Katherine Daniels – Nourishing Hydrating Balm

As a London based company, we here at The Amazing Blog are, naturally, big fans of all things Brit. Everything from The Queen to a nice hot cuppa: if it’s UK, it’s OK. We aren’t, however, a fan of the dreary weather. So when Katherine Daniels, an inherently British brand, sent us some of their Nourishing Hydrating Balm to try, we were more than a little intrigued. The brand boasts ‘beautifully British concepts’, and the products, as well as being mineral oil and paraben free, are designed with the English climate in mind. The brand’s founders are aware that choosing the right skincare has as much to do with environment as it does with skin type, a philosophy that we couldn’t agree with more.

The colour coded packaging offers no nonsense, easy to navigate salon skincare, helping to make the selection of products and looking after your skin quick and easy. The Nourishing Hydrating Balm, which falls into the Body Essentials category, is perfect for this time of year, when the season switches from cold to warm, robbing my skin of all its moisture. The thick body balm contains a mixture of Brown Seaweed Osmolyte, helping to tackle and prevent dehydration, nourishing and protecting Shea Butter, and a healthy dose of Vitamin E. It feels luxuriously smooth when applied, and was amazing at hydrating my parched skin. As well as offering rich hydration, the balm has a wonderfully fresh scent, leaving my skin feeling soft and smelling gorgeous all day long!

Suitable for all skin types, the Nourishing Hydrating Balm is available to buy here for £24.50, along with the rest of the Katherine Daniels range.

Marlenha – Fresh Dew Body Butter & Flourish Moisturiser

We at The Amazing Blog have tried a great deal of skincare products, but we were especially impressed by natural skin care company Marlenha. Named after the exquisite red rose and universal symbol of love and beauty, all of their products are 100% hand made in Italy in small batches to ensure exceptional quality. We were lucky enough to try both the Fresh Dew Body Butter and the Flourish Moisturiser.

Marlenha prides itself on using natural, pure ingredients to preserve and protect skin’s natural beauty. The Fresh Dew Body Butter features two key ingredients: Icelandic Lichen and Red Algae. Icelandic Lichen comes from moss that grows in mountainous regions and helps to maintain skin’s natural moisture balance. Red Algae grows in the Atlantic Ocean and improves skin tissues, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. The Fresh Dew Body Butter has a smooth, creamy texture that instantly left my skin feeling soft and silky.

The Flourish Moisturiser contains Collagen Beads and Hyaluronic Acid. Collagen Beads penetrate deep into the skin to enhance skin’s plumpness and radiance. Hyaluronic Acid works to form a barrier on the skin and makes it smoother. My skin felt very even and smooth after using this moisturiser. Both Marlenha products we tried were of exceptional quality and lead to remarkable results. The Fresh Dew Body Butter and Flourish Moisturiser are available here for £42 and £49 respectively.

Mimi & Me - Signature Body Creme & Solid Perfume

Mimi & Me are a brand who pride themselves in creating artisan, handmade products that you won’t find just anywhere. They also had the inspired idea to combine aromatherapy with divine fragrances in all their products. So when they sent The Amazing Blog a selection from the brand to try out, we jumped at the chance. Our favourites include the Signature Perfume and Signature Body Creme, which left us feeling soothed and smelling pretty wonderful!

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love natural brands, and Mimi & Me tick all the boxes, boasting all natural, responsibly sourced ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging, just to name a few. Delivering equal parts quality and sustainability, these products did their jobs perfectly, whilst filling the office with the most beautiful fragrances! The Signature Perfume, a solid fragrance with notes of cinnamon and frankincense, packs quite a potent punch, with the scent transporting me back to Christmas mornings of my youth. However, the star product for me was the Signature Body Creme. With a beautiful fresh yet spicy fragrance, the rich creme left my skin feeling soft, supple, and not at all greasy, despite its thick consistency. Containing Aloe Vera and Apricot Kernel Oil, the 120g jar of creme is gorgeous when layered with the Signature Perfume, and equally lovely when used alone. The intoxicating scents and soothing aromatherapy qualities are just what the doctor ordered for that relaxing, indulgent evening at home. The natural ingredients are just the icing on the cake. The collection is available to buy here, the Body Creme retailing at £12.99 and the Signature Perfume at £25.

Melvita - Nectar Pur Purifying Cleansing Gel

Here at The Amazing Blog, we admire companies that are truly committed to helping our planet. One such brand, Melvita, was founded by Bernard Chevilliat, biologist and bee keeper, in order to develop organic skincare without any harsh chemicals. In addition to natural products, Melvita also uses recyclable packaging and sustainable business practices, making their company as eco-friendly as can be. Melvita believes in putting nature at the heart of all their products, and they really won our hearts with their organic ethos, so we were thrilled to try out their Nectar Pur Purifying Cleansing Gel.

Suited to combination and oily complexions, the gel has a light but energizing scent and felt really refreshing on my skin. One or two pumps of the gel turns into a good amount of foam, so a little goes a long way! As I washed my face, I found that it tingled a bit, and I could really feel the gel working deep into my skin to get rid of oils and other impurities. After rinsing my face with water, I was pleased to discover that it did not dry out my skin like other cleansers sometimes do. Containing peppermint hydrolat, wasabi extract and birch sap to purify and help balance the skin, I felt fresh faced and revitalised after using this invigorating gel cleanser. With an atmosphere full of impurities that I'm desperate to wash away at the end of the day, it's the perfect companion for a working city girl.

All Nectar Pur products are dermatologically tested and are organically certified by Ecocert Greenlife. You can purchase Nectar Pur Purifying Cleansing Gel here for £16.

The Gentle-Man Range

As I often mention, being the only man in the office certainly has its perks, especially when male grooming products arrive!  Lucky for me, Paul Byrne at The Gentle-Man Range understands my love for ‘Great British’ skincare and sent The Amazing Blog his entire selection, including the Body Wash, Moisturiser, Post Shave Balm, Shave Cream, Face Wash and Eau De Toilette. Made from natural ingredients and excluding parabens and MITs, The Gentle-Man Range products leave skin feeling smooth and clean, just as a gentleman should be.

Keeping scents delicate, all of The Gentle-Man Range includes unique yet masculine extracts such as sandalwood, black pepper, pomegranate and lemongrass. Though I enjoyed using the entire line, I found the Eau De Toilette most pleasing. This masculine cologne incorporates the sensual extract of lavender with accents of lemon, black pepper, moss and musk to maintain a subtle yet manly scent. It has such a spectacular aroma that I had to fight off the girls in the office; they wanted to keep the Eau De Toilette for themselves! You can find The Gentle-Man Range Eau De Toilette here for £30.

Also, from the perspective of a designer, I particularly enjoy the packaging of The Gentle-Man Range. The natural beige coloured boxes correlate with the natural ingredients used in the products, while bright colour accents coordinate with the primary scent of each item. The packaging of the Pomegranate Face Wash, for example, highlights the scent with an accent of maroon. I also love that the tubes inside the boxes are sleek and black. It’s like they’re demanding to be outside the cabinet and on top of the counter.

The entire range including Body Wash, Moisturiser, Post Shave Balm, Shave Cream, Face Wash and Eau De Toilette can be purchased here, prices ranging from £13 to £30.