Benecos for Men Only - Bodywash and Deo Spray

Could it be possible to squeeze the efficiency of German engineering into a tube we asked around The Amazing Blog’s water cooler this week? Some argued they had managed it with a rather infamous beer, so why not a range of skincare? Well, fellow enthusiasts, we can report they have come incredibly close with the new organically certified and vegan approved range from Benecos. It has to be said those clever Germans have created something rather wonderful. Sometimes with products which claim to offer the utopian world of skin nourishment to us, they can turn out to be a little on the watery side, or perhaps the fragrance reminds you of a wet weekend in Skegness. Fortunately, here we have something to truly buck that trend, with products free from parabens, paraffins, silicones, synthetic colours and artificial fragrances.

Benecos For Men Only: Body Wash 3-in-1 has got to be tried if only for the fragrance alone - a multitasker with the added benefit of suiting the face and hair too. It's fragrance is very fresh and with a bit of a zing, to provide the boost that some of us are in of to wake up in the shower first thing. The Deodorant Spray is a non-aerosol concept free-from aluminium salts and with an organic mix of 7 precious extract. Again giving the clean scent of freshness which comes from their cocktail of marigold, rosehip, burdock, nettle, st.johns wort, and black elderberry. We reckon it is the small-leaved lime blossom which adds the power-shot of energy.

Unlikely as it is, that we shall ever know the definitive recipe of this delicious concoction; fortunately, all we have to do is bathe and luxuriate in the stuff, before taking on the world in the morning. Benecos For Men Only don’t make any exorbitant claims with their new product, but we should point out that going for a spin under their influence, brought some admiring glances to our polished hubcaps as we purred through town, and our leather upholstery was brushed up against more than once.

All available online, you will also be pleased to hear all this magic is affordable too, at only £5.95 for Men Body Wash 3-in-1 in 200ml. Or the For Men Deo Spray at 75ml at only £6.95.

UXB - Shower Creams

After a tiring day, nothing feels more refreshing than stepping into a steamy, hot and aromatic shower. The Amazing Blog has reviewed a variety of shower products and certainly weren’t aware that hard water showers could actually strip away natural oils until UXB warned us. This company has given this matter a lot of thought and strives to combat this issue with its handmade line of nourishing Shower Creams. The steam from the shower activates the ingredients formulated in these Shower Creams, allowing the skin to become porous and absorb the rich oils and ingredients. This British brand was founded by Simon who found his inspiration on holiday in Turkey: “Cleansing is the cornerstone of skincare. Without clean skin any other actives you apply will not soak in. Also, when the skin is wet in the shower or bath it is more porous and receptive to actives...  It took a year of formulating and a lot of mistakes to come up with our first shower cream range. We’ve purposefully made a liquid cleanser for ease of use.”

Inside the creams are vitamin-rich oils, specific for each skin type that heal and trap moisture. Whether you suffer from dry, oily, mature or polluted skin, UXB has designed a shower cream targeted for you. Simon very kindly sent us all four of his shower creams to try. The first one we tried was the Frankincense & Argan Shower Cream fights dry and ashy skin. The formula uses argan, avocado and tamanu oils to soften rough areas. Combined with frankincense and black peppers, the essential oils continue to restore skin, producing a healthy glow; and also consists of glycerin that keeps moisture. This formula proved to be great hit with the boys in the office as it has quite a robust fragrance. We also like that when you breathe in the essences of frankincense, black peppers, rosemary, with a hint of the bergamot citrus, it helps to aid relaxation. All products have a pH level of 5/6, the natural acidity of the skin. Purchase a bottle here for £6.

Those of us with slightly more oily skin tried the Brown Rice Milk & Raw Honey Shower Cream. This is made from Dead Sea salt to cleanse with its antioxidant properties. The raw honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory that opens blocked pores. The combination of low comedogenic oils still locks in moisturise, while reducing existing sebum. It helps the skin feel less oily without drying it out or going into hyper oil production. This caramel and sage-scented product is deliciously moreish, it almost smells good enough to eat! Buy here for £6.

Next the Juniper & Açaí Berry Shower Cream, this aids polluted and sun damaged skin by strengthening it with the benefiting properties of acai, juniper and black cumin seed oil to mop up stubborn pollutants. This has some of nature’s most powerful antioxidants for this cream and it went on holiday with one of the team. It was reported back that this cream wash was so gentle that it soothed her sunburn and kept the skin flexible and moisturised allowing it to healing and recovery. This is definitely the one to pack for your sunshine holidays. What we also liked was the invigorating yet subtle zesty fragrance from tangerines and oranges. You can buy a bottle here for £6.

Finally, the fourth shower cream: Rosehip & Comfrey Shower Cream which is designed for more mature skin to hydrate, moisturise and revitalise.  Rose oil is both hydrating and soothing, while hints of vegetable glycerine locks in moisture and helps to plump the skin. The warmed dried comfrey (rich in Allantoin which protects and softens) and gotu kola leaves soaked in pure sunflower oil (which has been used Indian skincare for centuries for its toning properties) give this shower cream it’s richness. The rosehip oil regenerates the skin and primrose oil builds a barrier that creates plumper skin. The combination of rose, ylang ylang and lavender essential oils give the shower cream a floral fragrance and more of an aromatherapy twist than the others. This particular bottle was a great hit with girls in the office. To purchase see here for £6

All shower creams should be applied when skin is damp. Just lather a generous amount all over your body, leave for a few seconds and then wash off. They all left us feeling squeaky clean but none of these UXB Shower Creams dried out our skin, which in turn meant we economised, no need for body lotions or oils!

Friday Favourites - Natural Cleansers

What’s more important to you… A skincare regime in the morning to pep up your skin? Or perhaps in the evening, to help get rid of the daily grim? When we did a quick poll in the office and found that we all tended to lean towards an evening ritual. Although maybe one or two of us might admit to having fallen asleep with our make up on - oh what a sin! Of course, when this is the case we’ve paid the price; you know the look of dark panda eyes, streaky cheeks and an irritated skin breakout. Today we at The Amazing Blog explore four natural, cruelty-free and gentle cleansing products to help you up your cleansing game - whether its for the day, night or both.

First and foremost, we all know that we’ve got to remove our make up. Nadur is an Irish natural and vegan skincare brand that has a wonderfully gentle and effective make up remover. Nadur was a Pure Beauty Global Awards 2018 Finalist, and they are committed to crafting non-toxic and well-designed products that are safe for the environment and the user. The name ‘Nadur’ means nature and comes from the ancient celtic/viking alphabet ‘Ogham’, with their 20 symbols that represent sacred trees. They focus on the ‘acid mantle’ (the skins natural defense mechanism) and their products are a careful blend of science and artistry using ‘green chemistry’.

We tried their Genie Rinsable Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover and were pleased to find the naturally ethical formula is non-greasy and hydrating. This cleanser and make up remover hybrid works well for normal, oily, combination, and dry skin. To use it, smother over dry skin, wetting the face to emulsify it, and gently work it in. Give your face a rinse, and you’ll feel squeaky clean, without the tight sensation. This water-soluble solution is gentle on the skin’s natural protective barrier because of the inclusion of organic jojoba oil, which means the skin’s moisture levels are restored. We particularly like all the antioxidants and minerals, such as pomegranate seed, that help to rejuvenate the skin. The Genie Rinsable Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover is vegan, gluten, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and 100% natural. Its faint floral, nutty fragrance comes from the sweet almond oil and ylang-ylang flower extract. Purchase Nadur’s Genie Oil Cleanser & Makeup Remover 200ml here for £25.00.

Let’s move from Ireland to Britain, to explore Nakin Skincare. We’re particular fans of this new British brand which focuses on natural anti-ageing products, and recently featured their Active Dew Face Cream here. As a nominee for Best New Skincare Brand in the Pure Beauty Awards, founder Cris Beetham said: “Our whole ethos is about effective natural skincare, for people who want great skin without the use of harsh chemicals.” And we certainly do! Hyaluronic acid, seaweed and plant extracts, healing butters, and reviving oils are some of the powerful ingredients in Nakin’s products that help to enhance your skin’s natural beauty. All of their products are cruelty-free and are without parabens and artificial colour and fragrances.

We took their Natural Anti-Ageing Advanced Cleansing Milk for a spin. This cleanser is 98% natural and wheat and gluten-free. We particularly enjoyed using this product because of how gentle it is on sensitive and dry skin, and it proved to be a great hit with our Exec Editor. The Cleansing Milk is easy to apply, simply massage in circular motion before removing with a cotton pad - it’s brilliant for removing stubborn make up. The hyaluronic acid and pomegranate fruit extract help to fight the key signs of ageing. The seaweed extract also helps to even skin tone. The completely natural, light floral fragrance is refreshing but more importantly we liked that this cleanser was effective. If you’d like to try Nakin Skincare’s Natural Anti-Ageing Advance Cleansing Milk, it can be purchased 150ml here for £15.00.

If you’re in the mood to try something different, then Speak Skin Beauty has got you covered. They are a natural skincare company founded by Nisa and Tiara, who wanted to make a difference. Their mission is to empower women with fair and reliable information on skincare ingredients, to allow them to make an informed decision; and wishing to make a positive impact on their community and environment. Both had struggled on their journey to find a suitable skincare for their complexions; Nisa with dermatitis and Tiara for her ever-changing, hormonal skin. This skincare brand is all about advocating good clean and conscious products. They carefully choose their ingredients to ensure that their products are appropriate for even the most sensitive skin. We love how they are minimising waste by getting rid of unnecessary packaging. We received their 01 Cleansing Powder in a charming fabric mini tote all made from recycled material. This packaging makes the product all the more meaningful in our eyes. They’re strictly cruelty and paraben-free, and make all their products in small batches.

Speak’s 01 Cleansing Powder system was new to most of the team here, as they hadn’t used a powder cleanser before. It is a gentle, soap-free cleansing powder that has only four ingredients: organic oats, lavendar extract, kaolin clay and sweet almond oil. It’s simplicity at it’s best. The scent is particularly enticing, the fragrance of this almost poultice-like texture is lead by the combination of lavender and oatmeal. The oats help to soothe the skin; the lavender calms redness; the sweet almond oil prevents dryness and hydrates, and the kaolin clay diminishes sebum production. This cleanser proved very popular with those of us who have more oily skin with frequent breakouts, as it helps to calm and stabilise. Mix the powder in the palm of your hand with warm water to make a paste, then apply by gently massaging the paste on the face, rinse off, et voila! You too can purchase Speak Skin Beauty’s 01 Cleansing Powder 60g here for £8.88.

Last but by no means least, we found Skincare with Compassion, an organic skincare company founded to be entirely cruelty-free and vegan. Based on the Island of Jersey, founder Emma Froch explains that the brand is “dedicated to changing the way in which people think about skin care” by advocating natural and animal-friendly products. Emma’s thirst for expertise in the skincare industry began over nine years ago when she realised that cruelty-free and vegan products were in short supply. She made it her mission to formulate 100% natural and non-animal derived products, working with beauty experts to discover ethical ingredients without nasty additives. We certainly admire the ethics of the company and were thrilled to try the Geranium and Thyme Purifying Face Wash.

This face wash is designed for those with oily or spot prone skin, a welcome discovery for certain members of The Amazing Blog team who suffer from hormonal blemishes. It contains 83.7% certified organic ingredients, including four superpower botanicals: geranium, thyme, lavender flower and rosemary. The geranium provides the benefit of minimising the look of wrinkles whilst still leaving your face feeling moisturised and supple. The thyme is a powerful force against bacteria, helping to eliminate and calm sebum levels. Similarly, lavender flower has antibacterial properties, reducing blemishes and fighting against the dark spots and scars that we are often availed with (as if having the spot in the first place wasn’t bad enough!) Finally, rosemary is antiseptic, helping to reduce redness and puffiness, by balancing congested skin. All in all, a robust set of ingredients that not only soothe our skin, but smell light and fresh.

To see the results for yourself, apply a small amount of the cleanser to wet skin (we suggest opening your pores with warm water first) and gently massage. You’ll be met with a silky foam, which needs only to be rinsed with warm water to remove. To purchase a 100ml bottle of Skincare with Compassion’s Geranium and Thyme Purifying Face Wash for £18, then click here.

There is a natural cleanser here to suit almost every skin type. We think that all four of these cleansers are fabulous alternatives to the plethora of chemical-infused cleansers, that are so readily available on the high street. Please let us know if you get try out some of our new finds, otherwise we hope that we’ve inspired you to go and search out new cleansing alternatives.

Eau de Philae - Boisée Parfum for Him

The Amazing Blog HQ has been touched by La Dolce Vita this week after a wonderful few weeks spent exploring the glories of the Italian Riviera - great food, delicious wine, inspiring company, and all with the sumptuous backdrop of a beautiful country. In no small part, this has inspired our #amazingfinds.

One of our exciting discoveries, amidst all the romance and splendour of centuries of tradition, was to be found encapsulated in a most attractive glass bottle. In many ways, traditional in design, Eau de Philae's Boisée Parfum is a refreshing fragrance which packs quite a punch on the scent spectrum. Boisée Eau De Parfum should certainly be given the whiff test if you like your aftershaves to be fresh, but not too flowery. Brought out to stand alongside some equally evocative options, such as Eau De Parfum Bouquet For Her in the Eau de Philae Range, it is similarly organic and holds vegan-friendly accreditation, created by InLight Beauty’s partners C.E.M.O.N Homeopathics in Italy.

For Him, however, we are offered a mysterious woody scent, with zesty fresh accents to awaken the senses; although interestingly, the overall fragrance is quite formal, giving an almost reserved result. They say: “Due to the wheat-derived organic alcohol and high content of medicinal plant extracts, Boisée Eau de Parfum is a completely natural fragrance, in tune with the body’s natural vibrations and as such is a richly sensory experience enhancing both health and wellbeing.” Despite this glorious concoction being prepared in Naples, the original recipes hail from Ancient Egypt - the island of Philae to be exact … 4000 years is probably just about enough time to get it right! It has 82% organic ingredients, and you will be glad to hear that the price is not a Pharoah’s ransom, at around £42 for 50ml and available online from here.

PH7 Skincare Collection

As the autumnal equinox approaches, we at The Amazing Blog are starting to think about implementing a new season skincare regimen. We wanted to find a simple trio that would take us through the forthcoming transitory months with ease, and the natural skincare from pH 7’s Skincare Collection: Natural.Clean.Skin offered us just that. Our morning routine has now started with their thoughtfully formulated skincare products, their signature: Foaming Cleanser, Toner and Moisturiser. pH 7 Natural.Clean.Skin is formulated by US toxicologist Dr. Erika Weaver, PhD, who is committed to designing natural and toxin-free skin care products. During her schooling, Weaver learned about the effects of chemicals and the impact it has on our lifestyle and the environment, and wanted to make a change... 

Our favourite of the trio is their Foaming Cleanser. It nourishes and restores all skin types, it made our skin feel 'squeaky clean' without leaving a hint of tightness. Key ingredients are rose water, witch hazel, honeysuckle, apricot kernel, rosehip, frankincense and sandalwood oils. So easy to apply, simply splash warm water onto the face, then pump 2-3 pumps and massage it in using circular motions. After rinsing thoroughly, and patting dry with a linen face cloth - you'll feel fresh awakened! Next, we used their Toner as a refreshing elixir to hydrate the skin. Key ingredients here include kombucha tea, aloe vera gel, vitamins E and C. Before applying, shake the bottle well and blot it onto a cotton ball. Remember to store this product at room temperature. As you let the skin absorb the toner, apply a small amount of Moisturizer,  which has some of our favourite ingredients such as coconut, sandalwood, frankincense and almond oils, all of which offer a great way to maintain hydration and protection.  You can buy each of the these separately, the Foaming Cleanser here for $14, or the Toner here for $10 and the Moisturizer here for $14. However, this trio can also be bought together here for $36.00.