Chic & Raw: Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle

Who doesn’t love to burn a beautifully fragranced candle in the evening? At The Amazing Blog, we love how with its flickering ambient light it helps make a house feel like a home. This is another of our #amazingfinds, more than just a candle; this  Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle from Chic & Raw  combines the positive energies of crystal healing, natural soy wax and a relaxing spa-like fragrance.

Binanti Cuzner and her husband Darren created Chic & Raw in 2019. The brand started as a creative outlet to help them get away from their busy and stressful work lives. With Binanti’s love of yoga, meditation and chakra healing (focal points in ancient meditative practices), she wanted to share her knowledge and beliefs to help others through her brand. Chic & Raw dedicates itself to providing holistic and luxury products beneficial for the mind, body and soul. These are mainly candles, "I wanted to create a sense of joy and harmony with these candles," said Binanti. She studied chakras and crystal healing, matching them for an optimum release in her candles for healing crystal vibration.  She wants to combine beauty with harmony to make every home beautiful by releasing uplifting scents and integrating this with the unique crystals. Binanti believes that a harmonised home, relates to peace of mind. Chic & Raw is committed to working with a few trusted suppliers, and wherever possible, sources local ingredients from UK businesses. The cotton wicks are organic, the soy wax is natural and the fragrances are a mix of essential oils or luxury fragrances from the French perfume house, Drom. We applaud the brand their giving-back policy where they recently partnered with Ecologi to plant a tree for every product sold on Earth Day. Their current candles are themed as Crystal, Tinned and Colour Therapy. Plus, they have other lifestyle products and a new skincare Honeyzen, which for now, has only one face oil. 

As mentioned, we tried was the Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle, presented in a solid luxury cardboard rose gold foiled box. The candle itself comes in an elegant electroplated rose gold and etched glass container (which we later repurposed for storage). Incorporated in this candle are two rose quartz crystals positioned at opposite edges; these are ethically sourced from Madagascar. Rose quartz is known to enhance the heart chakra, boosting feelings of peace, calm and love. It is often used during meditation to help open the mind and heal the heart. It’s also possible to remove these crystals as the wax melts, placing them in your hands, or on the heart chakra to activate the rose quartz while meditating. The candle is made with natural soy wax, a non-toxic alternative to paraffin. Indeed, soy wax is biodegradable, releases less soot while burning, more sustainable and burns 50% longer than paraffin. The organic cotton wick makes it easier to continuously relight the candle, where it can last up to approximately 40 hours. The soy wax contains white tea essential oil, which is known to promote a general sense of wellbeing and helps to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and depression. This is a light and clean scent with subtle notes of citrus, basil, peony and amber. This mingles sensuously with the warm and spicy ginger oil, known for its stimulating and warming qualities. We lit this candle during those bleak February #lockdown days, using it to enhance our affirmations and offer thanks for keeping our loved ones safe. It's a candle we'd recommend lighting during meditation to uplift spirits and to help deal with any emotional pain. There are three other Crystal Candles in the range with Ruby, Amethyst and Aventurine, each one offering a different purpose. They also provide a fascinating insight on how to ‘active’ or ‘recharge’ your crystals here. As Binanti says: “Burning Chic & Raw Crystal Chakra Candles releases both the energy of the crystal and the soothing fragrances that relieves stress and helps to balance your mind and body.” Something we could all benefit from at this time. This luxurious Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Candle is available for £36 here.

Verolive: Firming Cellulite Cream

Here we are in mid-May with more grey days and rain… Of course, it’s great for the plants but not for our spirits!  At The Amazing Blog,  we’re still living in hope for the appearance of a gloriously hot June. Which is why this week, we’re reviewing a couple of new and natural body care products to help you get body-ready for the sunshine. Today it’s with Verolive’s award-winning Firming Cellulite Cream, and readers may remember that we recently reviewed their outstanding Revitalizing Shampoo here.

The Tzortzakakis family founded Verolive in 1975, where they’ve created this multi award-winning brand, in the heart of the Messara Valley, Crete. It is a well-known area for its endless olive groves, producing organic extra virgin olive oil, a key ingredient that can be found in each of the Verolive products. The brand has developed a unique core range of ten products, where ingredients are meticulously selected from natural and locally sourced ingredients. Their ethos is to focus on high-standard eco care and packaging, with ingredients, dermatologically tested, vegan, clean in composition and above all, high in quality. The plastics in all their containers are BioPET, which means the plastic is based on 30% renewable raw material such as starch, glucose, vegetable oils and cellulose and 70% oil-based raw material. Every product has been designed to protect both the environment and its customers’ wellbeing. To maintain their continuity and brand excellence, they only produce each item in a limited amount to ensure superior quality control. The brand also caters to spa professionals and built long term successful partnerships with some of the best-known wellness centres. 

What piqued our interest about this Firming Cellulite Cream, is that it won Best Cellulite Treatment in the 2020 Mama & Baby Awards, and we’ve wanted to try this ever since. The purpose of this formula is to reduce cellulite, which is from an accumulation of fat under the dermis that weakens the connective tissue, and generates a series of orange-peel ripples over the skin. Although it is a harmless and natural condition, for the body-conscious, trying to get rid of this dimply cellulite can sometimes be an issue. This formula has nine actives , and is 94% natural including many ingredients native to Crete. Let’s start with some of these local ingredients which include, organic shea butter, olive and sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, aloe vera, natural beeswax, which all work together to moisturise the skin, thanks to their various nutrients and fatty acids. With a more in depth look at their function we find that the organic extra virgin olive oil is for skin barrier function, making it stronger, thanks to its numerous vitamins such as vitamins D, E, K and A. The organic avocado oil is here to make skin smoother, firmer and more elastic due to its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. There’s organic bio-active aloe vera, which has skin-restorative properties, and the rosemary essential oil acts as a skin tonic and rejuvenates the skin; which is why it’s used here to fight cellulite. The natural vitamin E is here to boost your skin by moisturising it, softening it, and encouraging cell regeneration. However, it’s the active caffeine in phospholipids, in this formula that make a real difference, as they are ‘vectorised’ for quicker skin penetrate. They improve its cutaneous absorption, in order to reach lipocytes and fat cells in the adipose tissue, which specialise in storing energy as fat. The caffeine here enhances the microcirculation to actively reduce the orange-peel look. Cellulite only really becomes a concern for us as every summer approaches. Yes, it’s a vanity issue and we’re happy to admit it!  After all, who doesn’t want to look and feel their best when wearing skimpy swimwear? Verolive suggest targeting any problem areas, by applying this Firming Cellulite Cream twice a day. Rich in consistency it left our skin super-hydrated with a delicious hint of a rosemary scent. It was quick to absorb, as we massaged it into our legs, tums and bums both morning and evening. As Yannis said to us, “to maximise the results of our natural Firming Cellulite Cream, you also need to exercise and follow a specific daily diet. As it’s well-known that all these three factors are necessary, to see results when using a cellulite treatment.” This is something worth remembering, as no cream will ever work to remove cellulite on its own. We noticed that with regular use, our skin became smoother and softer, although we do need to be more disciplined on the diet and exercise front to see more dramatic results! This Cream has been dermatologically tested, is a natural body care, and is suited to all skin types. You can purchase your own 250ml Firming Cellulite Cream from Verolive for €59.90 here .

516 Polish: Serene Nail Polish

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we love to support new and indie brands, and today we are featuring 516 Polish a British, inclusive and vegan nail brand as one of our #amazingfinds. As it’s almost time for us start wearing open toes, we couldn’t resist this Serene pink to wear - with pink being one of the designated and hottest colour for this S/S 21 season.

516 Polish was founded in July 2019 by Wunmi Ladele. With her passion for wearing nail polish, she became very aware of the lack of diversity within the spectrum of nail colours offered for people of colour. This was the inspiration behind her creating a range of colours in the 516 Polish collection to suit all. Wunmi wants to be “A brand that formulates beautiful colours that have the potential to be complementary for everyone, particularly people of colour.” She also went on to say, “I am committed to making 516 a people-focused brand that you can actually relate to.” They are the first UK indie nail polish brand to support swatch diversity, offering various products such as nail polish, one-step gel polish, nail care and tools. They currently have over fifty nail polish colours which are PETA certified, vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic; with sixteen coordinating gel polishes to try out too. 

To quote the late fashion icon, Diana Vreeland: “Pink is the new black,” and with this in mind, we decided to feature 516 Polish’s soft and versatile Serene pink which you can also see on different skin tones when you click here . This on trend and statement shade of bubble gum pink, has appeared on all the S/S 2021 fashion runways and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon.  What we like about this Serene pink is that it’s fresh, feminine and brightens our mood. It also adds some wonderful drama when paired with analogous reds or red-oranges, which you’ll also see appearing on the high street. The ingredients in Serene are all ’10 free’, which means it is free from 10 toxic ingredients commonly used: Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Xylene, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl tosylamide, Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Acetone and Parabens. For those that don’t know, here are some of the reasons why these toxic ingredients are not included in the formula: Toluene is a neurotoxin that can cause neurological damage when inhaled. Formaldehyde and its by-product Formaldehyde Resin can be responsible for allergic reactions, asthma, nausea, and dermatitis. Low doses of Xylene can provoke headaches, and high doses can affect the respiratory system. Ethyl Tosylamide is banned in Europe due to it causing mild to severe allergic reactions; it also can disrupt hormones. What we also like about this Serene nail polish, is that it can even be matched with a Gel. A handy option if we’re away on holiday and in need of a quick touch up. The brand also has a nail care guide with a few tips and tricks for a better home manicure; we found their 3-Stroke method very helpful (see here). When applied correctly, the 516 nail polishes (with recommended base and topcoat), should last between seven to ten days. We found on toes (see photo) it was over ten days but on hands (too much typing and hand washing!) it was more like five or seven. Best of all the nail polishes are available in two sizes; which means you can experiment with more colours, with the 5ml bottles, at only £4.75 ea. Or if you fall in love with Serene (as we did), you too can invest in a 10ml bottle at £8.

HokmahWise Haircare

Haircare is important to each of us at The Amazing Blog, and as we all have different hair types, we welcome trying out all kinds, whether it’s for curly, textured or straight hair. Today, we are introducing three haircare products which we tested out which are from a new indie and inclusive brand, HokmahWise.

HokmahWise is a relatively new and in-development haircare brand, designed for all hair types, and in particular, for those who have experienced hair follicle damage from extensions. The brand name ‘Hokmah’ is the Hebrew word for wisdom, and ‘Wise’ is self-explanatory. Founded by Christine Aboagye and her sister, it was born from a need to find gentle haircare that would be kind to the scalp, encourage growth and work with textured hair. Christine said, “One of us was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, which subsequently affected hair growth and where there was almost complete loss of hair. In a bid to cover up the near-baldness, there were lots of wigs, indulging in hair extensions, weaves and braids. Large sums of money were spent on these, yet this availed to nothing.” The two women then questioned their haircare routine, addressing scalp health, and a way to nurture hair regrowth and recover their lost self-esteem. They went on to say: “We discovered that our hair needed more moisture, rich protein treatments and more products with natural oils, butters and less harmful chemicals.” That’s why they created these products; to provide and inclusive, efficient, affordable and gentle haircare which could help others too. 

We tried the Hair Stimulant Shampoo Watermelon Seed & Rosemary Oil first. It is free from sulphates and parabens and is also cruelty-free and vegan. This shampoo is for all hair types, although it’s particularly efficient for curly, textured and damaged hair. We must stress that this is NOT a natural shampoo, as we discovered that this and the other products in the range have a few haircare industry preservatives and additives. We were a little disappointed to find ingredient such as cocammide, DEA ccocamidopropyl betaine and acrylates crosspolymer-4 here. However, it does have natural ingredients such as rosemary oil, with anti-inflammatory properties to encourage scalp stimulation and improve nerve growth. Together with peppermint oil with nutrients and antioxidants to increase blood circulation in the scalp. Castor oil has antimicrobial properties which help fight off bacterial or fungal scalp infections and dandruff. The key natural ingredient here seems to be the watermelon seed oil, as it’s moisturising and strengthening.  Finally, there’s geranium oil which acts on the sebaceous gland to regulate the sebum produced, making the hair healthier. We found it easy to use; it was efficient at cleaning and hydrating the hair and didn’t leave it dry or ‘stringy’ (like some do…) This Hair Stimulant Shampoo works (as it states) like a stimulant, while also repairing split ends and moisturising the scalp. Massage onto the scalp and let it sit for 10- 20 seconds, then rinse away, followed by the Ultra Nourishing Conditioner. You can purchase The 300ml Hair Stimulant Shampoo Watermelon Seed & Rosemary Oil for £11.50 here.

The Ultra Nourishing Conditioner with Avocado and Ylang-Ylang Oil is also all about promoting hair growth, as well as  hydrating and repairing damaged hair. Again, this is not natural product; we found ingredients like phenoxyethanol which is a synthetic preservative, that we’re not very keen on. It has a moisturising effect thanks to rosehip oil, jojoba seed oil and ylang-ylang. Ylang-ylang helps combat hair and scalp dryness, broccoli seed oil and coconut milk protein contain vitamins C, E, B1, B3 and B5 to prevent dehydration. Together with the coconut and avocado oil, the rosehip oil seals the hair cuticles and prevents breakage. The sweet almond oil is rich in protein, omega-9 fatty acids, vitamins, and coconut oil improves the condition and shine. Our old friend lavender oil is also here, this time for helping to fight dandruff thanks to its antimicrobial properties. This was our favourite out of the three products. We noticed how it hydrated the hair and left it soft and manageable – it certainly passed the ‘wet hair and comb’ test. They recommend a deep massage, and leave for a few minutes to allow it to moisturise the hair,  then rinse. The 350ml Ultra Nourishing Conditioner with Avocado and Ylang-Ylang Oil you can purchase here for £12.50.

The third product is the Effortless Shiny Detangler Spray Marshmallow Root and Grape Seed . This detangler spray is for knots and frizz. Checking the ingredients, again, we noticed that this too has some additives like DMDM hydantoin, an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative. We prefer the natural ones here, such as marshmallow root, full of rich vitamins and proteins to help hair growth and soothe itchy scalps. The grape seed oil, is full of vitamin E, minerals, proteins and linoleic acid, which nourishes the scalp. With chamomile and sage oil, make the hair is shinier and softener. The apple extract reduces dandruff and acts as an antioxidant. Finally, the hydrolysed soy protein improves porous hair. We think this is a faithful ally for protection against hot styling tools; and it left no oily residue. Although the three products work well together, we would like to suggest to the brand, that they consider replacing some of the questionable ingredients that we’ve mentioned to then make these, for us, a great haircare trio. You can purchase the Effortless Shiny Detangler Spray Marshmallow Root and Grape Seed for £8.99 here.

ESPÉRER Skin Care : Anti-Aging Night Repair Serum & Anti-Pollution Night Repair Serum

Here at The Amazing Blog, you may have noticed that we’ve been featuring a few different serums this month, as for us, there’s nothing better than using the clean, natural and botanically based ones. We believe that simplicity is best, which is why we were very happy to discover two night serums from the new luxury botanical brand ESPÉRER Skin Care,  who offer just that. 

ESPÉRER Skin Care was launched in December 2019 by Dina El Adlani. As is a psychologist with an MSc in psychoanalytical psychology, she also studied and researched the anatomy and physiology of the skin. This was when she became aware that many skin issues are often related to overall lack of self-esteem, confidence and even mental well-being. Dina commented, “My background in psychology and dermatology helped me create ESPÉRER Skin Care, and the ingredients that I have chosen are not only beneficial to the skin but have been proven to improve overall well-being, reducing anxiety, bringing forth a feeling of calmness and positivity.” She discovered various natural ingredients when travelling to her country of origin, Morocco, and from there also got her inspiration for the brand name of ESPÉRER which means ‘hope’ in French. For Dina, this means hope for better skin, hope for better well-being, and hope for a better future.  After discovering, from personal experience, the devastating damage that chemical-based skincare can cause, she only wanted to use entirely natural ingredients in her skincare. Therefore, the ingredients ESPÉRER uses are 100% natural, cruelty-free, vegan and free from any preservatives, synthetic fragrances, alcohols and chemical toxins.

We were also interested to learn that Dina together with some of her associates, have created the Dahlia Mental Health Foundation. It is a charitable foundation in the process of being registered here in the UK. She told us that a large part of this Foundation is built around mental health, as well as skin health, as they believe the two go hand in hand. Once the charity has been set up, they will be open to the public to take donations. In the meantime, for every ESPÉRER product sold, £1 goes towards this Foundation. They aim to build psychological/mental health and well-being centres in developing countries. Places that have experienced war and famine receive food and water supplies, but they do not have access to mental health support, which they believe is just as important. What an amazing charity!

The first product we tried was the Anti-Aging Night Repair Serum  which is part of the collection ‘Beauté de la Nuit’. This oil serum is made with ONLY two natural ingredients: The argan oil and rose absolute, both of which are sourced from the southern region of Morocco. Argan oil contains vitamin E with the fatty acids omega 3 and 6, which provide the main moisturising properties. This is where the oil molecules are so tiny that they can penetrate the deeper layers of the epidermis, improving moisture levels and reducing signs of ageing. Argan also has numerous benefits for acne and damaged skin, and reduces fine lines, irritated skin, and lessens age spots. The rose absolute is extracted from rosa damascene blossoms, a rose only native to Morocco, and has anti-ageing and rejuvenating qualities as well as being anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and hydrating. We loved using this rich amber coloured oil serum. The fragrance is intense with the soft, sweet floral rose absolute which is so uplifting, and with thicker viscoscity of the argan oil, it only needs two or three drops to massage into the face and the neck. When applying ESPÉRER Skin Care very sensibly advises waiting 30 minutes prior to bed, for this Serum to absorb into the skin (rather than the pillow!) We found that it left our skin looking plumped up and glowy by the morning. You can purchase the 30ml Anti-Aging Night Repair Serum here for £33.

Also part of the ‘Beauté de la Nuit’ collection, but offering different benefits, is the Anti-Pollution Night Repair Serum. Again, this too has only two ingredients: French lavender and almond oil. This oil Serum has detoxifying and calming properties. Lavender is known for its antimicrobial properties, preventing bacteria from growing on the skin as well as for its detoxifying and anti-pollution effects. Not only that, lavender offers a calming effect on the nervous system. The almond oil, is rich in vitamin A and works as a powerful antioxidant, protecting and repairing skin cells. When these two ingredients are combined, they moisturise, repair and protect with the added benefit of an antibacterial effects from the lavender oil. This Night Serum is designed to calm and repair, offering skin protection from daily pollution. We found that with the almond oil as a base, it was lighter in texture than the Anti-Ageing Repair.  The lavender fragrance was also less intense than that of the rose absolute, and this time, we found that we needed more like four of five drops to massage into the face and neck. With lavender oil often hailed as a hero botanical, we understand its presence here in this Serum, where it works as a healer and antioxidant fighting free radical damage and pollution. When using this Anti-Pollution Night Repair Serum, it certainly did help to calm and balanced skin as well reducing any redness and blotchy patches. You can purchase the Anti-Pollution Night Repair Serum here for £27.

It was hard to chose a favourite between these two ESPÉRER Skin Care Serums. However, if pushed, we’d have to say the Anti-Ageing Night Repair, but only because rose absolute is, one of our very favourite essential oils to use.