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EasterMia : Blushing Bride and Top Coat

With the Easter break only moments away - shock horror - at The Amazing Blog, we’ve had no time to get our regular manicure! Thankfully all is not lost, as we have two new nail products from the award-winning Canadian nail brand EasterMia. Perfect for an at-home mani-pedi, we used their Blushing Bride and Top Coat, as all their nail polishes are non-toxic, vegan, and made with cruelty-free formulas. Regular readers may remember we’ve written about their Crisp Apple nail polish and Nail Kit here.

Mia Phan founded EasterMia in 2019 and owns a local nail salon in Burlington, Ontario. Mia had two thoughts while creating her nail brand: self-care and nail health. Her mother, Helen Nguyen, has been in the nail industry for over 30 years, and clients in her salon will often come in talking about juggling work, making dinner, and driving their kids around. Mia also had a first-hand account of seeing hard-working women in action. "Trust me, I know how rare moments of self-care and rest can be. That is why I love to create a relaxing experience for my clients that leave them feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the week's responsibilities." Mindful also of nail health, Mia created her nail formulas alongside a chemist to ensure her products were free-from fragrances and all toxic chemicals. “Seeing people around me working with toxic chemicals and using toxic chemicals on clients. I wanted to make a change in the nail industry so I decided to create EasterMia for all clients that can wear nail polish that is toxic-free.” All EasterMia nail products are safe for everyone, from expecting mothers to people with allergies. They are also a Leaping Bunny approved brand, and recently a global award winner at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards, where they won the Best Nail Brand and Editor's Choice for four products, including the Blushing Bride Nail Polish, Top Coat, Base Coat, and Rite on Red Nail Polish.

If, like us, you’re looking for a beautiful pastel pink shade this spring, then this Blushing Bride Nail Polish is for you. The name is fitting, as nudes and pastel pinks are the traditional and popular colours for brides on their big day. This natural shade of pink is highly versatile and will neatly coordinate with almost any outfit. In fact, the Pantone Fashion Colour Trend Report for S/S 2022, has one of the key season’s colours ‘13-2004 Potpourri,’ a light fresh mix of nude and pastel pink - not far off this pink Blushing Bride hue. It’s a colour statement that’s gone from the runways to the high street and is already being used as an accent in many outfits, like bows and stripes. What we like about EasterMia’s Blushing Bride, is that it’s a classic colour that makes everyone’s nails look good. Pastel pink is always a favoured colour as it has greater longevity than brighter colours, and doesn’t show the ‘wear and tear’ quite so quickly! We found Blushing Bride to be richly pigmented, giving complete coverage in a single swipe - making it super-easy for anyone like us on a busy schedule. 

The EasterMia collection is 10-free and doesn’t contain the ten most common harsh chemicals used in ordinary nail polishes. These no-nos include formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, toluene, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, parabens, triphenyl phosphate and fragrance. Large amounts of these can cause some serious health problems, from mild irritation to congenital disabilities, or even cancer! Considering nails grow slowly (averaging 3.47 mm a month), you might want to check what’s in the formulas of your regular nail polishes.

Mia recommends using her Top Coat to help make the colour last longer. This clear polish also helps to reflect more light. Top Coat also blocks harmful UV rays and keeps nail polish from yellowing. The average person spends £450 on their nails in the UK. So, in these times of inflation, what better to cut some of the costs than by doing your own nails at home. Top coats, in our view, are essential they add a layer of protection to a basic polish manicure and keep nail polish from chipping and peeling. We recommend for a longer-lasting colour, always top up with their high gloss Top Coat finish. Which, BTW, we’re happy to report both this and Blushing Bride are entirely gloop freeTo try these excellent nail polishes click here for the Blushing Bride and here for Top Coat. All nail polishes are 15ml and available for Canadian $16 each (approx £9.66). EasterMia is a brand to watch and we hear whispers that these might be coming into the UK soon…Happy Easter.

EasterMia: Crisp Apple Nail Polish & Nail Kit

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Nail polish is the quickest (and chicest) way to change up your look from day to night, or from season to season. With spring here, at The Amazing Blog  we’ve selected a beautiful true-red nail polish and a Nail Kit to share with you from the Canadian nail brand EasterMia, for a quality at-home manicure. With over 40+ shades to choose from, these nail polishes are vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic and deliver a great professional looking manicure. 

Mia Phan, the creator and founder of EasterMia, owns a local nail salon in Burlington, Ontario. Inspired by her clients and her mother, Helen, who has more than 30 years of experience in the nail industry, she wanted to create a relaxing and fun experience for all the  hardworking women who are time-poor and deserve a little pampering at home. Phan established EasterMia in 2019, and  understands the importance of self-care and nail health. EasterMia was created in collaboration with a chemist, where the range of nail polishes and nail care are free of all the most common toxic chemicals and fragrances used in other mainstream brands. They are also a Leaping Bunny approved brand. So, whether you are a soon-to-be mother or prone to allergies, this nail brand should be safe for you.

The first product to introduce is the Crisp Apple Nail Polish. With so many reds to choose from (think blue-based, neutral or orange-toned), we decided upon this stunning and versatile true apple-red shade; which adds a classic pop of colour. The shiny and vibrant finish of this trans-seasonal red adds a opulent shade to complement any spring, going into summer wardrobe. We also think that this sophisticated hue looks just as chic for sporting on office hands, as it would on the red carpet. It is a 10-free nail polishmeaning that it does not contain the ten common harsh chemicals found in nail polishes, like formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, toluene, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, parabens, triphenyl phosphate and fragrance. We like how the formula allows you to apply it thinly onto the nails, and delivers an opaque coverage with just one coat. They suggest for a longer lasting colour, to top-up with their high gloss Top Coat finish, all of which we’re happy to report, are entirely gloop free

We also received the Nail Kit. This essentials kit has everything you need to start an at-home manicure, including a clear Base Coat, Top Coat, Organic Cuticle Oil, a small buffer and file. The Base and Top coat serve as foundation and protection for their nail polish. The Base Coat’s unique ingredients help smooth the nail surface and evens out the nail plate, as well as offering no stain residue on the natural nailThe Top Coat is slightly tinted to make it even more light reflective and keeps the nail polish from yellowing. EasterMia purposefully adds aloe vera and vitamin E to its Organic Cuticle Oil to nourish your cuticles. With the pineapple scent here, it makes the experience even more pleasant and relaxing.  To get your nails polished to perfection in a matter of minutes, see here to purchase EasterMia’s Crisp Apple nail polish for £8, and the Nail Kit is here for £15.

Sanda – Rose & Cardamom Aromatherapy Eye Pillow

Sometimes with this ever-changing world in which we live, it’s hard to remember to stop, take a moment, be mindful and b-r-e-a-t-h-e. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re excited to introduce you to something new with the Sanda Aromatherapy Eye Pillow. These therapeutic and calming eye pillows focus on evoking feelings through their scent. The calming and uplifting scents produced help to relieve stress and anxiety, perfect for this #stayathome moment and their Aromatherapy Eye Pillows are also very eco-friendly

Jo Bennett, the founder and designer behind Sanda, started the company after working in the textile industry and becoming a certified yoga instructor. This is when she had a light-bulb moment, deciding to merge her two passions, thus creating her Aromatherapy Eye Pillow. Launched this year, Sanda Aromatherapy Eye Pillows serve as a reminder to everyone to take time out of their day to decompress. We love that they’re handmade here in the UK in 100% organic linen, dyed botanically and contain only natural plant ingredients. Let’s not forget to mention too that their eye pillow sleeve is made from 100% recycled paper with vegetable printed inks. While the Eye Pillows are her primary product, Sanda also sells tote bags to store your eye pillow in or take to yoga class. Based on your preference, the pillows can be heated or cooled. To use warm - put the pillow in the microwave and heat for 20-30 seconds, and to use cold- let it cool in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. The pillows come in seven different scents such as the uplifting Orange & Cinnamon, Pine & Sage or Eucalyptus & Peppermint; or a relaxing Rose & Chamomile, Lavender & Rose, or Lavender & Chamomile.

We were sent the calming Rose & Cardamom eye pillow, and love its delicious smell of roses, which soothes and helps relieve anxiety. The cardamom helps to calm and promote emotional balance – which is rather timely for us at the moment! Upon touch, the pillow is incredibly soft and made up of only three ingredients: Flaxseeds, rose and cardamom. The linen cover is naturally dyed with madder root to give it a beautiful pale pink. Together these perfectly contour to the face and around the eyes, thus relieving tension and aiding relaxation. The pillow also stimulates meditation and peaceful sleep. There are both cosmetic and health benefits with the cooling technique as it helps reduce headaches and puffy eyes. We recommend adding this eye pillow, to help your relaxation technique during your day. Visit the Sanda to choose from one of their seven heavenly scented eye pillows. Or you can buy the Rose & Cardamom Aromatherapy Eye Pillow here for £22.00.

Gloh - Beauty Powder

What’s the secret to achieving glowing skin? We think a good place to start is from the inside out and here at The Amazing Blog, we love skincare that is made simple. Meet  Gloh who have a Beauty Powder targeted to bridge the gap between skincare and supplements, and which aims to help maintain a youthful appearance.

Gloh is a new Scottish supplement brand launching with its hero product ‘Beauty Powder’; which in simple terms, is a drinkable skincare product. ‘Gloh’ is an interesting play on words, promising to give a ‘glow’ and to be a real game-changer for anyone wanting to up their skincare regime. It’s a powder that comes individually wrapped in branded paper sachets, all presented in comment-worthy and elegantly styled peachy-pink box, making it very pleasing to the eye. This digestible skincare has key ingredients of hydrolysed marine collagen peptides (therefore not suitable for those who have fish allergies) and hyaluronic acid. The other goodies included are vitamins like B7 (D Biotin), B2 (riboflavin) B12 (cyanocobalamin), B6 (pyridoxine) and A (retinol). These combine with citric acid, natural peach aroma, beta-carotene and steviol glycosides

As regular readers will know we’re fans of all things collagen, not only for our skin but also for our joints and bone function; so this product certainly piqued our interest. Gloh claims to have ingredients to support the skin giving it an appearance of being more firm and plump with a collagen boost that hydrates and supports cell health. To start, mix one packet daily into a glass of water, it tastes like sugary peach water and can be drunk alone or added to juices and smoothies. We experimented by adding this packet to a plant-based banana smoothie which gave an added burst of fruit. It doesn’t matter if your skin is oily or dry, the powder is ideal for all skin types. The Gloh box contains 28 sachets for a 28-day supply. Suitable for almost everyone (with the exceptions in FAQ here ) and yes we’d recommend this, although with only a 28 day supply to try, it’s difficult to say if we saw a difference. We think that you probably need three months-worth of the product to see proper results.  Why not treat yourself and get your skin ‘Gloh-ing’, available here for £24.99. If you hurry, as of today they have 20% discount!

Mathmos Pod

With Christmas coming, at The Amazing Blog we love searching out all manner of interesting new gadgets and gizmos to bring to you, our loyal readers. We also can’t resist a spot of nostalgia either … and when we get to mix the two, it makes our day! So, for a minute step back in time to the 1960s and a symbol of Pop Culture at its best - the Lava Lamp, a staple requirement in any up to minute interior, with its dayglo colours of the rainbow playing a hypnotic symphony as it proudly sits centre stage.

The company behind the original lava lamps was called Crestworth, and the inventor who made it all happen went by the name of Edward Craven Walker who was actually working on his concept for a new kind of egg timer when he came up with the product that would change his life, and become synonymous with the Swinging 60s - and indeed the 70s. In the late 1980s however, interest fell, and so the next few years saw a period of rebranding when Edward and his wife Christine teamed up with a couple of young entrepreneurs, Cressida Granger and David Mulley. The came up with a new company name – Mathmos, which refers to the bubbling force in the sci-fi cult 60s movie Barberella, and the second wave of popularity for the lava lamp began, which continues today.

However, in the spirit of continuing to research and develop, as their founders did, Mathmos have come up with a new type of lava lamp for us the Mathmos Pod which sits proudly alongside their full range. Standing at 240mm tall, the Mathmos Pod exudes all the quality of Craven Walker’s original - the bright glowing colours of globulous intensity which rise phoenix-like in slo-mo up the illuminating tube, surrounded of course by the heavy cast iron metal keeping everything safely grounded.

However, the clincher here is that these fabulous new lamps are not powered by electricity, but by the humble tealight, which sits happily burning away in its burrowed tessellated hexagon-shaped base, heating up the Mathmos gel, and creating the effect we cannot ignore. NB: The pod will take up to 20 minutes to heat up before you see all the magical colours interspersing. It’s spellbinding, with a modern elegance that is undoubtedly going to see this beauty jump off the shelves at a phenomenal speed as we head towards Christmas. If you’re quick, the first 100 have a unique limited edition number making them even more of a prized collectors item. They cost £44.00 from here they also have a current promotion running whereby if you order more than one, you get a 20% discount.