seaweed

Seamore – I sea pasta and I sea wraps

When we typically think of seaweed we either think of it as algae that washes up on the beach, or something that is deep fried on a Chinese menu. Perhaps, you might have even tried it as a dried snack, if we’re craving something salty and crunchy? But have you ever thought of seaweed as a tortilla wrap or even pasta? It might not sound super-tasty, but that is precisely the notion Seamore is looking to challenge. As regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know, we love finding new beauty products and superfoods, so you can imagine how intrigued we were to try two items from this startup.

William Sodderland started Seamore in 2015 after he went on a holiday in Ibiza and mistakenly thought his seaweed dish was pasta. This moment propelled him into looking into it as an alternative to foods we already love and ‘to turn seaweed into an everyday food’. Sodderland found that seaweed is a healthy food option as it is high in nutrients and antioxidants. He also discovered it is quite sustainable because seaweed doesn’t need land, extra water, fertiliser or pesticides to grow. However, all of Seamore’s seaweed is sustainably sourced off the coast of Ireland in small batches over two months.

The first product we tried was I sea pasta made of 100 percent natural and hand-picked himanthalia seaweed. While the seaweed is a black colour when you first remove it from the packaging, once it’s cooked it tastes and has the same texture as pasta. It’s not too salty and doesn’t have an overwhelming sea smell either. Unlike regular pasta, I sea pasta is low in carbs and full of minerals, vitamins, iron, and fibre. One serving also has 50 percent of the vegetables you need per day. We liked it paired with sweet Bolognese sauce and a glass of wine. The second item we tried was I sea wrapsThey are the first seaweed wraps in the world and have 50 per cent himanthalia and wakame seaweed. I sea wraps contain more fibre and protein as well as fewer calories and saturated fat than ordinary wraps. They’re full of omega-3, iron, iodine, B vitamins, and fucoxanthin, which has been proven to fight fat. You can’t taste the seaweed in the wrap except for seaweed’s natural umami flavour, which compliments any filling. You can eat it hot or cold, but we preferred it as a way to give ourselves more vegetables with a cheese tortilla.

If you’re still not convinced, Seamore has many recipes to try here and you can find it here The starting price of the pasta is £6.50 for 100g (approx. 5 servings).  

VOYA - Softly Does It Hydrating Body Lotion

Summer is here, and The Amazing Blog team has taken all sorts of measures to ensure that our bodies have been pampered and taken care. In preparation for this season ahead, we received the Softly Does It Hydrating Body Lotion from VOYA to try. As our regular readers will know, we have a bit of a penchant for Voya, you will see here from the past review of their Bright Eyes Brightening Eye Cream. VOYA was founded in 2006 by husband and wife team, Mark & Kira Walton. They focused on the natural power of seaweed, VOYA is an Irish niche brand that has harnessed the incredible soothing skin properties of the 'seaweed baths.'

At the core of VOYA is the love for seaweed-based products. The Softly Does It Hydrating Body Lotion is richly infused with hand-harvested Fucus Serratus extract. This is a type of seaweed that filters ocean water for nutrients to survive, so it becomes dense with the anti-oxidants and minerals our skin loves. The next two key ingredients are Shea Butter and Prickly Pear Oil, helping to deeply nourish, moisturise, heal, and protect the skin—evidence that nature always has our back. Our favourite part was the uplifting scent of lime and mandarin. It left a subtle fresh aroma on our skin throughout the day. We couldn’t get enough of it.

This body lotion naturally helps to prevent signs of ageing and cellulite and improves the skin’s tone and elasticity. We have noticed instantly hydrated and smooth skin, even on those days where our skin has seen some dryness. This unique blend of 80% organic ingredients has our skin craving more. They are also Halal certified, free from mineral oils, synthetic colours, preservatives, and are cruelty-free. The Softly Does It Hydrating Body Lotion from VOYA is available for purchase here for £28.

Fusion range by Repechage

At The The Amazing Blog, Repechage is one of our professional skincare discoveries. We particularly like their brand ethos and values of creating natural, organic and high-quality products. Launched in USA during 1980, the founder Lydia Sarfati's commitment has been to provide innovative and effective skincare products and treatments that actually work. The brand's latest range is the Fusion collection. These are formulated with freshly-harvested seaweed combined with matcha green tea, chocolate, pumpkin/vanilla, mixed berry, aloe and coconut oil. We were excited to receive the trio set from this range with their Chocofina Moisturizing Mask, the All Natural Face and Body Wash and the All Natural Face Moisturiser.

The Chocofina Moisturizing Mask has a delicious chocolatey fragrance which smells almost good enough to eat! This creamy chocolate mask helps to give the skin silky soft feel. Enriched with cocoa oil, coconut oil, seaweed, kaolin clay, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid this mask works to promote moisturise. The cocoa and coconut oil are well-known for their nourishing properties while hyaluronic acid and seaweed boost collagen production and enhance the skin with essential vitamins and minerals. Together these  ingredients make a highly nutritious mask that leaves the skin looking luminous.

The Fusion All Natural Face and Body Wash is a gentle foaming wash which helps to create a relaxing spa at home experience. The face and body wash is infused with olive, coconut and palm oils and has highly hydrating ingredients which are infused with the brands exclusive Laminaria complex. This cleanses the skin and body from all impurities and leaves it beautifully scented. The face and body wash is suitable for all skin types and is available in two different sizes.

As our readers will know, we at The Amazing Blog are firm believers in the benefits of natural and organic ingredients in beauty products. We were therefore only too happy to experience the Repechage Fusion All Natural Face Moisturiser. This moisturiser is formulated with only natural ingredients, including coconut oil, aloe vera, chamomile, vanilla and rooibos tea extract. The rich soufflé formula delivers velvety soft skin, while coconut oil and aloe vera feed and repair skin, while the chamomile acts as an anti-inflammatory and protects skin from irritation. All Repechage products are paraben free and not tested on animals.

You can purchase the mask here for £24, the full size face and body wash is available here for £24.50, the travel size here for £8.25   and the moisturiser can be purchased here for £22.25.  

 

Portland England - Soothing Shave Cream and Post Shave Moisturiser

Here at The Amazing Blog we tend to receive a plethora of beauty products aimed at the ladies in the office. So I was thrilled when  Portland England sent us their new Shave Cream and Moisturiser to try, so I could indulge my love of grooming products too. 

The Soothing Shave Cream has a great creamy, glossy texture enriched with Hyaluronic Acid to replenish your skin while you shave. The additional seaweed extracts also give the cream a lovely crisp scent, which is very pleasant compared to other shaving creams on the market. Its partner product, the Post Shave Moisturiser has the same great scent, and also contains Hyaluronic Acid, with added anti-inflammatory ingredients to help calm your skin and eliminate redness after you've shaved. The moisturiser absorbs quickly, which is great if you're like me and always dashing out the door, and leaves a refreshing hint of seaweed fragrance on your skin.

If you're looking to treat yourself, or you're after an early Christmas present, you can buy the products from Portland England's website. The Soothing Shaving Cream will set you back £16 and the Post Shave Moisturiser £24, but if you sign up to their 'subscribe & save' service you’ll save 10% - a bargain in our eyes. 

Mara Seaweed - Seaweed Pouches

Here at The Amazing Blog, we’re constantly looking for healthy snack options so we can munch away throughout the work day without guilt. We recently found out about the delicious seaweed from Mara Seaweed, which are the perfect healthy topping for whatever we decide to nibble on.

Sourced from the pure seas of Scotland, Mara Seaweed is 100% natural, and it’s raw, vegan, organic and gluten-free, making it ideal to satisfy all cravings, no matter what your dietary restrictions may be. Although we consider ourselves experts in snacking, I must admit, I had no idea that there were so many different flavours to choose from. Of the three that we tried - Dulse, Kombu and Shony - my favourite was the latter. Perfect for sprinkling over salads, it was the ideal embellishment to my lunch. It’s low in fat, high in enriching protein and will fill you up so you have energy to last through the day. Dulse was also great for spicing up meaty dinner dishes, adding a really delicious smoky flavour. For the highest quality of taste, the brand recommend storing the seaweed in a dry environment out of direct sunlight, although I don't think ours will be lasting long enough to require the storage space.

To add this power snack to your collection, head here and try out the set of Mara Seaweed pouches for £14.99.