Dr Russo - Once A Day Sun Protection SPF 30 & SPF 50 Invisible Face Gel

Good skin starts with prevention, and here at The Amazing Blog we’re always on the lookout for the best SPF and suncare. Today we’ve got one of our #amazingfinds, meet Dr Russo’s Sun Protection Invisible Face Gel ideal for protecting the complexion and combatting harmful rays when out and about. 

The founder Dr Luca Russo is renowned internationally for his work in reversing sun damage and premature ageing. He is a London-based cosmetic and dermatologic surgeon who lecturers on skin rejuvenation. This sun protection gel features Dr Russo’s innovative long-wear SPF technology that creates a force-field on the skin to deflect the harmful sun’s rays. His philosophy is to protect the skin with broad-spectrum SPF 30 and SPF 50 sunscreens and potent antioxidants throughout the day, followed by reversal agents that stimulate new collagen production and repair all signs of photo-ageing. The beneficial ingredients are antioxidants, such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. All of these repair existing signs of DNA damage, inhibit tyrosinase, help to maintain elastin and collagen levels, reduce glycation of proteins and soothes inflammation, so the skin becomes stronger, more luminous and resilient. These ingredients also help repair existing signs of damage, as well as stopping the production of melanin which causes dark spots. The product is free from PABAs, parabens, artificial fragrance and compatible with all sensitive skin types.

The formula is light-weight, non-greasy, and does not leave a chalky film on the skin, making it perfect to wear everyday under makeup. Protect, moisturise and repair your complexion with a single sweep with this once a day application.  It keeps skin protected and is waterproof and sweatproof for up to 80 minutes. The product comes in SPF 30 and SPF 50 variants, to apply, use the unique click brush applicator, sweeping the product over the face and neck area. It retails for £26 for 15ml and can be purchased here. In a 15ml bottle, this is the perfect size for your handbag or to take on a bike ride.

Herbal Dynamics Beauty - Acai & Mango Sugar Lip Scrub with Volumizing & Smoothing Rapid Lip Mask

Wishing all our readers a very Happy New Year! Let’s kick 2020 off with looking at lip products as we know that the key to any fabulous full-on red lips or just a healthy-looking pout is a quality lip scrub and mask. So imagine finding products that smell good enough to eat! Enter Herbal Dynamics Beauty ’s. Their Acai & Mango Sugar Lip Scrub contains only natural oils and extracts. Yummy as this might sound, we at The Amazing Blog do not advocate eating it! Instead, it’s best to use for exfoliating dead skin, paired with their Volumizing & Smoothing Rapid Lip Mask to help achieve plumper and healthier looking lips.

Herbal Dynamics Beauty is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was founded just a few years ago with the core belief that ‘what you put on your body is of the utmost importance’. Natural ingredients, like acai extract and pistachio oil, are combined with botanicals, such as xylitol and vitamin E, to create the Acai Lip Scrub and Volumizing Lip Mask Duo. Cocoa butter and pistachio oil add an extra layer of hydration and reduce inflammation with the scrub while peptides in the mask increase hyaluronic acid for plumper lips. This 'science-meets-nature' approach results in useful products that are gentle for sensitive skin and as we mentioned, smell amazing. Both products also are free from sulphates, parabens, phthalates, and are also cruelty-free.

The duo is perfect to use when you have time at night or when you want to pamper yourself. The sugary texture of the lip scrub allows it to work with just the slightest pressure from your fingers and creates a base for the lip mask to be most effective. A small coat of the lip mask should stay on your lips for about 3-5 minutes before removing and revealing more full lips ready for the next day or some lipstick. The company prides itself on making products for ‘consumers seeking affordable options’. It’s £24 for the Sugar Lip Scrub here and £21 for the Rapid Lip Mask here. This price point may appear high, but a little goes a long way and they’re something you will only use 2-3 times a week.

Boost Protein Balls and Butters

During a busy day here, some of us have so much on our to-do lists that we don’t always have time to take a lunch break. Realistically speaking, most of the time we at The Amazing Blog are surviving off of quick snacks that we keep at our desks. However, during these hectic days we try not to compromise on our healthy eating. Step forward our new delicious pick-me-up, Boost Protein Balls let us introduce you to our new nutritious discovery…

Essex-based Boost Ball launched its range of protein balls with the idea of ‘less ingredients, more protein.’ Available in four different flavours, their Boostballs are made with seven natural ingredients and are entirely gluten, soya and refined sugar-free. They are instead high in protein and contain natural sugars for a healthy snack perfect for boosting your energy for either a day at the office or a gym workout. A new twist to a protein bar, each Boostball is enriched with Vitamin A, B, E, B12, Calcium, Iron and Zinc. The raw ingredients are not baked or refined; they are cold-pressed making these protein balls an indulgent snack - without the guilt. The first flavour we tried, Lemon Drizzle Cake, contains Dates, Rice Protein, Cashews, Cashew Butter, Coconut, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Extract and Lemon Oil  making it a great zesty snack. The Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Boostball contains a whopping 23.3 g of protein and a mixture of gooey and moreish. Next, we tried the tropical and creamy Coconut Fudge Cake flavour which was by far one of our favourites out of the four.  The last of the Boost Ball flavours, Maple & Cinnamon Roll, was a great spice-filled yet sweet snack for those extra-long days at the office.  The Boostballs are available to purchase on here for £17.99 for  x 12 packs of 36 Boostballs.

We mustn’t forget to mention that Boostball has JUST released a new line of Palm-oil free protein butters, Boostbutter. These are to put on any snacks or foods you desire (or to eat straight from the pouch!) The Protein Nut Butters currently are available in Caramel, Chocolate Brownie and Sweet Maple and are each packed with 11 grams of protein and offer a healthier, smoother and more flavourful alternative to something like peanut butter. Conveniently in a squeezable pouch, we’ve been spreading the protein butters on toast, porridge or adding them to our smoothies. Yum! As of now they are not available but will be coming soon on www.boostball.com.

Antonym – Quattro Eyeshadow, Eye Pencil, and Lipstick Pencil

It’s a given for regular readers of The Amazing Blog that we love natural and organic makeup and skin care products. Although, many people also associate organic products with lighter pigments and less staying power than conventional products that may use synthetic ingredients. That’s why we were thrilled to try makeup range from Antonym, an organic brand certified natural and organic by Ecocert Greenlife loved by makeup artists.

 As a well-known Miami based makeup artist herself, Valerie “Val” Giraud set out in 2010 to create makeup products and brushes that have organic and natural ingredients and are cruelty-free and gentle enough for sensitive skin. In keeping with creating a clean makeup line, Giraud wanted to ensure the products had high performance—something she thought organic makeup products at the time were lacking. She believes that ‘natural makeup doesn’t have to mean a natural look’ and we can attest to this statement after using these three glam products.

The first two items we tested were the Quattro Eyeshadow in Croisette and the Certified Natural Eye Pencil Noir. The eyeshadows come in four shades (Moon, Salmon, Bark and Black) to use separately or together to create a sultry smoky eye. These colours are not only intense and long-lasting but have a smooth and velvety finish to brighten any eye colour. One of the key ingredients of the Quattro Eyeshadow is the natural mineral mica, making this product ideal for sensitive eyes because it will not irritate them. To pair with the eyeshadow palette is their Certified Natural Eye Pencil Noir. It is preservative-free and dermatologically tested, so it is safe to use on your delicate waterline. Organic ingredients like marula and jojoba oil additionally moisturise and nourish eyes. However, what we love about this liner is that it applies rich colour so smoothly and is water resistant while containing ingredients that won’t have you rubbing at your eyes all night. We loved smudging this liner into our lash line and waterline on top of the Quattro palette for an evening look.

Of course, the last product to complete any makeup look is lipstick. We found that the Certified Natural Lipstick Pencil Koral is the ideal product to keep in your handbag for the summer. It comes in a convenient pencil and is easy to apply without a mirror, perfect for on-the-go touch ups before lunch in Hyde Park. Koral is a bright orange colour that looks gorgeous with a tan and has a glossy finish for a dewy but not sweaty look this summer. What also makes this lipstick perfect for the hot and humid weather is that it will also keep your lips hydrated with sunflower oil and shea butter. The formula also includes vitamin C and E to nourish lips while leaving a long-lasting and waterproof colour. We recommend using this lipstick with the two eye products to really tie your look together or build up the colour for a bold statement.

You can purchase the Natural Lipstick Pencil here only on the USA website (for now) for $17 and the Quattro Eyeshadow, which comes in a sturdy bamboo case with a dual-sided brush, here for £37. The Natural Eye Pencil includes a conveniently detachable sharpener on one end and you can purchase it here for £18.

Pevonia - Rapid Restore Lip Balm

While we’ve loved all the innovative beauty products we have reviewed from the brand Pevonia  on The Amazing Blog, we’d like to step back and rave on one of the brand’s simpler products: the Rapid Restore Lip Balm. Even with their lip balm, we think that Pevonia has gone above and beyond the average lip salve, by formulating a product (that is also clinically proven) to combat anti-ageing signs that affect your lips with only 100% natural ingredients.

Since the brands launchin the 1990s, Pevonia aims to bring spa-like results with products that contain simple plant extracts and natural green ingredients. Pevonia’s Rapid Restore Lip Balm has been formulated with the same ethos and contains no parabens, artificial fragrances or colours, mineral oil, lanolin and alcohol. The Lip Balm  also contains a compelling blend of vitamin C and E, shea butter, vegetable oil and a soothing rose extract to rejuvenate, repair, moisturise and increase lip volume for a plump and soft pout. Unlike many lip balms in the market, Rapid Restore Lip Balm also works to combat the first sign of anti-ageing that targets your lip contour.  The exfoliating texture of the balm provides an extra step to deeply polish away any rough skin and toxins that might also be affecting the softness of your pout.

When we used Rapid Restore Lip Balm, we exfoliated our lips before for optimal results. Then applied this balm as one would any other lip balm, by massaging it in gently. If you’ve noticed your lips are a little dry after applying lipstick, don’t worry the Rapid Restore Lip Balm is safe to be used over lipstick to add moisture back in. Since it is free from any irritating chemicals, its perfect for re-applying as and when needed on a daily basis. The balm also comes in a handy and compact 35 oz tube. To get your own moisturised, plump pout for the summer, you can purchase the Rapid Restore Lip Balm for £24 here.