Strangelove – Fallintostars Eau de Parfum

Change of season always means a change of fragrance for us at The Amazing Blog. Which is where we look for a scent that makes us feel unique, i.e. a signature. Today we have discovered a very special fragrance that resonates well with the autumn, with it’s delicious wafts of oud, meet the Eau de Parfum Fallintostars by Strangelove.

Strangelove is a fragrance brand that wishes to provoke a passion amongst all those who have the olfactory experience. Founded in 2013 by Elizabeth Gaynes, who took her inspiration from the three years she lived in Italy before moving to New York. In Italy, she discovered oud and fell in love with its history and richness; thus this brand’s success story began. Besides being friends, she works closely with Helena Christensen, the famous supermodel and creative director of the brand. Where Christensen is influential in developing the narratives of each fragrance with the collection and the presentation of the brand.  Onboard also is the master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel who has been instrumental in creating Strangelove’s distinctive collection. Gaynes is also co-founder of GaiaOne, a company changing the way raw materials are sourced for fragrances with sustainable practices for essential oils, and it was through this work that she first discovered oud that has become integral for the brand. Oud is sourced from a rare aromatic wood resin and harvested from the agarwood of the Aquilaria tree. This is a fast-growing evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia. Agarwood is among the most expensive timber in the world. Strangelove only ever uses genuine oud from sustainable suppliers; where every batch undergoes strict quality control. The success of Strangelove is echoed in a plethora of countries such as Canada, USA, England, Qatar. The blend of sensual pure perfume oils combined with the splendour of the majestic oud and other precious and sustainably sourced ingredients give these coveted fragrances their originality and a cult following.

Today we’re going to be talking about Fallingintostars which first launched in 2019, Gaynes explained “With fall​intos​tars, I wanted to bring the wonder of the universe to the wearer. fall​into​stars is a meditation on the universe itself: dark, mysterious, yet leaving a trail of powerful illuminations. The scent contains a core of pure oud, which gives fall​into​stars a deep, primal quality, emphasised with amber and labdanum notes. It’s complemented by ingredients like pink peppercorn and rosewood, which make the scent dreamlike and ethereal.” Let’s start with the base notes of this fragrance. First and foremost is the oud. It is at the heart of all of the Strangelove Eau de Parfum collection. When first applied, we could instantly sense the woody nuance of the oud adding a richness and dimension, then came the leathery notes that immediately melted into honey, amber and peppercorns. Oud has no parallel in the western world, and this is what makes the fragrance unique and luxurious.  The Indian oud is mixed with amber, warm and musky, adding depth and sweetness, making it perfect for autumn. The cooler fresh air of this season with its hint of earthy aromas marries so well with the warmth that this fragrance provides. The mixture also includes a delicate sweetness, almost majestic with light touches of woods and cinnamon found in the Peru balsam which is also bright and clean smelling. Another scent in the base note is the Siam benzoin. It’s a milky, vanilla-like smell, reminiscent of brown vanilla beans that are often used in the making of fine fragrances. Finally, for the base notes is the Labdanum which gives a leathery scent elevating it and giving it even more warmth. Moving on to the middle notes, with henna flower. The sweet, green and persistent smell of the henna feels almost narcotic. In contrast, the addition of rose here adds a floral lightness to the blend. The last middle note is the rosewood which adds peppery aroma on top of the sweet floral scent. Now the top notes, these are the ones that are instantly evident when the fragrance is applied. Pink peppercorn which has an aroma that is fresh, very intense, diffusive, warm with sweet-spice and a faint floral note and a dry woody slightly smoky undertone. The saffron here has a unique and unexplainable soft sweet earthy musk. The ginger is warm, peppery and sometimes with a camphoraceous or lemon note. Finally, the bergamot has a bright, sweet aroma with notes of tartness and acidity. However, its unique floral, spicy edge distinguishes it from other citrus scents making its addition here extremely unique. 

What is it really like? The bottom line for me is that Fallingintostars is quite inexplicable moreish – it’s probably one of the more extraordinary fragrances that I have recently worn, and will continue to wear. I always know when I have found something special, as I get stopped in the street and asked what fragrance am I wearing and Fallingintostars is that scent. Tempted? Fallingintostars can be purchase here for £105.

Carina Organics - Unscented Natural Body Deodorant

We at The Amazing Blog know how important it is to stay fresh while living our busy and sometimes hectic lives. Whether we are running daily errands, going to the gym, or travelling; we all want to feel protected from unpleasant odours. We also love discovering new brands that have natural or organic products that are vegan friendly, not tested on animals and free from nasty chemicals.  That’s why we tried and tested this fragrance -free natural deodorant for sensitive skin Unscented Natural Body Deodorant by Carina Organics. 

Carina Organics is based in Vancouver and aims to provide 100% natural products, completely free of synthetics, parabens, fragrances, gluten and dyes. Founded by Helmut Gollner, who migrated from Germany to Canada and whose passion for homeopathic skin and haircare led him on this journey to launch Carina Organics. Since Carina’s inception in 1972, its main focus and philosophy is to create self-care products by replacing chemical ingredients with natural and organic ones. Gollner believes that nature provides the means to keep our skin healthy and beautiful, which is why  Carina takes great pride in their formulas and the quality of the ingredients they use. All of Carina products are manufactured by hand on the North Shore of Vancouver, where they produce a wide range of hair, face, body and baby care.

We chose to review their Unscented Natural Body Deodorant, as one of our bugbears is heavily fragranced deodorants. Although we all like to smell fragrant, it can also conflict with our chosen scent of the day; i.e. a heavily scented floral deodorant clashing with a delicate fresh cologne. What we love about Carina’s Unscented Natural Body Deodorant is that it’s produced using only natural and non-staining mineral salts. It protects the skin for up to 24 hours, leaving it fresh and odour-free, making it impossible for bacteria to develop. Made of only three simple ingredients: Filtered water, potassium alum, and pine extract, this deodorant is hypoallergenic, 100% biodegradable, cruelty-free and vegan.  Applied with 5-6 pumps of the spray under each arm or on any other desired area of the body, it dries quickly and is long-lasting. The Unscented Natural Body Deodorant was sent to us via Live in the Light, a UK online store which distributes their products. With a holistic approach, Live in The Light believes that skincare products that we use in our daily regime have an impact on our health, and supplies only high quality natural and organic products, just like this Unscented Natural Body Deodorant which you can purchase here for £13.50. 

Netsai Rose & Avacado Cleansing Balm

Who doesn’t love a balm? At The Amazing Blog, we actively look for new natural balms, any balms that are for cleansing or moisturising the face, lips and body. Out of all of these, the cleansing balm is the winner for those of us living in London. The hard water here is full of calcium and magnesium compounds that not only causes limescale but strips our skin of all its natural oils, which can then lead to large pores, dry skin rashes, itching or worse rosacea! That’s why we want to talk about a natural cleansing balm from British indie brand Netsai.

Netsai was founded by Esnath Moyo in 2019, when she realised that most beauty brands on the market never represented the people that she identified with. Wanting to be an example to her loved ones and making sure that they would all be accepted for their beautiful selves, she set herself a challenge to create her own beauty brand Netsai. This is where she followed her dream, to produce this skincare, promising products that would hold innovation, support sustainability, diversity and inclusion. This cruelty-free and organic brand promote community helping change lives by ‘inspiring confidence in the marginalised’ that’s then reflected into every day. We applaud you Esnath!

Back to balms. With our love of balms, we chose to review the Rose and Avocado Cleansing Balm. This is suitable for all skin types; it’s a luxurious balm and contains a plethora of great ingredients. Let’s start with the key ingredients of shea butter, which is highly concentrated in fatty acids and vitamins, and also has anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Then the lactic acid which is an anti-wrinkle and pigmentation-fighting ingredient. It’s an alternative to glycolic acid which means that it’s less irritating, yet just as effective and an excellent ingredient for sensitive skin. The carnauba wax is actually an edible ingredient, as an emollient, it has a high melting point and can be used for thickening skincare as well as being a deeply hydrating moisturiser. Avocado oil, will deeply penetrate the skin to nourish, soften and boost your skin’s immunity against environmental stresses. What makes this balm even more of an exceptional hydrator is its richness with the coconut oil.  Lavender in this is for a deep cleanse and to calm any redness and irritation. Rose oil is the antioxidant powerhouse, which will strengthen skin cells and regenerate skin tissues. If you have dry skin, then this will help hydrate it, and finally, the addition of orange flower water which is a good toner that balances oils brightening the complexion.

We applied 10p size dollop of the cleansing balm, with a spatula from the jar, into our hands. We then warmed it up in our palms and spread it liberally over a dry face and neck. Massaged in for 60 seconds and splashed with warm water to emulsify, rubbed in a little more and then wiped it away with a damp cloth. It integrated easily into our skincare routine and this natural high performing formula even melted away make-up and SPF, all in one go. What set this apart for us, is its ability to be used as a make-up remover or as a second cleanse, where it worked like magic with the hard water and left our complexions clean and soft. If you live in a city with hard water, you need this cleansing balm! See here for your 60ml jar for £18.00.

AMAZINC! Skincare - Mineral Sunscreen, Lip Balm and Mineral Shield

As regular readers will know we’re always preaching about sun awareness.  Particularly with the erosion of the ozone layer and the planet heating up… Today we’d like to talk about a mineral-based sunscreen and block. AMAZINC! Skincare is a sun care range that provides high protection and is made for those who have an active lifestyle and who want to indulge in a bit of surfing or other water-based fun.

This Czech brand AMAZINC! Skincare, launched in 2015 by Jan Kostelnik and Stepan Martinek, whose vision was to create a natural sunscreen and block that was not only functional but also kind to the environment.  What sets this apart from other suncare brands is that it has been created by a team of nature lovers who regularly hike in the mountains and surf the oceans – so they knew that there was a gap in the market and what was needed. We like that they have no nasties in their formulas, as we’ve found that many of the high street sun protection products have chemical formulations that are dangerous for marine life and corals (check out your regular sunscreen's ingredients here). These chemicals pollute playgrounds, mountains and oceans with compounds that destroy the environment. A quick run-through on the main chemical to look, oxybenzone is the one that harms marine life and is known as one of the most toxic ingredients in the cosmetic industry. This has proved to be deadly when in contact with marine life and wildlife in general, where It creates reef bleaching that causes the death of the coral. Something we didn’t know, is that non coated nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium oxide aren’t any better either! AMAZINC! ensures that these chemical compounds are not found in any of its products and helps to raise awareness around this. Their products are mainly vegan and also have plastic and chemical-free packaging (reusable aluminium bottles, tins and cardboard tubes). Also, as an environmentally aware company, they’re on a mission to help educate their customers too.

We tried the Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, which offers a high level of protection with only mineral filters and natural ingredients, making it a nature-friendly form of sun protection. The key ingredients include almond oil that protects the skin from the UV as well as reversing any damage. It also has jojoba oil a popular ingredient in natural sunscreen products with vitamin E which when combined with other antioxidants such as those found in olive oil, protects the skin from sun damage; these will stop skin dehydration or flaking. This product is also rich in zinc oxide, a topical skin product that is used as a protective coating also used for mild skin irritations or abrasions as it speeds up healing. Finally, the triticum vulgare germ oil here is to relieve dryness.  This natural mineral sunscreen has a subtle sweet almond fragrance. We used this as a one-off application, out sailing all day with hot sun and the reflections from the sea, and when we returned to land there wasn’t even the slightest bit of redness in sight! I would advise that this Is not suitable for those who are wishing to pose on the beach topping up their tan, as this Mineral Sunscreen does leave a white residue (from the zinc/titanium oxide). However, it’s perfect for the action-packed adventurer who just wants one application and to go.  This Mineral Sunscreen you can find in 150ml here for €24.95.

Next is their natural Lip Balm this is rich in natural emulsifiers which help to retain moisture, making it ideal dry or chapped lips. We found it very smooth to apply and unusually long-lasting. There’s jojoba oil, rich in vitamin B and E and essential minerals like zinc that will make your lips soft. The almond oil here will does wonders for the lips keeping them hydrated and rejuvenate. The antioxidant properties in the olive oil condition and protect lips from drying out. The texture is balm-like and waxy and the vanilla planifolia fruit extract not only adds to the fragrance and taste but has antioxidant benefits and skin-soothing agents. This Lip Balm does not contain sun protection – so please bear this in mind. It’s perfect for carrying in your pocket all year round to provide a lip pick-me-up. You can find it here in a generous 30g for €12.25.

Last but not least, is the Mineral Shield which has 17.5g of essential zinc cream that comes in four colours. This sunblock offers full UV protection and is easy to apply/remove and yet is highly water-resistant. They have perfected this formula with their Mineral Shield compound with a mix of zinc oxide, magnesium oxide and kaolin. The combination of these natural ingredients will provide nature-friendly and sustainable sun protection. They say it’s for applying to on the face and lips, we think it’s also ideal for covering up and protecting any suspicious moles or skin damage. We like that this Mineral Shield does not get washed away, it stays put until you wipe it off. The blend contains bee wax which works as a natural binder, stabiliser and skin-conditioner, and is often used as a topical, non-allergenic sunscreen ingredient to condition and repair. It also contains olive oil and lanolin (wool fat) so this product is not vegan! It’s a great little full sunblock, ideal to keep on hand in case you need some serious cover-up. You can find it here for €11.95. 

We’re impressed with this sun care range and certainly put it to full use. What would we order more of? Both the AMAZINC! Mineral Shield to dab on moles and the Lip Balm as we loved the taste and texture.

Elo Cosmetics - Hydra Derm Clay Mask, Soothing Lavender Mist & Hand & Body Moisturizer

At The Amazing Blog, we find that simplicity is best, and that’s why today we’ve chosen to talk about an indie vegan skincare that contains only a few simple key ingredients. Meet the Canadian-French brand Elo Cosmetics who pride themselves on being ‘the new face of vegan skincare’. 

Elo Cosmetics was born from a challenge when the two founders Elodie and Luis took up a ‘pas cap’ contest.  As devout vegans, they would try to outdo each other, by finding beauty products with the purest vegan ingredients that mirrored their values, but also didn’t have a long list of ingredients, that they had to decipher! Having drawn a blank in finding their perfect products, this prompted them to create their own natural and 100% vegan skincare and cosmetics, partnering with a Canadian formulator to help develop their range. They are all about keeping it simple, from the branding to the ingredients.

We were sent three of their skincare products. The first is one of their three clay masks, the Hydra-derm Clay Mask which has its key ingredient of kaolin clay, rich in vitamins, minerals, silica and offers a neutral pH balance. This ultra-hydrating face mask will both nourish and remove impurities from the skin balancing the hydration and leaving it smoother, softer and more supple. The clay helps to remove sebum from the skin's surface and has a calming effect on any inflamed breakouts. It also contains vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant protecting skin from damage caused by free radicals. This pale green mask has the addition of avocado oil, rich in protein and fatty acids as well as vitamins A, D, and E which protect and also increase collagen production. The grapeseed oil is high in omega-6 fatty acid, fortifying the skin's barrier aiding the reduction of water loss. While other ingredients such as almond oil reduces puffiness and under-eye circles and the chamomile, has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Finally, the aloe vera will moisturise the skin, boost healing and fighting skin ageing. This clay mask is a powerhouse of antioxidants and ideal for revitalising and hydrating the complexion. We used it in the evening, applying it to the face for 10-15 minutes then rinsing off in warm water, it gave us silky soft skin. You can find it here for $21.99.

Following the face mask, we used the Soothing Lavender Mist, again, this is one of three face mists from their range. This nourishing mist will soothe irritated skin and detoxify; it will moisturise helping to regenerate and repair cells, offering a healthier-looking complexion. The lavender, besides having anti-inflammatory properties it will calm dry skin. The blend has the deep hydrator aloe vera and chamomile (properties discussed in the above paragraph). The cucumber here will detoxify the skin and boost elasticity and decrease water loss. Say goodbye to inflammations and skin breakouts with this mist! This subtly fragranced lavender mist has hyaluronic acid, providing excellent hydration which in turn improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Finally, there is vitamin C that will even out skin tone and resveratrol to brighten tired-looking complexions and minimising any redness. This Soothing Lavender Mist we used to freshen up the skin not only after using the face mask but throughout the day. What we love is that this will combat free radical damage and enhance collagen production. The Soothing Lavender Mist can be found here for $23.99.

We’re saving our favourite until last, the Hand & Body Moisturizer. This is a non-greasy and rich lotion that quickly absorbs into the skin.  Its fragrance is a delicate, a combination of green tea and chamomile. It has a high concentrate of aloe vera that will instantly heal dry skin and help to reverse any sun damage. We used it on the face, hands and body, which left us with a velvety soft skin, we think this is a great multitasker and one to take for a weekend away when luggage has to be kept to bare a minimum. it’s designed to keep skin radiant, smooth and deeply nourished as well as counteracting the effect of pollution. The benefits of the green tea here are as an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. The matricaria flower extract, (aka chamomile) is a natural healer and contains tannic acid for skin calming. Finally, the lanolin oil (which we presume is sourced from plant butter not wool?) is known to be an emollient or balm which restores water loss and soothes dehydrated skin. This product, in particular, was a hit with us all and you can find this Hand & Body Moisturizer lotion here for $19.99. 

We’d also love to try their cosmetics range of vegan eyeshadows and glitters – which we think would be perfect for the forthcoming winter months and party season ahead.