Hair, Nail & Cutlicle and Foot Masques by 7th Heaven

If you fancy a quick salon-like experience, look no further than the range of body and hair masques by 7th Heaven. We at The Amazing Blog are big fans of an at-home pamper session, and these affordable yet luxurious masques are ideal. Even better, the masques are all vegan and cruelty-free.

Give your tresses a moisture boost, with the Hair Masques infused with nutritious ingredients including papaya, coconut oil, argan oil and honey. The masques are packed with natural nutrients, to nourish hair, treat dry tips and support follicle growth. You will be left with shinier, healthier locks.  Although perhaps a trivial matter of concern, finger nails also require strengthening and nourishment. For which, 7th Heaven's Strengthen Nail & Cuticle Finger Masque provide conditioning and protection with argan and macadamia oils and pomegranate. These are especially great for strengthening and nourishing your nails in between nail polish wears. For an all over hand treatment, the Softening Glove Masques deliver grounded shea nuts and pressed soybeans, bidding adieu to dry, chapped and rough hands.

You can't forget the feet, as they really do take the brunt of the work. If you're always on your feet, out and about, the heels can get cracked and dry. 7th Heaven's foot range includes the Smooth Heels Masque, made from natural sweet almond oil and shea butter, to deeply moisturise, smooth and soften those heels. To further pamper those feet, pop on a pair of Soften Sock Masques. In addition to almond oil and shea butter, the sock masques contain soybean to further rehydrate the feet.

Purchase 7th Heaven masques in stores such as Boots, Wilko and Claire's, or online from their official Amazon page from £1. 

Moonlight Dust Daily Cream and Hydration & Rejuvenation Hand Cream - Dr. Gabriela

Dr. Gabriela runs a cosmetic clinic on Harley Street and is a pioneer in the anti-ageing industry. She has introduced innovative non-invasive treatments to the UK and continually works to expand her anti-ageing skincare range. We here at The Amazing Blog, therefore, feel confident putting our skin in Dr. Gabriela’s (probably wrinkle-free) hands. We were able to test out two products from the range; The Moonlight Dust Booster Day Cream and the Hydration & Rejuvenation Hand Cream.

The Moonlight Dust Daily Cream comes in a day or night version, made for the face, neck and décolletage. The day cream feels lightweight yet softening and hydrating. It is rich in molecular water, botanical extracts and antioxidants. This cream doesn’t just sit on top of the skin feeling greasy, it soaks right in and hydrates at a cellular level, whilst strengthening the skin barrier. If you need even more intense hydration, the night cream consists of 100% molecular water. It is basically a tall glass of water for the skin.

Hands can often unwillingly reveal your true age, or perhaps even appear older as we don’t always include them in our anti-ageing routine. The Hydration & Rejuvenation Hand Cream boasts 72-hour hydration with its molecular water technology delivering hydration deeper than just the surface. The cream is easily absorbed, allowing you to swiftly carry on with your day as it shields your hands from harmful external factors. In fact, 100% of consumers reported a reduction in wrinkles and 75% of consumers reported softer skin and stronger nails.

Purchase the face cream for £79 and the hand cream for £20. As you cannot purchase Dr. Gabriela products online, you can email them at info@drgabriela.co.uk or call them at 02034902798.

Gelogics by Pretty Woman NYC

Trying to achieve a salon quality finish at home while painting your nails can be a frustrating and tiresome endeavour. We here at The Amazing Blog know all too well how disappointing it is, after spending a good half an hour painting our nails, to see them chip after only a day or so. Paying to get them done professionally isn't always financially ideal. Therefore, we are always on the lookout for new and exciting products that will prolong our manicure. So we were delighted when Pretty Women NYC  sent us a collection of their Gelogic Nail Polishes to try.

The Gelogics mimic traditional gel manicures, just minus the damage and double the speed. The self-leveling formula of their Titanium Top Coat provides an even coverage that is chip resistant and dries quickly and without the use of a UV or LED lamp. What's more, because the polishes are only mimicking the desired effects of a gel manicure, they can be easily removed with regular nail polish remover and cotton wool. To attain the salon quality finish the products promise, apply two layers of polish to the nail followed by a layer of Gelogics Titanium Top Coat to seal it. The collection contains a rich and diverse array of colours for you to choose from, and we adored the Teal Alpha Jewel Shade, which was a refreshing teal with small flecks of glitter, and is pictured above! Whatever colour you are after, Gelogics is guaranteed to have the perfect shade for any situation, whether you're looking for something a little fun or something more sophisticated Gelogics will have the shade for you. On top of all this, each Gelogic product is entirely guilt free as they are all vegan, cruelty-free and “five” free (free from toluene, camphor, formaldehyde Resin and DBP.) meaning you can look good and feel good at the same time!

This collection is no fuss and guarantees that salon finish from the comfort of your own home. You can choose from their wide range here for £6.16. Unfortunately, the prices are only available in dollars as the company is based in America, but as an international customer, you can use PayPal.

Summer Manicure - Friday Favourites

Woo hoo summer's on its way! However, our hands and feet are truly screaming out for a good mani-pedi. It feels like a long recovery time from the chapped and dry skin on our hands and feet, that the past winter month have so cruelly inflicted upon them.  So we've been searching for some quick fixes and hottest new products, to give them that little boost to help them on their way. As some of us (no names mentioned) at The Amazing Blog  have a slight nail polish addiction, we pooled our knowledge and came up with a list of the latest 'at home' mani-pedi products to give you that professional manicurist finish.

First on our list is FLASH Manicure, we tried both their Original and Lotus scented FLASH Instant Manicure. They left our hands feeling pampered within minutes. FLASH Instant Manicure is effectively a complete treatment in one; it moisturises and exfoliates the hands while also aiding dry and damaged cuticles and nails. It works to brighten and soften hands by using a combination of sea salt and essential oils such as lavender oil, citrus oil and avocado oil. They recommend using the product once a week. This product is so easy to use, you just have to shake the bottle to make sure that the salts are properly dispersed into the oils, then pour an amount about the size of a one pound coin into clean palms and carefully scrub the product into the hands. This product is very effective on damaged cuticles so make sure not to skip the nails. Once you’ve rubbed the product into your hands sufficiently, rinse them with tepid water and dry with a clean towel. The plain FLASH Instant Manicure leaves a lovely aroma of lavender that will leave you coming back for more, while the lotus scented product has an even more tantalisingly floral aroma. NB Great for hands and feet.

Both versions are available here from £10.35 and come in a variety of options for you to choose from. These products left our skin looking clean, smelling fabulous and feeling smooth – what more could you want?

The next products we found are a selection of unique and summery nail polishes from Margaret Dabbs. After her award-winning collection of hand and foot care ranges, Margaret has recently unveiled a stunning and much-anticipated range of treatment-enriched and cutting edge nail polishes.

We tried three colours: Snap Dragon, Poppy and Saffron, opting for richer pinks and reds - which we hope will complement and enrich our newly acquired sun kissed tans. There is a vast array of colours within the collection ranging from the most delicate on-trend nudes and pastels to the most vivid blues. Each of the 72 shades takes its inspiration from the wonder of nature as each polish follows a floral theme.  We applied two coats with a base and top coat and our finger nails remained chip free for up to four days.

These polishes are also made with the highest quality lacquer combining beneficial ingredients that help to make them last longer than your regular nail polish. All free from Formaldehyde, Toluene or DPB which will ensure that the nails remain healthy even after removing the varnish. These unique formulas have been designed to promote nail health and vitality. The Vitamin E in the product helps to strengthen and protect the nail, while the Rose Botanical Extract revitalises, prevents infection and leaves an aroma of wild roses.

You can explore the range and purchase these amazing nail polishes here!

Finally, if you want to spice things up a bit, then you might be interested in Semilac and their product Semi-Flash which allows you to join in with one of the hottest nail trends without the salon price! However, it must be noted that you will need a LED lamp in order to cure and use this powder. It is also recommended to purchase their Top No Wipe with Semi-Flash to ensure a quality and professional manicure and will also need an applicator.  NB please see here for instructions.

Semi-Flash is a special powder used for creating the latest designer nail effect of mirrored chrome. This product will give you glamorous and unique nails that all your friends will be talking about for weeks to come. This uber cool effect when cured will last up to an astonishing 3 weeks as the powder doesn’t smudge or chip. Its superior performance and the fact that the product is so easy to apply that make this a summer must have!

You can purchase your own Semi-Flash powder here for £9.99.

Remember anyone can wear a great outfit but it's your nails that will make the statement!

Christmas Special - Alternative gifts for Her

At the Amazing Blog, the atmosphere in the office over Christmas is amazing we are all counting down for the Christmas celebrations and looking forward to spending it with our loved ones, plus we are excited to see what everyone got given for Christmas presents. Leading up to Christmas we have been doing a Christmas gift guide leading up to the big day, and this is guide is for all the last minute people who need to get alternative presents. 

Winter nights at home lounging on the sofa in your comfy pyjamas are the perfect setting when you have candles lit around the living room; a delightful candle that smells gorgeous when lit is the Violet & Sweetpea by the brand Etta French. Etta French is known for being a luxury that are full of surprises that hides a special item of jewellery in each candle which is exclusively created by their UK designers, we thought this is a lovely idea as each jewel has a special touch of beauty and style that we think would make a lovely gift to someone for Christmas. Plus it is the element of surprise as they will unwrap and find two presents in one product.  The candle it’s self has an gorgeous scent to it, that makes you want to have it lit straight away also each candle is hand poured in the UK and uses 100% natural plant wax.

The candle is available to grab here for £38.50.

The brand Fressko kindly sent us two of their flasks, which is appropriate considering it is winter these are the perfect gifts to give someone to keep them hydrated and warm over this season especially if they live in the UK, and we all know how unpredictable and cold our weather is. The first flask we received was the Tour flask this is suitable for tea and fruit water, perfect if you know someone who is an adventurous day-tripper, we really liked the packaging of this design it has a wooden top but the actual flask is clear so you can see all the goodness from the fruit within the flask. The second flask which we all really loved in the office was part of their colour collection; the Colour Flask is the colour blush it is a beautiful tone of pink it’s very appealing, feminine and would make the perfect gift for a female. The colour flask is slightly smaller has its 360ml compared to the tour mask which is 400ml, however the colour collection has 6 hour insulation and is suitable for hot and cold beverages, and it is colour coated with a variety of colours you can choose from and it is a stainless steel flask.

You grab the tour flask here for £36.85, and the blush flask is available here also for £36.85. 

The third product we recommend is a beautifully scented diffuser by Heathcote & Ivory, called Atlas Silks  it smells gorgeous and will fill your room with an inviting scent of atlas silks, mountain rose, ylang ylang, sandalwood plus it is blended with essential oils such as coriander.

We chose this particular brand to feature in our gift guide because the artistic packaging is really pretty and would make a perfect alternative present for a loved one or family friend, especially if they love bringing colour, scent and sophistication to their home interior this product would be make a really nice gift.

This product is available to purchase here for £22.00.

Another alternative we recently got sent to our office and as a team we loved how convenient and useful the product is by Tweexy. We have find a new product that will help make your life easier, any girls who regularly paint their nails at home know how painful it can be when your knock a nail polish over. Tweexy is a comfortable polish holder that fits for all, and will make painting your nails become less of an annoying task. What we love about Tweexy is it comes in a variety of different colours, it is very comfortable and light on the finger and it doesn’t get in the way of painting and makes your life less complicated. This product is perfect for a female who loves try new things, it is small and perfect to travel with and also small enough to make a good stocking present or a secret Santa gift. 

Whether this product is for you or to help a best friend out, this will make life easier. You can grab this product here for £9.95.