PHOERA - The Body Luminizer

As the glimmering snow is beginning to fall (wishful thinking!) And we’re the smell of eggnog and gingerbread are overtaking our senses,  Santa’s coming to town very soon! Every nook and corner of London is shimmering with festive decorations highlighted by the twinkle in everyone’s eyes and hearts. Here at The Amazing Blog, we love to part take in Christmas holiday fun and thus with all the festivities just around the corner, we thought when everything around town is embellished with glitter and gold, why shouldn't you do the same? We bring to you a little shimmer by our new #amazingfinds beauty brand PHOERA with their glistening Body Luminizer. Say goodbye to your old self and hello to the new dewy, shimmery and angelic person you will soon see in your mirror.

The Body Luminizer is a gel-based formula with light-reflecting pearl pigments that give you unfathomably smooth and glossy skin. Key ingredients are rose water, glycerine, distilled, water, witch hazel, and mica. The formula melts like butter on toast into the skin ensuring a streak-free finish that's perfect for buffing into any area of the body in order to glow like a goddess. Additionally, it also has priceless moisturising qualities so that it not only leaves your skin shiny but also healthy and hydrated. Especially with all this winter weather, the gel-based formula promises soft, supple and smooth skin that feels drenched in a sunny, radiant luminous finish making you look as though you just vacationed in the Bahamas. However, this post-holiday look is now yours to keep all year round, after all, who said you needed a tan to look golden?

The formula is available in three different shades. Rose gold for fair and light tones, Metallic gold for medium and tan tones and finally, glistening bronze for deeper skin tones. Whichever of the three you chose according to your skin tone is up to you however, the end result will surely be the same, glowing and dewy complexion blessed by the heavens above! Consider this recommendation from us our little Christmas present to you for your New Year’s Eve celebrations. You can easily purchase the 30ml bottle online from their official website for as little as £5.95 here.

La Sultane de Saba - Santal Ancestral Eau de Parfum

This is the last of our reviews, which is unashamedly immersing ourselves in the luxury of Christmas. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re on a journey with the mysteries of the Orient, enjoying the darkly mysterious sensuality as we experience La Sultane de Saba - Santal Ancestral EDP  from Paris. If the idea of escaping the humdrum and travelling somewhere exotic and exciting is your thing, then La Sultane de Saba is a brand you need to check out. It revels in both those things as it offers up its own particular concept of beauty treatments not just in a glorious array of indulgent products, but also through La Sultane de Saba spas and treatments (see our recent feature on their Rose Facial Set here) 

With such a backdrop, we knew that the Santal Ancestral EDP for men would be an experience to be relished and enjoyed, and were not disappointed. With the warmth of sandalwood forming the foundation of this scent, the most extraordinary sensory journey begins as we get notes of patchouli and cedar coming through too. Truly a heady mix to transport you to the sophistication and elegance of the Orient, and all the romance therein. Whilst it’s base is strong, there is a delicious freshness which comes through on the top notes of geranium and sandalwood - as Eau de Parfum, it of course, contains more perfume oil than that of Eau de Toilette, allowing its depth to be more intense, however, it’s definitely not overpowering. The sense of smell is such an evocative one, and Santal Ancestral is a fragrance that both indulges and celebrates this. At £79.00 for 100ml from here, it is definitely worth a try as this delicious EDP lasts and lasts. BTW if you love this, then why not try their other fragrance in the range Oud Wood here.

Eloise Beauty - Ultimate Luxury Brush Collection

We love how make-up is so mainstream and global, YouTube is full of seductive make-up videos and all the colour cosmetic brands now align with each and every fashion-led trend. In order for us to keep up, The Amazing Blog went in search of new and stylish make-up brushes to show off our ever-changing medley of cosmetics. With a little bit of research, we discovered Eloise Beauty with their super-glamorous brushes, which we hear are used by those in the know…

Eloise Beauty is a brand that emerged in 2017, with its founder Risi Jinadu who after a decade in the industry, saw a niche for creating innovative, premium and affordable make-up brushes. Since then she has developed the brand with not only make-up brushes but also a range of extraordinary cosmetics that suit all skin tones (which we will be reviewing from January onwards). Eloise Beauty has fast become a beloved brand of the beauty elite and sits easily alongside the likes of Huda Beauty or Tati Westbrook. These premium brushes are vegan, cruelty-free and all have velvet-soft synthetic bristles. With a full range of six rose gold stylized make-up brushes, we love how the handles are ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in the hand. Plus they’re well-made and able to withstand a certain amount of pressure from make-up application.

Let’s talk about the four brushes which we were given to review. Starting with the ‘So Stiletto’, the brush’s flat surface will give you a guaranteed immaculate finish. Cleverly styled with a tall stem and an oval head, it gives an even, quick and smooth distribution of any liquid or powder cosmetic product. We found it particularly good for contouring and with its multi-functionality we think that it’s a great buy. There is a certain amount of technique needed, if you rotate the brush in circles away from the centre of the face (when using a liquid foundation), this will help you to achieve the perfect finish.

Next, we have their hero brush ‘Tear Drop’ conceived in 2016, it is the first ever tear-shaped make-up brush to be created. It is versatile enough to be used on both face and body and will make any base application flawless. With an astonishing one million densely packed bristles, it also makes it the softest and quickest brush for application. With the party season upon us - this is one of our favourite brushes for larger areas i.e. contouring thighs or highlighting shoulders.

Finally, we come to both the Kabuki Brushes, these are smaller in sizes but do the job just as well. The first of these is the ‘4D Brush’ which is shaped to a point at the tip for precise application, i.e. for areas such as under eyes or around the nose. Best of all it offers excellent blending opportunities. Whereas the Kabuki ‘Bullet Slant Brush’ works well with weightier foundations or powders, again delivering a great finish. We found that all these brushes are easy to clean, simply massage damp bristles either liquid soap or shampoo and then rinse, gently press dry with an absorbent paper towel and leave to dry overnight.

Want to add one of these beauties to your Christmas list? Then see here with the prices ranging between £35-£40. Or you might like to get all four with Ultimate Luxury Brush Collection here for £140. We think that these are not only elegant but extremely good value too! These are definitely make-up brushes to flaunt, and one of our very special #amazingfinds.

Jonathan Ward – Roscuro Candle

We don’t know about you, but when we eventually flop down on our sofa after work, we think that there’s nothing better than relaxing, watching a flickering candle flame and surrounding ourselves with a gorgeous fragrance. And as regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog we’re big fans of candles! As the nights draw in with this unpleasant dank autumnal weather, it’s speeded up our search to find exotic scented candles to uplift our flagging spirits. Today we wanted to share with you one of our latest #amazingfinds and candle discoveries with ‘Roscuro’ from Jonathan Ward.

Jonathan Ward is a British home fragrance producer, who makes hand-poured candles using organic coconut oil, bees and vegetable waxes. They are all about clean-burning. These candles are certified organic by the Soil Association and the brand has fast become something of a pioneer in the world of home fragrances. Jonathan Ward made his foray into fragrance back in 1979 developing his first-ever perfume. Fast forward into 2018, where together with his European partners in Greece and London he developed his first candle collection ‘Scent of Time’.

This collection is a combination of thirteen candles all inspired by historical figures and their legacies, but in a rather unique way represented through fragrance. We were very kindly sent ‘Roscuro’ to try. This is candle is inspired by the artist Caravaggio, where ‘chiaroscuro’ defines his painting technique of creating ‘light and shade’. For those not familiar with Caravaggio, let us explain, he is probably best known for his painting ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ where he uses a painting technique bringing people and objects from the shadows into the light. Talking of light, we lit this candle last night and can happily confirm that it gave a glorious aroma with a heart-warming fragrance blending base notes of Bailloni wood and amber; hints of iris, honey, and hay giving it a delicacy, and shots of prune and patchouli as top notes. Particularly now with the sun so low in the sky creating dramatic shadows as the days shorten, this candle’s fragrance takes us seamlessly through a journey from autumn to winter. Best of all, its hypnotic aroma fills the room without being overpowering.

This elegant candle is contained in a glamorous double old fashioned style whisky glass which is perfect for repurposing for a second life. We also love their use of the traditional GF Smith British papers used for the stylish boxes and labels. Not forgetting to mention their double cotton wick which allows the candle to burn cleanly for up to 45 hours. Jonathan describes this candle as ‘warm nostalgia’, and we couldn’t agree more. He has an excellent nose for an enticing fragrance and now we’ve experienced the mesmerising Roscuro - we’ll certainly be returning to try more. These candles are available exclusively online here for £40 (240 mg); or at one of their eight partner shops here in London, Los Angeles, Hove, Stockport or Fife.

PuraVida Bio

As our readers know, at The Amazing Blog we always veer towards good all-natural products. But, even with all the natural products we use, toxins still find a way to get into our skin through polluted air. We know that we’ll never leave the hustle and bustle of the city, but is the city air messing with our skin? Enter PuraVida Bio with their skin detox line. The Detox Serum, Detox Mask and Anti-age Balm all offer a perfect remedy to polluted skin. Anti-pollution skincare is one of the fastest growing areas in beauty and is something we’re all keen to try more of.

PuraVida Bio is an Italian brand of organic skincare that was started after identifying a need for high quality, innovative skincare products for all age ranges that are also completely safe and effective. We particularly like how they break down the ingredients that they use in each product with a purpose for each one. What makes this brand ‘different’ is that all their products are made with certified natural organic ingredients which are transformed into precious plant Lysates. The ingredients are provided by Alce Nero approved Italian farmers who cultivate under strict guidelines for organic farming. These are then go through a method of biotransformation into certified Lysates through an active process of natural fermentation (called ‘elision’), which strengthens all the antioxidants revitalising all the ingredients used. You can read more about this here.

We were sent three of their key products to test. The first of which was their Detox Serum, which is a concentration of anti-pollution active ingredients. It contains extract of Malvasia grapevines which maintain the correct level of skin microflora and speed up natural detoxification. The serum can be applied alone or before a moisturiser or balm, but we saw the best results when using together with their Anti-age Balm.

The Anti-age Balm we enjoyed using, light in texture, easy to absorb and the fragrance has a delicious powdery sweetness (the beetroot extract?) The extract of beetroot helps bind vitamin D on the skin, essential for toning and hydrating the skin. This is a long lasting formula that goes on working for 24 hours as it’s powerful antioxidants, ceramides and fermented angelica oil protect the skin and keep it toned and uniform. The vitamin C stimulates the renewal of collagen and combats the formation of age spots.

Our favourite of the three products is hands down the Detox Mask. It comes in these perfect single-use travel pods that are so easy to throw in a carry-on bag if you’re traveling. The PuraVida mask is the fastest way to detox your skin. Just apply the mask to the face and neck and leave for 15 minutes, once a week. It’s rich in powerful antioxidants and vitamin D, which is necessary for proper skin hydration.

All products are natural, gluten free, nickel tested no parabens or artificial preservatives and are not tested on animal. They are also approved by ICEA, one of the most important institutes for ethical and environmental certification. If you would like to remove some of the effects of pollution from your skin, the PuraVida Bio Detox products  can all be purchased here. The 50 ml Anti-age Balm is €32. You can purchase the 30 ml Detox Serum for €45 and the pack of 4 (8ml) Detox Masks retails for €22.