Rawgaia - Hemp Glow Cleanser

Our skin is continuously suffering from the cold temperatures. Add into the mix London's pollution, and an array of skincare products containing chemicals, and it's clear to see why we're struggling with dry and dull complexions. With upcoming festive parties, we’ve been searching for new skincare products at The Amazing Blog, hoping to nourish our complexions back health. On this quest, we re-visited Rawgaia, an award-winning brand that uses only pure, raw, cold pressed and healthy ingredients - giving excellent value for money, and peace of mind that the products are protecting your skin. We have in fact tried their Cold Pressed Carrier Oil before, so we were pretty certain it would help us this December!

Started by wellbeing expert, Jessica Michael, who is also the owner of Rawgaia, it is registered to COSMOS Organic Standards and has Soil Association certification. Their focus is on creating skincare that is nourishing for the skin, with natural ingredients as opposed to synthetic ones. We tried their Hemp Glow Cleanser, which promises to pull out dirt and balance the avails of daily life. This is something we can vouch for, our skin felt squeaky clean, yet was still nourished and supple. We particularly like that it is gentle enough for eye makeup removal, as there's nothing better than a multi-purpose product. The ingredients are the talking point of this product, 91% of which are organic. The use of flower water, vitamin E, sunflower seed oil and witch hazel are notable for controlling sebum levels while remaining moisturising. Additionally, tea tree is another natural ingredient known for fighting against oily skin, and the use of hemp (a Cannabis plant fibre) is an exciting addition that forms a protective layer over the skin. Hemp also prevents skin rashes and provides relief from acne, a powerful ingredient to fight skin troubles.

This cleanser should be used both morning and night and is suitable for oily and combination skin types. Simply smooth this cleanser over your face and neck, gently massaging it into the skin. We recommend removing it with a damp and warm cloth, to unearth a radiant glow. You'll find this cleanser leaves a brightened complexion without a sticky, greasy or heavy feeling. Purchase your own bottle of goodness here for £28.00 (50ml).

Yves Rocher Sunkissed Glow Cheek Stain

Here at The Amazing Blog, we were lucky enough to be sent Yves Rocher Sunkissed Glow Cheek Stain to try out. Yves Rocher is a trusted cosmetic brand from France and they offer an incredibly wide range of cosmetics, skin care, and body care. As blushers and bronzers are my favourite of all beauty products, I just couldn’t wait to try this out to see how it compared to others I have tried.

Unlike most cheek stains, it is very dark brown in colour rather than a rosy pink which can be a bit unsettling at first, but this is not a blusher stain, it can be used as an all over bronzer or to contour the face. The stain is not a roll on, or a stick like many similar products. It is actually tinted water containing Witch Hazel, which means that it lets your skin breathe, and it has very soothing properties.

However as the bottle doesn’t have an applicator, you need to put a small amount on a cotton pad, and then wipe it onto the desired areas on the face. While this stain is not a self-tanning product, it can be used to achieve a natural healthy glow, and personally I preferred to use the stain as an all over tint. You can create a beautiful shimmer by simply shaking the bottle, mixing the tinted water with iridescent gold pearl particles which illuminate the skin in a subtle way. There are no chunks of glitter that can be found in some bronzers, but rather a soft sheen that will make you look sunkissed and radiant. The product applies smoothly onto the skin, although does require some blending if being used to contour the face. I think that it is perfect to use as a face tanner as is a lovely golden colour that doesn’t look fake.

The Sunkissed Cheek Stain is part of the Yves Rocher Retropical collection and can be purchased exclusively on their website for £7.50.

Vitaman

You might be surprised to hear that even men want to look after themselves. Even though I’m only in my late 20’s I’m becoming more and more conscious of the need to start taking care of myself – let’s call it my ‘investment’ for the future. I do get teased by some of my peers but I don’t care – I know I’ll be the one having the last laugh. After all, your appearance is the first thing you’re judged on, so you might as well take some time to look after it.

Therefore I’m sure that it’ll come as no surprise, particularly considering the rise in the male grooming market, to find out that a lot of men are also willing to part with their cash on products that promise benefits and miracles. I recently had the opportunity to try a brand called VitaMan (courtesy of those lovely girls at The Amazing Blog) which offers ‘Spa Treatments’ but in the privacy of your home. These are tailored specifically for men only – sorry, girls - hand off! And as I'm currently commuting between both Rome and London – two  relatively polluted cities, I am on the constant look out for a portable multi-tasking grooming products (travelling Ryan Air dontcha know!) Could the Vitaman Face & Body Cleanser be the answer to my prayers?

Vitaman Face & Body Cleanser is a natural, plant-derived moisturising cleanser with anti-bacterial plant extracts that helps prevent any skin irritations and leaves the skin feeling super clean and moisturised. Free of harsh chemical cleansing agents, it is formulated using unique Plant Extracts such as Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel and Lemon Myrtle and ingredients such as Sea Salts are a natural way of drawing out toxins from the skin and help to exfoliate the build up dead skin cells. It has a fresh fragrance, a sort of zingy, citrus aroma, that reminds me of an exotic paradise… So that’s a good start.

I’ve been using Vitaman Face & Body Cleanser for the past week and I’m impressed. I’ll definitely buy more and I’d happily consider the rest of  VitaMan  body or face range which consists of men’s daily shaving, skin, hair and anti-aging products.

Launched in 1999, VitaMan today provides high end spas globally with over 20 professional treatment products and 6 Male-specific de-stressing and rejuvenating spa treatments, as well as their 35 retail take-home products (that’s what I tried). What makes VitaMan‘s range really unique is the use of ancient Australian indigenous plant, fruit and herbal extracts which are considered to have beneficial properties. I’ve finally found a great new travel companion with Vitaman Face & Body Cleanser £27.50  for 250ml - I hope this will be the beginning of a long lasting relationship.