Andmetics Brow Wax Strips For Men

The Amazing Blog  can happily confirm (and do so with much relief) that those toe-curlingly awkward moments of the modern commute could be finally behind us all. What do we mean? Well, you know when you find yourself sitting/standing way too close to your fellow passengers; and get a dreadful pang of etiquette confusion, when you notice that said male passenger has had the misfortune to be sporting lopsided brows. Come on now, we all know we have done it - first you notice ‘something’ isn’t quite right, and then the dissection of the facial symmetry takes place and you start literally scanning the visage for the check points! 

What to do? Do you bravely confront the issue head on and risk a vicious rebuff, or do you sink lower into your copy of Simone de Beauvoir, and try (against the odds, it has to be said) to ignore the glaring issue literally staring you in the face … to face? Well, those clever boffins at Andmetics have come up with a most effective solution to this problem. We present to you The Andmetics Brow Wax Strips For Men whose actual wax is shaped for the perfectly matched result - indeed they have a whole range of areas that can be striped of the unwanted follicles, with helpful ‘How To’ guides here.

The focus here is the option for male brows - happily, the process couldn’t be simpler with Andmetics : cleanse the skin to ensure it is clear of any oils or cream; it must be dry for the procedure to work effectively, and then apply each shaped wax strip symmetrically. If that symmetry looks slightly off, gently peel the offending side in the direction of hair growth and reposition. Allow the wax to bond well with what needs to be removed - obviously taking care to avoid anything you want to remain (i.e. eyelashes please note), and then with you primed for the moment of disengagement, tighten the skin, and with a flat angle motion, take a breath, and strip the wax away quickly and cleanly. Should there be any residue left, Andmetics have also provided handy finishing wipes to sort that out and gently soothe the newly spruced area. It really is that simple!

Price wise we are looking at around 9.90€ for a box of 4 full brow treatments, from their online shop here or they can be found on Amazon. So…next time we are faced with misshapen brows, if you feel brave enough you can confidently offer a solution rather than an awkward observation to our fellow commuter!

You Create Beauty - DIY Beauty Recipe Box

With DIY skincare and beauty subscription boxes becoming increasingly popular, it’s not a surprise that The Amazing Blog has joined the craze and indulged in this trend by trying You-create-Beauty’s double treat - the DIY Beauty Recipe Box.

Launched in September of last year, the DIY Beauty Recipe Box is completely organic and is entirely curated for you, by you. The simple and transparent nature of the brand, is inspired by Ayurveda; which is an ancient Indian practise, that emphasises harmony and balance in all aspects of your life - including beauty - to treat your skin holistically. In true Ayurveda nature, the first step to create your own DIY Beauty Recipe Box is to take an energy test which describes your body, skin, temperament and hair type. From that, you are able to gauge which energy or “Dosha” you are, so your beauty recipes are specific to you.

Then, you select two beauty recipes from three choices of a face scrub, face mist and face oil to have in your box. Each energy- Kapha, Pitta, Vata - each is designated a My Blemish Resolution, My Calmness and My Iridescence but the ingredients used in them are selected specifically for each different energy. Ancient Indian oils, herbs and spices are used in all of You-Create-Beauty’s products such as Saffron Strands, Triphala, Organic Ground Tulsi, Vetiver and Organic Ground Bitter Melon. Other staple ingredients like Natural Vitamin E Oil, Red Rose Petals and even apricot to name a few, are incorporated into the recipes as well. If you’re not sure what some of the ingredients are, You-create-Beauty emphasises transparency by disclosing what the ingredients are and how they extracted them on their website. So, as you follow the recipes in your beauty recipe box, you can rest assured that you will know you are creating products that you can trust. To try this new holistic and creative way of skincare, subscribe to a two-month box for £20 here.

Ultra Luxe Moisturizing Sunscreen - BB Lifestyle

At The Amazing Blog, we’re always on the search to find a great sunscreen that (1) doesn’t make us look like pale and zinc-y and (2) protects as well as moisturises our skin. We’re happy to report in that BB Lifestyle’s Ultra-Luxe Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 30 is everything we want and more…

Based in California, BB Lifestyle is a luxury unisex skincare brand that aims to educate people in the way that they view skincare offering a more holistic approach. Bill Bakho the founder, makes sure that his brand is all natural, with no-filler and that it is a ‘multi-tasking, easy-to-wear sun screen that is inspired by nature.’ He also claims that in their natural skincare range they deliver dermatological-grade results. After using the Ultra-Luxe Moisturizing Sunscreen first hand, we agree that its non-greasy, weightless formula left us feeling both protected and pampered. Besides being SPF 30+, their signature, luxury sunscreen is made with seaweed, orchid and algae extracts as well as their patented HC56Complex, which is a hemp oil that provides anti-oxidant benefits to your skin. The sunscreen also has anti-ageing benefits with added UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum to help prevent skin damage. Another added plus for those of us with sensitive skin is that the full BB Lifestyle range are also vegan including the Utra-Luxe Moisturizing Sunscreen.

Application of the Ultra-Luxe Moisturizing Sunscreen is like any sun cream. A small amount applied 15 minutes before you are out in the sun and re-apply every two hours. This will leave your skin feeling protected yet glowing. We used it also as a primer under makeup, which worked a treat! To try living the #BBLifestyle you too can purchase their 100 ml tube of signature sunscreen for £49 on their website here.

The One Skin Range

If you are a skincare aficionado like us at The Amazing Blog , this newly launched skincare brand One Skin has a range of products that are just for you! One Skin prides itself on creating skincare made for specific lifestyles, focusing on long-term skin health rather than short-term results. If you live in a heavily polluted area or if you regularly exercise (yes, this can also affect your skin), then One Skin offers products to target all your specific concerns.

In 2005, British skin expert Noele Hammett, officially launched her exclusive skincare range One Skin to her salon clients. Moving forward to 2018, she finally unveiled her full collection of tried and tested, gentle but efficient, cosmeceutical skincare range to the public. What makes this range special is that contains only the finest results driven bioactive ingredients. All these products are free from sulphates, parabens, fragrances and colours, making the line perefect for everyday use.

I met Noele at a trade beauty event in London, where we engaged in conversation about my skincare needs and she very kindly gave me three of her products to try.

Let start with the cleanser PH Cleansing Wash. Like in any good skincare routine, the first step is always to prepare the skin in order for serums and moisturisers to perform their job correctly. One Skin’s sulphate-free pH Cleansing Wash removed grime, oil and make-up while still hydrating and soothing my skin in the process. One of the key ingredients is Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, which helps to protect against any damage or build up, without irritating the skin. Other surfactants in the wash like the sunflower and coconut oils gently yet deeply cleanse while still leaving skin soft and not feeling uncomfortably tight. I noticed that this cleanser left my skin feeling soft, not taut as some other cleanser have done. I used a small amount of the wash mixed with water to lather and cleanse both in the morning and evening. The pH cleansing wash is available here for £17.60 for the 50ml bottle and £32.00 for the 100ml bottle.

The next step is to repair any damage which skin the has received from living a fast-pace, polluted life in the city (i.e. me in London!) One Skin’s City Repair Serum does just that by stimulating collagen synthesis, protecting your skin in the process. The serum ‘s key repair ingredients are built around a soothing seaweed extract containing minerals such as sulphur, iodine, calcium, magnesium and selenium to maintain collagen generation. Not forgetting the major ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerine, which further condition and protect the skin. After cleansing, I applied 1-2 pumps of the serum morning and night and allowed for a few minutes to get complete absorption. To purchase the 30ml serum for £60 click here. If you aren’t living the city life like me, don’t worry One Skin has five serums targeting different lifestyles like the Stress Repair Serum, Holiday Repair Serum and even a Party Repair Serum. Check the full Repair line here.

Finally, after the City Repair Serum, I then applied my last skincare step with Noele’s amazing Wonder Age Cream. This rich moisturiser helps to lock-in the serum’s skin protective properties. The Wonder Age Cream is just one of the five moisturisers offered in the range. The Wonder Age Cream is the anti-ageing cream in this range and I noticed that combining this with the City Repair Serum that it not only hydrated and nourished my skin, but also it brightened my complexion. The Wonder Cream is made with resveratrol, hyaluronic acid and a variety of muscle-relaxing peptides, these ingredients work together to improve the complexion and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. For best results I applied two pumps morning and night, and then in the morning went ahead and applied my foundation and make up. To purchase the 30ml bottle of Wonder Age Cream for £74 click here.

All of these products and the rest of the One Skin line are available at their Skin Clinic located in Essex or online on their website here. Not sure where to start? There is a skin consultation questionnaire on their blog here that will help you to choice the right products for you and to understand your skin better. Finally to say, that we were THRILLED to see that our new discovery, One Skin, has won 3 x Editors Choice Awards in the prestigious 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards for their Wonder Age Cream, Eye Repair Serum and The Cosmeceutical Apothecary Set. We say don’t miss out on trying this new result driven skincare!

Nunaïa's Nourishing Radiance Serum

Spring has sprung, and the year seems to be flying by! This provoked a question in the office, how often do we take the time to switch off completely? It seems we do so very infrequently at The Amazing Blog, a revelation that has pushed us to think more consciously about including wellbeing rituals into our daily routines. When Nunaïa introduced their brand to us, we quickly realised it was the perfect way to do so with our skincare. Sharing our concerns for living in the fast lane, founder Nicola Connolly has created a brand focused on ritual, wellbeing and health – so you can imagine that we were eager to try their philosophy for ourselves. Not only that, but this seedling company are truly a great discovery, as they were recently awarded ‘winners’ in the category of The Best Facial Oil for Dry Skin in the prestigious 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Nicola believes that there are means and ways of bringing greater meaning and balance. Through travels to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuadorian Amazon and Andes Mountains of Peru, she discovered a unique and balanced way of life; one in which nature, wisdom of the land and oneself could live harmoniously. More simply, she realised that her work/life balance was somewhat out of sync, driving her goal to create a skincare brand that would bring intention and meaning into people’s lives (and glowing skin as a result of this). This is where Nunaïa was born – providing raw, living and superfood products from ‘Soil to Skin’.

We couldn’t wait to try their star product: Nourishing Radiance Serum; a vegan, cruelty-free and dermatologically tested serum, containing top-notch ingredients. These include sacha inchi, maracuja, chia and avocado – rich in essential plant actives and sourced uniquely from both the Peruvian Rainforest and Andes Mountains. We particularly love the texture of this oil; it has a perfect juxtaposition of a rich oil with a non-greasy finish, helping to soothe redness and inflammation simultaneously. Thanks to the use of vitamins A, B, C and E, our skin felt smoother and nourished after use, and if that’s not enough, the concoction of ingredients also protects against pollution, and both UV and blue lights. The packaging is also eye-catching, the serum itself is in a delicate glass bottle, encased in a mint green box. Nicole has thought of everything!

To use this oil, we recommend using every night after cleansing. If you have dry skin (or are taking the time to pamper yourself one weekend morning) then it is also a treat for a dehydrated complexion. You can purchase Nunaïa's bottle of goodness for 79 Euros Here. Enjoy!