Mill Creek Botanicals – Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner

Haircare can be a drama; the pollution, the humidity, the dryness, the curls, the frizziness, the split ends… you know the story! At The Amazing Blog we’ve been testing out a few and we interested to hear about the US brand Mill Creek Botanicals who have just launched here in the UK.

Panch Prasad, CEO of Mill Creek Botanicals, is a trained chemist and natural products advocate. When he purchased the brand in 2001, he wanted to give it a fresh new look with a commitment to being beneficial for the planet. All Mill Creek products are sulphate, paraben, gluten free and vegan; they are certified organic by USDA or QAI following the guidelines of PETA and GMP, and all created in a carbon-neutral environment. All of this has made the brand a multiple winner of awards such as Natural Beauty 2019. With nature and people at the core of their values, Mill Creek has been committed to delivering quality products at an affordable price since 1975.

Although Mill Creek Botanicals’ natural product range is very extensive, we wanted to try the Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner as together they repair and renew the hair with their natural and organic ingredients and high concentration of plant-based keratin. The Keratin Shampoo This shampoo boosts the effects of keratin by combining it with panthenol, argan oil and herbs, all of which repair the hair strands, giving it strength and elasticity. You can now say goodbye to your split ends! The fragrance is slightly fruity and fresh, all from the combination of aloe vera, coconut oil, organic wild cherry, chamomile, hops and field horsetail. To use these, simply wet your hair, pump a little bit of shampoo into the palm of your hand and with its light consistency, massage your scalp and rinse. To achieve even better results, follow it with the Keratin Conditioner.

The Conditioner acts like ‘belt and braces’ to the Shampoo and it made even our tangly hair sleek and manageable. Also composed of the same core ingredients as the Shampoo, the hydrolysed keratin (plant-based), panthenol, argan oil in this Conditioner added to the reduction of hair breakage, also adding a natural bounce and shine. We applied it after the Shampoo, focusing on our ends and left it for a couple of minutes. However, you can leave it on your hair for up to 10 minutes if your hair is dry or has sustained damage; it then acts more like a hair mask. We just rinsed and kept going with our regular haircare routine.

Both the Keratin Shampoo and the Conditioner work beautifully in tandem. If you’re looking for an affordable natural shampoo (with organic ingredients) to improve the quality of your hair, then look no further. It’s another one of our #amazingfinds! Get your Mill Creek Botanicals Keratin 414ml Shampoo for £6.99 here and the Mill Creek Botanicals Keratin 414ml Conditioner for £6.99 here and put an end to bad hair days.

Drinks in Tube

The drinks trolley trend has been on the rise for some time now, and when we at The Amazing Blog are hosting a dinner party or a get-together we love to have this as our centre piece. As any cocktail lovers will know, having a variety of spirits on tap can be quite pricey; and the last thing we want to do is break the bank, with all our inventive and one-off cocktails. So when we received both the Masons Gin Tasting Sets and The Spirit Adventure from the brilliant creators at Drinks In Tube, it certainly put our bartending skills to the test making new tantalising tipples. The Hampshire-based team at Drinks In Tube started to curate their own sets of wines and spirits in unique glass tubes in 2015. They wanted to share their passion, knowledge and love for the finest drinks that they could find, all at an affordable price. Discovering new and unique spirits and wines has never been easier, more affordable or quite such fun as this.

The first box we opened was the Masons Gin Tasting Set. This set comes with four 50ml tubes of various unique gins at 42% ABV and we simply couldn’t wait to get mixing. Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin was set up by the husband and wife team, Karl and Cathy Mason who have since won Gold Medals at The Gin Masters. The first gin up is their Classic Dry Gin, which boasts full fennel and green apple flavours that are perfectly balanced with a citrus infusion, which left our mouths simply watering for more. Next up is the Masons Tea Edition, which we felt calling our name from the beginning. We found that this gin balances the robust tea flavour with herbal, citrus and spice notes for a wonderfully full and aromatic gin that satisfies our daily dose of tea (and has to be our favourite). After this, we drank the Lavender Edition for a fun twist to our classic gin and tonic. The soft and sweet lavender notes really hit every spot as we quickly sipped away. Lastly, we mixed up some tonic with the Sloe Distilled Limited Edition. Rather than infused with the sloe berries, this gin has been distilled with them, which created quite an unexpected twist, especially when garnished with a touch of fresh strawberries and mint; our mouths water simply thinking about it. We think this set is the perfect gift for the gin lover in your life or even just as a little way to treat yourself. With each tube being 50ml it makes it very portable and also perfect for a quick 'snifter' at picnics or point-to-points!

The Spirit Adventure set definitely took us on a delectable journey. This one comes with three 50ml spirits: Butterscotch Vodka (37.5% abv), the Philippe de Castaigne Cognac (40% abv), and the Masons Yorkshire Gin from the last set. We took their recommendation to the next level with the Butterscotch vodka and added it to a milkshake and it was a hit with everyone. The creamy flavour of the vodka really took our milkshake to the next level (!) And last but not least, we treated ourselves to the Cognac. This one is carefully aged in oak barrels for at least 4 years and has wonderful notes of vanilla, walnut and hazelnut that warmed us right up on a chilly night. This one is perfect as a gift for those who like a little taste of everything.

And last but not least for all the wine lovers out there, Drinks In Tube have recently launched their wine tasting subscription service. In summary, this service will include five 100ml servings of wines from around the world, delivered to your door each month. The sleek box also comes with a tasting card to guide you on your journey each month. It is available for 3, 6 & 12 months here. The Masons Gin Tasting Set can be purchased here for £24.99 and The Spirit Adventure can be purchased here for £19.99. We say "Cheers" to discovering new favourites!

SPAtopia London Argan Oil Bodycare

If you ask me, there is nothing better than to find good quality and affordable beauty products - many times we just forget or don't want to realise the amount of money we spend on just one face cleanser because of the rave reviews it gets. That's why at The Amazing Blog we're thrilled by this A-list beauty discovery - SPAtopia London has launched a fabulous Argan Oil Bodycare range. Their products are affordable and work wonders.

The SPAtopia London Argan Oil Bodycare consists of 5 products: Bath Relaxer, Body Butter, Body Oil, Body Wash and Body Scrub. At The Amazing Blog we've had the chance to try the latter two out. The Argan Oil Body Wash is very creamy and feels luxurious on the skin, it lathers easily and it's very moisturizing - a definite winner for those of you with dry or flaky skin. The Argan Oil Body Scrub is a rich cream with very small and rounded scrubbing bits that don't feel harsh on the skin at all. This scrub polishes and nourishes the skin effectively, leaving it smooth and silky soft.

Both products smell absolutely amazing, the whole range is enriched with essential oils of Lemon, Patchouli and Petitgrain. Argan Oil has been on trend for a while now in the beauty industry - it has great skincare benefits and it's exceptionally rich in Vitamin E and Omega Essential Fatty Acids, and therefore well known for its anti-ageing, moisturising and anti-oxidant properties.

At The Amazing Blog we love featuring good quality and affordable products, and the SPAtopia London Argan Oil Bodycare Range has fulfilled our high hopes. This fabulous and luxurious feeling range is widely available from Sainsbury's - the Body Scrub retails at £4.49 and the Body Wash at £3.49. You can't really go wrong.

Panier des Sens

Every girl loves a nice pampering product, and we girls at The Amazing Blog are no exception. Ideally I would have 3 baths a day in this hot weather (still can't believe its been 30 degrees here for past 3 days!)   but as I'm an on-the-go girl, showers are my only option during a hectic work week. So to make the most of my daily scrub down, I am treat myself to one of Ashleigh and Burwood's Panier des Sens shower gels. These shower gels are not your run of the mill, shop bought soaps. The delicately fragranced toiletries are paraben, silicone and aluminum free and, something we love, not tested on animals. Having just returned from Bergerac (France) these remind me so much of my stay.  They do indeed feel very authentic and French! The Panier des Sens range includes 4 natural fragrances - Relaxing Lavender, Soothing Provence, Energising Verbena, and Regenerating Rose. Also available in the Panier des Sens range is Body Lotion, Hand Cream, Hand Soap and Massage Oil so you can match up all your bathroom scents! My personal favourite scent is the Soothing Provence, it has a zesty citrus fragrance (the Relaxing Lavender comes in at a close second) and it leaves a light fragrance on your skin that's not too overpowering. Not only do they feel great on your skin, but their charming french-inspired designs will brighten up anyone's bathroom.

Priced at an affordable £10, the  Panier des Sens shower gels are a bathroom must have - pick one up online or find a shop near you!

Raw Gaia

If you've been a loyal follower of The Amazing Blog, or even if you've just found us, it's pretty safe to say that we love anything natural and organic. Whether it's skincare or food or pretty much anything, the more natural it is the better. So when we came across Raw Gaia we simply had to try out a few of their wonderfully organic skincare range! All the Raw Gaia products are made with your benefit and the environment in mind. The products are all cold-pressed, organic, vegan, cruelty and chemical free. By using the process they use, the range maintains all the amazing benefits of the raw ingredients. And as we can attest, the products are so lovely on your skin as well. We've tried the Cold-Pressed Carrier Face Oils in Rosehip and Argan as well as their Moroccan Lava Clay and loved them.When you're using the oils I'd recommend having a slightly damp face - you want enough moisture that the oil spreads but not so much that it doesn't sink in. I'd also say that you should start with a bit less than you think you need and then use more as you need it, you'd be surprised how far a small amount takes you. Your skin will feel softer than when you use a normal moisturiser. As for the mask, if you've ever mixed a face mask at home you'll know how easy it is and the Moroccan Lava Clay mask is no different. Simply mix the powder with water until you have a nice thick mask. Apply it to your face, grab a magazine, and leave your skin to reap the benefits! Once you take it off your skin will feel so smooth, and there's enough clay to make a lot of masks. Their whole range of skincare are at very reasonable price points, especially considering the quality of ingredients and process.

Have a browse through Raw Gaia's range on their website and you're sure to find a few of these natural products to fit into your skincare routine.