CBD Pure Oils: CALM – CBD Infused Scented Oil

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we can’t resist trying something new from the world of CBD, Today, think ‘room fragrance’. We couldn’t resist trying this CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil, a CBD infused fragranced oil from CBD Pure Oils. A few drops in water either with an ultrasonic aroma diffuser (photo above) or burning in a traditional ceramic one; the combined effects of CBD with essential oils help to transform a room’s ambience.

The CBD Pure Oils story starts in August of 2017 with two friends discovering that they’ve both been using CBD products, on a regular basis for anxiety and pain relief.  This was the moment when Debbie Houghton and Julie Barrett decided to become the founders of a new CBD brand, This way they both could share their CBD experience with others. What started as an idea to provide high-quality CBD products has now turned into a successful and innovative brand.   They described CBD Pure OIls as a place for consumers to “easily access the products they desire and be assured that the CBD products they are buying are pure.”  With transparency at the forefront, the two founders want to ensure that the CBD products they offer are always reliable and pure. To emphasise this brand message, they use EU-approved hemp strains that have been extracted in the UK through a Co2 supercritical extraction process. They’ve also made information on their products available here with the laboratory results giving the strength and purity.  CBD Pure Oils sells a selection of full-spectrum but THC-free CBD products, ranging from oils and topicals to the slightly more unusual home products. Co-founder Denise pointed out, “Having the ability to provide a CBD oil that contains the whole plant, and is full-spectrum, increases ‘the entourage effect’ within our bodies, meaning our customers will get the maximum benefits from our CBD oil.” They’re also proud members of the Cannabis Trade Association, a trade body that aims to foster good work practice, raise standards, increase safety, and monitor the cannabis trade industry in Europe. All products are suitable for vegans, they’re mindful of their carbon footprint, and use recyclable packaging for their products.  

CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil combines essential oils with 20mg of full-spectrum CBD oil, creating an aromatherapy-based room fragrance. This deep scented blend can be broken down into three main notes: the top note is bergamot, the middle note is patchouli, and the base note is amber. As mentioned earlier, this dark amber and bergamot essential oil is infused with full-spectrum CBD, this unusual addition helps to add another dimension raising a further sense of calm, which in turn reduces stress and promotes a feeling of relaxation. The full-spectrum CBD oil means that it retains many of the terpenes and natural plant compounds, like THC. However, the THC in all the products from CBD Pure Oils has been removed by using a Co2 supercritical extraction process. When these terpenes come together with other natural plant compounds, like those found in essential oils, they tend to create an even more amplified effect. The bergamot here is a popular citrus essential oil also known to relax the mind and relieve stress. Patchouli oil, made from the leaves of a patchouli plant, has its own beneficial properties like alleviating pain and easing anxiety, As for the amber oil, made from melted tree resin, it’s known to strengthen memory, soothe the mind, and improve sleep patterns. All these ingredients come together to form this unique CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil. By harnessing the CBD benefits with these essential oils, this infusion creates a feeling of ‘calm’ which when either burnt or vapourised in a diffuser, offers a feeling of almost meditative tranquillity to the surroundings.

To use this CALM - CBD Infused Scented Oil, we simply added five or six drops together with water into our ultrasonic aroma diffuser, which dispersed plumes of fragranced vapour into the air, taking only moments to create a scent-filled room. The best way to describe this dark bergamot and amber aroma is a warm, earthy, sweet scent with a slight touch of citrusy spice - and no smell of hemp!  We found it very mellow and autumnal. Sadly, this little bottle didn’t last long as the scent proved very popular in the office, and became part of our daily home-time routine - stimulating the senses and calming our busy minds!. Yes, it’s another one of our #amazingfinds. The 10 ml CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil (containing 20 mg of CBD oil) can be purchased here for £9.  

Nurme : Natural Deodorant Mandarin and Orange

At The Amazing Blog we know how important it is to stay fresh while living our busy and sometimes hectic lives. Whether we are running daily errands, going to the gym, or travelling, we all want to feel protected from unpleasant odours. We also love discovering new brands with natural or organic products that are not tested on animals and free from nasty chemicals. And let’s face it, no matter what the activity, we all want to smell our best! Today we are featuring Nurme’s Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant.

Nurme is an Estonian brand that has just celebrated 12 years of producing natural cosmetic products. The name stems from the Estonian word Nurm for meadow, a special place from childhood for Marit Tiits, co-founder of the brand. For her a meadow is a place that “always brought me joy was full of surprises, and when needed, offered comfort.” Nurme is a business built and run by a mother-daughteriew, duo, Marit and Luule Tiits, who decided to combine their knowledge, skills and drive to create this business when the financial crisis of 2009 arrived, resulting in redundancy notices for them both. Marit began by making handmade soaps and bath cosmetics in her home kitchen; she created unique gifts for friends and family. Marit describes it best: “At first, I thought that soap is just a nice accessory in the bathroom and never thought of washing myself with it. The excitement was even greater when I realised that I had managed to change the world.” When Marit became a mother herself, it became clear that skin problems affected many people and that your soap choice is the starting point in helping restore your skin. They found that your skin’s condition could improve by 80 per cent with a suitable natural soap.  Nurme strives to create “100% natural and organic products” literally from head to toe. Since 2009, they have been producing handmade and natural products with aromatherapy, body, skin and hair care products; and are also a multi-award-winning brand (see here).

The range of products from Nurme are created using only natural, herbal ingredients that offer gentle ingredients for both skin and hair. This same concept is used to formulate Nurme’s Natural Deodorant, which contains odour-neutralising essential oils and baking soda to prevent the spread of odorous bacteria. The other key ingredients here include cornstarch, which is excellent for absorbing moisture; coconut oil, which is used for its antibacterial properties to help reduce odour-causing bacteria. Plus beeswax, which is used as a natural consistency stabiliser and shea butter which leaves a non-greasy feel while moisturising the skin. Last but not least, Nurme uses sunflower seed oil due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which also benefits dry skin. Marit notes that “it can be said that basically all the oils, fats, waxes, essential oils, and extracts used in Nurme products are skin superfoods.” This natural deodorant is aluminium and paraben-free, without synthetic dyes or fragrances. Nurme’s Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant uses mandarin peel oil and sweet orange peel oil to give it the delicious citrus scent. To go along with their natural products, Nurme utilises “zero waste” packaging for their deodorant, made out of cardboard, so that it is environmentally friendly. This deodorant was duly put through its paces with pilates, workouts and brisk walks. It passed our test, as we stayed fragrant with no evidence of any nasty niffs. It's easy to use; just push up at the base of the cardboard tube and apply the balm to your underarms. If like us, you love natural deodorants that smell ‘natural’ and then this one is for you. Plus, it’s already gained worldwide recognition winning a silver at 2021 The Global Green Beauty Awards. Nurme’s 80g Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant is available here for €12.60 and also in five other fragrances. 

Sintra Naturals : Soothing Cleansing Balm

With the colder months approaching, skin dryness will likely be on the menu, which is why at The Amazing Blog, we always look for kind and gentle products. Particularly with a cleansing balm as we need it to remove makeup, and also soothe our sensitive skins. We stumbled upon this indie natural skincare brand Sintra Naturals, who pride themselves on offering natural skincare solutions, with their Soothing Cleansing Balm.

Sintra Naturals is a women-owned and run brand. Geethika Ghanta created this brand to create affordable, natural skincare. In India, she grew up using natural ingredients for each part of her daily routine – from skincare to haircare. Ghanta has always been interested in the formulations and ingredients of in-store skincare products, and this interest turned into a passion when her son was allergic to the “shop-bought baby soaps and lotions.” Even when Geethika looked at more high-end formulations and products, she found synthetic fragrances and additives. With this realisation, Geethika took matters into her own hands by learning how to make natural skincare and launching Sintra Naturals. “My mantra is that the term natural shouldn’t have to be expensive.” Sintra Naturals pride itself on creating handmade, vegan and effective natural products for all skin types. By only using natural ingredients, Sintra Naturals has developed products to calm and smooth skin. Geethika has one simple rule when it comes to ingredients: “if an ingredient is not deemed for human consumption, it should not be in our skincare routine.” She went on to say, “I will not claim that my products will heal any skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis but they are definitely gentle enough to bring relief.” The brand’s products are handmade and they also take the sustainability issue very seriously; they are plastic-free and have either recyclable or biodegradable packaging. The soaps are essential oil-free (good for sensitive skin) and packed in reusable organic food-grade re-usable cotton bags. There are absolutely no synthetic ingredients, fragrances or additives in the Sintra Naturals skin or body care. 

The Soothing Cleansing Balm is ideal for helping to restore hydration to the skin in a gentle and calming way. This Global Makeup Awards Bronze-winning balm, uses shea butter to restore the skin by moisturising but not leaving a greasy feel. Combined with castor oil which is well known for its natural cleansing properties, it helps clean out the pores by drawing dirt out without drying out the skin. Grapeseed oil is used due to its allergen-free and suitability for all skin types. Geethika loves to use this versatile oil in her products because it has “amazing, skin-loving properties” and is a by-product of the wine industry, making it a sustainable ingredient. Grapeseed oil is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals used to maintain the elastin in the skin. The Roman chamomile here not only offers the balm its fragrance it also soothes redness with its anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, the kaolin clay ingredient is a gentle clay used to help clean the impurities from the skin, with antibacterial properties, which help to remove oils and contaminants from the skin. The Soothing Cleansing Balm is perfect for removing makeup or the residue from a day. To use simple warm a pea-sized balm in hands before gently massaging onto around the eye area, face and neck. Then wash away with warm water (or as in our case a warm washcloth), we particularly liked how it was gentle and efficient in removing all stubborn makeup. It’s suitable for all skin types, and we found it especially good for soothing problematic skin. This skin balm is available in either Tea Tree and Chamomile blends - we received the Chamomile. Sintra Natural’s Soothing Cleansing Balm is available for £10.00 from their website here.

Be + Radiance : Velvet Touch Primer Natural and Breathable & Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation

We all know how difficult finding THE perfect foundation can be. With so many different foundations available and seasonal colour changes with our skin, it’s always a challenge. Luckily for us at The Amazing Blog, we were able to try out this duo of primer and foundation with the Velvet Touch Primer and Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation from the natural skincare and cosmetics brand Be+Radiance.

Aïmara Coupet is the visionary behind this French brand Be + Radiance. Aïmara has been working in the cosmetics industry for over 20 years as a makeup expert. Through her experiences working for L’Oreal, Sephora, and blackUp Cosmetics, she’s gained the expansive cosmetic knowledge that she now puts into Be + Radiance. After working in a laboratory during her consulting days, Aïmara was able to create a silicone-free foundation which pushed her into creating Be + Radiance. With her plural heritage, she has personally felt challenged to find the right products for her skin. She wanted to design a “collection of shades to represent the diversity of women” and to provide a product that anyone could use, and has a passion to “create a new art of makeup: healthy and sophisticated, luminous and universal.” Beyond creating the inclusive shades for anyone, Be + Radiance utilises natural ingredients to treat your skin well. Each product uses clean formulas, natural ingredients, probiotics, and other rich active ingredients to help the skin. In particular, they wish to make the skin healthier and more beautiful without clogging the pores or masking it with heavy pigments. The researchers and formulators at Be + Radiance understand that the skin has a delicate balance to keep it healthy. The formulas all contain probiotics to help strengthen the skin’s natural barrier and protect its microbiome, the natural bacterial ecosystem of the skin. The protection of this barrier helps to keep our skin healthy.  The brand's cosmetics are made in France and are vegan and cruelty-free.

Let’s start with Velvet Touch Primer Natural and Breathable, this is designed to prepare the skin before applying makeup. This natural and breathable primer helps to reduce the appearance of pores while prolonging the wear of makeup. It helps to smooth the skin for that ‘blur’ effect. This primer is silicone, paraben and fragrance-free, and made up of 97% natural ingredients. The formula uses pomegranate extract for its antioxidant properties, which helps restore the skin for optimal hydration. The blackcurrant extract soothes, softens and strengthens the skin, while the shea butter promotes skin regeneration, hydrates, and nourishes the skin. The use of sunflower oil also nourishes and softens the skin. What we like about this primer is that it’s natural as well as lightweight and velvety smooth to apply. It also marries well with a serum or foundation (like their Matifying Foundation) and worked well on the eye area too.

We followed the primer with the Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation, a natural, water-based foundation that’s lightweight while also providing good coverage to even out the complexion. This foundation uses organic cucumber water to make this a fresh and natural product. They use 85% natural ingredients, like organic cucumber water, because of its soothing, hydrating and antioxidant properties. There are no parabens or phenoxyethanol, and it doesn’t contain any mineral oils, phthalate (from petrochemicals) or fragrance - making it ideal for even the most sensitive of skins. For the non-natural ingredients, Be + Radiance provides full transparency by listing each ingredient with their use and origin, which can be found here. This foundation is available in seventeen different shades that match a variety of skin tones. We were sent shade 13 which was a good colour match. Again it’s a silicone-free formula and super light leaving an almost veil-like finish, perfect for those wanting natural-looking coverage. This Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation is perfect for oily skin, combination skin or sensitive skin. We have quite dry skin so the primer was definitely needed prior to application, we loved how it gave a really good matte finish with no need for a quick dusting of powder to remove any shine. Our only ask for the brand, is to put an SPF in either your primer or foundation - then these would be perfect for us! Both products are available for purchase through Be + Radiance’s website here. Or the 30ml Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation is available for £21.85 here and the 30ml Velvet Touch Primer Natural and Breathable is available here for £20.05

Soya Garden : Soy Mask

There's something rather magical about the way skincare can lift our spirits and motivate us to be our best! At The Amazing Blog, we're big fans of face masks, as they enhance one of our most cherished pastimes of slipping into our pajamas and chatting for hours with our friends. Today we are featuring Soya Garden, a natural skincare from New Zealand, with their Soy Mask, perfect for using on these dark autumn nights-in.

Soya Garden launched in 2020, inspired by nature's adaptability and endurance. They spent 18 months sourcing potent soy extracts and natural ingredients, harnessing their properties to develop a clean and balanced skincare line. Soya Garden's goal is to create formulas that don't change how you look but change the way you feel, helping you feel more healthy, vibrant, and comfortable in your skin. Their philosophy is about making you feel confident through their products because when we feel more confident, we have the power and motivation to lift up the world! Their formulations contain bioactive soy extracts, as well as naturally occurring vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. One of these natural ingredients is γ-pga®. Also known as Natto Gum, γ-pga® is an extract first discovered in Natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It promotes the natural moisturising factor's growth inside the cuticle cells, making skin softer and more moisturised. Another ingredient is Mang'in tense®, an organic active ingredient extracted from mango that promotes hyaluronic acid synthesis, replenishing water and locking in moisture. It also is high in antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect the skin from the free radicals that induce ageing. Soya Garden also has the Fernmark License, a trademark issued and endorsed by the New Zealand Government. When a New Zealand brand has the Fernmark License, it means that the brand is confirmed to be produced within New Zealand, compliant with all New Zealand laws and regulations. Also, with this Fernmark License, you can trust that the products are certified to be safe and reliable. 

Soya Garden sent us their award-winning Soy Mask, a multi-functional mask that dissolves away dryness and improves firmness and lustre. It has a light and creamy consistency, and we were pleasantly surprised by its slight floral fragrance - no smell of soy here! The mask offers many key benefits. It swiftly delivers potent nutrition into the skin, protects the skin from the damaging effects of dryness, reduces pigmentation, increases collagen production, and reduces roughness and fine lines. The mask contains three key ingredients, the first of which is lysofix. Lysofix is a natural lysophospholipid extracted from a non-GMO soybean source that reduces water loss, maintaining the skin's moisture and protecting the integrity of the skin's barrier. It's a mild, non-allergenic, and non-irritating ingredient that's suitable for delicate and sensitive skin. It also contains manuka honey, extracted from the nectar of the native New Zealand manuka flowers. It's rich in nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals that feed, protect, and renew the skin while offering antimicrobial and healing properties. Manuka honey is also a humectant, meaning that it draws in and retains moisture. The last key ingredient is tocopheryl, (most commonly known as vitamin E). It's a potent antioxidant that captures free oxygen radicals generated by exposure to light or pollution, helping to prevent further skin damage. It also can boost the protection against damaging UV rays, helping to prevent premature skin ageing too. To use the mask, apply it on cleansed skin, with an even layer, just thick enough to cover the skin’s surface, avoiding the eye and lips. Leave it on for about 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with water. They recommend following it up with a moisturiser (such as their Soya Garden Lotion). It is so light and fluffy; we almost forgot that we had it on! It left skin soft and hydrated and this 100ml pot gave us about five applications. To purchase the Soya Garden Soy Mask, visit here, where you can buy 100ml for $79.95NZD.