao-Med's products are made from pure baobab seed oil and a vitamin and mineral-rich white powder from the fruit which is used in their Food Supplements. This oil has softening, protective and restructuring properties and which are excellent for skin and hair, often used for stretch marks or dry and damaged hair. Bao-Med products use only a sustainable process, only collecting the fruit that has fallen from the tree onto the ground, leaving the tree intact. In this way, they ensure a sustainable harvest and the tree can produce fruit for hundreds of years to come. This brand’s products have been created to help promote healthy skin, scalp, hair and nails; as the baobab seed oil is renowned for its hydrating and healing properties.

First of all, let's start with their Pure Soap made with pure baobab oil with the addition of a natural fig fragrance. It’s smooth to handle and looks like a maple fine-grained wooden roundel. The fig fragrance is subtle, even moreish and particularly evident when lathered up in the hands. We ventured to use this both on the hands and body. It also became a regular fixture both prior and during our covid19 lockdown. Best of all, unlike other soaps when used, we didn’t need to follow it immediately with hand cream, as it magnificently cleansed and moisturised.

Then we have the Pure Oil Bodywash made from baobab and olive oil. This hit the spot addressing our dry skin problem. Hydrating? Oh yes, this most certainly was. With a pH balance of 6.0 pH (neutral and akin to milk) when applied, it had the consistency of oil not that of liquid soap. As soon as it mixes with water goes from being clear into a silky milk-like foam. The product is not greasy and as soon as you apply it, you can feel that it cleaning and moisturising, which leaves a dewy glow to the skin. It also gve a delicate fragrance and worked like a wonder oil keeping our dry and flaky skin at bay. We think this would be particularly good for those with sensitive skin who find regular soap too harsh. Out of the two, this was undoubtedly our favourite. You can purchase your Pure Oil Bodywash 50ml for £9 or a 200ml bottle for £25 here. You can also buy the 90 gm Pure Soap here for £15.