Black Sheep Dispensaries: CBD Full Spectrum Supplements

Have you felt a bit ‘wobbly’ recently? In these uncertain times, we at The Amazing Blog have been searching out natural products to help steady our nerves, take the edge off and generally give us some uninterrupted sleep. As regular readers will know, we’re big fans of CBD (see here) not only for its calming effects but also for its anti-inflammatory and skin-boosting qualities. As we approach Christmas (and the anticipation of a further lockdown in the New Year), we’re just so pleased to introduce you to  Black Sheep Dispensaries and their supplements, which we have to hand!

Black Sheep Dispensaries was founded in 2015 with a vision to provide honest, affordable, organic, natural cannabis products for the consumer. Kimberley Brown and her co-founder have a wealth of knowledge on the cannabis plant which includes a Bachelor of Science Degree whereby a study was made into the link between cannabis and mental health as well as two diplomas in Medical Cannabis. In 2017 Black Sheep Dispensaries officially launched with their product range and over the past few years have developed new products, clothes and accessories. Through personal experience, cannabinoids have been used to treat anxiety which was a contributing driving force to create a company based on a product which had a positive impact upon their life. As the company has developed connections have been made throughout the sporting industry which includes boxing, mixed martial arts, football, basketball, snowboarding, motor cross as well as actors and the general public across a wide span of age groups. The customer base and connections made have further driven Black Sheep Dispensaries to become pioneers within the industry by continuing to grow, develop and provide for every different type of consumer. They are continually completing research and development with a vision to be pioneers within the cannabis industry by bringing new and exciting products to market.  Products currently include edibles, vapes, wax crumbles and balms all of which are made with organic hemp.  Black Sheep Dispensaries uses the whole plant with full spectrum cannabis sativa plant, where it’s extracted using a supercritical CO2 extraction. This gives their products the cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, Omega-3,6, fatty acids, and amino acids; all of which encourage the entourage effect.

They very kindly sent us three of the products to try. The 1 ml Whole Plant Cannabis Sativa Extract Syringe 1000mg was a first for us, as we’ve never tried a cannabis sativa extract in a syringe before. Having both CBD and CBDA it offers even more health benefits than your regular CBD. For those new to CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), it’s a raw form or predecessor to CBD. It has been used in many medical trials as an anti-inflammatory, anti-depression and anti-nausea for cancer patients and also deemed effective in medical trials for seizure treatment (see here). Whereas, the CBD present, offers all-round pain relief, anti-anxiety and improved sleep. Recently we learnt that it has antidiabetic and enhanced bone healing properties too! With full-spectrum CBD, terpenoids, flavonoids, omega 3-6-9 fatty acids, and amino acids; this Extract offers you all the goodness that you could want from a CBD supplement. We think this is a great way to take CBD. For novices, we should say that this Extract does have a bit of a ‘kick’ but not in an unpleasant way. It’s quick and easy to take, we put a tiny rice-sized amount onto our finger and then massage into your mouth. This is extremely good value at a mere £10 for 1ml here as with this Extract Syringe, a little goes a long way!  

 We also received the 1000mg CBD & CBDA Oral Dropper in 10ml  which comes as an oil in a black bottle with dropper.  Again, this is made up full-spectrum CBD plant extract together with the CBDA (as discussed above) and diluted with organic hemp seed oil.  It has the strength of 14% which is erring on the low side, so good for the initiating any CBD newbies. The percentages of CBD tend to start around 10% and up to 50% for the most potent. They recommend no more than the maximum dose of 200mg so you might want to go here to see the calculator when taking. See here to purchase the Oral Drops at £35. 

Finally, we have the third product which is their 100mg Full Spectrum CBD Capsules. For those of you wanting to try CBD but not keen on the hempy taste, these will be for you. They have 14mg of CBD per capsule, with a breakdown of 11.7% CBD and 2.5% CBDA with the same 14% of CBD + CBDA as the Oral Dropper. However, here the capsules are combined with organic MCT (coconut oil) in a vegan capsule. To purchase  30 capsules for £35 see here . We agree with Kimberley Brown, the co-founder who said: “We believe cannabinoids play an important role within the body and by introducing daily cannabinoids to your everyday diet and routine you not only treat existing ailments but prevent others from arising.” As they say, prevention is better than cure!

Dr Ankerstjerne - URBAN PROTECTION & SUPERFOOD

If you tot up the annual cost of your skincare, does it make you draw breath in horror? When we did this at The Amazing Blog it certainly gave us quite a shock!  We are all for economy and multitasking products, so when we heard about a new advanced Nordic skincare Dr Ankerstjerne , that would not only save us time but money – we had to try it. We also think that it’s perfect as a Christmas gift for anyone looking for a simple anti-ageing skincare routine with excellent results.

Dr Ankerstjerne is an advanced skincare brand developed by two Norwegian doctors, who got their inspiration when they couldn’t find skincare that would endure the extremes of the Scandinavian weather. Stine and Andre Ankerstjerne went on to develop an effective cosmeceutical brand based on one particular insight: Why use multiple products when the key actives needed can be condensed into just a few? In 2018, after five years of research, development, and testing, they decided to launch their own skincare brand with advanced skincare that’s easy to use. To answer the need for a simpler skincare regime, all the products are packed with multiple actives that work in synergy to provide long-lasting results without taking so much time or money. These all underwent clinical and laboratory testing with advanced dermatology equipment to measure very precisely the depth and length of wrinkles, skin firmness, skin elasticity and moisture levels. Dr Stine Ankerstjerne said: “Documentation of our skincare range’s effect assures us that our products do what they promise. The anti-age effects have been thoroughly investigated in double-blind, long-term studies, where independent dermatologists have performed advanced 3D scans of the skin of test subjects before and after the test period. The impressive study results showed a reduction of wrinkles, increased moisture content in the skin, as well as improvement of skin elasticity and tightness.” There is a core range of five products, all of which are high in vitamins and antioxidants (see here ) where these target anti-ageing for all skin types. They are also vegan, free from paraben, silicone and microplastics. 

We received two products, both beautifully presented with simple and clean white branding. The first product that we reviewed is the URBAN PROTECTION Anti-pollution/Anti-ageing day cream . As the name suggests,  this cream is to be used in the morning to hydrate and safeguard skin against environmental pollutants and aggressors. This is one of the few creams that we’ve tried that offered SPF 30 UVA and B filtering and quick absorption into the dermis. Best of all,  for us, it doesn’t leave a white residue or clog the pores! It uses CityStem™ an ingredient known to restore the autophagic functions that can be altered by pollution in order to detoxify skin cells (i.e. it reduces the penetration of air pollution into the skin, strengthen the epidermis, and limits DNA damage). To slow ageing signs, this is combined with niacinamide (vitamin B3), well-known for its hydration and skin barrier function, as well as reducing hyperpigmentation. It keeping wrinkles and fine lines at bay, whilst improving skin texture and elasticity by boosting the collagen production. After using, their testers found that in eight weeks the wrinkles were decreased by 24% and noticed an increase in skin elasticity and firmness. We think that if, like us, you live in a city then this URBAN PROTECTION day cream will soon become a must-have addition to your daily skincare routine! 

The second product we tried was their  SUPERFOOD multipurpose vitamin facegel. This is what Dr Ankerstjerne calls an “ultra-hydrating antioxidant vitamin bomb”…And we quickly understood why, looking at the list of ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin B5, A, E and sea buckthorn extract for vitamin C. All of these ingredients are known for their powerful hydrating and antioxidant properties. It offers the perfect cocktail to help reduce hyperpigmentation and skin irritation while helping with skin moisture and maintaining the skin’s natural elasticity and firmness. Because it is so deliciously rich in vitamins, this cool-to-the-touch gel can either be used alone or under your day or night cream, and as an eye contour cream.  This truly is an all-in-one anti-ageing product and here, after eight weeks the clinical tests with SUPERFOOD it showed 10/10 results for improvement of wrinkles/elasticity and firmness.  We used this alone at night where it felt cooling, fresh and moisturising. When used under URBAN PROTECTION, it gave us the reassurance that we needed, for our skin to be adequately shielded from pollution and chilling winter weather. It is easy to use, timesaving and we think good value for money as a high-performance cosmeceutical. Rest assured these two products will be a good investment and your two great allies for all-year-round protection. You can purchase the 50ml URBAN PROTECTION day cream here for 850.00nok (approximately £70.50), and the 50ml  SUPERFOOD multipurpose vitamin facegel here for the same price.

Kiskanu - CBD Face Oil

As we enter into Tier 3, here in London – the pandemic stress levels of 2020 are taking their toll on our skin. That’s why at The Amazing Blog we’ve been concentrating on find healing and soothing skincare to calm our complexions and help to stop our miserable skin-stressed breakouts. Our latest #amazingfinds is the CBD Face Oil from Kishanu which offers the perfect solution with this curative and multipurpose skincare. 

With over 20 years in the cannabis industry, Gretchen and Jason Miller run their family-owned and operated business, Kiskanu in California where they’re based within the Wiyot Nation ancient and sacred land. This is where they’ve put their knowledge and learnings into their product research and manufacturing. Using only organic ingredients, as well as whole-plant extracts, with virgin and cold-pressed oils as a base - gives their products both purity and simplicity. One of their goals is to be environmentally friendly by using organic farming, sustainability methods, and providing safe lab-tested products. Their paper tubes, cardboard boxes, and glass jars are all recyclable or reusable; they want to avoid as much plastic packaging as possible. This practice is carried through and implemented into their facilities by reducing paper products and usage, as well as no single-use plastic in production. Sourcing their CBD from the United States keeps a low carbon footprint, and their CBD products contain only 0-0.3% THC. Kiskanu said: “Rather than isolates or concentrates, we believe in the effectiveness of whole plant medicine to imbue healing qualities into our products that are palpable.” They currently offer a small range of CBD skincare, an intimacy oil, botanical drops, capsules and even a suppository!

The CBD Face OIl is encased in a sleek pale blue tubular cardboard casing, which when opened, reveals a stylish 30ml frosted glass spritz top bottle. We used this unisex Face Oil as a moisturiser, makeup base and even as a beard oil. Due to the 100mg CBD (cannabidiol) here, this Face Oil is for all skin types including sensitive ones, where it repairs free radical damage. The base is a combination of cold-pressed organic oils with sunflower, argan, coconut, and jojoba. These hydrate, soothe, moisturise and help to minimise ageing. The full-spectrum CBD is derived from hemp and has anti-inflammatory properties that are high in antioxidants that help to calms the skin. Other key ingredients are calendula (extracted from marigold flowers) which is primarily used for healing soothing eczema or irritated skin. Rose geranium and lavender essential oils help to brighten the skin by removing dead skin cells and reducing wrinkles.  Whereas, the wild carrot has carotenes and vitamin A which repair the skin’s tissues and offers protection against harmful radiation. The oil is light in texture, absorbs well and has delicious subtle fragrance notes of lavender and rose geranium. This is one of the best face oils that we’ve used in a long time; it felt both restorative and healing. It’s also so versatile, we used it morning and evening, alone and under makeup (and I even caught my partner sneaking a drop to rub into his whiskers!).  Whether for you or a loved one, you can purchase the Kiskanu Hemp CBD Face Oil here in two sizes 30ml for $40 or a 5 ml for $17.

Evese London: Si'Nekra Mud Mask & Hydra'Moist Daily Moisturiser

We all need a little pampering at the moment, and at The Amazing Blog with Christmas fast approaching. we’ve found a luxury skincare brand that offers just that with Evese London.

After growing up around women and hearing their discussions about their appearance, founder Andreas Samiotis wanted to create a luxury skincare brand of his own. He was curious about the multitude of skincare products that he had witnessed growing up and wondered what made each one special. After much research, he decided to try and find a way to take the very best ingredients from each product, and then put them into one. Thus, Evese was launched in 2019, where Andreas has created a brand of natural skincare that performs, is cruelty-free and has a low carbon footprint. The environmental impact of the ingredients has been a paramount factor when creating the brand and bringing it to market. Today Evese London has six spa-grade products in its premium skincare range, and even offer a short questionnaire here to help the customer find the right product for their individual skin type.

The two product that they kindly sent to were their Si’Nekra Mud Mask and The Hydra’Moist Daily Moisturiser. Let’s start with their hero product Si’Nekra Mud Mask which translates from the Greek as the ‘Dead Sea’ Mud Mask. This mask extracts toxins from the skin, giving it a healthy and glowing appearence. It helps reduce fine lines, minimise pore size and replenish the skin with vital minerals and vitamins. This mask we found is best used as part of a weekly routine applied on face, neck and décolletage area only (avoiding the delicate eye area). In this grey mud mask, the three most active ingredients are dead sea mud, volcanic ash, and kaolinite, which all work together to cleanse and refresh the skin. Dead sea mud works to get rid of impurities, the salt and magnesium here help boost skin elasticity. Volcanic ash has cleansing, purification and exfoliating properties. Kaolinite gets rid of dead skin cells and absorbs impurities from pores. Other key ingredients include tea tree oil, titanium dioxide, shea butter. With slightly more unusual chondrus cripus (Irish moss) which apart from being packed full of vitamins and minerals is also a conditioning agent and often used as a to regulate the viscosity of a product. The allantoin here is extracted from the root of the comfrey plant, it is a gentle, soothing and protects the skin. We found that unlike other liquid face masks, that dry almost instantaneous when it is applied, this stays moist (the shea butter perhaps?) We let it sit on the skin for 10-15 minutes then gently removed it in circular motions with warm water. It left our skin feeling fresh and super-hydrated with the hint of a citrus fragrance. Evese suggests following this step with their Hydra’Moist Daily Moisturiser, which we duly did.

All skin needs to be hydrated; whether you have dry skin or an oily complexion, good hydration is vital. The Hydra’Moist Daily Moisturiser is for all-day full-on hydration. This moisturiser helps protect the skin from pollutants with the three actives, opuntia streptacantha (prickly pear extract), ophiopogon japonicus (snake’s beard root extract), and panthenol (provitamin B5) that all work together in the formula to give maximum hydration. Prickly pear provides soothing properties, ideal for acne-prone, dry and sensitive complexions. It’s also age-defying and can improve overall skin tone. Snake’s beard root boosts the skin’s moisture-retaining ability which in turn protects it from dryness with its enhanced skin barrier function. Whereas provitamin B5 has a calming effect on the skin – again it increases skin hydration and creates a protective barrier. We found that when applied, this Hydra’Moist felt silky and soothing, and offered more than adequate protection against the cold winter elements. Best of all, we think that the Hydra’Moist makes a great primer for makeup allowing foundation or powders the perfect canvas for an even application. So, why not treat yourself (or others) with this luxury skincare duo for good skincare protection for the winter. To purchase the 250g Si'Nekra Mud Mask for £40 see here. Or the 50g Hydra’Moist Daily Moisturiser for £41 see here. There is even an option to purchase them as a bundle here for £72.

Eye of Horus: Sacred Earth Palette

If you’re one of our loyal readers on The Amazing Blog then you’ll know, that if there is one natural cosmetics brand that we love, it’s Eye Of Horus, all the way from Byron Bay. We’ve reviewed several of their eyeliners, eye shadow palettes and mascaras previous here but today we’re featuring a new launch which is their Sacred Earth Palette which we think would make a wonderful gift for any make-up aficionados friends.

Eye Of Horus was born out of a passion for natural ingredients combining ancient Egyptian beauty secrets. They wanted to create make-up products that would perform and bring confidence to all women helping them to look and feel like goddesses! All products are inspired by these same techniques and key raw ingredients that have been tried and tested since ancient times. These include essential oils and natural waxes, where the brand is respectful of nature and the planet. Eye of Horus works hard to be as sustainable and ethical as they can be, with their production processes and by using recycled materials for their packaging. As some of you may know, most of their products are organic and vegan, and never tested on animals. However, just because their make-up is organic, sustainable and cruelty-free, it doesn’t mean that it has to have a limited number of exciting colours or products. This is where Eye Of Horus steps up by offering a new range with lipsticks, glosses, illuminators, cheek colour; adding to their already extensive collection of colourful eye pencils, liquid liners, mascaras and eye shadows. This is one of the reasons why they are a multi-award brand, their hero product the award-winning Goddess Mascara.

The Sacred Earth Palette is part of the new Glow Collection, which is aimed at modern-day Goddesses. Especially those who need performing products that are quick and easy to use and fit into a tight schedule; as co-founder Holly Spiering says: ‘We created the Glow Collection for the busy everyday Goddess in mind. We wanted these palettes to be super versatile, easy to apply, with products that can be used on your face, your eyes, and your cheeks, to give you that really beautiful, youthful look, while still showcasing our EOH signature glow.” This 100% vegan palette is a must-have to create a fresh and sun-kissed everyday look, even in winter! Enriched with desert clay, moringa oil - the oil of Pharaohs – goldenseal and olive leaf extract it’s suitable for even the most sensitive of skins. This all-in-one product features their signature ‘Bronze Ochre’ bronzer and ‘Luxor Light’ highlighter, as well as two beautiful blush powders – ‘Persian Peach’, and ‘Sienna Blush’ – that can also be used as eyeshadows for a beautiful and youthful look. The ‘Persian Peach’ is perfect for a fresh-face look, while it can be used alone, you can also blend it with the ‘Sienna Blush’. This vibrant-looking pink colour has gorgeous gold undertones and therefore complements all skin tones. There are many ways that you can use this complexion palette, but for a simple everyday working Goddess look, here is what Eye Of Horus advises: Start by applying the ‘Bronze Ochre’ to define your cheekbones, nose, and any other feature you want to define. Then apply ‘Sienna Blush’ or ‘Persian peach’, or both blushes to your cheeks, highlight with ‘Luxor Light’ above the blush and anywhere you want to add extra glow. For the eyes, apply ‘Bronze Ochre’ into the crease, add ‘Sienna Blush’ on the lid, and finish off with ‘Luxor Light’ on brow bone, inner corner, and lid. When we used this Sacred Earth Palette, we remembered why we love this brand so much; all the colours complement each other to create a natural look, the colours are easy to apply, blend well and last all day long! Once again, well-done Eye Of Horus, with this Sacred Earth Palette. Want to bring out your inner Goddess for Christmas? Then purchase this complexion palette here for £48.