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.

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.

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.

Lola’s Apothecary

Amongst the hustle and bustle of city life, The Amazing Blog finds it necessary to make time for relaxation, whether it’s watching a marathon of our favourite box sets or drawing a warm bath. Lola’s Apothecary helped us unwind with their Delicate Romance Balancing Bath & Shower Oil and Tranquil Isle Bath Salt. Lola’s Apothecary is a UK and Devon based company who take a holistic approach to wellness and spa, with products which are grounded in nature. We found ourselves reaching nirvana with their intoxicating fragrances. All the handmade products are created with the intent to enrich your self-care rituals.

The award-winning Delicate Romance Balancing Bath & Shower Oil is composed of plant essences that emit a romantic fragrance of flowers and spices. The scent is warm and inviting and immediately commands the body to relax. It only takes a few drops to feel the effects of instant gratification. The glass bottle is simple, yet elegant and inside has a selection of adorable floating rosebuds. You can also reap the benefits of the aromatherapy by rubbing a few drops onto your décolletage before slipping into the bath for a soak. The source of vitamin E treats sensitive skin. Beta Carotene stimulates cell turnover with its high level of omega 6. Other ingredients help reduce redness and inflammation and regulate hormonal health.

Similar to the bath oils, the Tranquil Isle Bath Salt is concentrated in essential oils that create a therapeutic experience. The calming smell of lavender puts your mind at ease of everyday stresses. The Himalayan Crystal Salt is one of the purest salts with traces of many minerals that are also very beneficial to health. Roman Camomile acts as an anti-inflammatory and soothing agent for sensitive skin. The Vetivert is a relaxant that aids sleep and relieves nervous tension.

To use, create a complete atmospheric experience for yourself – dimming the lights and lighting a candle. You can indulge in the pleasures of aromatherapy without leaving the comfort of your own home. As you draw the bath, drip a few drops of the oil or sprinkle the bath salts. Step into the tub and let the therapeutic smells take over. Purchase the Balancing Bath & Shower Oil 100ml here for £40 and the Tranquil Isle Bath Salts here for £50.

Korres – Bergamot & Jasmine Body Milk and Shower Gel

The Amazing Blog is always on the hunt for great-smelling body products that encourage healthy skin. One of our favourite brands is Korres, and as regular readers will know, we have covered many of their products over the years, the most recent being their Yogurt Range. As a natural Greek skincare brand, they have their roots set firmly in Athens; in fact, they started as one of the first ever homoeopathic pharmacy in Greece. Korres’ goal is to mix both nature and science, taking advantage of their extensive scientific resources, for the advancement of clinically safe and effective products.

The latest products from the Korres range that we tried are their Bergamot & Jasmine Body Milk and Shower Gel. The exotic Bergamot & Jasmine are a scent combination to fall in love with! This fragrance isn’t overpowering, in fact, it has a delicate balance of spicy citrus from the bergamot oil, and calming floral bouquet from the Jasmine. Thus making these two products extremely mood enhancing and uplifting to use.

The Body Milk, made from 92% of natural content, is enriched with shea butter, almond oil, active aloe, and pro-vitamin B5, ideal for improving the suppleness of the skin. We mustn't forget to mention that almond oil is a fantastic anti-inflammatory and that aloe vera stimulates cell rejuvenation. The foaming Shower Gel is made from 87% of natural content and is enhanced with moisturising wheat proteins and althea extract, to help maintain natural moisture levels. It also contains active aloe to help reduce signs of ageing. What’s not to love? Purchase Korres’ Bergamot Jasmine Body Milk 200ml for £10.00 here and the Bergamot Jasmine Shower Gel 250ml for £8.00 here.