V 10 Plus - Water Base Sunblock SPF 40+++

At The Amazing Blog, we’re getting ready to ditch London's bleak weather for a springtime break. We’re dreaming of somewhere warm and tropical where all we need to pack is our swimsuit, coverup, sandals and sunscreen (of course!) The V 10 Plus Water Base Sunblock will soon become your new best friend going forward from spring to summer. Coming in a compact tube this SPF 40+++ is perfect for protecting your face, neck and decolletage to take on holiday or to wear as an everyday primer under makeup.

V10 Plus was started in Japan by Akiko Yokota and her sister in 2011, and has only just landed here in the UK. The skincare range is made in the Yoktalab in Japan, it’s free from parabens, chemical fragrances, artificial colours. Plus all products are water-based and dermatology tested. V 10 Plus was awarded the Top 25 Prestige Award in 2014 in Singapore, and were recently the official skincare sponsor for Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant in 2019. 

Today we want to talk about their Water Based Sun Block SPF40+++ which full of natural protectants to keep your skin shielded from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Key ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which absorb the harmful UVA/UVB ray spectrum.  Also, the ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, which is a vitamin C derivative, restricts melanogenesis and eliminates free radical. As we all know sunblock is a super important step in our skincare routine both on holiday and at home. The sun’s rays can make your skin age quicker, leading to dark spots and redness, but all of these symptoms can be prevented by using sunblock. V 10 Plus Sunblock is water-based, meaning it won’t be sticky when applied under makeup. It also has a non-powdery finish and sits lightly on the surface of the skin. The sunblock leaves skin feeling moisturised without leaving a white film on the surface, unlike some other sunblocks we could name!

You can purchase the V 10 Plus’ Water Base Sun Block SPF40+++  here for $36, or in-store at Zen Pharmacy in London. At 30 ml, we think it’s the perfect size to take on the plane for a quick weekend sunny getaway.

Baûbo - Infinite Balm

Going from winter to spring can be tough on the skin, from cracked cuticles to chapped lips and at The Amazing Blog we’ve experienced it all! However, we’ve now found the perfect balm to recommend to help our skincare woes. Meet  Baûbo’s Infinite Balm which is ideal for all skin types and can combat dryness, skin irritations, damaged lips and even fragile baby skin - making it a one-stop product for the whole family.

Based in Paris, Baûbo was created in 2015 by Bethsabée Krivoshey and Cécilia Capece. They’re both strong women and proud feminists who have created a very special eco-responsible brand committed to the well-being of women and those around them. Bethsabée is an author and journalist who specialises in sexuality, who was particularly frustrated that there was no organic or natural intimate care on the market to relieve the everyday irritation felt by women after a day in skinny jeans, sexual intercourse or a gym class. Cécilia, an MBA graduate helped Bethsabée embark on a journey of launching this ethical brand and their French entrepreneurship. The brand is named after the Greek mythical story of Baûbo, which reminds us of the positive force of female sexuality, the importance of joy and the healing power of the vulva.

Something we particularly want to applaud Baûbo for is their eco-packaging. Their products are the first 90% recycled glass cosmetic container in the world (75% post-usage and 15% post-production). Plus the production creates 36% less of Co2 emissions than traditional production. Baûbo also takes care to make their cartons with no glues or plastic film in order to make recycling easy. Not only that, they recently announced their partnership with the non-profit organisation Gynecology Without Borders (Gynécologie Sans Frontière) who have been working for dignity and promotion of women's health in the world, as their goals. For every product purchased they donate 2% to fund medics helping support these women.

Baûbo’s Infinite Balm is one of three different healing balms that they produce. The Infinite Balm’s key ingredients are macadamia, castor oil, coconut, avocado, wheat germ, shea butter and vitamin E. The Balm is super slick and hydrating and takes no time at all to absorb flawlessly into the skin, leaving the surface supple and hydrated.  The other specialist balms are The Gorgeous Balm for hydrating and toning for boobs, belly and booty; as well as The Balm for vulva care especially for intimate dryness, menopause and hormonal changes. The great thing that they all have in common, is that the ingredients are 100 percent natural and sourced from organic farms. What’s not to love about Baûbo? If you’re interested in purchasing Baûbo’s Infinite Balm, it can be purchased here for £37.00.

Glowcup - Face and Eye Cream Duo Set

Today at The Amazing Blog we discover a new facial massage treatment that hails all the way from France. Some of you may already be familiar with ‘cupping’ techniques for body treatments which are used to break down cellulite. However, here we are talking about a similar technique but used in a gentler way just on the face, neck and decolletage to help tone and stimulate collagen in the skin. The Glowcup Duo Set is a set of 2 facial cups used in tandem with their natural Face and Eye Creams.

Glowcup, was developed in 2016, is the little sister of the Cellu-Cup, which is known for their ‘cupping’ products are used to helps the lipolysis (degradation of fat cells in the body) and remove the 'orange-peel' effect from the skin. Glowcup has been developed to be used specifically on the face. It was conceived by Cellu-Cup with the help of a doctor with a University Diploma (DU) in Morphological and Anti-Age Medicine.

The duo of Glowcups are made from eco-friendly food grade baby nipple silicon raw material. They are made up of two sizes, a face cup and a smaller special eye contour cup known as the Mini Glow, which is best suited for around the mouth and eyes. To use simply apply their creams to the face, pinch the cup and allow it to form a slight suction to the face contours. From there, move the cup over the face, being careful to keep a vacuum and not to release the suction, thus creating a massaging effect. Glowcup recommends using the cups for five to six minutes, depending on your sensitivity level. The massage stimulates the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid helping to plump the skin. See their Glowcup User Manual. The blood microcirculation is activated for a more radiant complexion. They tell us that long term use of the Glow Cup can combat sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles. There are clinical studies conducted by Dermscan laboratory conducted with 22 people (aged 36 - 65) over a period of 28 days. +8% saw more radiance, +5% more skin density, -12% saw less crow’s feet, 82% of users say that they noticed better skin and 77% of women said that the eye contour care with Miniglow drained morning skin oedema.

Let’s talk about their Glowcup Face Cream ‘Good About Myself’, it features more than 54 percent botanical ingredients. It reinforces the smoothing and plumping effect on the skin when used with the Glowcup. Key ingredients are the beech buds, which contain flavonoids which are antioxidants found in nature that help strengthen elasticity and fight against damage to collagen fibres. Other ingredients in the face cream include muscat rose oil a source of vitamin F and essential fatty acids, centella asiatica extract which produces collagen and helps repair the upper layer of the skin. The Glowcup Eye Cream, ‘For Your Beautiful Eyes,’ is lighter and more of a fluid formula, which we think also makes it a great primer to use before makeup. It has natural ingredients such as green algae and acacia gum fight signs of fatigue, dark circles and puffiness.

Both these Glowcups can remove some of the creams during the massage process, so we recommend using a light layer before the massage and following the treatment with more if necessary. If you would like to try the soothing massage of a Glowcup treatment for yourself, you can purchase the Glow Cups kit (of two) here for £18.00. The Glowcup Cream for the Face here for £16.20 and The GlowCup Cream for the Eyes here for £14.40.

Rosenserien - Sweden Eco for Men

Whilst the Swedish Eco Range recently launched, it has only just made the very welcome leap into the UK market place, ensuring these goodies are available to an even wider audience. This superb range of natural and organic skincare is there for us all to enjoy, with an exceptional line up for the boys. As many of you know we’re BIG fans of Rosenserien and have reviewed many of their products here. We first discovered his brand when they won an award with our client The Beauty Shortlist a while ago.

Sweden Eco is produced by RS Biokosmetik, who’ve spent over 35 years making natural and organic skincare products. With this particular range, they forged a collaboration with the well-known dancer and choreographer Tony Irving. Irving who was already a fan of their organic skincare and contacted RS Biokosmetik’s CEO Carina Swartz to ask if they’d like his input. All of this has culminated in Irving participating in the creation of the Swedish Eco Range with everything from function, fragrance, appearance and packaging; which as now resulted in these five fabulous grooming products. Like the Rosenserien range this brand is 100% natural and also includes certified organic ingredients.

Swedish Eco’s key ingredients are aloe vera and green tea which are known for being gentle, long-lasting and effective; whereas the fragrance is a predominantly light and fresh scent of sandalwood and cloves. They kindly sent us the full range of Shampoo for Hair & Body, Shaving Soap, Moisturiser, Deodorant and the most refreshing Skin Toner. They have cleverly covered our male grooming requirements comprehensively. Plus if you care about the environment as much as you do about your grooming regime, then this one is a must for you to try - you certainly won’t be disappointed. To top it all they are ecologically and vegan-friendly, as well as non-allergenic. These products are highly concentrated with the water content kept very low so the skin gets as much nutrition and moisturisation as possible. With this deliciously freshly clean fragrance, the moisturiser and the toner especially absorb effortlessly into the skin. Indeed each of the products have clearly been produced with skin compatibility at the forefront of requirements, and they most certainly deliver. The Shampoo for Hair & Body is priced at £19 for 200ml, the Moisturiser comes in at £27 for 50ml, the Deodorant £23 for 50ml, and the Aftershave Tonic £18 for 100ml; all products are available from here.   

The Other Art Fair 2020

The Other Art Fair is making its return to London later this month, with the first of three fairs here in the capital. This is a date always marked in the diary for  The Amazing Blog as we’re always thrilled to check out the new and emerging artists coming out of London’s art scene. The fair is presented by Saatchi Art and will be held at The Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch from 19-22 March 2020.

The art fair features 129 independent artists whose works were handpicked by a selection committee of art world experts. Mediums such as paintings, photography, drawings and sculptures were judged on ability, potential, and accessibility by the committee, ensuring buyers receive value and quality in their investment pieces.

“Meadow Chaos” - Lee Herring, 2019

One of the artists featured in this year’s fair is Lee Herring. Herring uses a mixture of oils, spray paints, varnishes and acrylics to produce memory-based landscapes captured from travelling by rail up and down the country. Each piece is painted solely from memory to create pieces that are abstract and expressional.  His contemporary landscapes are colourful, textured and full of life. He captures snippets of colour and details as the scene is fleeting while on the rail. He describes his technique as an ‘evolution of a free-flowing, spontaneous process.’

“Single-use planet” Photography by Lexi Lane

Another featured artist is Lexi Laine. Laine is a freediving photographer who likes to create melancholic underwater images. The series of images on display at the fair are from a whimsical project she has been working on for the last year. She has created a visual narrative for the woman in the photos. In some scenes, she is swimming towards the light, suggesting she is travelling from one world to the next. In other images, she’s consumed in darkness as a representation ‘of vulnerability and a reminder of the incredible force of the water,’ said Laine. Laine does not use scuba equipment while photographing her subjects. She says she feels the most alive and in touch with herself as an artist when she is freediving.

The fair also features a various number of art-related programmes. One of those programmes being ‘The Calm Collective,’ an art-making session that brings artists and art lovers together to explore life issues, well-being and mental health through different mediums. Other programmes include a Kids Create art space, a tattoo booth by Sticks Not Stones and DJs from Soho Space playing music in the fair. Tickets for The Other Art Fair can be purchased ahead of time here for Friday-Sunday for £11.00. Tickets will also be sold at the door for £14.00. There are two Other Art Fairs in July and October so keep an eye open here for further details of dates and venues.