The Amazing Blog's Bank Holiday Essentials!

It is with heavy hearts that we note Autumn is now looming and Summer now drawing to a close.  This weekend we're all preparing for the bank holiday which is only a week away! This is the perfect break away for us all to get some ‘me-time’ and take in the last bursts of sunshine (we hope) getting away for a long  weekend with friends and family.  In anticipation, here at The Amazing Blog we have compiled a special collection of products that we think are absolute essentials for your bank holiday travel adventures.  Enjoy... Oh-lief is one of our greatest  discoveries - it hails  all the way from  South African. Thecompany was born ‘out of the desire to use products that would not harm the skin or the environment’. Their products are made from locally sourced, 100% natural, organic and raw ingredients. We've all been blown-away by what we can only describe as their 'miracle cream' it's the Oh-lief's Natural Aqueous Cream. Originallyformulated for babies’ skin (but perfectly fine for adults too).  It is a brilliant multi-tasker - i.e.  as a  great cleansing wash or a highly moisturising body and face butter. Basically it's fantastic 'all-in-one'.  The product is a very thick, soft, hydrating cream and as we mentioned, 100% natural . The Natural Aqueous Cream retails at £6.83 and can be purchased from the Savant Health websitefrom the 1st September. It's perfect for everyone from baby to granny and will be ideal for any family who travel.

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Vegesentials is another one of our new finds. With no  pre-packaged or GMI ingredients their new range of combined fruit and vegetable drinks are not only unusual but delicious and good for you too.  Absolutely perfect for the whole family to enjoy, they come in five different blended flavours. Our favourites were the Carrot, Mango, and Parsnip and the Celery, Apple, and Kale varieties. They are cleverly blended, and do not taste like a salad as some of you might think. They're great way to get part of your five-a-day and  for also putting into your rucksack or the car for the long journey ahead. They are available for £1.59 from the Vegesentials website as well as Whole Foods stores and Waitrose.

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Another interesting product that we found is the healing Cardiospermum Gel. It is a clear to green-ish gel created from the Cardiospermum Plant (as name suggests). This is a wonderful remedy for people with sensitive skin as this plant extract and aloe extract in the formula are very soothing for sensitive and dry skin. We think that this would be good for anyone who over-suns themselves and needs some instant skin-cooling relief. The only thing you might want to be a little careful about is not to use this gel on broken skin - it stings! Again,  it's perfect for people who are travelling and who are spending time outdoors where we know skin irritations often happen. The Cardiospermum Gel is available from The Skin Shop website for £9.95.

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For those of you heading off to the beach for the bank holiday weekend, you might like to think about a very special sunscreen. We stumbled upon a unique formula called Safe Sea by Lifesystems and Nidaria Technology which has an amazing Jellyfish Sting Protection. We have the 15, 30 and 50 SPF and are looking forward to taking this with us to the seaside as this is the year for record breaking shoals of Jellyfish on our UK shores -  therefore we think it most appropriate!  Safe Sea Sunscreen with Jellyfish Sting Protection was developed to help protect against the stinging mechansim of most Jellyfish, Sea Nettle, Sea Lice and Coral. It contains unique, patented ingredients that deactivate the stinging mechanism, leaving you safe and sound. Jellyfish and the like are becoming increasingly common both at home and abroad, but Safe Sea will help to take the sting out of any chance encounter. A truly amazing formula that you can purchase the sunscreen on the Purple Turtlewebsite for £9.95.

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Packing snacks for weekends away is a must, as we all know there's always someone who will be moaning about being hungry on the journey. Pre-made granola is a perfect snack to bring along on these occasions, and we have found one that is sure to please everyone - even those  with dietary restriction. Nature’s Path Organic Gluten Free Nice & Nobbly Granola this is delicious and gluten-free, so it is perfect for those who cannot have the usual cracker type snacks. We tried their Pumpkin Seeds, Almond & Raisins with a Dash of Cinnamon  and their Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries & Yoghurt Chunks varieties.  Both of which we highly recommend, they were extremely moreish on the taste buds and we found ourselves continually nibbling straight from the packets - so also perfect for in between phone calls in the office! Plus, this granola will be brilliant to help fill any hunger pangs and keep you and your companions bolstered up for the trip. Visit the Nature's Path website for information on their stockists.

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And finally for all those chatter-boxes on your journey, we've  found something to help you compete (after all you'll need something to keep your lips moist to respond to all their banter); its the wonderful Kukui & Shea Butter Natural Lip balm fromPure Thoughts This lip balm helps to soothe and protect with its unusual Kukui nut oil (well-known for its ability to heal dry skin). It's unscented and can also be used anywhere on the body to treat dry skin.  Pure Thoughts is a 100% natural skincare company that we have recently discovered. They do lots of other products too (watch out for our review on their Whipped Shea Body Butter). But we think that this lip balm is a real winner it smells lovely, the feel is just perfect - silky instead of sticky. It retails for £3.95 on the Pure Thoughts website.

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‘Blanche The Blues’ with the Soak Yourself Bath Ritual Recipe Kit

We all know too well, you’ve had an incredibly long week, and all you want to do is get home and have a relaxing bath. But the problem is, you have to gather all of the necessary materials for good bath time: bubble bath, candles, soap, and whatever else you may need. Couldn’t it all just come in one handy box? Well, now it can! Here at The Amazing Blog, we got the opportunity to try Jackie Hope’s new Soak Yourself Bath Ritual Recipe Kit in ‘Blanche The Blues’, and it really is an experience.

Soak Yourself is a 100% natural product kit containing all the essentials for at least four relaxing baths. The box comes to you neatly packaged, with an instruction booklet and even a ‘permission slip for a guilt-free soak’.  The ‘Blanche the Blues’ box was designed to give you a mood boost and make good of a bad day. It includes: foaming and cleansing salts, Bergamot essential oil, Sweet Orange essential oil, Lavender essential oil, handmade Eucalyptus soap, uplifting candle and holder, and chamomile tea bags. According to Jackie, you must first brew the chamomile tea, and then do exactly as she instructs for creating the perfect, relaxing bath.

From the packaging to the ingredients, this is an absolutely adorable product. They are perfect for yourself to have on handy for needy days, or for a gift for someone special. There are seven sets to choose from: Love Soak, Muscle Soak, Remedy Soak, Blanche the Blues Soak, Broken Heart Soak, Feeling Groovy Soak, and Full Moon Soak.  Each kit retails at £40 and is available for purchase on the Soak Yourself website.

Get some honey into your routine with Bee Nature

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You may put Honey in your tea, or on a peanut butter sandwich, but have you ever considered its use for beauty products? Honey is an ingredient popping up in all kinds of new products on the market. Us girls at The Amazing Blogknow a few things about the benefits of honey on the skin, which is why we were very excited to try Bee Nature’s new Shower Milk and Body Lotion.

Bee Nature is a new 100% Belgian cosmetic company that specialise in ‘natural products with honey and plant extracts’. It was founded by Marine, who grew up with a chemist and pharmacist as parents, so it was natural that she would end up in the world of body products. Currently as small range, Bee Nature’s products are indulgent, delicious, and natural. Honey has been used since the dawn of time for many kinds of remedies, involving treating wounds. This is because it is a natural antiseptic, which means it is perfect for those who suffer from “problem skin” or have issues like acne and red patches.

First of all, I must mention the amazing scent. Good enough to eat! Because of the honey, it has quite an edible smell, but in the best way! The shower milk feels absolutely decadent on the skin and lathers nicely. It has lemon and verbena which makes it very moisturising and toning for the skin. The honey included in the formula means it is very soothing to the skin and packed full of antioxidants. The Body Milk Lotion is also incredibly moisturising, healing, and toning. This is credited to the inclusion of aloe juice, hyaluronic acid and chamomile oil in the formula.

Another wonderful thing about Bee Nature's products is that the packaging is very specially designed. It is eco friendly and perfect for storing in your bathroom as the seal is air tight. This means that your products will always be fresh and like new! If you are interested in seeing the whole range from Bee Nature or purchasing the lovely Shower Milk and Body Lotion, which retail at £7.83 and £9.41 respectively, visit the Bee Nature website.

Keep Cool and Refreshed with MayaWater Facial Mist

Most of us know that our bodies primarily consist of water. With that being said, it is quite easy during the day to forget that your skin, along with your mouth, needs it. The beauty loving girls here at The Amazing Blog are no strangers to facial mists, so when the Maya Water Organic White Tea facial mist arrived, we were all at arms to try it first.

The mist is made of PH Neutral Norwegian Thermal Spa Water and Organic White Tea. In short, this means that the mist is packed full of goodness for your skin. Anti-Oxidants that help prevent and repair sun damage, and also help with skin discolouration and wrinkles. This facial mist is absolutely perfect for refreshing skin on a hot day, when you need a pick me up, or just throughout the day! The best part is that the facial mist can be applied over make-up. The mist was studied and tested by hydrologists, and is one of the finest mists available. The fineness means that the skin absorbs it as quickly as possible, so it is safe to put over make-up.  I must admit, it feels wonderful on my skin; very gentle and moisturising.  A fun fact: you can also spray it in your hand with some of your foundation for a lighter application during the warmer months.

The Maya Water Facial Mist is an absolute luxury for hot summer days, and perfect when you need a beauty pick me up during the day. Along with the Organic White Tea infusion, there is also Organic Goji, Organic Pure, and Organic Acai.

Get Squeaky Clean with Granny Sally's Soap Kitchen

It comes as no surprise that we love body care here at The Amazing Blog! This means Body Butter, Scrubs, and everything in between. So it comes as no surprise that we were very excited when we received a few products from Granny Sally’s Soap Kitchen. The name implies family, which is exactly what it is. A homespun soap making company hailing from Edinburgh; Granny Sally’s is anything but ordinary. I was able to try two of Granny Sally's luscious Body Butters in Strawberry and Chocolate. What a sensation! They are absolutely delicious in terms of smell and feel. They include wonderful ingredients such as Shea Butter and Mango Butter, so they leave your skin feeling extremely soft while the whipped texture means they absorb quickly and keep the skin moisturised.  Granny Sally’s only uses the best natural ingredients with a vegetable or fruit base, so every product is free of synthetics. All available scents of the body butter include: Chocolate, Strawberry, Mango, Coconut, Vanilla Bean and Lavender.  At £4.00 each, you will surely want more than just one!

Another wonderful product we tried from Granny Sally’s Soap Kitchen is the Manna Soap Loaf, which smells just like Cinnamon Cake. It includes skin exfoliating ingredients like Oats, Almonds, and Poppy Seeds which are sure to get rid of all the nasty dead skin. I think this is a perfect product to use whenever you need a good scrub or even just once a week as a routine. The Manna Soap Loaf retails at £3.50. These, and a wide range of other delicious products can be purchased on their website. Word of warning! They all smell good enough to eat! But just refrain from indulging.