Fenty Beauty

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you’ll be well aware that superstar Rihanna has combined her business savvy and beauty goddess status to create an impressive and much lust over beauty line. We at The Amazing Blog have been chomping at the bit to sample some of these amazing products. After all, on her first release, Rihanna launched forty shades of foundation and has created a brand that provides beauty for all, definitely a brand belief we can get behind. It is with great excitement that today we review not one, not two but three of Fenty Beauty’s new products; The Pro Filt’r Primer, the Gloss Bomb lip gloss and the Invisimatte Blotting Paper. 

We have to begin by discussing the packaging which is stunning. The primer comes in a beautiful frosted glass bottle, the lip gloss in a pentagon tube, and the blotting paper is refillable. The Pro Filt'r Primer will quickly become a favourite to all who use it, especially to those who want to minimise shine but keep a dewy complexion. The oil-free primer helps to smooth away the look of pores, while evening out skin tone and creating an envy-inducing base for make-up. The primer is incredibly lightweight but is easily absorbed by the skin leaving it feeling baby soft. What’s more is that it smells amazing, so on those days where you feel worse for wear, the primer will both lift your mood and your appearance making you feel unstoppable. As Fenty Beauty is built around the concept of beauty for all, the primer works on all skin tones so everyone can have a photo filter complexion all day long. 

The Gloss Bomb is available in one stunning and universal shade which was handpicked by Rihanna; Rose Nude. It delivers an almost unbelievable shine and is filled with conditioning shea butter to leave lips kissable at all times. Fenty wanted to create beauty products that offer a sensory experience as such the gloss also has an almost addictively beautiful peach-vanilla scent that we adore. 

Last, but certainly by no means least, is the Invisimatte Blotting paper. This product is super portable and is roughly the size of a chunky chapstick or a lipstick case, making it perfectly pockets size. What’s amazing is that Fenty Beauty has transformed perhaps the least exciting or sexy product and made it look and feel chic. Made with natural botanical fibres, Invisimatte left our skin looking not only fresher but kept our makeup looking like it had only just been applied. What’s more, all Fenty Beauty products are cruelty-free.

We can honestly say that the products made us feel not only more beautiful, but they also made us feel more ourselves. The brand makes beauty for everyone, so each product felt personal as we felt like our needs had been carefully considered.

You can purchase the primer here for £24.00, the lip gloss here for £16.00 and the blotting paper here for £13.00.
 

Pink by Undergreen

 

It's nice to think that tomorrow is officially the first day of Spring - frankly in my view,  not a moment too soon. I'm bored witless by the grey skies and the cold, damp weather.   So roll on spring with its gentle fragrances of tulips, daffodils and bluebells. Which brings me on to revealing my very particular seasonal habit. I am fastidious about changing my scent to suit the time of year.  So tomorrow it will be goodbye to the heavier amber notes in my current fragrance and hello to something a little more uplifting and floral.  In fact, by a rather happy coincidence a new fragrance by Undergreen  called Pink  arrived  for us to test this week at The Amazing Blog .

Pink has a flirtatious blend of fruity and floral notes that combine to make a elegant and fine fragrance. After spraying the Pink fragrance on my neck and inner wrist, I initially smelled a citrusy scent that mixed oranges and lemons together.  This then faded away, giving a new essence of mixed pears and strawberries together with a very subtle aroma of cloves too.  However, this is NOT a just fruity fragrance it is much more complex than that and after a while I noticed the warm base notes of caramel and vanilla appearing. My conclusion?  Pink is a sweet and balmy composition which leaves a rather delicous and seductive scent on the skin that lingers on and on... Making it the perfect choice for anyone are looking for something a bit 'different' for Spring i.e. fresh, clean and yet fun, sensual and playful.

Pink  definitely redefines the gap between natural, sweet, and fruity fragrance into a balanced classical scent. By the way Undergreen has also produced Black, White and Gold fragrances too. They are all made by an advanced environmentally-friendly extraction technique (Chimie Naturalle) where they also use only 100% natural ingredients in the fragrances. Pink is available to purchase from Harvey Nichols in stores and on-line for £120 for 100ml bottle and a little spritz goes a long way.

Korres - Myrrh & Oligoelements Nail Colour

If there's a brand that we love at The Amazing Blog, that is Korres. Their products never seize to amaze us - they smell natural and nice, they're free of nasty ingredients, they have the best packaging and they work. For us, Korres is one of those brands that never disappoints - from their Tinted Lip Balms to their amazing Shower Gels, Korres is a brand that we always go back to. We were rather excited when we heard that they were launching a Nail Colour range; bearing in mind the natural approach to beauty by the brand, we imagined that the formula was going to be designed to strengthen the nails and to keep them healthy. And nothing further from the truth, Korres has designed a stunning nail polish collection without comprimising the brand's natural philosophy.

Korres has come up with a collection of 20 beautiful shades, a Top Coat and a Base Coat. The formula is rich in Myrrh extract, Oligoelements and Provitamin B5 and works towards the nail's overall wellbeing. Myrrh extracts enhances Keratin for stronger and more flexible nails and it also helps boosting hydration levels in the under-nail area. Provitamin B5 provides elasticity and moisture; and Oligoelements, such as Silicium, are essential for the overall nail health, especially for soft and brittle nails.

The Amazing Blog's favourite shades are 88 Midnight Blue and 94 Light Grey. Midnight Blue (see picture) is a deep navy blue-almost-black colour, with a intense blue sheen through it. Perfect for those of you who find black to be too harsh. Light Grey looks beautiful on pale hands, it's a stunning grey shade with a slight taupey touch. These nail polishes are long-lasting - we haven't experienced issues with chipping and the colours are opaque applying just one coat.

The Nail Colour Collection, the Base and Top Coats retail at £9.00 from ASOS and Harvey Nichol's. However, you can now find the Nail Colour polishes for only £4.50 in ASOS... bargain!

G'NOSH Gourment Dips

While most of us at The Amazing Blog have our own favourite topics we love to blog about - from pets to pampering - when it comes to food, our passion is unanimous. Whether we're drooling over the latest cook book on offer or sampling the cuisine at a Scandanavian Supper Club, food is, quite literally, always on our mind.

Unfortunately I don't happen to possess the most natural flair in the kitchen. And thanks to my foody housemate I frequently suffer from severe food envy when he knocks up one of his specialities - from barbecued seabass to home made hummus - my dishes pale in comparison. And I certainly have neither the time nor the energy to create all the home made sauces that he concocts after work which temptingly lace the fridge doors.

Having recently been alerted to G'NOSH Gourmet Dips, however, I no longer have to sit petulantly with a soggy jacket potato wishing I had the know-how to put together a decent meal. Forget the pre-packed greasy pots of supermarket guacamole, G'NOSH Gourment Dips are made using the finest of ingredients meaning that they taste as fresh as if you made them at home. And while they can be used in the classic way - with tortilla chips and vegetable crudites - they're also brilliant as a fuss-free addition to any meal and can be stirred into soups or pasta, used to marinade meat or even spread onto a pizza base - the possibilities are endless.

With five mouth-watering flavours: Sun Dried Tomato & Basil, Spicy Red Pepper Muhumarra, Sweet Black Bean, Smoky Roasted Aubergine Babaghanoush and Beetroot & Mint there's a dip to tantalise every taste-bud! Our favourites were the Babaghanoush and Sweet Black Bean - both full of flavour with an added kick - which we spent one very enjoyable afternoon dipping a mammoth pack of Kettle Chips into!

To get your hands on these delicious dips, head to Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Wholefoods or Waitrose, or for a full list of stockists check out their website.

Själ

Like most 20-somethings, I have a love-hate relationship with my skin. Some weeks it'll be clear, and others I've seriously considered wearing a bag over my head. So I'm constantly trying new cleansers, toners and moisturisers to get that elusive, long-lasting perfect skin. And I think I may have come close with Själ's skincare range. I've been using the Combination Skin Essential Kit quite religiously for the past month and I can really tell a difference in my skin. The kit comes with Balans Deep Pore Cleanser, Light Cellular Renewal Cream, and the Perfecting Mask. From the first few times I used the products, I could feel how high quality they were, they just feel so luxurious on your skin. It took about a week for me to see a visible difference, and as a rule of thumb I like to give products a good amount of time to trial, as sometimes it takes a while for your skin to react.The cleanser is light but effective - I'm used to my facial cleansers foaming up, but the Balans cleanser stays light as you use it. The cream smooths over your skin easily, and you really don't need a lot to do the job, and considering the price that's a bonus in my book. The mask is as light as the cream, so you only need to smooth on one layer and leave it, afterwards it leaves your skin silky smooth. The Själ range is so unique and effective because of it's use of gemstones and minerals, they increase cellular productivity, provide skin clarity and micro-circulation. Själ  products use the highest quality ingredients and don't use silicone caffeine or petroleum jelly. Even though I've not tried the whole range, I'd be pretty comfortable saying they'd be as effective as the products I've been using.