MATIS - Reponse Corps Dry Oil

As the cold weather engulfs us in the festive season, yet again at The Amazing Blog we find ourselves dreaming about taking off to warmer climes. So, we’ve been tracking down multi-tasking products to share with you, to pack away for your travels. Regular readers may remember Simon reviewing the French salon brand Matis with their Vitality Roll’on Energ Eyes and  Reponse Homme Anti-Ageing Cream. This time it’s our turn to review one of their latest products Response Corps Dry Oil, which is perfect for nourishing both hair and body during this challenging weather.

Based in Paris, Matis is an established salon brand renowned for their scientific research with both their products and treatments. The Response Corps Dry Oil has a blend of 8 ‘Matispa’ active plant oils. The key actives are inca inchi, apricot kernel, marula, macadamia, sandalwood, cranberry and pomegranate. This combination of oils helps to provide protection and nutrition for all skin types. Let’s talk about the properties of these ingredients, the cranberry seed oil offers excellent anti-oxidant protection and enhances cellular functions, while the pomegranate oil has vitamins B and C help repair the skin. For those of you who have extremely dry and sensitive skin, the macadamia oil offers omega 9 which aids epidermal regeneration. What we particularly like is the delicious slightly sandalwood and nutty fragrance from the hemp seed oil, which also helps to calm the mind.

We think that this Dry Oil will make a very good travel companion as that it works on so many levels. It’s a brilliant multi-tasker with the added bonus of being full of replenishing oils. Ideal to add shimmer to the skin in the evening, and repairing hair after showering.  We recommend applying this Dry Oil after a hot bath or shower for an optimum effect. We also like that it absorbs quickly and does not leave any oily residue when applied. The hydration factors in this Dry Oil are ideal for helping repair split ends or replenishing moisture in the skin. If you would like to treat your body and hair to some TLC, then the Response Corps Dry Oil 50ml can be purchased here from £16.38 - offering great value for a 2-in-1 product.

Bili Beauty – Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette

India is well known for its bright colour palette, diverse culture and unique beauty. Bili Beauty is a brand that creates makeup inspired by India’s evident diversity and celebrated explosion of various different shades and tints. All their products are made in California, vegan, cruelty-free and made with natural and organic ingredients. Bili Beauty brings together Indian beauty trends and presents it to a spectrum of individuals to all different corners of the world.

The founder of Bili Beauty, Sarah began the company with an underlying political motive. Although many of the major stores have an array of different cosmetic brands and products, they are often unable to cater to all the different skin tones. This is where Bili Beauty sets itself apart from others as it is highly pigmented and adapts to suit all given skin shades, textures and tones.  With the combination of her love for Indian culture and her passion for makeup, Sarah was able to create a cosmetics brand with clean ingredients and high pigmentation that celebrated and educated people about the beautiful diversity of Indian culture.

The Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette is one of our #amazingfinds and our new favourite here at The Amazing Blog. The palette features ten matte as well as glittery shades of pink, gold, red, green and various others that will make your eyes pop. While the palette will enhance your eyes with their vibrant shades, its fragrance will also take you on an olfactory journey all the way to the hidden roads of Jaipur and the magical wonders of Agra. This eyeshadow palette takes you on a cultural beauty that walks you through the enchanting beauty of India, all from the convenience of your blending brush and creativity. The key natural and organic ingredients in these pigments are vitamin E, sunflower and moringa oils, rosemary leaf, Indian gooseberry terminalia chebula and bellerica, caesalpinia sappan bark and bamboo extract. It’s 100% vegan with no animal byproducts and almost 70% of these eyeshadows are made up of pure pigment. We also applaud Bili Beauty who donate a percentage of their annual sales to Destiny Rescue a non-profit organisation to help end child sex trafficking all over the world.

We think that this special eyeshadow palette is not only perfect as a Chrismas gift but as a present to yourself! To embark on this cultural experience, simply visit here to get your very own The Eyes of India Eyeshadow Palette is $49.00.

EcoStardust - Unicorn Edition Biodegradable Trio Glitter, Balm & Brush

What is the best way to stand out at a Christmas party this year? We think it’s rocking a bit of glitter! We know what you’re going to say ”…but most commercial cosmetic glitters are dangerous to the environment!” Fear not, here at The Amazing Blog we’ve discovered an environmentally-friendly and biodegradable premium grade cosmetic glitter, that can add some serious sparkle to your day – step forward EcoStardust.

Launched in 2017, a Blue Patch New Business Award-winning EcoStardust is an eco-conscious company that makes its glitter from plant cellulose, derived predominantly from non-GMO sustainably farmed Eucalyptus Trees. It aims to promote ‘joy and happiness through vibrant and high-quality products whilst raising awareness of environmental issues’. All their products are vegan and cruelty-free; 10% of net profits go to charities and environmental bodies, and every piece of packaging is made out of recyclable materials.

They very kindly sent us their EcoStardust Unicorn Edition Biodegradable Trio Glitter Balm & Brush Set which includes: 3 x 6g biodegradable glitters, one bamboo glitter brush and one bio-glitter 10g beauty balm. The three various shades of glitter (silver and a hint of purple, pink and blue, and extra shimmer pink and blue) can be used individually or mixed to create your unique shade, enhancing a look or matching an outfit. We think the more the better! So, our favorite recipe is mixing all three shades and highlighting our best features. Apply a small amount of a plant-based shimmery balm either with the bamboo glitter brush or your fingers. This can be anywhere on your body, face, hair or nails. Then sprinkle some glitter on it and you’re good to go. NB: We would stress caution when applying on the face, you need to avoid using the product around your eye area due to the fine particles which could fall into the eye. It easy to remove and washes with warm water and soap, or by using regular makeup remover. If you have any allergies, the checklist for this glitter does not contain any common food allergens, such as eggs, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide or nuts.

Add some extra festive sparkle this Christmas, with this fun set of glitter. You can purchase it for just £22 here

Electric Hairdressing - London C4 Shaping Paste

The Electric Hairdressing phenomenon has been a fascinating story to watch develop since 2007 when the first salon opened in Brighton, followed in a succession of nationwide salons in Reading, London, Oxford, Liverpool and Edinburgh. With a firm foundation at its core coming from every person involved, it is clear that a major part of this success comes from people power, and Mark Woolley who is the founder of it all rightly pays tribute to his dynamic team forging ahead with even more exciting plans.

Every aspect of this innovative business is researched thoroughly, and that is certainly true of the Electric Hairdressing product line, and at The Amazing Blog we’re not just talking shampoos and conditioners here, but the whole gamut of kit involved in the maintenance and styling of those luscious locks. 

The focus today is the Electric Hairdressing ºC-4 Shaping Paste, which is a 50ml pot of styling versatility, developed to shape and define your look giving a lightly textured finish, keeping that all-important style in place, but without the clagging build-up of product which so often can literally weigh the hair down. The Electric team are believers in allowing the hair to flow as freely as the creativity employed in tending those tresses. At £16.50 for the 50 ml tub, this unisex product will prove to be well worth it; not simply because of the professional results, but also we found a little goes a long way - therefore it’ll undoubtedly be a welcome long-stay guest in the bathroom cabinet. This, and the entire range can be perused (and we would allow plenty of time to peruse since there are many goodies to tempt us) here, and where the complete journey of Electric Hairdressing styling can be witnessed. Something tells us, this is just the beginning for a treasure trove of options for quality, products to help achieve professional results.

Friday Favourites with CBD brands

We don’t know about you, but we’re intrigued by the wave of CBD products that have suddenly appeared. This is a topic often discussed at The Amazing Blog and something that we’re just starting to bone up on and today we hope to enlighten you a little too. We have three different cannabidiol (aka CBD) brands to talk about, and review. As far as we can gather the benefits of CBD are numerous and they need to be demystified in regard to the belief that they contain psychoactive properties – they don’t! The critical thing to look for is a brand that has good manufacturing practice.

As a rule of thumb, there two major types are of CBD which are either ‘full spectrum’ and ‘broad spectrum’. The full spectrum contains a tiny quantity of tetrahydrocannabinol (aka THC) which less than 0.2%; which gives the ‘entourage effect’, (meaning the benefit you get from ingesting multiple components of the cannabis plant) which is driven by all the natural cannabinoids and terpenes. These can assist with a range of conditions such as anxiety, inflammation and sleep disorders, whereas the broad spectrum has a process that reduces the cannabinoids and eliminates the THC. This type proves a popular choice with athletes or those in the public sector who may be subject to random drug testing, and don’t want to have any ‘false positives.’  Often there is a choice of 'filtered oil’ which is softer on the palate and easier to take, or a 'raw oil' which is processed by C02 extraction (no heat). The raw oil is best used for pain relief as it has an increased ‘entourage effect’ with the increased plant nutrients such as terpenes, flavonoids and phytosterols offering more plant matter and giving it a thicker consistency. The disadvantage of this raw version is that it has a very strong flavour (slightly more bitter and earthy tasting) and this extraction method is costly for brands. 

Let’s start with Brown’s CBD; founder Laurence Brown set up the company after experiencing the holistic power of CBD for the first time at university. This inspired him to forge ahead, start his own company and to offer great pharmaceutical quality CBD products at market leading prices. Brown’s CBD has a great select of CBD oils (full and broad Spectrum, filtered and raw) and they also have ‘water-soluble’ CBD which is ideal to be mixed with food, drinks or protein shakes plus up to 4 times more effective than the oil when ingested. 

We were sent their Golden CBD Hemp Oil 1000mg 10% CBD.  This is filtered oil and full spectrum made with organic hemp cannabis sativa CBD oil which is reliably sourced from in the EU.  It contains cannabinoids such as CBDA, CBDV, CBC, CBN, CBG & THC (0.2%). Although this is a filtered oil it is actually extracted by the C02 extraction method used for raw oils but this undergoes an extra filtration process which gives it a smoother taste and more of a golden colour compared to other filtered oils.  All of their bottles come in small dark UVA proof black bottles with a pipette. We strategically took this at night time to help aid relaxation and sleep. Using the pipette, we put 3 or 4 drops for sublingual absorption (under the tongue) and held it there for up to 60 seconds before swallowing. We have to say, from our experience, this is the first 10% CBD oil that we’ve found to be palatable and quite pleasant tasting. Did it help to take the edge off our day? Yes, I can confidently say that our tester’s sleep patterns definitely improved when taking it regularly.  You too can buy Brown’s CBD  Golden CBD Hemp Oils here starting from £39.99 for 10ml.

Next brand is CBD ONE  who have been at the forefront of launching CBD here in the UK. They offer a variety of CBD products ranging from oils, topical creams, and water-soluble products. They sent us their AbsorbPure+ this is a little different from the CBD oil and is in the form of a water-soluble paste that has a  mixture curcumin, vegetable glycerine, triglycerides, terpenes and bioavailable cannabis paste. Absorb has three products in the range, all of which are water-soluble and are for single daily use only. The key ingredient here is the ‘bioavailability cannabis paste’ which refers to how much of the active ingredient your body can use – here they say 99%. This product also contains THC with levels below 0.2% with the actual CBD content at 800mg making this Pure+ a high concentration paste with over 50 servings per 10ml syringe and delivery 16mg of CBD per dose. They claim that this is 10 times more effective than an equivalent oil-based product.

We used this by mixing it with water or fruit juice and have to say that the paste was a tad spicy and earthy and perhaps not the most delicious taste, but with the curcumin, it helps add a double whammy for those looking to aid from joint and muscle pain.  They also say that you can pump one dose straight into the mouth and swallow (we weren’t that brave!) One of us dosed up on this regularly in the mornings, prior to going to the gym. They have had various ongoing joint pain and did find with taking this regularly that there was a certain amount of relief. If you’re looking for a high concentrate water-soluble CBD then this is for you see here for 10ml £69.99amd 20ml £128.78.

Finally, meet Hemptouch a Slovenian brand that we’ve had our eye on for a while having first discovered the brand when they won a prestigious Wellbeing Award from our client The Beauty Shortlist for their CBD Spray Chocolate 300mg  and CBD Oil Amber 500mg. Silvija Špehar is the co-founder biologist and herbalist who has used hemp in her formulas to enhance, balance and nourish from the inside out with both the sublingual, ingestible formulas and her skincare. Ethical practice and sustainability are at the heart of the brand where they use locally sourced butter and hemp in their ingredients.

They very kindly sent us several of their products, the first of which is their Water Soluble CBD Spray – Lift & Inspire. Ingredients here are glycerine, water, matcha extract, hemp extract (cannabis sativa L) vitamins E, D and natural orange flavour. It is free from gluten dairy or sugar and contains no THC. There are 150 sprays in the bottle and each spray contains 1.3mg of CBD. This Lift & Inspire is designed to enhance focus and sharpen the mind. The CBD here helps to lower fatigue and protect from inflammation, the matcha helps to support energy levels and vitamin D is a natural mood booster.  We could taste the orange and matcha which takes the edge of the earthy hemp. It needs to be taken orally and we had 3 or 4 sprays daily under the tongue (they say that you can also spray on the inside of the cheek) and hold for a few seconds.  When we’ve been flagging, it gave us a much-needed spurt of energy and is perfect for keeping on the desk when you’re having a bad day and are in need of raising your spirits. For £31.99 you can buy this 20ml spray bottle here.

The other two CBD products are skincare and applied topically. We loved the Intensive Lip Balm, with its ingredients of raw hempseed oil, beeswax, vitamin E and cloves. NB: This raw hempseed oil has no THC. This tastes deliciously of cloves and is silky smooth on the lips, plus when applied we found that it lasts and lasts. Perfect for these winter months to keep handy in your coat pocket to protect lips from the wind chill factor. Available here in a 4.5ml tube at £7.99. 

The Balancing Face Cream is specifically designed for rebalancing oily and blemished skin and ideal for those who have breakouts or with very sensitive skin. It’s a botanically based with key ingredients of  CBD oil, hemp hydrolate, chlorella, orange flower hydrolate. The hemp hydrolate is a precious extract from the hemp plant, is and is what makes this cream unique. It improves microcirculation and leaves the complexion smooth and supple. With 2% in 50 ml of 5% CBD this gentle formula is dermatologically tested and proven to reduce the secretion of sebum. It has a subtle fragrance and when applied absorbs quickly barely leaving a trace. Great for using on face, neck and décolleté, morning and night, to help heal, purify and tone. Available here for £32.99.

We hope to have given you a bit of a starters guide to CBD. We’re certainly still learning, and in future weeks and months will be covering more from this extraordinary hemp cannabis sativa plant.