Lightopia Festival 2020

At The Amazing Blog we love to share our #AmazingFinds and today we want to tell you about the breathtaking Lightopia Festival which has just opened. Perhaps you’ve already heard about it? Well, this year be prepared to be blown away by the new additions to this lighting phenomime which showcases at London’s Chiswick House Gardensuntil 1st March.

Lightopia invites us to “step into a world like no other” and explore landscapes of light, lanterns in all shapes and sizes, and massive 3D projections. Prepare to be carried into a virtually magical universe where nature seems to prevail and magnify itself throughout the art of enlightenment.  You follow along the smartly illuminated path, where attention, senses and even emotions are mobilised by the different forms - some of them are interactive - the various designs or colours of the lanterns and the impressive 3D projections which really give life to the show

However, besides visual appeal, Lightopia also has a cultural and spiritual dimension. The Festival is inspired by an ancient Chinese celebration during which people light thousands of lanterns to ward off evil spirits and symbolise a bright future. Just as the traditional Chinese lanterns, Lightopia installations carry a meaning. 

The theme of the Festival this year is Harmony. The artworks symbolically refer to various life and human experiences. The Love Gate, Tree of Life and Happy Valley are among other art installations with evocative names. They make big dreamers feel like they’re on some kind of initiatory voyage where concepts and values such as positive energy, inclusivity or spirituality are poetically illustrated. Yet, you have to wait until nightfall to see the magic happen...

The Lightopia Festival is a unique experience to share with family, friends or alone. This is a chance to have a pleasant walk, create good, shining memories and take some beautiful pictures. 

But don’t take our word for it, go and see for yourself! You can book your ticket on Eventbrite here: prices (without the booking fees) go up to £13 for a child ticket; £20 for the adult fare. We recommend booking your ticket online in advance as the tickets booked or bought on-site are slightly more expensive. You can also find further information on the Lightopia Festival, here.

Vilana - Mint Hair Conditioner

One of our missions this month has been to find a completely natural hair conditioner that won’t irritate an itchy or sensitive scalp. Not an easy task!  At The Amazing Blog, we’ve searched high and low and were recommended to try a brand called Vilana Natural Beauty, who are famed for their gentle hair care products and advice on hair loss.

Founded by Vilana Bagdone, a wife and mother of three who has a light bulb moment when one day she caught sight of her ‘dull, drawn and pale skin’. Despite using countless bottles of high street creams and serum, nothing seemed to help. It was only then that she realised she needed to return back to basics to harness the true power of nature and natural products. Today Vilana Natural Beauty uses a selection of top-quality essential oils to ensure she has the best to create her effective skin and hair care solutions. We’re excited to report that the brand has recently been nominated for The Scottish Business Awards which will be held on 23 February.

We tried the Vilana Natural Beauty Mint Hair Conditioner which is their hero product from the hair care collection. Looking at the key ingredients, it’s no surprise it is a bestseller. The conditioner is enriched with apple vinegar that leaves the hair feeling soft, shiny and smooth and peppermint essential oils which help to promote hair growth. Peppermint has antimicrobial and antifungal properties which help to tackle dandruff and other scalp issues. The shea butter and honey also add moisture for more luscious and thicker-looking hair. We’ve used this several times and noticed that it helped to restore, nourish and soften the hair effortlessly. They advise that you leave the product on the scalp for up to five minutes, in order to let the conditioner soothe and sink into the scalp, then rinse away. We were left with a refreshing scent of mint and very shiny hair. The added bonus is that it can be used as a hair mask as well.  There are no sulphates or parabens, and they even offer a full ingredient list with an explanation here. This one of our #amazingfinds of the week; you too can purchase a 200ml pot of Vilana Natural Beauty Mint Hair Conditioner for £12.50 here.

Ayumi – Turmeric range of Body Care and Shampoo

As you may remember from our Christmas feature, we’ve now been fans of Ayumi skincare products for a while. We previously wrote about their Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang Face and Body Care Range and now can’t wait to share with you their Turmeric Body Care Range.

Ayumi is an Ayurvedic and natural skincare brand that originates from a successful family run business called Fudco, which also happens to be one of the leading brands and suppliers in the ethnic food market. By using natural ingredients with spice infusions and essential oils, Ayumi creates the most magical and extremely effective products. The beauty of the brand comes from the source it was inspired by - the Ayurvedic principals. For those who don’t know, Ayurveda is an ancient Indian philosophy that many scholars believe to be the oldest healing science. Holistic healing is a balance between mind, body and spirit.

Ayumi kindly sent us their range of Turmeric body care and shampoo to review. Each product was excellent to use and their fragrance felt like a warm hug on a cold night. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric has long been known as an extremely useful and effective ingredient for skincare problems. In fact, turmeric is often used to aid skin issues such as dark spots, acne or even Melanoma. The products from the range we were sent were Turmeric and Shea Butter Body Lotion, Turmeric and Argan Oil Body Wash, a Turmeric and Bergamot Body Scrub and lastly, Hibiscus & Turmeric Shampoo.

Let’s begin with the Body Lotion; made with turmeric, shea butter, papaya extract, argan and mandarin oil. This Body Lotion is a blessing for anyone who struggles with dry skin, as it is perfect for everyday protection and nourishment. Next up, we have the Body Wash also made with turmeric, argan and mandarin oil and papaya extract. It’s got a luxurious texture with an enchanting citrus finish. The wash left our skin deeply cleansed, refreshed and revitalised. The Body Scrub is a deep cleaning and exfoliating product for combination and blemished skin. It uses ground olive and crushed pumice stones to gently buff away dead skin cells and impurities leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and radiant. Last but most certainly not the least, we have the Shampoo for cleansing, stimulating and restoring your hair’s natural shine and health. The powerful natural ingredients will give fine and dull hair a new lease of life. The brightening properties of turmeric and the regenerative properties of papaya, and amla for promoting hair growth, will nourish your hair leaving it thicker, brighter and holistically healthier. With its glorious ingredients and luxurious set of products, Ayumi has outdone itself with its Turmeric range. You can find the products online on their official website. All the products are priced at an affordable £6.99 here.

DAVISAGE - The DVS Visager Boxset

We all tend to run back and forth from the gym and other workouts to ensure our bodies are healthy, tight and toned. However, what about our faces? Surely just like the rest of the body, our face needs exercise and attention too? OK so keep reading on… To help fight off potential signs of ageing, here at The Amazing Blog, we came across just the perfect product that can be used for to create a little ‘face gym’ all in the convenience of your home.  Introducing the DVS FACE X’CERCISE & VISAGER with Luxury Peptide Serums by DAVISAGE. It’s quite addictive to use and when you start there’s quite literally no going back!

DAVISAGE believes in using proven technology and scientific techniques to help individuals enjoy a natural and perpetual facelift. They spent 8 long years perfecting the DVS Face X’cercise programme with expert consults from doctors, anatomical specialists, dermatologists and qualified beauty specialists; as well as established professionals from both Western and Chinese medicine. The programme includes a set of tried and tested exercises specifically designed for exercising face and neck muscles since they are the most often neglected. DVS Face X’cercise provides you with the knowledge to help you retain a youthful appearance.

The DVS Visager Boxset includes for €214.10, a 100ml bottle of Firming Mist Luxury Peptide, a 30 ml bottle of Face Serum Intense Luxury Peptide and a 12ml bottle of Eye Serum Intense Luxury Peptide. For optimum results, they need to be used in conjunction with each other. Let’s begin with The Visager. It is a unique all-in-one exercise and massage tool and is created using state of the art Japanese technology. It is an excellent tool for stimulating cellular renewal, boost collagen regeneration and improve skin elasticity. The device includes two germanium (GE) infused silicone pads that provide resistance and improve oxygenation at the top and one titanium microcurrent to detoxify and reduce puffiness. The GE infused silicon pads facilitate healthy oxygenation of skin cells thereby destroying damaging free radicals, increasing skin metabolism and also improving nourishment and hydration from within. The titanium-coated micro-current roller soother and stimulates acupressure points for natural healing. It effectively rolls away toxins and excess fluid from our lymph nodes, dramatically reduces swelling, puffiness, blemishes and acne. It also relieves tension and stress from underlying facial and neck muscles to restore youthful supple skin that looks relaxed, radiant and beautiful. When you purchase the product, you will receive a box that has an integrated video to give you directions as to how to use the device and the different exercises you can perform with the same. You can also find these videos online here. The DVS Visage Boxset is currently only available from the DAVISAGE website. However, all products can be purchased individually here in the UK, including Peptide products (below) from Harvey Nichols.

Let’s talk about the Peptide products, which are supposed to be used in conjunction with the Visager. Each of the products includes copper peptide which has a number of benefits. It helps to heal your skin and makes it look more youthful, it also calms irritated or reddened skin to give a more even skin tone, reducing spots, photodamage and hyperpigmentation. Plus it fights the first signs of ageing by increasing collagen production, fighting free radicals that cause wrinkles and fine lines, by plumping and tightening the skin. The Firming Mist Intense  (£30 from here ) which is used with the Visager, dramatically reduces line, restores firmness and elasticity. It provides long-lasting hydration, strengthens and repairs skin, helps fight against environmental stress as well as visibly reduces the appearance of dark spots and freckles. Up next we have the Face Serum (£40 from here) this too is recommended for use with the Visager. It has high-quality phytohormones that reduce lines, tighten and uplift the natural face contour preventing skin ageing. It restores the balance of natural anti-ageing for younger-looking skin and further improves the water storing ability of your skin, leaving it looking hydrated and supple. Last but not least, is the Eye Serum (£45 from here) it has a number of benefits including smoothing out expression lines, protecting and improving the dermis properties. It also helps to lift the upper eyelids, fade away dark circles, diminishing puffiness and it protects collagen and repairs elasticity to the eyes. These products, when used in sequence together alongside the Visager have the ability to leave you feeling, confident and energised.

We also want to give a quick mention to their clever little Handie Bottle. This is a combination of a hand cleansing gel & nourishing hand cream with two compartments, all in one 15ml bottle (from €32.99 here). Infused with luxury orchid oil, the hand cleansing gel is an effective cleansing gel removes dirt like a sanitizer, cleaning and renewing your hands for instant freshness. There’s no need for a rinse after use. The nourishing hand cream is packed with anti-oxidants, to keep hands silky smooth and hydrated. It's the perfect product to have in your bag when you’re on the go. You won’t ever have to worry about rushing to a public loo to wash your hands if you’ve got this Handie Bottle by DAVISAGE with you!

No Ordinary Hand Lotion and Hand Wash

There are times when at The Amazing Blog we discover a product with such a thorough and conscientious foundation which ticks all the boxes, that we feel it is our moral duty to shout it from the rooftops and celebrate the people behind it. This time our shoutout with full ceremonial accreditation goes to The Gavin Taylor Hair Salon in Leicestershire, who are the creative team behind the No Ordinary Hair and Skin Care range and are leading the charge towards a more sustainable and principled approach to their business. The founding principle of the hair salon is based on positivity and kindness to our world and each other and is now also the basis for their organic, vegan and cruelty-free hair and skincare line.

All their manufacturing is done here in the U.K. with their ethically sourced ingredients coming from local small producers and farming co-operatives to ensure the highest expectations of quality are constantly achieved. Shining our Amazing Blog spotlight on the No Ordinary Hand Wash and Hand Lotion,  we see that the essential oils which have gone into these two incredibly nourishing solutions are all aromatherapy grade and therefore accredited by the Aromatherapy Council for purity, sustainability and ethical practices. The science, therefore, is unquestionable, and the pungent attributes of bergamot, grapefruit and orange peel come through vibrantly in both the hand wash for cleansing and the hand lotion which follows up the process with an intense moisturisation.

The generosity of spirit is not just reserved for the spoiling ingredients, for we have both bottles sized at 250ml, and costing £16 for the Hand Wash and £20 for the Hand Lotion, where there is also a full haircare range which can also be revelled in.  The bottles are both conveniently pump-action, ensuring we get to enjoy every last drop - obviously wastage is also frowned upon by this creatively focused team.