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 free. To 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.

2022 Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards - Are Now Open for Entry!

Good to grow: 2022 Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards open for entries with new blue beauty and plantable beauty categories and fresh faces on the judging panel.

Entries have opened for the upcoming Beauty Shortlist Awards which will celebrate the highest-scoring brands and products that celebrate NATURE on Wednesday 2 March 2022.

Honouring the most-loved earth-safe and ocean-safe beauty and wellness products – all tested by experts – the ethical, natural and organic showcase returns with over 40 new categories embracing blue and green beauty, more age-specific skincare and self-care categories, eco-packaging, holistic health, eco innovation, nutrition, aromatherapy, CBD and more.

2022 BEAUTY SHORTLIST & WELLBEING AWARDS ENTRY FORM (ENTRIES CLOSE 29 OCTOBER)

ENTRY FORM

If you had to pick the most stellar month of the year for beauty and the planet, September would be up there: Organic September, a new season with lots of new launches, the Great British Beach Clean, World Car Free Day - and it’s FSC week soon, celebrating & raising awareness of responsible forestry 🌳

Never have we lived through a time when comforts and joys have been more important to our wellbeing - and it’s exactly those that are celebrated every year at the Beauty Shortlist Awards:

You are warmly invited to celebrate the top-scoring beauty, grooming and wellness of the year with the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards on Wednesday 2 March.

These independent and 100% sponsor-free global Awards celebrate the highest-scoring ethical brands and products of the year, evaluated by beauty and wellness industry experts:

• natural + organic beauty, personal care

• nutrition, wellness, health supplements, CBD & eco cleaning

• men’s hair, skincare, self-care, body & shower products

Happy September!

Elan Skincare: Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster, Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum & Whisper Skin Saviour

If you are familiar with us at  The Amazing Blog, then you’ll know that we love to introduce natural skincare, and Elan Skincare is one of our favourite featured brands (see here). Very kindly, they sent us three more of their products to try the Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster,  Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum, and the Whisper Skin Saviour.

As we mentioned previously, Elan Skincare, is a natural British skincare brand founded by Joanna Silva in 2017.She has almost a decade of experience in the medical industry — in wound care, infection prevention, and specifically skincare. Elan Skincare’s mission is to be honest and transparent, and to have a strong foundation in science, nature, and art. Joanna hopes that Elan Skincare’s products will make people feel beautiful and confident and, thus, go for their dreams. The brand values integrity, kindness, and respect — integrity in the brand’s work, kindness to others and oneself, and respect for each other, and our natural environment. Elan Skincare cares about what you put on your skin. Their products contain an exquisite blend of botanicals that are carefully selected. In their formulations the brand uses cold-pressed unrefined oils and butters, Eco-cert or Soil Association certified organic botanicals, with the purest CO2 organic plant extracts, and natural active ingredients (coenzyme Q10, vitamins C & E, hyaluronic acid). Elan Skincare is women-led, and women’s health and wellbeing are at the heart of the company. The brand’s whole range of products are expertly formulated, dermatologically tested, is vegan, and cruelty-free. Their bottles and product labels are recyclable and sustainability is important to Elan Skincare. Their products have won multiple awards — the Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster won the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2019 Editor’s Choice, the Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum also won the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2019 Editor’s Choice, and these as a Duo Pack won a Beauty Bible Awards 2020. Silva said, “Elan Skincare is a truly feminine brand, made by women for women. At the end of the day, we face the same challenges of balancing work, family, love and finding a little bit of space for our dreams and pursuits. I strongly believe that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. I wish all of us women the confidence and belief in our dreams and ourselves.”

Elan Skincare’s Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster restores moisture balance and leaves your skin softer, smoother, and more radiant. The Booster water-based serum is fragrance-free and suitable for all skin types, and they call it their “Pure Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum.” The key benefits of this serum include reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin texture and rejuvenating the tired-looking complexion. It also deeply hydrates and supports the skin’s renewal at the cellular level and promotes firmer, smoother, healthier, and more elastic skin. The ingredients in this serum are few and simple. They only include water, sodium hyaluronate, benzyl alcohol, and dehydroacetic acid. The key one is the potent eco-certified 3% of hyaluronic acid. The type of hyaluronic acid is sodium hyaluronate, this has a lower molecular weight than HA and hydrolysed HA, so it’s more easily absorbed into pores. It also penetrates the deeper layers of the dermis and prevents trans-epidermal water loss. The dehydroacetic acid is derived from the solandra plant, and works together with the benzyl alcohol as a broad-spectrum organic preservative system, and conforms to requirements of COSMOS and ECOCERT. This is super-fast at being absorbed by the skin and it’s fragrance-free. We used morning and evening with only a couple of drops from the pipette, directly onto cleansed face and neck, leaving it about 2 minutes before applying moisturiser. It performed well and made a good canvas for other skincare to follow. It’s wonderful to find a serum tha trulyt hydrates the skin and plumps up fine lines and wrinkles. By the way, Elan also recommends using this with one of their oil-based serum (like below), to seal in the Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster; and there is a duo pack with their Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum.  

We also used the Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster with Elan Skincare’s Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum,They also call this ‘ Night Serum Vitamin C + E + Pomegranate’. It helps to improve skin tone and texture, stimulates skin regeneration, and give a more youthful look. We love how this oil-based serum is an amber coloured nectar with an uplifting citrus fragrance. It’s also ideal for uneven or dull skin (like ours). The key benefits of this serum include improving the overall skin tone, protecting skin from free radicals (which cause premature skin ageing), and creating ultra-smooth and glowing skin. The ingredients in this serum include: Organic pomegranate seed oil, vitamin C, organic carrot root extract, organic rosehip seed extract, abyssinian seed oil, oat kernel oil, hydrogenated farnesene, sea buckthorn oil, squalane, hazelnut oil, organic jojoba oil, vitamin E, and bisabolol. It’s not often we come across organic pomegranate seed oil as an ingredient. It has lots of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As the brand says, it’s to ‘fight free radicals, and protect against UVB-induced sun damage’. The vitamin C boosts and regenerates skin cells and collagen stability; the organic carrot root extract reduces sun damage and helps maintain the elasticity of the skin; the organic rosehip seed extract offers cell renewal capabilities; the abyssinian seed oil is deeply nourishing, smoothing, and softening to your skin; and the oat kernel oil strengthens the skin’s barrier function. The hydrogenated farnesene creates a light texture with a silky finish; the sea buckthorn oil is anti-inflammatory, hydrating, soothing, toning, and again skin regenerating. The squalane acts as a barrier to keep moisture locked in improves tone and texture, and helps prevent water loss. The hazelnut oil tones and tightens skin and can help reduce pores' appearance; the organic jojoba oil calms, balances, and helps skin retain moisture; the vitamin E rejuvenates, restores, and helps protect skin from environmental aggression. The bisabolol derived from German chamomile and barks from the candeia tree, enhances the appearance of dehydrated or damaged skin and helps other active ingredients penetrate deeper into the skin. As mentioned earlier, we used this together with Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster first. We put two drops on your fingertips and gently massage into our skin, it didn't feel greasy and left skin glowing. We woke to radiant and hydrated skin - ready to take on the day! 

Finally, we tried Elan Skincare’s latest addition to the range, the Whisper Skin Saviour. it’s a multi-purpose balm that promises to soothe, and condition dehydrated, dry, or sensitive skin. This balm is a brilliant natural alternative to petrolatum or paraffin oil-based products. It is recommended for stretch marks, scars, redness, dry/cracked hands, scaly skin, dry skin on legs and elbows, chapped lips, and cuticles. If you, like us, have been washing your hands and applying hand sanitiser like crazy, then a thin layer of this balm will calm and protect sore skin. The main ingredients include shea butter, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, green tea extract, zinc oxide aloe leaf, vitamin E and bisabolol (discussed above). The aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties and contains vitamins and minerals; the green tea calms irritations, soothes redness and swelling, evens out discolouration, and helps the skin retain moisture. The zinc here helps the body produce collagen, is an anti-inflammatory, treats burns, minimises scar tissue, heals the skin. The coconut oil has a calming effect, can help reduce redness and alleviate any discomfort associated with sore skin. We used this specifically on lips and cuticles, as these are two areas we suffer from dry and flakey skin. It has a rather moreish shea butter and coconut oil fragrance. As a multitasker, it works exceptionally well, and we highly recommend keeping this handy in a bag or by your desk. Although we regularly use hand cream, we’re guilty of never paying enough attention to our cuticles, and this balm helps to sort that out. Elan recommends for optimal results to apply the balm on slightly damp skin and to use a tiny amount, as a little goes a long way!

To purchase, you can find the 20ml Dream Hyaluronic Acid Booster here for £36, the 20ml Dream Overnight Renewal Face Serum here for £55. Or both together as the duo pack here for £80; and the 20ml Whisper Skin Saviour here for £12.75. 

516 Polish: Serene Nail Polish

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we love to support new and indie brands, and today we are featuring 516 Polish a British, inclusive and vegan nail brand as one of our #amazingfinds. As it’s almost time for us start wearing open toes, we couldn’t resist this Serene pink to wear - with pink being one of the designated and hottest colour for this S/S 21 season.

516 Polish was founded in July 2019 by Wunmi Ladele. With her passion for wearing nail polish, she became very aware of the lack of diversity within the spectrum of nail colours offered for people of colour. This was the inspiration behind her creating a range of colours in the 516 Polish collection to suit all. Wunmi wants to be “A brand that formulates beautiful colours that have the potential to be complementary for everyone, particularly people of colour.” She also went on to say, “I am committed to making 516 a people-focused brand that you can actually relate to.” They are the first UK indie nail polish brand to support swatch diversity, offering various products such as nail polish, one-step gel polish, nail care and tools. They currently have over fifty nail polish colours which are PETA certified, vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic; with sixteen coordinating gel polishes to try out too. 

To quote the late fashion icon, Diana Vreeland: “Pink is the new black,” and with this in mind, we decided to feature 516 Polish’s soft and versatile Serene pink which you can also see on different skin tones when you click here . This on trend and statement shade of bubble gum pink, has appeared on all the S/S 2021 fashion runways and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon.  What we like about this Serene pink is that it’s fresh, feminine and brightens our mood. It also adds some wonderful drama when paired with analogous reds or red-oranges, which you’ll also see appearing on the high street. The ingredients in Serene are all ’10 free’, which means it is free from 10 toxic ingredients commonly used: Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Xylene, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl tosylamide, Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Acetone and Parabens. For those that don’t know, here are some of the reasons why these toxic ingredients are not included in the formula: Toluene is a neurotoxin that can cause neurological damage when inhaled. Formaldehyde and its by-product Formaldehyde Resin can be responsible for allergic reactions, asthma, nausea, and dermatitis. Low doses of Xylene can provoke headaches, and high doses can affect the respiratory system. Ethyl Tosylamide is banned in Europe due to it causing mild to severe allergic reactions; it also can disrupt hormones. What we also like about this Serene nail polish, is that it can even be matched with a Gel. A handy option if we’re away on holiday and in need of a quick touch up. The brand also has a nail care guide with a few tips and tricks for a better home manicure; we found their 3-Stroke method very helpful (see here). When applied correctly, the 516 nail polishes (with recommended base and topcoat), should last between seven to ten days. We found on toes (see photo) it was over ten days but on hands (too much typing and hand washing!) it was more like five or seven. Best of all the nail polishes are available in two sizes; which means you can experiment with more colours, with the 5ml bottles, at only £4.75 ea. Or if you fall in love with Serene (as we did), you too can invest in a 10ml bottle at £8.

EasterMia: Crisp Apple Nail Polish & Nail Kit

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 polish, meaning 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 nail. The 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.