Skin Beautiful Organics: Gold Luxe Clean Oil & Matcha Rose Antioxidant Toner

There is something about all-natural skincare which has all of us at The Amazing Blog coming back for more. That is why we are revisiting Skin Beautiful Organics, which you may remember we have reviewed before here. Today, we had the opportunity to try two more of their luxury skincare products, this time with their cleansing duo the Gold Luxe Clean Oil and the Matcha Rose Antioxidant Toner. 

Skin Beautiful Organics, founded by Ethel Emmons, is a newly launched luxury skincare brand based in the USA. Ethel, a digital strategist and entrepreneur, searched in vain to find skincare products that were gentle, natural, and chemical-free for her sensitive skin. She felt as though she was in an uphill battle with her skin, struggling to ward off swollen, red, and itchy skin that came as a result of using her favourite face creams. This struggle led her to experiment with creating homemade, natural skincare remedies to soothe and protect her skin using various ingredients, such as whole fruits, hydrosols, herbs, and essential oils. With this, she found her passion and decided to pursue formal studies at the UK International School of Natural Skincare, where she received her Certificate of Natural Skincare Formulation. After finishing her studies, Ethel created Skin Beautiful Organics to help others find their perfect skin care match. Skin Beautiful Organics consists of an extensive range of cleansers, serums, creams, scrubs, toners, and masks, all made with the latest and most innovative natural science techniques. All products are manufactured in an FDA-registered and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility powered by 100% renewable wind energy. To maintain the freshness of their ingredients, all products are handcrafted in small batches. Organic and locally sourced ingredients are used whenever possible. Skin Beautiful Organics is proud to announce that their formulas have met or exceeded the Whole Foods Premium Standards for Personal Care Products .

The first step for of the cleansing was the Gold Luxe Clean Oil. This deep cleansing facial oil aims to clean the skin and melt away impurities without stripping the skin of its natural oil balance. The oil nourishes the skin and combats inflammation, all whilst removing makeup and leaving the skin feeling soft and supple. The organic facial oil also focuses on restoring skin through its anti-ageing formula with the help of fourteen high-performance ingredients. A few key ingredients include organic rosehip seed oil, raspberry seed oil, and tamanu seed oil. Organic rosehip seed oil is responsible for depleting dark spots and sun damage through its abundance of omegas (3, 6, and 9) and vitamins (A, C, D, and E). The rosehip seed oil actively rejuvenates the skin to create a smooth and flawless look. Another contributor of the antioxidant vitamin E is the raspberry seed oil, which is added to prevent damage leading to premature skin ageing, leaving the skin plump and firm. The vitamin E found in these natural ingredients help to protect the skin from UV damage and other free radicals. The tamanu seed oil, also known as green gold, is a natural non-steroid anti-inflammatory agent that prevents the skin from becoming irritated or red. The multi-faceted facial oil contains many other ingredients that contribute to its nourishing and cleaning properties that leave the skin feeling refreshed, smoothed, and nourished. The application is simple: use your hands, washcloth, sponge, or cotton pad to massage the oil on your face until the makeup or impurities are removed. Finally, rinse off with lukewarm water and enjoy freshly cleansed skin. 

The second step is the Matcha Rose Antioxidant Toner. This toner contains award-winning plant-based antioxidants and the highest possible concentration of botanical actives to deliver remarkable results. The toner aims to remove any last traces of impurities following the cleansing oil and also prepares the thoroughly clean skin for a serum and/or moisturiser. There are twenty-five (yes, twenty-five!) high-performance ingredients found in this toner. A notable few include one of our favourites sea buckthorn oil (which we have written about when found Scandinavian skincare brands), organic green tea, and bayberry. Sea buckthorn oil is well known for its complex lipids and sterols that help keep the skin hydrated, improving skin elasticity and firmness. Organic green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritation, making it a perfect post-cleansing ingredient. Bayberry is an all-natural ingredient that helps to remove excess oil that may stick to the skin after cleansing. There are a remarkable amount of other ingredients that enhance the power of this toner and boost cellular regeneration. The toner can be easily applied with a cotton pad and gives off a light matcha green tea and rose scent. We found that they work perfectly as a set, starting with the gentle cleansing of the facial oil, followed by the toner to ensure that all impurities were removed, and finished with a serum and cream. The oil and toner gently removed all makeup and left our skin with a refreshing and smooth finish. If you are looking to deeply cleanse, protect, and nourish your skin using all-natural ingredients, these products might be the perfect addition to your skincare routine. Apart from the ingredients that we love, we also like the elegant long line frosted glass bottles that are chic enough to complement any dressing table or bathroom shelf. You can purchase the 120ml Gold Luxe Clean Oil here for £74.00 and the 120ml Matcha Rose Antioxidant Toner here  for £65.00.

Ambre Luxe: Bronzing Foam and Tan Remover Foam

It’s summertime (AKA self-tanner time), and at The Amazing Blog we love how a good self-tanning product boosts our confidence, prevents us from spending hours roasting in the sun, allows us to get a tan from the comfort of our home, and more importantly, gives us a glow that is skin cancer risk-free! We’re always on the look out for a good, new and comment-worthy self-tanner and this new duo from Ambre Luxe with their Bronzing Foam and Tan Remover Foam didn’t disappoint!

Ambre Luxe, is an Australian brand that sells self-tanning products, was started in 2018 by Amanda Bankier and her daughter — they are a mother and daughter team that love anything to do with beauty. Since their inception they have grown into a team of four, and are continuously building on their brand. Currently, Ambre Luxe sells Bronzing Foam, Tan Remover Foam, a Polishing Glove, and Tanning Mitt and they have a couple of new products in development, including a Gradual Tanning Moisturiser. Bankier said, “We are passionate about creating multi-tasking bronzing formulas that deliver on every level, this is our Ambre Luxe brand mission.” Ambre Luxe is cruelty-free and vegan, and although they are an Australian brand, they deliver worldwide. They recently announced that they will be the official tanning partner of Miss Universe Australia 2021. Bankier went on to say, “As confessed self-tan and skin care addicts, we were constantly struggling to find a self-tan that offered potent skincare benefits without compromising on the effectiveness of the tanning actives. So we fixed that, and created our very own. At Ambre Luxe we are passionate about both bronzing perfection and skincare.” All products are paraben-free, include some organic ingredients, and come in containers made with plastic that can be recycled.

Let’s start with the Ambre Luxe’s Bronzing Foam, what we like is that this is that it allowed us to tailor our colour— leave it on for two hours for a subtle glow or eight hours for the darker finish (we preferred the latter). The formula contains 15% DHA, for the newbie self-tanners here, this DHA is in most self tanning products and can be from 5% to 15% in strength. As a general rule, you want to pick a product with a smaller percentage if you have fair skin and a product with a larger percentage if your natural skin tone is medium or dark. However, we have pale skin and flout this rule by nearly always using 15% DHA! Most people with sensitive skin have no issues with any DHA-based products, but to stay on the safe side we’d suggest always to do a patch test. There are also rejuvenating and moisturising ingredients in this Bronzing Foam with marula oil, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and carrot seed oil. The marula oil is antioxidant and fatty acid rich as well as deeply nourishing, hyaluronic acid is hydrating as it helps the skin attract external moisture, vitamin E repairs damaged cells as well as protects against further damage, and carrot seed oil adds additional antioxidants and nourishment. Ambre Luxe says the tan will last 5–7 days or longer with proper preparation and regular moisturising - NB: don’t use body oil it shortens the lifespan of the tan! We used this by first moisturising dry areas (hands, wrists, feet, ankles, elbows, and knees); you can use your hands to apply or if you’re like us, we preferred to use a Mitt (Ambre Luxe has one here) It’s easy to use and when applied has guide colour, so you’ll know if you miss anywhere. The fragrance is very pleasant being slightly sweet and berry-like but not overpowering. Then after tanning, we waited 5 minutes to let it dry before dressing. They very sensibly suggest avoiding contact with water while the tan is still developing or you may end up with water splatters - not a good look! The company says you can use the foam on your face but recommends against it if you have sensitive skin. One of the great things about this product is that it dries quickly and leaves skin feeling smooth and nourished — unlike some other tanners that we’ve tried, which have left us feeling sticky for hours. We also liked how natural the results were and how it didn’t dry out our skin - we’d recommend this.

Next we used Ambre Luxe’s Tan Remover Foam this works by speeding up the natural skin shedding process that fades tans, which can be done with physical or chemical exfoliants. Physical exfoliants require manually rubbing the tan and skin away, which can leave skin irritated and red. While chemical exfoliants in this Tan Remover Foam, gently removes old tan residue by dissolving the glue that holds dead skin cells together, so no harsh scrubbing is required. While the word ‘chemical’ may sound scary, in this case, it isn’t — the chemical they uses is citric acid, which is derived from citrus fruit. And fruit acids actually have many benefits, including smoothing and hydrating skin. The Tan Remover Foam also includes aloe vera, which is a soothing and calming anti-inflammatory. Ambre Luxe recommends exfoliating 24 hours before tanning. To apply, you can use your hands or use their Polishing  Glove that they’ve designed particularly for this exfoliating step. We were very impressed by its performance and how very gentle this Tan Remover was on the skin. Again the fragrance here was pleasant with a hint of fruitiness. It took next to no time to work - 5 minutes to be precise, then we had a warm shower to remove all residue. For all you tanning addicts, we feel sure that this will fast become your bathroom essential, leaving you now with no excuse for those orange patchy knees and ankles! Again, it’s easy to use and certainly beats soaking in the bath followed by a loofah. This is definitely one of our #amazingfind for tan removal, and has already been used on numerous occasions during this summer.

If you want to step up your self-tan game with these products, you can find The Bronzing Foam here for $29.95, the Tan Remover Foam here for $24.95, and the Duo Pack here for $45.00.

Skin Beautiful Organics: Intelligent Skin Recovery Hyper-Serum & Bio-Resurfacing Enzyme Cream

Today, we’re going stateside, and want to introduce a new luxury skincare that we’ve had our eye on, ever since their pre-launch on Instagram. As regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog    we like to champion new high-performance natural skincare brands, especially those with slightly more unusual ingredients. Meet Skin Beautiful Organics, who we hope will launch here soon in the UK.

As mentioned above, Skin Beautiful Organics is a new launch of luxury botanical-based skincare from the USA, and their founder is Ethel Emmons, who is a business technologist and digital strategist and entrepreneur. The brand story began when Ethel searched in vain to find  gentle, natural and chemical-free skincare to replace her favourite face creams - which occasionally gave her hypersensitivity and led to swollen, red and itchy skin. Back as far as 2007, unable to find any suitable alternatives, Ethel experimented with creating homemade natural skincare remedies to soothe and protect her skin using a variety of ingredients from whole fruits, hydrosols and herbs to carrier and essential oils, all to help soothe and protect her skin. However, it wasn’t until 2020, after completing her studies at the UK International School of Natural Skincare and Formula Botanical, that she decided to launch her own plant-based skincare. Thus, Skin Beautiful Organics was born with 14 clean, natural and effective products, which are a wide range of cleansers, toner, essence, serums, creams, mask and scrubs. All products are made with the latest and most innovative natural science techniques to extract healthy nutrients from plants in a highly bioavailable format. These are manufactured in an FDA-registered and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility powered by 100% renewable wind energy. To maintain the freshness of their ingredients, all products are handcrafted in small batches. Organic ingredients are used wherever possible, and Skin Beautiful Organics are proud to announce that their formulas have met or exceeded the Whole Foods Premium Standards for Personal Care Products.

We were excited to try two of their new products. The first was one of their best-seller, the Intelligent Skin Recovery Hyper-Serum  It is a hyper-serum aimed at helping ageing/mature skin, fine lines, dry and dull skin, or loss of skin elasticity and firmness. The Serum acts to strengthen the skin matrix, stimulate collagen and elastin fibroblast, and provide skin resilience and firmness through feeding the skin with its abundance of nutrition. Yes, and it is ‘abundance’ with over 40 high-performance actives in the Serum; one thing is for sure, Skin Beautiful Organics hasn’t skimped on their ingredients here. There are far too many to explain, so we’ll talk about a few key ones, which include; globularia cordifolia callus culture extract, this plant grows in the mountains of central and southern Europe, which supports cell renewal, cell longevity and eliminates damaged proteins and environmental toxins. You can also find sandalwood hydrosol from the santalum album tree – used as incense in spiritual ceremonies for centuries – It soothes irritated skin and reduces inflammation. One of our favourites is niacinamide (vitamin B3), which has many benefits supporting the skin barrier, increasing its resiliency, and improves texture by making pores look smaller.  Another essential active is the Irish moss (or red algae) with its high level of nutrients, including antioxidants and it very importantly offers protection from the visible effects of blue light exposure. Finally, the sunflower seed oil (which is in both the products) is an excellent source of vitamin E, rich in nutrients and antioxidants, effectively for combatting inflammation, eczema and general redness or skin irritation. Our experience was a positive one, the fragrance is a warm, gentle and not intrusive, it’s a mix of sandalwood and rose. It absorbed well and helped plump up the skin, and even left us with a soft sheen that really made our complexion glow… With this Serum’s plethora of ingredients, I’d even go so far as to say, that using this alone, could be enough even for those like us, with a dry or sensitive skin.  They advise using night and day before applying a day cream (for extra protection) or alone under makeup. You can purchase the 30ml Intelligent Skin Recovery Hyper-Serum for €93.00 here.

Next, we tried the Bio-Resurfacing Enzyme Cream again, this cream is more for ageing, mature or dry skin, and for those with an uneven skin tone. It has an elite collection of bio-actives and enzymes that make up the 31 high-performance Ingredients. This Bio-Resurfacing Enzyme cream is mainly for night-time use to regenerate and boost cell renewal, so as to give a brighter and smoother skin. The hero ingredients here are pomegranate, with its powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which brighten and exfoliate. The papaya extract is high in vitamin C and E, enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids. This helps to get rid of dead skin cells and unclogs pores to combat spots and acne. It also balances the elastic fibres and collagen of the dermis. Another ingredient that keeps collagen strong is the wakame seaweed bio-ferment, which delivers anti-ageing effects to minimises damage at the cellular level by detoxifying the skin thanks to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, and fatty acids. It also contains geranium, which also fights against ageing by minimising fine lines and improving skin elasticity and firmness. There’s also plant stem cells with daisy for cell protection, and organic dandelion, rosehip seed and sunflower seed oils, all to boost the skin with antioxidants for protection and rejuvenation. It’s wonderful to find a rich and intense cream that works, and with it’s luxurious whipped finish, it didn’t disappoint. We could identify three of our favourite essential oils with the subtle mix of geranium, neroli and bergamot in the fragrance, making it even more of a pleasure to use. For us, it was better at night as we felt it had an undisturbed time to penetrate the dermis and ‘feed’ the skin. However, we also used a small amount over the Serum during the day, as it helped to protect our skin in the inclement UK weather (it’s May and still a chilly 10 degrees!) If your skin is looking lacklustre or dry, this is the skincare for you. We’re going to keep a close eye on Skin Beautiful Organics, and can’t to try more from the range. Yes, it’s our #amazingfinds for this week’s skincare. You can buy 50ml Bio-Resurfacing Enzyme Cream for €93.00 here . 

The Health & Beauty Botanical Handbook by Pip Waller

Now that we’re all working from home, at The Amazing Blog regular walks in the countryside and gardening have become even more precious, as we get back to nature and using our kitchens as never before.  Herbal lore and remedies have been used by humans over the centuries.  In London there are a number of wonderful apothecary’s gardens growing medicinal plants, The Chelsea Physic Garden is only a ten-minute walk for us and has over 5,000 different varieties of edible and medicinal plants.  We have found ourselves inspired by this Health and Beauty Botanical Handbook which is full of information and recipes.

The Health and Beauty Botanical Handbook is written by Pip Waller who is an experienced medical herbalist and plant spirit practitioner. She has taught at the Academy of Natural Health in London and was a clinical supervisor for the UK-based National Institute of Medical Herbalists Training Clinic.  Pip is also the author of Holistic Anatomy - An Integrative Guide to the Human Body (North Atlantic Books, 2011) and The Domestic Alchemist. She has successfully taught anatomy, physiology and pathology to students of natural medicine since 1991. Her teaching style, which is informal yet extremely informative, comes across well in this book.  Pip Waller shares her invaluable herbal know-how for natural wellbeing.

The book helps to turn the kitchen into a pharmacy providing plant-powered health and beauty recipes. From making tinctures and tonics to syrups and creams, this world-renowned herbalist shares over 350 recipes for pure well-being and holistic health.   An introduction to the power of plants is followed by growing tips and profiles; guidelines on how to set up your kitchen to make the recipes, and techniques for making everything from tinctures to tonics.  It starts with some information about herbs and making herbal recipes, then the recipes themselves and a herb dictionary. Although this book doesn't have any photographs, it's illustrated beautifully. Each recipe has a little blurb and there are extra notes and cautions throughout the book too. The ingredient dictionary at the end is helpful for anyone inexperienced in making herbal remedies. One of the best things about this book is that each recipe lists tell us how long it keeps for, and instructions on how to store, which is great for peace of mind so you know you're only consuming/using fresh and safe products. 

This book has inspired us to try out some of the recipes and read up about herbs and their healing properties.  This is the perfect time of year for the Soothing Sloe C Syrup as sloes are now in the hedgerows (the fruit of the blackthorn) this can help with bronchial conditions, colds, catarrh and inflammation of the throat.  The Weight Loss Spice Tea is also good to try with ginger, cardamom, turmeric and cayenne pepper to help burn fat. The Rosemary Vinegar Hair Rinse can be used in multiple ways, as a rinse to increase shine and restore the hair’s protective acid pH or as a drink to improve circulation.  Totally fitting into our way of life now. You too can buy the book a here from Quarto Books, the price is good value at £12.99. We think that this book is a great introduction to gaining a better understanding of plants and herbs and their uses.  Now we have it, we’ll be dipping into it as we go foraging! 

Beckford's White Pearl Rum & Coconut

We can feel the autumn nights drawing in, which of course, now gives us a good excuse to have a warming tot of rum! The Amazing Blog is back with Beckford’s Rum but this time with their new addition of White Pearl Rum & Coconut – yum!

Beckford’s Rums are named after and in honour of the one Beckford from history that Society can be proud of. Henry Beckford was a freed slave who attended the world's first anti-slavery congress by invitation, it was held in 1840 in London.  An ardent abolitionist he was accepted into polite society and became a beacon of light emerging from a dark past. An impression of Henry features on all our bottles and our premium Rum is also called “ Henry”. This range of four Beckford Rums offers the drinker a blend of anything from Rum & Caramel (see here), Black Pearl Spiced Rum & Spiced Pineapple and now the delicious White Pearl Rum & Coconut which we’re sipping now. All their rums have environmentally friendly credentials, as they’re produced in small batches with recyclable packaging and cork stoppers.

This elixir of White Pearl Rum & Coconut is as clear as crystal and with no caramel-like hue. We found this to be a much purer drink than the Rum & Caramel and far less like a liqueur. You may ask, what's the difference between light and dark rum?  When rum is first distilled, it’s always clear; light, silver or white rum is aged for less time than the other varieties. So think of this like a ‘virgin’ rum. Apart from being gluten, vegan and nut-free it’s made with only the finest premium Caribbean rum and baby coconuts. This White Pearl Rum & Coconut comes in a very palatable 25% ABV. Smooth as silk on the palate it tickles the taste buds and with its addition of coconut also gives it a  fantastic aroma. They suggest having this in pineapple juice or pink lemonade – but we preferred this drizzled over some vanilla ice cream! We got sent a 20ml bottle but you can purchase a 70ml bottle here for just £ 25.00.