AnneMarie Skincare: Palo Santo Body Butter

We at The Amazing Blog know that taking care of the skin on the body is just as important as taking care of your face. Particularly in these cold winter months and for those with a propensity to dry or cracked skin. We found that looking for a rich, hydrating and natural body butter that performs can be a bit of mission. We’ve heard a lot of good things about the brand AnnMarie Skincare and their hero product Palo Santo Body Butter and could wait to put it to the test.

The story begins with AnnMarie and Kevin Gianni, who at the time in 2008 were both healthy living bloggers, set out on a trip through North and South America. They spent their journey looking for natural care products and sharing them with their viewers on their YouTube channel, The Renegade Health Show.  After multiple viewers asked Annmarie what products she used, like many people, she realised they weren’t as clean and green as she wanted. While trying to find cleaner and greener products, she found nothing that was to her standards. AnnMarie randomly found a company after visiting a small spa in Patagonia, Arizona, United States. She contacted the brand founder Bunnie a herbalist and chemist, on working together on a collaboration for a natural skincare line and sell it on a bigger scale rather than just at the spa. In 2009, AnnMarie Skincare launched in collaboration with Bunnie and the brands has gone on from strength to strength winning awards and gaining global recognition. Their artisan products are non-GMO, cruelty-free, wildcrafted and contain organic ingredients wherever possible; these all come about through their 3-step process. In their first step, they choose their organic and wildcrafted ingredients and audit them to ensure purity. Their step two is infusing herbs into aloe vera and skin-nourishing oils for up to 30 days to create a base. The third and final step is to carefully craft products using numerous other natural ingredients such as oils, plant extracts.

In these uncertain times with lockdown, we think giving skin a little self-love and care is much needed. The Palo Santo Body Butter is a truly luxurious body treatment. It is formulated specifically to get the skin hydrated and healthy. This Body Butter includes key ingredients of shea butter and fair-trade cocoa butter which are both known to give the skin great hydration. The shea butter not only hydrates but helps the fight against ageing and soothes sensitive skin. The cocoa butter includes fatty acids which help tighten the skin’s appearance, with antioxidants that protect the skin's surface from oxidative damage caused by free radicals and environmental aggressors and give this butter its subtle chocolatey aroma. There is jojoba packed with vitamins such as E and B, and ideal for sensitive skin.  Kukui nut is for soothing and softening without leaving a greasy film and is beneficial for eczema and psoriasis. Whereas the macadamia reduces the appearance of ageing and has manganese, an essential mineral required for collagen production. The four essential oils here are cardamon, palo santo, vetiver and nutmeg. The cardamon is full of vitamin C improving the tone and texture of the skin and is a great antioxidant. The palo santo, which the product is named after, is an essential oil that has calming effects for the body and soul, it is a rare oil extracted from trees in Ecuador. It has a unique fragrance and is often used in ‘smudging’ rituals to clear and calm a room. The vetiver and nutmeg warm the skin and adds to the scent. The fragrance is unusual we could pick out the cocoa butter and vetiver and nutmeg in particular, what we loved was the performance. It is rich and luxurious as it says, but also long-lasting. When applied in the morning we found it kept skin soft throughout day and night, shielding and protecting and was still evident on the skin when showering the following morning. It is expensive but as we often say, a little goes a long way and this 200ml tub will last a good month or so. The Palo Santo Body Butter was sent to us by UK online retailer Live in the Light. They believe that products you put on your body have an impact on your health. All the products that they stock are natural, organic and chemical-free, you can purchase the Palo Santo Body Butter here for £69.50.

Kalahari – Mafura Body Balm & Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser

The changes of seasons and central heating always makes our skin dry, flaky and dehydrated. As the skin is the largest organ of the body, it’s probably the one that is most forgotten about, hidden under layers of clothing during these cold months.  At The Amazing Blog we take winter skincare very seriously, which is why today we wanted to bring you our latest #amazingfinds with the South African based salon brand Kalahari Lifestyle We initially met Kalahari Lifestyle at a London trade show and found ourselves intrigued by their products. They very kindly gave us the Kalahari’s Mafura Body Balm and Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser to review.

Carina Franck, Founder and Director of Kalahari Lifestyle had always shown an interest in nature and through exploring ancient formulas and secrets for natural health from the Kalahari Desert, she built up a strong connection with the local Khoi San families. Their lifestyle and secret remedies inspired her to create a range of natural skincare and body products that would encapsulate the African itself with harvested authentic botanical ingredients. These are plant oils and extracts, from reputable Phytotrade organisations and certified sustainable resources, with stringent eco-awareness protocols ensure the safety of the vulnerable African ecosystems.

Let’s start with Kalahari’s Mafura Body Balm which is an ultra-moisturising balm with mafura seed butter, shea butter and baobab seed oil. These exclusive blends of African key ingredients help to reduce signs of premature ageing as they contain an enzyme that exfoliates, and a complex of vitamins A, D, E, F and other multiple antioxidants to deeply nourish the body. These natural ingredients will make your skin look much brighter leaving you with a delicious subtle sweet and fruity fragrance. Kalahari Lifestyle suggests applying it after using your shower gel paying extra attention to those drier areas like elbow and knees. We found that this Body Balm to be very long-lasting (all day!) effective and intensely replenishing. We’ll be buying more!

Now let’s talk about their Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser, this comes in a smaller tube making it ideal to carry with you and applying on the go. This moisturiser contains grapeseed oil, which is high in Omega-6 and linoleic acid that helps to unclog pores and has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Also containing guna beans and ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, these seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that is rich in triglycerides mainly ricinolein acid; the combination of which makes it an excellent skin hydrator. We enjoyed using the Hand & Body Moisturiser with its gentle illuminating shimmer (from the mica and titanium dioxide) on our décolleté and shoulders which gave us an even more of a radiant glow.

If you too want to give your body a little love this winter, get your Kalahari Lifestyle products in select salons. Or purchase the 200ml Mafura Body Balm for €43 here and the 50 ml Manipedi Hand & Body Moisturiser for €19.90 here .

amaiaa - atma oil secrets of the soul & morning radiance facial elixir

The skin is the largest organ in our body and our face is what gives the first impression of us. Therefore, at The Amazing Blog being number one fans of natural products, we like to know exactly what the ingredients are, that we’re about to put on our faces. As winners of 2019 Beauty Shortlist Award amaiaa, a natural skincare brand with Indian methodology, caught our eye, they have everything that we value with their ethos and quality botanical ingredients.

amaiaa brand is based in the USA but was born in the Himalayan Mountains of India. Ashu the founder of amaiaa, who took on a soul-searching journey that drove her to her native land, India. Inspired by her mother and grandmother as well as the culture and history of the country, she began developing what we know today as amaiaa. The brand is known for two products, atma and saya facial oils. Atma, Ashu’s grandmother’s name meaning ‘soul’, embodies her grandmother’s knowledge as an alchemist to provide skincare through natural products. Both products are primarily composed with jasmine, rose and sandalwood which boost rejuvenation and restore your skin. With every ingredient carefully picked and blended, amaiaa’s products make you want to travel all the way to India to explore the mysteries of Mother Nature.

We tried their atma Oil which we think will soon become your new best friend. With ingredients like Argan oil known as liquid gold, it offers amazing source of hydration. There is also apricot kernel oil which has a natural anti-ageing properties, rich in vitamin C and E which enhance collagen production and skin elasticity. The jojoba oil here is packed with vitamin E and other antioxidants that boost cell regeneration. The avocado and jasmine oils remove blemishes; and finally the sandalwood oil a natural illuminator of the skin. atma oil’s formula will undoubtedly help to encourage great results for all skin types. We mustn’t forget to also mention the vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5, all of which treat rosacea, acne, sun-damage and ageing with its cell regeneration properties that aid redness and inflammations.

We applied it in the morning as a face oil or serum, this oil absorbs easily which means you can follow it quickly with your regular skincare routine, if you so wish. atma is cruelty, fragrance, paraben, sulphate, alcohol, toxin, additive and gluten-free. It’s vegan, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, making it perfectly suitable whether you have dry, oily, combined or hypersensitive skin. What we particularly admire about amaiaa is their giving-back policy, with a mission to empower women and young girls to lead a life of dignity, the association with the Animedh Charitable Trust ACT, through a series of a projects, which stays true to their core ethics of sustainability. This trust helps Indian girls get an education – so by buying amaiaa’s award-winning atma morning radiance facial oil, you’re helping, too.

Why not pamper yourself and get your Atma Oil here for $75.00 (worldwide shipping) for a 30ml bottle which will give you nurtured skin for around 3 months, a little goes a long way. Also, enjoy a 15% discount off your first order using the code WELCOME15.

Dream and Glow Bedtime Bath Salts by Kiss The Moon

January is the time of the year when we're all looking for a way to block out the cold and to warm up and relax. At The Amazing Blog, our little secret to survival during these chilly days is to have long steaming baths when we finally got home. There is nothing we love more than to soak in a deliciously fragranced bath, which is why we were thrilled to receive both Glow Bedtime Bath Salts and Dream Bedtime Bath Salts from Kiss the Moon. Kiss the Moon is an award-winning natural skincare and wellness brand that has created a range of 100% natural products specifically to help you to sleep beautifully and wake up feeling refreshed. 

The Glow Bedtime Bath Salts are enriched with orange and geranium oils; the bath salts help you relax before bedtime by easing muscles and get your beauty sleep. The Glow salts are packed with relaxing essential oils including orange, geranium, myrrh, litsea, coconut oil and white tea oil. Rich minerals such as magnesium and Dead Sea salt are also added to this blend. Magnesium and floral essential oils install a sense of well-being in the body and help chase away anxiety. The unique combination of oils and minerals in the Glow Bath Salts work for a more beautiful skin  and a peaceful sleep.

Made with a blend of detoxifying rich minerals and aromatherapy essential oils the Dream Bedtime Bath Salts are also designed to help you sleep beautifully too. Lavender, the star ingredient of this product is the perfect night time beauty oil as it not only relaxes the mind but balances oil production and boost cells renewal during the sleep. Like Glow, these bath salts are also infused with magnesium, Dead Sea salt; however, these contain coconut oil, white tea oil, lavender oil, bergamot oil, chamomile oil and cedarwood oil. To add a little touch of freshness, the brand also added Bergamot to the formula which helps brighten the mind and relax you even more.

These bedtime bath salts are a perfect way to end your day and prepare for sleep. Just add one or two tablespoons of these salts in a warm bath and let their relaxing, soothing and easing effect work on your body and mind. You can Purchase the Glow bath salts here for £20 and the Dream bath salts here for £20.

Korres Yoghurt Range – Shower Gel, Hand Cream, Body Milk, Body Butter

Korres is one of our favourite brands. For those of you who don't know, it's a Greek company, so it seems to make sense that they have now incorporated nutritious Greek yoghurt into their new range of bodycare products. All these Korres Yoghurt bodycare, have a gorgeous fresh and clean scent in a rich and creamy formula that pampers and hydrates the skin. If you are a regular reader, you'll know that we at The Amazing Blog love natural beauty products, and this range has suitably impressed us. Korres bodycare is firmly rooted in natural ingredients, and they even quotes the exact rations of what is natural i.e:  The Body Butter which is 94.4%, the Body Milk  92.6%, the Showergel 86.4% and the Hand Cream with 88.9%. All products are suitable for vegetarians and dermatologically tested too.

The Body Butter is rich in shea butter and avocado, almond and sunflower oils. It also contains guava, an excellent source of vitamin C for collagen synthesis, and quince extract which is good for softening and restructuring. The Body Milk, while thinner in consistency, is still deeply moisturising. It is enriched with almond oil, active aloe, shea butter and provitamin B5 all to nourish the skin. Almond oil is hailed for its anti-inflammatory and soothing effects, while aloe vera is well-known for its medicinal healing and cell regeneration properties. Shea butter, one of our favourite ingredients, is also renowned for its hydrating and softening effects.

The Hand Cream boasts similar ingredients, with the addition of calendula for repairing cracked skin. It feels luxuriously thick and creamy, but absorbs quickly which we love. The Showergel is creamy and foamy with wheat proteins and althea extract to help maintain skin’s natural moisture levels. The additions of vitamins C and E, zinc and antioxidant enzymes are great to boost the skin’s immune system. We think this range is perfect for protecting your skin in these cold winter months. Purchase the Korres Yoghurt range online at Feel Unique here, or in-store and online at Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and  Liberty London. These products range in price from £8 - £12.50.