Heathcote & Ivory - Vintage & Co: Braids & Blooms

It's 'Bon voyage' with Heathcote & Ivory’s new and bestselling Vintage & Co Braids & Blooms collection. This Inflight Essentials pack comes well-equipped with a travel sized hand cream, a sanitiser and calming gel, a set of designer playing cards and earplugs. You can find all of your travelling necessities inside this 'Braids & Booms' vintage-inspired package. The Amazing Blog has tried many of their charmingly designed products, see here for their drawer liners. We were therefore excited to try their new travel kit, a product now at the top of our packing list.

We are always itching to get away on our travels, but with that, we are faced with dreaded travel days. From a restless night’s sleep, hoping that we don’t snooze through our alarms, to praying that the weather will cooperate to avoid any delays - we are ready to depart both looking, and feeling exhausted! 

However, with this handy Inflight Essentials kit, you are offered a much needed and calming in-flight routine. First, sanitise your hands, a welcome ritual after fiddling around with luggage. Then, apply the calming gel, which is infused with lavender, to relieve anxieties and aid sleep. Slip in your earplugs, massage your hands with the shea butter and vitamin E enriched hand cream, and close your eyes. If you do have trouble sleeping, take out the playing cards to keep yourself occupied with a solo game of patience, or perhaps persuade your neighbour to a quick game of poker! You can purchase your travel pack here for £12.00.

PH7 Skincare Collection

As the autumnal equinox approaches, we at The Amazing Blog are starting to think about implementing a new season skincare regimen. We wanted to find a simple trio that would take us through the forthcoming transitory months with ease, and the natural skincare from pH 7’s Skincare Collection: Natural.Clean.Skin offered us just that. Our morning routine has now started with their thoughtfully formulated skincare products, their signature: Foaming Cleanser, Toner and Moisturiser. pH 7 Natural.Clean.Skin is formulated by US toxicologist Dr. Erika Weaver, PhD, who is committed to designing natural and toxin-free skin care products. During her schooling, Weaver learned about the effects of chemicals and the impact it has on our lifestyle and the environment, and wanted to make a change... 

Our favourite of the trio is their Foaming Cleanser. It nourishes and restores all skin types, it made our skin feel 'squeaky clean' without leaving a hint of tightness. Key ingredients are rose water, witch hazel, honeysuckle, apricot kernel, rosehip, frankincense and sandalwood oils. So easy to apply, simply splash warm water onto the face, then pump 2-3 pumps and massage it in using circular motions. After rinsing thoroughly, and patting dry with a linen face cloth - you'll feel fresh awakened! Next, we used their Toner as a refreshing elixir to hydrate the skin. Key ingredients here include kombucha tea, aloe vera gel, vitamins E and C. Before applying, shake the bottle well and blot it onto a cotton ball. Remember to store this product at room temperature. As you let the skin absorb the toner, apply a small amount of Moisturizer,  which has some of our favourite ingredients such as coconut, sandalwood, frankincense and almond oils, all of which offer a great way to maintain hydration and protection.  You can buy each of the these separately, the Foaming Cleanser here for $14, or the Toner here for $10 and the Moisturizer here for $14. However, this trio can also be bought together here for $36.00.

Friday Favourites: Organic Tanning Products

As our regular readers will know at The Amazing Blog, we're big fans of natural and organic products, and today we are talking about sun care. We've included a couple of new brands that have just launched in the UK, as well as a favourite, trusted British brand. These will all help you to enhance your colour and protect your skin naturally. So be sure to take note, and make your friends envious of your effortless glow and sun-kissed complexion. 

There are few things in life that can make us feel better than sporting a healthy and glowing tan. It gives us newfound confidence and a revitalisation. And what could be better than if it can all be done in a safe and controlled manner? We turn first to Rosenserien, an award-winning brand, to help us achieve a safe natural tan. This isn’t the first time we’ve reviewed Rosenserien, and certainly won't be the last. We have rather a soft spot for this established Swedish organic skincare company. Rosenserien only ever uses natural ingredients, of which over 75% are actually organic. The formula in the Self Tan consists of mainly sugar beet extract for long-lasting results and natural colour. NB: It’s recommended to exfoliate and moisturise the skin before using the self-tanner in order to get an even colour. Depending on your preference, apply up to two layers of the lotion for a deeper tan. Within 4-10 hours of application, your skin will be the perfect shade of tan for 3-5 days. We tried this on the face and loved it, very good results with no blotchiness. The product comes in a 100ml tube and can be purchased here for £22.00.

Sun protection should always be an essential part of your daily routine. Although you may not always be lying out on a beach, your skin still comes into daily contact with the damaging UVA/UVB rays even during your daily commute. A fabulous addition to our sun care collection is Eco Cosmetics' Sun Milk with SPF50. The lotion is moisturising, and allows for full coverage – it must be said that a little does go a long way with this product. It is comprised of certified natural ingredients most of which are sourced from organic farming in Germany. This German sun care line is water resistant, vegan, cruelty-free and coral reef friendly. Due to the formulated titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the sunscreen protects instantly. Supplemental benefits of the product include improved hydration levels, elasticity and suppleness. If you still want a tan naturally and soak up the sun without harming your skin, then we recommend this 75ml product found here for £22.95.

Our third choice this summer is The Organic Pharmacy’s Self-Tan product.  Margo Marrone, a leading pharmacist and homoeopath, founded the company in 2002 and has been working ever since to improve skincare through the combination of nature and science. Each product is formulated naturally without toxins and is created to meet the highest standards. Similar to Rosenserien’s product, The Organic Pharmacy’s self-tan derives from sugar beet. The British made lotion is light and soft, and best for sensitive skin. First, exfoliate your body before slathering on the lotion. While applying, make sure to cover every crevice and to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. We preferred using this on our bodies rather than our the faces - it was lighter and more absorbent. Your tan will develop after three hours when you will notice a uniformed tan, free of streaks. Enjoy your natural glow by purchasing the 100ml bottle here for £38.00. As they say, don't forget to: 'Slip, slap, slop', and we've certainly you covered for the Bank Holiday weekend, enjoy the sunshine.

Bare Faced Skin – Face Revival Cream

We know from experience how sensitive skin can be, especially on the face. This is why we were happy to discover Bare Faced Skin, a high-performance, luxury skincare brand, with a range made from organic botanical ingredients. Bare Faced Skin was created by Helen Taylor, who has sensitive skin and has suffered from eczema herself. Helen's brand statement is: "The range was designed to create skin you'll be confident in; skin you want to be seen.” At The Amazing Blog we're all about finding and inspiring self-confidence. Having a clear complexion is a magnificent start and a boost for anyone. What we love is that Bare Faced Skin do not test on animals, and that the products have no hidden ingredients. It seems we're not the only ones impressed by the brand, as Bare Faced Skin were nominated in both the Face Care (Take Off) and Bodycare (Leave On) categories at the 2018 Free From Skincare Awards. To see a full breakdown of their ingredients, click here.

We’ve found that their Balance Shea & Thistle Face Revival Cream is excellent for normal to combination skin due to the hyaluronic acid and lupine peptides it contains. Together, they help to protect, while leaving you with a bright complexion. This winner of a 2018 Beauty Shortlist Award for Editor’s Choice contains shea butter, thistle seed oil, lavender oil, blood orange peel oil, rosehip oil, sweet almond oil, pomegranate seed oil, black seed oil, and sea buckthorn. This combination results in a sweet floral fragrance, highlighted by the lavender and blood orange oils. Palmarosa essential oil is also added to balance the T-Zone. The Face Revival Cream is light on the skin and absorbs quickly to work its hydrating magic. You can purchase Bare Faced Skin’s Balance Shea & Thistle Face Revival Cream 50ml for £48.00 here.

We also had the opportunity to try Bare Faced Skin’s 15ml travel sized creams. This is a premium brand, so it’s nice to be able to try their face and body lotions in their affordable travel sizes. The big plus is that they can fit into any plastic carry-on bag. The Hydrate Sea & Macadamia Face Revival Cream is lightweight and lovely for skin that is lacking moisture and nourishment. The list of ingredients is as follows: shea butter, white poppy oil, rosehip fruit oil, black seed oil, blood orange peel oil, mandarin oil, and sea buckthorn oil.

Fantastic for refining and mattifying the complexion, the Mattify Sea & White Poppy Face Revival Cream moisturises and nourishes the skin. This face cream contains thistle, shea butter, white poppy seed oil, grapefruit peel oil, cardamom seed oil, sweet almond oil, and sea buckthorn fruit extract. The Lift Pumpkin & Borage Body Lotion contains borage oil to protect the skin from external elements, while the pumpkin seed oil soothes. It's excellent for tired-looking skin. This body lotion also contains sweet almond oil, shea butter, sea buckthorn fruit extract, thistle seed oil, and pomegranate seed oil. Enticed by the lovely ingredients? Each of these lovely travel sized creams can be purchased for £14.50 here.

Celtic Herbal - Balms and Candles

We at The Amazing Blog tend to opt for peaceful scents that lift our mood, and Celtic Herbal certainly does just the trick. Celtic Herbal is a Welsh artisan company, who incorporate both their love for natural ingredients, and the surrounding Welsh landscape, the one in which they source some of their key ingredients. What makes each product all the more special, is the fact that they are handmade, and not tested on animals.

We tried four products from their range: two balms and two candles. The handy-sized balms offer a simple solution for dry and cracked skin and fit perfectly into our handbags to use on the go. Celtic Herbal’s Peppermint Lip Balm is made from 100% natural beeswax and has a cooling effect. It’s made up of lovely ingredients, like peppermint oil, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and calendula officinalis flower extract. We loved the piquant of the mint which gave a teeny bit of a tingle, and we found that this balm kept our lips moist and supple throughout the day.

With the Celtic Herbal Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang, we found that when applied to the pulse points it helped to relax our mind. This Sleep Balm is made with warming mandarin oil to ease pressure and Ylang Ylang for calmness. It’s 100% natural and contains mandarin orange peel oil, beeswax, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, and cananga odorata flower oil. Good to apply at the end of a busy day to bring peace and harmony.

Aromatherapy harnesses the power of botanicals and essential oils, and there are so many different ways to utilise it. Celtic Herbal has created candles from ethically sourced soy wax which are made in small batches to ensure the highest quality. Their Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle comes from the Refresh range, emitting a sweet and floral scent that is connected to the balance of the nervous system. It’s said to help lift depression and relieve anxiety - we found it very mood enhancing.

The final product that we tried was their Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle. This comes from the Purify range. Its warm and uplifting scent intends to bring clarity and fresh perspectives. Perfect to help you unwind after a long journey. The 30g travel candles have a clean burning time of four hours, and the 105g candles can last up to twenty-five hours. Time to breathe in and relax! Purchase the Celtic Herbal Peppermint Lip Balm 15g here for £4.00; Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang 25g here for £5.50; Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50; Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50.