Friday Favourites - Lip Feature

Exposing your delicate lips to these chilly winds and unpredictable Spring weather is such a risk. Fortunately, here at The Amazing Blog, we’ve got you covered. We have discovered four new products that will surely be your pocket’s new best friends.

We all know how the brutal north winds are tough on the lips and leaving you susceptible to nasty, painful cold sores. With SoreFix, you will definitely wave goodbye to the cold sores and welcome back your beautiful smile! Their acyclovir-free, zinc-based treatment blocks off the cold sores from appearing with a subtle physical filter, without any known side effects. It both treats and prevents cold sores by reducing and healing the infection. It also moisturises those chapped and dry lips with extra high UV filter, SPF 30, and vitamin E. The Lip Balm comes in two different shapes. It is available in both a convenient squeezable tube and a 10ml jar making them both lasting and cost-effective. You can purchase both products from SoreFix here for £8.99 as a special offer (at the time of publishing) .

The second product we discovered is from Balmkind. Winner of an Award in The 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards in Best Lip Balm category. The Alpine Rose & Lysine Lip Balm nourishes, protects and soothes lips with its carefully blended natural ingredients. It contains a comprehensive list of antioxidants and is rich in Alpine Rose, Lysine (which is an essential amino acid), oat lipids with skin active ceramides, licorice root, lipid-rich pomegranate sterols, and vitamin E. We particularly like the non-tacky lightness of this balm, it's definitely a lip balm for those whose partners are adverse to a sticky lip kiss! This soft rose-scented lip balm can be used daily and leaves you with natural shiny looking lips - just gorgeous. The Alpine Rose & Lysine Lip Balm you can purchase here for £12.00.

If you’re into a more natural tinted lip products then Living Nature has got you covered.  The Tinted Lip Hydrator has everything you could wish for in one single tube. Hailing from New Zealand, this Lip Hydrator contains castor oil, vitamin E, manuka honey, jojoba esters, candelila. With the addition of calendula oil and carnauba waxes (both certified organic). This product is also free of synthetic chemicals or preservatives. The 'Lush' colour that we tried gave a subtle coral tone and a 'luxurious sheen' to the lips. The Tinted Lip Hydrator is available to purchase here for £15.00.

Last but not least, if you love rocking red, but you’re worried about chapped lips, Benecos is right for you. Their Benecos Natural Lipgloss in Kiss Me is a combination of lip plumping and moisturising. Not only does it care for your sensitive lips, it moisturises, adds colour and gloss, and protects the lips while maintaining a sophisticated look.  All of these benefits come from certified organic and natural ingredients which are castor seed oil, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, calcium aluminium and borosilicate alongside a natural fragrance. Finally, if you wish to buy Benecos in the UK you need to go here and it will be £6.95. With our selection here, you now have no excuse not to have soft, lush and kissable lips!

Soap Folk- Natural Soaps

We like brands with good ethics and philosophies here at The Amazing Blog, especially those that attach great importance to the provenance of the ingredients used in their products. Soap Folk is one of these British brands that make it a priority to create their products with only the purest and finest ingredients. They were kind enough to send us a set of their four artisan soaps which include: Lavender and Oatmilk, Milk and Honey, Peppermint and Rose Geranium. We couldn’t wait to take them home and try them.

These soaps pamper and protect the skin, all being natural, handmade and kind to the body. A few of the common ingredients to each are olive, sweet almond and shea butter which means that they're all intensely nourishing. The Lavender and Oatmilk soap is formulated to calm and ease skin, while the scent helps to relax the mind. The Milk and Honey soap is designed specifically for sensitive skin that needs extra care. Honey and goat milk are added to the formula to provide extra-hydration, soothe and gently cleanse skin.  The Rose Geranium soap has a more floral scent; which is delightful. The essential oils infused in the formula protect and rejuvenate skin. Those of you looking for a refreshing boost, you're going to love the Peppermint soap. Its minty and fresh fragrance awakens your senses and uplifts the spirits. Enriched with peppermint and avocado oil and rosemary extracts this soap leaves skin refreshed and cooled, making it our favourite.

What makes these soaps extra special is their packaging. We love the charming handmade and hand stamped designs on the wrappers, all wonderfully illustrated by Susie Hetherington. We think that this set of four make a fabulous and afforable gift. You can purchase the Soap Folk soaps here for £4.95 each.

Vbites Vegan Food and Cookbook

Vegan food has had a bit of a bad reputation in the past. When people think of vegan food, they only think of salads and tasteless fake meats, but bland vegan food is a thing of the past. Due to the bountiful health and environmental benefits of veganism, we here at The Amazing Blog have put a lot of thought into the idea of starting a vegan diet. When we learned the story behind Vbites founder, Heather Mills, we were inspired to try out veganism for ourselves. After enduring a devastating motorcycle accident, Heather discovered that the best way to heal her body was from the inside out. Which meant using a holistic approach rooted in a vegan diet. This story helps to explain why she was determined to create delicious foods that satisfy every craving, while nourishing the body. After learning her story, we were even more thrilled to receive a sampling of the Meat-Free products from this pioneering and award-winning plant-based brand at Vbites.  

Eating less meat or cutting it out completely can be daunting for many individuals, which is why Vbites products are perfect for anyone who needs a little help getting their foot in the door when it comes to becoming a vegan. Vbites offers a wide array of vegan products including meat-free, dairy-free, and fish-free products. To help with meal preparations, we would suggest using The LoveBites recipe book. This cookbook from Vbites comes with each of their Plant-Based Kits, which offers 60 new easy-to-follow recipes to try out and fall in love with. You can whip up delicious alternatives to some of your favourite meals like shepherd’s pie or asparagus quiche that are all completely vegan. From starters to soups, salads and main dishes, these recipes have definitely inspired us to cook more hearty meals that make us feel good from the inside out.

Our personal favourite of the Vbites selection that we tried was the Meat-Free Duck Hoisin (£2.99 for 150g). We added it to a veggie stir-fry and were licking our plates clean. We had some friends over to it try out and they were amazed to learn what they thought was a duck hoisin stir fry was in fact 100% vegan! Coming in a close second was the Meat-Free Lincolnshire Style Sausages (£2.69 for 295g) which we plated up as Bangers 'n Mash for a quick Sunday night supper (with a dollop of baked beans). They truly did taste like savoury sausages and certainly satisfied one very hungry male guest! 

So whether you are already practising a vegan lifestyle or you are considering starting, these Vbites will help you to incorporate some seriously tasty and healthy meals into your diet. You can check out the wide array of Vbites vegan products on their website here. 

Golden Greens Expert Collagen Complex

The fear of ageing has women of all ages stressing about the way their skin looks. It’s hard not to feel under pressure when all media portrays is perfect skin. The good news is that you’re not alone. We at The Amazing Blog can completely relate. If you’re afraid of or want to get rid of ageing signs, Golden Greens Expert Collagen Complex will seriously be your new best friend.

As we age, the collagen and hyaluronic acid naturally produced in our bodies, which are essential in maintaining the elasticity and overall smoothness of the skin, start to decrease. Once we get to our fabulous thirties, our skin starts to lose 1-2% of collagen a year, resulting in visible wrinkles and fine lines. To help boost collagen and hyaluronic acid levels, Golden Greens Expert has expertly crafted an organic formula that will naturally give your body back the key nutrients it craves in order to keep your skin looking and feeling as beautiful and youthful on the outside as you feel on the inside. 

The Collagen Complex does not contain any artificial additives, preservatives, or sweeteners and is made up of sustainably sourced Naticol hydrolysed marine collagen and high strength hyaluronic acid. This is all mixed together with a blend of skin-loving ingredients like organic lucuma (a nutrient-rich superfood that makes it naturally sweet), blueberry and acerola powders. Not only does it combine plenty of antioxidants, but it also packs in organic Vitamin C, which aids normal skin functions and collagen development. In other words, your skin will love you for it.

It’s very straightforward to use and easy to take on the go. Just add about two teaspoons to your water, fruit juice, or even smoothies, and mix well. Added bonus? It’s Non-GMO, gluten, lactose, and soy free. Prevention is the best way to keep wrinkles at bay, while maintaining a youthful and glowing skin, so start sipping! The Golden Greens Expert Collagen Complex is available here for £17.99.

Baxter of California’s Clay Effect Style Spray

Baxter of California are justly proud of their extensive range of men’s grooming products, and their Clay Effect Style Spray is a great example of their unpretentious but effective line in both hair and skin care. The Styling Spray has the essence of all that is California, with a subtle scent and whilst this spray seems quite light in itself, it actually packs quite the punch in it’s hold - trust us, we have ruffled and tousled The Amazing Blog’s resident male bouffant to test it thoroughly.

With extract of both green tea and bamboo leaf, mixed with jojoba oil, providing nutrients and vitamins for every hair type it is a heady mix - every pun intended. It can be used first thing in the morning or throughout the day to pep up the style at any point. It even provides humidity resistance and heat-styling protection… what’s not to love? Baxters of California is available through the UK distributor here for £27. You can also check out the full hair and skincare range on the US website baxterofcalifornia.com.