Wow Beauty + Saskia's Flower Essences: CFF: Clarify, Focus and Flow Flower Essence & Powerful Woman Flower Essence

We believe in flower power. What about you? Today meet these ‘flower essences’ created by capturing the unique vibrational energy of a plant and holding it as a memory in water. In simple terms, when the flower essence is swallowed, an individual’s energy is reminded how to be, taking the body back to its original balance. At The Amazing Blog, we love how these flower essences help to boost confidence and give us back our balance. A while back, we wrote about Saskia’s Flower Essences here, and today, we’re featuring more from the brand who have partnered with Wow Beauty to launch the CFF: Clarify, Focus and Flow Flower Essence  and the Powerful Woman Flower Essence. We will explain why we think that these are true ‘nature’s little helpers’.  

The background to these begins in 2021, when Wow Beauty partnered with Saskia’s Flower Essences to launch these two unique botanical blends. Their alliance came via a chance meeting on social media, which has since led to a joining of minds and the creation of a new range of flower essences. Saskia’s Flower Essences was founded in 2003 by formulator and practitioner Saskia Marjoram, who has worked with plants and botanicals her whole life. Her background is as a professional gardener and as a florist to H.R.H. Prince of Wales. The brand’s essences are primarily made from native wildflowers and trees. Each tincture is designed to help people shift and change their emotional and behavioural issues. Saskia said, “I was delighted when Denise asked me to develop a blend with the title ‘Clarity Focus Flow’ from my range of single essences. After quite some deliberation and lots of intuition, the final essences we chose are designed to help people feel clear and sure as they move forward in their lives with a sense of purpose.” Saskia went on to say, “I am continually fascinated by how plants and humans interact and the wisdom they have to share with us. My deep love, friendship and knowledge of the flowers has continued to grow as I discover just how powerfully their energy affects and interacts with us.” Denise Rabor is best known for Wow Beauty ,a natural beauty and wellbeing portal that launched in 2016. More recently, she has launched The D.O.R Beauty Edit, an online store with products from female-led holistic and wellbeing brands. Denise has always been intrigued by vibrational medicine and flowers for helping solve emotional states, and this is how the concept for creating ‘CFF’ was born. Denise told us, “CFF is something that came to me early last year when I was creating some personal affirmations. Why? I needed to clarify and refine my purpose but required extra support. I wanted to create a product that could help things happen whilst also maintaining a state of flow. And I know that many women that I've spoken with feel the same need for some extra support.”  People have used flowers to heal emotions for thousands of years, extending back to Ancient Egypt and indigenous Australians who also used them as part of healing ceremonies to resolve emotional imbalances. In fact, we learnt from Endeavour College of Health that the earliest European recorded use of flower essences was by abbess Hildegard von Bingen in the twelfth century. It was where muslin sheets were placed over flowers at night to absorb the dew, then be collected in the morning, rung out, and used to treat people with emotional imbalances. However, it wasn’t until 1930 that Dr Edward Bach discovered the vibrational power of flowers and how to apply flower essence, thus creating 38 Bach Flower Remedies. This is where extraordinarily talented alchemists like Saskia Marjoram carry on this legacy. 

At this precise moment in time, the need for flower essences could not be more poignant. As the world gradually finds its feet after the global pandemic, this is when we all need to ask for help and guidance from these essences as ‘nature’s little helpers’. The CFF: Clarity, Focus, Flow Flower Essence was created to support individuals for when some clarity in life is needed. It helps to maintain focus, and achieve and maintain a flow. To use, take seven drops of essence two to three times a day, and say a personal affirmation. Take these drops for as long as you need, whether it’s a couple of days or weeks. The bottle contains 30ml, and the ingredients include springwater (60%), organic vodka (40%), and energy imprint of rio clarillo, crab apple, blackberry, peppermint, and willow (16% ABV). Springwater is free of contaminants and contains important minerals, organic vodka is free of pesticides and GMOs.  Rio clarillo helps you go with the flow, crab apple enables you to release guilt and shame, blackberry enables you to feel that it’s safe to grow, peppermint enables you to be clear and focused, and willow helps you be flexible. 

The Powerful Woman Flower Essence is for a confidence boost and was made with a view to helping women step into their power, have a strong sense of self and succeed at anything they put their mind to do. It is designed to enhance creativity and increase intuition.  Again, like the CCF, take seven drops of the essence under the tongue. The ingredients include springwater (60%), organic vodka (40%), and energy imprint of dandelion, twayblade, blackberry, bluebell, nettle, pennyroyal, and evening primrose (16% ABV). Springwater and organic vodka (described above). The dandelion allows you to release, twayblade helps you take a leap of faith, blackberry enables you to feel safe to grow, bluebell helps you be heard, nettle is for when you are really mad, pennyroyal helps you feel complete, and evening primrose enables you to see the light in the dark. 

Since childhood, my mother actively encouraged both anxious humans and pets to take a few drops of Bach Flower Essences under the tongue, and this has stayed with me, as a regular practice. I still use many of the Bach Flower remedies and I’m also a big fan of Saskia Flower Essences, primarily of the Focus Energise Create, which interesting has one or two of same ingredients as CFF. So, for me, the CFF would be my current ‘go to’ rather than the Powerful Woman. That said, Powerful Woman has a place and on days when one feels indecisive or full of self-doubt. And before you ask, all these flower essences are completely safe to use in conjunction with other medicines, homoeopathic treatments or during pregnancy and breastfeeding. We highly recommend try these, especially if you are a novice to the world of flower essences, and think these are a great first step. All flower essences are 30ml and you can find the CFF: Clarity, Focus, Flow Flower Essence here for £15.00 and the Powerful Woman Flower Essence here for £15.00.

Toucan Eco: eSpray

Because of the pandemic, cleaning has become more important than ever. That’s why at The Amazing Blog  we were excited to discover the Toucan Eco eSpray which cleans effectively and is also very eco-friendly! What we love the most about this product is that it kills coronavirus; and no, it isn’t just a single-use plastic bottle. Keep reading on….

Toucan Eco, a British company under the Robert Scott brand, who create eco-friendly cleaning products. The company’s products use one of the safest and most effective disinfectant and cleaning solutions — with JUST water, salt, and electricity. Toucan Eco’s technology was inspired by our body’s immune system, which can produce hypochlorous acid, a potent and naturally occurring disinfectant. Following the same idea, the technology in this product recombines the naturally occurring elements of hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine into hypochlorous acid, which makes an effective disinfectant, a sodium hypochlorite, and a mild pH level cleaning agent. Hypochlorous acid is used to disinfect ambulance cabins, clean health care workers’ clothing after testing people for COVID-19, and is used as a cleaning product in other businesses. The idea of using water, salt, and electricity has been around since 1834, and Toucan Eco is now bringing it to the home or workplace. The company’s products include the Toucan Eco eSpray, the Toucan Eco Worktop, the Toucan Eco Active, the Toucan Eco Active Plus, and the Toucan Eco Flow. Toucan Eco is the first hypochlorous disinfectant to receive double certification against viruses, including the EN 14476 and EN 16777 certifications. EN 14476 tests the solution’s efficacy, and EN 16777 tests if this efficacy can be applied to the real world of cleaning. Since Toucan Eco is the first hypochlorous disinfectant to have both these certifications, it is the most effective hypochlorous solution on the market. The EN 14476 and EN 16777 certification tests target viruses, including coronavirus, and many chemical disinfectants do not have these certifications. In addition to these certifications, the solution is EN 1276 and EN 13697 certified (which test for bacterial efficacy) and registered as an EU Biocide. The company won  the British Toilet Association 2011 Innovation Award for the Best New Product and the Innovation Award for Best Eco/Green Product at The Cleaning Show. Steve Courtney, the Business Development Manager at Toucan Eco, recently said in a conference, “This year has been a different year, and so it’s worth emphasising that this solution when it’s made is a very, very powerful sanitiser and disinfectant but totally harmless, non-hazardous, can’t harm anybody.”

The Toucan Eco eSpray lets you create a disinfectant, cleaner, and deodoriser from ONLY water, salt, and electricity. Although it may not sound like much, it kills more than 99.99% of germs, including coronavirus. The product is used to clean and disinfect any surface (kitchens, bathrooms, fabrics, glass, etc.) it’ll deodorise and kill the germs that create odours, sanitise hands, sterilise children’s toys and clothes. You can even spray fresh fruit and vegetables to remove dirt and pesticides. They also suggest using it to remove trainer odour by soaking overnight, and even spray pets’ paws and coats!. The list is endless….Making this eSpray much more versatile than any other standard chemical cleaning product. We think that this makes this eSpray the easier, greener, safer, proven and money-saving option. The product is easy, because you only have to add two ingredients, greener because it doesn’t contain chemicals, and isn’t a single-use plastic bottle. Plus it’s safe because it is hypoallergenic, 100% natural and proven because it has been tested by EU accredited independent laboratories and university research departments. It’s money-saving because it costs less than the average household spends on home cleaning products each year. This eSpray makes 350ml of disinfectant cleaner, and all you have to do is add 3g of table salt, fill with tap water, and then activate, which will take five minutes and last seven days before the solution is just salty water again. When activated the eSpray goes through a colourful array of red, blue and green light settings, and when completed the solution is ready to be sprayed onto any surface and left to dry or wiped away — you can also apply it as a mist to disinfect larger areas.  As mentioned earlier, with this eSpray, you kill 99% of bacteria and viruses and it’s not only safe but hypoallergenic and practically free to make! This is one of our most exciting #amazingfinds for 2021, and something that we wish we’d discovered sooner! We highly recommend this eSpray it comes with a one-year guarantee, and if like us, you’re interested in what this Toucan Eco eSpray has to offer, you can find it here for £59.99. 

Dogs' Dinners Cookbook

Times, they are a-changin’…when once the saying “I’ve made a right dog’s dinner of that” would mean a less than appealing result, along comes Debora Robertson to firmly turn all such notions inside out. Even if you don’t have a pet pooch, we urge you to pick up her glorious book ‘Dogs’ Dinners’ and indulge yourself in some seriously compelling page turning. Not only has Debora brought a whole host of delicious recipes for our canine friends together, but she also gives us the option of how to tailor these taste bud tinglers to suit our humanoid palate too.

First and foremost though, her book is written very much with our four-legged family members in mind - which is why our favourite fluffy English Show Cocker Spaniel Tilly was so happy to sit lapping up every page while we made our more leaden way through the Sunday papers over the weekend! And why not …? With recipes like ‘Turkey and Quinoa Meatballs’, ‘Liver Brownies’, and ‘Summer Pupsicles’ to ponder, there is much for Tilly to salivate over - as you can see, she has been thoroughly engrossed! 

Included are tips on how to deal with specific food intolerances; what to serve up should there be signs of a sensitive mouth or gums, and of course, like us, doggies can suffer from the occasional off day, but guess what - chicken broth works wonders for them too! It appears that when all is said and done, apart from some levels of seasoning, nosh-wise there isn’t much to divide us.

To view this only as a collection of recipes, however, would be a mistake - there is a great deal more information contained within it’s covers, as to the healthiest way to feed your dog from their earliest puphood, through to the various stages of growing up. With advice on the ingredients which will keep teeth as healthy as possible, the ways to encourage fresh breath, and the more basic functions at the other end, Debora Robertson covers it all. She especially explore the essential knowledge of what NOT to offer up - we all know that chocolate and cooked bones are a total no-no, but avocados, unripe tomatoes and caffeine of any kind are also on the hazardous list. Fortunately for Tilly and her pals, there is a larder full of delicious goodies to make extensive use of, and Ms Robertson expertly shows us the way.

‘Dog’s Dinners’ is a fascinating mix of informed nutritional advice, intriguing anecdotes - check out “the bone about which we do not speak” on page 26 - and beautifully observed illustrations by Cinzia Zenocchini, which will sit perfectly alongside Delia and Nigella’s finest on the kitchen shelf.

‘Dogs’ Dinners’ by Debora Robertson is priced at £9.99 and is available here.

Christmas Special - For Pets

Here at The Amazing Blog we all are big pet lovers. Our lives would be half empty if we didn’t have our little furry friends with us. Dogs, cats, rabbits; they’re all part of the family and naturally, when December comes, we put all the effort we can into finding them the best present ever. With our suggestions, your best friend will be totally spoiled this year.

I think we can all agree that Christmas is a snuggly time of year, but why should that just apply to us humans? Help your pooch to get cosy with a new blanket from The Stylish Dog Company.

They have a huge selection and we’ve never seen anything more stylish and comfy for our pets. Their collection of Fur Dog Blankets are available in a range of colours, from the lightest cream to a darker chocolate, offering an option to match your decor. Whether you own the smallest Chihuahua in the world or a mastiff, The Stylish Dog Company created 4 sizes of blankets to suit every dog. We didn’t mention cats but we are 100% sure they’ll love it too. All the blankets are available here for £49.

If accessorising is more your thing, this year you can do something special for your dog and for hundreds of other puppies by customising a unique identification tag from Hashtagdogtag. They support Pup Aid, which helps to fight against puppy farming.

With an impressive array of tag styles to choose from, including various shapes, hashtags, materials like  brass, aluminium or copper and sizes from small to large, you're sure to find something to suit your pup. Find out how to create a bespoke treat for your pet here, from £14.50.

We all know that dogs aren't just for Christmas, and Ruby and Duke offer the perfect year round present for your canine pal in their monthly boxes. After all, why should we be the only ones to enjoy the fun of subscription boxes?

On Ruby and Duke's website you can activate the best plan for you. If you’re not sure, start with a 1 month subscription and once you realise your dog loves it, you can go for a 3 month subscription or even 1 year (that's next Christmas sorted too!). Every box is packed to offer the right amount of fun, with products always safe and created for your dog welfare. Usually a box includes 4-6 food items and toys approved by professional…dogs. The price is very affordable, from £20 for a month, £18.50 per month for 3 months and £17 for the whole year. Sign up and order your box of canine goodies here.

This year, it seems as though we're going to have more of a 'Wet Christmas' than a 'White Christmas', and Long Paws offers the perfect gift for those fussy pets who would rather not get their fur wet - MacPaws. Special raincoats that can be easily folded and kept in a small bag, they're practical and look super cute too.

Pack it up before a long walk, just in case, and once dirty, just pop it in the washing machine. Available in 6 sizes, their colours are so pretty, we’d love to have some human sizes as well! Keep your dog warm and dry, and pick up your own MacPaws here for £7.99.

It's all weel and good buying your dog lots of material treats, but understanding their needs is also crucial to having a happy pooch. Thankfully, Tony Cruse, dog lover and dog trainer, wrote a little manual to help us out. With ‘101 Doggy Dilemmas’ he teaches how easily we can misunderstand our dog’s signals. 

From the reason they destroy the garden, to why they like to chase the postman, this book is a valuable support not only if you’ve just decided to get a puppy, but also to improve the behaviour of a long time family dog. It is available in kindle edition and paperback for £2.99 or £7.99 here.

With these sweet gift ideas, Christmas is sure to be a wonderful time for all of the family, even our lovely canine companions.

WildWash - Natural Pet Grooming Products

There's no question that our dogs become a part of the family; we tend to treat to them as equals in every way but one, their beauty routine. Here at The Amazing Blog, we wanted to find a natural ‘Furcare’ product range that is catered to the furry need of all dogs. WildWash have come to our aid with their range of natural skin and coat care for pets. We were lucky enough to receive the Deep Cleaning Shampoo, Fragrance No.3 Perfume and Healing Paw Balm to try on our pampered pooches.

There is confusion on the dos and don’ts when cleaning our dogs - I’ve often heard that most regular pet shampoos strip their skin of natural essential oils. The problem is that my dog, like so many others, will find any excuse to dirty himself. Mud? Rolls in it excessively. Puddles? Dives in head first. There is no other choice but to wash him, but WildWash shampoos are innovative in their focus on keeping the PH balance natural. The Deep Cleaning Shampoo contains Soybean Phospholipids, Neem, Aloe Vera and Sea Kelp; all of which give the coat a deep conditioning and nourishment, as well as being natural flea deterrents, and having anti-inflammatory/antiseptic properties. There is so much goodness packed into one highly fragrant shampoo. The Peppermint, Rosemary and Lemongrass scent is beautiful and neutralises even the stinkiest of canines.

For the stages in between washes that we find our dog’s odour rather pungent, you can use WildWash's range of unique, PH balanced fragrances. That’s right, perfume for our pooches! After all, we want our dogs to smell fresh, clean and delicious all day long. The scents are all natural and plant-based, and we loved the gorgeous Sweet Orange scent with a hint of Coriander and Cedarwood. Once sprayed on the fur it gave a warm and spicy aroma, which didn't irritate the dog either, which is always a concern. Last, but not least, we tried out the Paw Balm, designed to protect our doggies from the many external conditions they have to endure. The Sweet Almond Oil used within it is high in Vitamin E, we were surprised how well it moisturised the pads and kept them soft to the touch.

Every product has passion and thought behind it, so give your dog the perfect fur day and get yours here for £14.95 for the Shampoo and Fragrance and £12.95 for the Paw Balm.