Urtekram - Purple Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner

Finding natural shampoos and conditioners that work, don’t leave the hair like the texture of straw, and are colour safe, leaving your hair smelling fresh; are for us at The Amazing Blog rarer than hens teeth! So on great recommendation, we were excited to try Urtekram’s Purple Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner. They boast that their Purple Lavender Conditioner is 45% organic of total, 78% organic of total, minus water and minerals, and 100% natural origin via COSMOS ORGANIC (certified by Ecocert Greenlife). That for us, is always a good start.

The company named is derived from the Danish word “urtekraemmer” advocated for organic foods in Denmark. The passion of the founders sparked the creation of the company, which eventually branched into other beauty sectors, such as bodycare. The organic pioneers, Lisbeth Damsgaard and Ronnie McGrail, began their adventure in the 1990s. Today, Urtekram has earned much success, with products in most supermarkets and health food shops. Each year, the company develops between 80-100 new products, and every part of the process is sustainable, from production, to packaging and ingredient choice. Now that’s the type of brand that we’re happy to get behind!

We tried the Purple Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner which are both certified organic, containing natural ingredients. This range is designed to moisturise the scalp, alleviate itchiness, and revitalise brittle hair strands. The shampoo gives an intoxicating aroma of lavender which helps enhance a tranquil showering experience. The blend of the lactobacillus ferment and willow bark extract creates shine and balance. We gently massaged the shampoo around the entire scalp, using the pads of our fingers to scrub and exfoliate. After a good rinse, we worked in the conditioner, leaving it in the hair for up 2-3 minutes. We’re delighted to report that this organic and natural Purple Lavender combination delivered the results that we were after, soft tangle-free and lightly fragranced locks. Purchase a 250ml bottle of shampoo here for £5.40 and an 180ml bottle of conditioner here for £6.30. You can also purchase the two as a set here, for £14.85

Summerdown Mint Teas - Peppermint Tea and Spearmint & Camomile Tea

As the weather cools, there is nothing nicer than hugging a comforting cuppa. Besides the warming effect, tea can do so much for our systems. Dandelion tea helps with bloating and promotes liver health, green tea is full of antioxidants, ginger tea helps with nausea associated with motion sickness, and peppermint tea is known to aid digestion. The Amazing Blog was thrilled to receive a selection of teas from Summerdown Mint, a specialist British peppermint company.

Summerdown Mint was founded by Sir Michael Colman over twenty years ago, in green and leafy Hampshire. He decided to cultivate a unique variety of Black Mitcham peppermint, a type of mint that was grown in England over 100 years ago. Summerdown Mint also produce a variety of other mint infused products, such as chocolates and sweets, and products for the bath, body, and home. We wrote about their fragrant Lemongrass & Mint Body Wash here. Many of their products have already achieved great accolades, being winners in The 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards and the Great Taste Awards. Best of all, with Summerdown Mint, you know you’re getting an authentic home-grown English peppermint oil. An added bonus is that all of the products are 98% natural, and are free of sulfates, parabens, PEGs, petrochemicals and artificial colourings.

The English Peppermint tea consists of Black Mitcham mint leaves and oil. It comes either in regular tea bags or their rather charming pyramid shaped bags, which not only give the loose-leaf tea more room to steep, but they are biodegradable too. The dried leaves are infused with their oil from the distillery, which is where you get a wonderful, authentic English Peppermint tea taste. This packs a bit of punch, with a crisp, bright and full fresh mint flavour, and apparently it does wonders to calm the nerves! We also tried the English Spearmint & Camomile tea and found that this had a gently sweet and refreshing taste, while the ingredients help to aid digestion and reduce tension. First, the camomile flowers are harvested and dried, and then they are brewed with spearmint oil. We’d definitely recommend trying these teas, as they make a terrific break from our regular black tea.

If you would like to try Summerdown Mint’s English Peppermint tea (either the pyramid tea bags with 15 sachets, or regular tea bags containing 20 tea envelopes) or the English Spearmint & Camomile tea (20 tea envelopes), they can be all be purchased here from £3.40 per box. There is free delivery when you spent £25 or more within the UK.

Botanicals for Cocktails

With the explosion of microbreweries and distilleries forging their way ahead in the production of uniquely artisan beverage options, we began to wonder just how feasible it would be to create our own bottle of mellow magic. This sent all of us at The Amazing Blog into a tailspin at the water cooler, as we all came up with appropriate cocktails. How about The Amazing Daiquiri or even The Amazing White Russian perhaps …?

Once the germination of an idea starts, of course, there’s always someone who takes it to the next level - and we may well have found the perfect solution to what has become a challenge for everyone in the office. Originally created by The Old Hamlet Wine & Spice Co. the Botanicals For Cocktails range gives us three options for turning a run of the mill bottle of gin or vodka into something far more interesting. - It has been quite the conversation piece for the Christmas shindig at The Amazing Blog Towers … if we are permitted to mention the festivities yet?

All of the required ingredients are handily packaged in signature calico pouches, so you need only to add a bottle of your spirit of choice. The Orange Gin sounds quite a straight forward affair, but actually once you start mixing those spices, it is quite clear just how many different flavours are there to tempt us. Let us warn you, the aroma can be quite intoxicating, especially in a cramped kitchenette, so make sure there is plenty of ventilation. As with all the best things in life, a little bit of patience is required in the production process here, and so we have to wait at least 8 weeks until we can properly taste the fruits of our labours - but for the REAL magic to happen, we have to ideally wait 2 years.

However, the first signs are good, and are as enticing as the offerings we might get from a bar’s cocktail list. The Gingerbread Vodka is a heady mix and planned for consumption at the above festive party in a couple of month’s time, with the Gin version being kept as a possible tasting option. In fact, there is a wide and comprehensive range available primarily through the Steenburgs website, an organic spice merchants based in Yorkshire, who bought The Old Hamlet Wine & Spice Co in 2017. These pouches of perfection can additionally be sourced with a price of around £3.80 for a single bag - trust us, it’s well worth the effort!

Friday Favourites: Tanning Products to Protect or Enhance

As winter draws closer, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain a healthy and radiant glow. The cold temperatures strip our skin of natural oils, and the shorter evenings limit our time spent in the sunshine (that’s if we’re lucky enough to get any!) However, there is no need to fret, as The Amazing Blog team has unearthed four new tanning related products: One to protect, one to give a sunless glow, another to enhance your existing tan and finally one to remove it all! All useful products but with very different missions. We particularly like to give ourselves a colour boost at this time of year, despite what the weather outside might suggest. The added bonus (and perhaps the most crucial factor) is that by using these products you gain a radiant glow without exposing the skin to harmful UV rays.

Firstly, it’s easy to forget that our skin is exposed to harmful UVA and UVB rays on a daily basis. We came across HEVL’s SPF50 Face Creme a unique product that fights against both UVA and UVB rays, as well as the lesser-known danger of High Energy Visible Light. The beady eyed amongst you, will recognise that the brand name is a direct abbreviation of High Energy Visible Light (HEVL), and with this, comes a product that has been formulated by experts in the field of sun protection. For those of you who are unsure of what HEVL is, then you’re not alone. HEVL rays are produced in much the same way as UV rays, meaning they are damaging to the skin whether it is sunny or not. The most profound finding of our research, however, is that HEVL rays can cause a similar amount of damage as both UVA and UVB rays combined. I’m sure you can understand why we were eager to try HEVL’s SPF50 Face Creme.

This face cream has a multitude of benefits. It is SPF50, free from MI, SLS, parabens and perfumes, and suitable for even the most sensitive of skin; due to the light and non-greasy formula. We were also thrilled to discover that is has a slight skin-coloured tint, perfect for non-makeup wearing days, yet the formula acts as a smooth base for days when we require a little more coverage. The visible effects are apparent, however, the ingredients are the real talking point. The addition of Liposhield (a newly formulated ingredient that actively fights HEVL light) ensures that you can be safe in the knowledge that your skin is protected all day. Additionally, added prebiotics strengthen the skin, and maintain it’s natural barrier, aiding with the avails of dry winter skin. If you too would like to protect your skin this winter, then you can purchase a 50ml tube here for £19.95. 

Having protected our skin, the next step in our tanning routine is to use a self-tanning product. We were pleased to come across Curasano, a brand that promises to be inclusive of all skin types, providing effective products for an all year round bronze. This is something we admire, and having used their Spraytan Express for a multitude of special events, we can clarify that there was not a ‘carrot-look’ leg in sight! Initially based in Belgium, Curasano has been providing valuable cosmetics and health products since 2008, and are recommended by dermatologists across Europe. 

Curasano’s Spraytan Express is designed to activate the skin’s natural melanin from the inside, leaving you with an even and golden-brown glow. Self-tan lovers may be aware of the biscuit like smell that is often part and parcel of achieving a long-lasting colour; however Curasano defies this unpleasant side effect with the use of natural ingredients. These include ginseng, aloe vera and vitamin E, all of which are moisturising, yet gentle enough for those who have sensitive skin. We were surprised to find that it only comes in one shade, however, with a range of skin tones in the office, we can confirm that nobody was subject to a tangoed embarrassment. The spray is also suitable for the face, and even for those who suffer from psoriasis or acne. To achieve a party worthy glow, we used the Curasano Spraytan Sentz glove, a soft microfibre glove that helped us to cover our bodies evenly (even those hard to reach areas), and a fail-safe application tool for even the novices amongst us. To achieve an envious glow, apply an even layer over the desired areas, and you should be streak free and radiant for no less than 5 to 7 days. You need only use a small amount, and thus there are up to 60 treatments for the face, neck and décolleté, or up to 10 for the full body. 

To purchase a 200ml bottle of the Spraytan Express for £58.25, click here, and click here to purchase the corresponding Spraytan Sentz Glove for £7.41 .

If at home tanning is still a scary prospect, then we may have the product for you. Solglo’s Tanning Mist is designed to add a bit of colour to natural skin, or can be used to extend your existing (professional or DIY) tan by between 5 and 7 days. The brainchild of United Beauty, an international group with an extensive portfolio of cosmetic and retail products, Solglo is award-winning in sunless spray-tanning products. United Beauty is a British manufactured brand, aiming to provide the ideal tanning solution for tanning professionals. 

We tried their Solglo Tanning Mist in Sun Kissed (which is the lightest), a spray tan in a can that helps to keep your tan looking fresh. The ingredients are effective at keeping the skin moisturised, with both vitamin E and aloe vera which help to ensure that your tan doesn’t flake. We were also pleased to find that the mist is non-greasy, leaving your skin feeling soft, without the sticky feeling of other leading brands. The mist is available in two shades, Sun Kissed (a lighter shade) and Sun Drenched (the darker shade), and both are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. We were also encouraged to find that the brand is nut free. The added bonus for us was the coconut smell, taking away the stereotypically chemical smell of tanning products. Using this product left us feeling as though we’d been transported to a tropical island, a welcome daydream while cooped up in a central London office. To encourage your own exotic transportation, spray evenly across the skin, and enjoy the long-lasting colour. You’ll find that it dries quickly, and thankfully doesn’t transfer onto clothes or bedsheets. To purchase Solglo’s Tanning Mist for £15.58 see here.

Finally, although this blog post suggests we’re all tanning experts…that is very far from the truth. We have witnessed many a ‘do I look orange’ moment in the office, and were therefore thankful to find CrazyAngel’s Strip Tease Tan Eraser. Crazy Angel is a brand that aims to offer personalised self-tanning, straying away from a ‘one colour fits all’ philosophy. The design of the packaging and branding is also unisex, fitting the company’s ethos of focusing on complementing skin tones rather than adhering to stereotypes. This is an outlook that we were impressed by, and one that compelled us to try their Strip Tease Tan Eraser. 

After previously trying Crazy Angel’s Midnight Delight Self-Tan Mousse (see here), we were eager to see how the Strip Tease Tan Eraser faired. We were suitably impressed (and relieved), to find a product that can solve our tanning woes without the use of harsh chemicals. The product is free from the use of alcohol, parabens and mineral oil and the formula itself has a delicate mousse texture, which aims to remove remnants of self-tan in just 5 minutes. Despite being a mousse, we were thankful that it didn’t leave our skin feeling tight; instead it had a silky smooth texture which left our skin feeling nourished (and ready for a new layer of tanning product). We recommend using this product to prep for any self-tan application, as it not only creates an excellent base, but also helps to ensure your bronzed glow lasts as long as possible. The Strip Tease Tan Eraser also has a pleasantly sweet and fruity scent, which draws away from the usually potent chemical smell of similar products. To purchase your own Strip Tease Tan Eraser for £14.99, click here. 

Self-tanning is often seen as a laborious and risky beauty ritual. Today we hope to have provided you with a few new tanning products to help make your routines a little less complicated and streak-free. All perfect for the forthcoming party season!

Nathalie Bond - Bloom Body Oil

London is starting to be a crimson and fiery orange dream, thanks to the autumn leaves. However, the crisp air can start to affect our skin’s moisture levels, especially when you have sensitive skin. As our regular readers will know, we’re more than just a tad fussy about what we use on our bodies, and are always eager to know what the ingredients are. Today The Amazing Blog is reviewing a product by the certified COSMOS Organic & Natural and cruelty-free skincare brand, Nathalie Bond. Their products are made in small batches, so we know we’re getting the quality that we deserve. We’re fans of this organic skincare brand and have recently reviewed their Bloom Lip Balm, here.

Nathalie Bond uses cold pressed and sustainably sourced oils. This family-run business has a range of products with handmade soap, lip salves, balms, body/face oils, scrubs, bath salts candles, and mists.

We gave their Bloom Body Oil a whirl. This oil is certified organic and 100% natural, 99% of the natural ingredients are organic. The Bloom Body Oil contains safflower seed oil, jojoba seed oil, rose geranium flower oil, palmarosa oil, patchouli oil, and vitamin E. Safflower oil is known to rejuvenate and moisturise damaged skin. Jojoba oil is found in most natural skincare products, due to its quick absorbing properties. We found the Bloom Body Oil wasn’t greasy, it absorbed well and did wonders to hydrate our skin. Nathalie Bond recommends this oil for all skin types and we couldn’t get enough of the beautiful rose geranium and patchouli fragrance, it left our skin gently scented. You can purchase Nathalie Bond’s  Bloom Body Oil 30ml for £10.00 or the 100ml bottle for £24.00 here. There is free shipping on orders over £40 in the UK.