Nailpad

I think you could say that we all love to paint our nails, not just to look pretty, but also to protect them from all the chores that we do. As we’re always in a rush, invariably it’s a bit of a balancing act with painting our nails on the go. You know the story, grab a magazine, hand down, open nail polish and then it slides …whoops it’s a full-on nail polish spillage alert!  That’s where the clever handbag-friendly Nailpad comes into play as it ideal with those awkward speedy manicure moments. And we at The Amazing Blog are always suckers for a new gadget!

The Nailpad concept was created by two time-poor twins Tori and Carrie, who both saw a niche in the market for a stable, portable, foldaway manicure base with a nifty holder for nail polish. The purpose of Nailpad is to make home manicures (or pedicures) easier, steadier and less stressful. Not only this but it can also be adapted for placing on knees, whether on the sofa or bed, on the floor (for toes) or flat on a table. We were pleasantly surprised by how light and comfortable the Nailpad was to use. It's also small and neat just perfect for your handbag, and yes we’ve even tested it out on the tube to work!

What we particularly like is the ease of using the Nailpad on the go. The Nailpad comes in two colours, bright pink (easy to find in a handbag) and shiny black (less obvious when on the go). You too can discover the NailPad for £12.95 each on the website here.

All That Jazz: Cuticle Oil, Cuticle Balm & Bee Bar Lotion

This past January we raved about All That Jazz’s hand and foot care products in one of our blog posts. We know that their products are amazing, and now we are excited to announce that the brand has finally received the recognition that we think it deserves. At the prestigious 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards, All That Jazz was awarded the Winner of the Best Nail Brand category, meaning that out of all the brands entered in the competition, they have the best nail care products. In addition, All That Jazz was ranked as a Finalist in the Best Nail Product category for their Cuticle Balm. They also won Editor’s Choice Awards for their Bee Bar Lotion, Baseline Base Coat and Top Note Top Coat. Talk about sweeping the board and taking home the gold!

We at The Amazing Blog know how day-to-day tasks can take their toll on our hands, especially in this wintery weather. So we wanted to feature some of our favourite hand care products from the brand with their Cuticle Oil and Cuticle Balm, and the incredible Bee Bar Lotion! 

All That Jazz’s Cuticle Oil has a coconut oil base which helps to deeply moisturise the dead skin on nails. By using this product twice daily, you reap the benefits of vitamins A, C and D and carotenoids that are in this oil and create a protective barrier on the skin. We used the oil in the Apple Cucumber scent, a fresh, crisp and invigorating fragrance which left our fingertips feeling revitalised. This oil also comes in the other fragrances, Captivate, Chocolate Orange and Maple Spice. We hear X Factor Judges Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger are also big fans of Maple Spice!

All That Jazz’s Cuticle Balm also comes in the same 4 scents; we used the balm in Captivate. Captivate has a soothing aroma of lightly perfumed musk and coconut oil, a refreshing and relaxing fragrance. The special ingredients in the balm include beeswax and cocoa butter that naturally lock in moisture as they are natural emollients and humectant. We found that the balm works amazingly alongside the cuticle oil, our nails have never looked better!

The Bee Bar Lotion is one of our favourite multi-taskers. It is our go-to product as it's incredibly moisturising and nourishing with a little going a long way. It is filled with shea butter, golden jojoba and natural antioxidants; it is ideal for any dry or damaged hands offering fast hydration and protection. The lotion comes in 7 different scents, we received ‘Hawaiian’ which has a deliciously fresh and tropical aroma. Used sparingly this lotion can last up to 6 months and doesn’t dry up or lose its fragrance. However, if you like it as much as we do then we doubt you’ll manage to keep yours that long!

All That Jazz is an award-winning nail care brand with high-quality products that have fast become our special must-have products. You too can purchase the All That Jazz Cuticle Oil here for £7.99, Cuticle Balm here for £8.99 and Bee Bar Lotion here for £7.99

Geosticks by Geobar

We love snacking at The Amazing Blog. It is our biggest vice, and although swimsuit season is a long way off, it’s all too easy to use layers to hide as our bodies turn into bears. While this may be cosier and on the whole a more enjoyable experience, it is, firstly, fooling no one and secondly makes swimsuit season all the more stressful as we battle against the results of our bad choices. To entirely avoid this we have decided to change our ways and make healthier snack choices. In our research, we found the delicious Rice, Lentil and Quinoa Geosticks from one of our favourite brands Geobar. The crisps come in three moreish flavours Sweet Chilli, Herby and Peppery. 

Each pack is gluten and dairy-free and contain Fairtrade rice from Thailand and Fairtrade quinoa from Peru.  No matter which flavour you choose the packet won’t exceed 91 calories. Making these not just an ethically right choice, but an excellent choice for your waist. We partularly loved the Sweet Chilli which had a subtle chilli/tomato/spice sauce flavour which came through on these delicious crunchy sticks. All three flavours are utterly addictive, and with their low-calorie content, you don’t have to feel guilty next snack time! 

You can purchase a Geosticks multi pack from Traidcraft here for £21.60. This will include 8 packets of each flavour which will certainly be enough to see you through the next month or two!
 

GelTouch Mini Starter Kit

Calling all aspiring nail aficionados; here at The Amazing Blog we think that we've found you the ultimate talon-transforming product. GelTouch has now released a Mini Starter Kit, which claims to transform any nail polish into a high-shine glossy gel finish, just perfect for nail novices. We love the idea of salon-quality nails from home, and all in mere minutes!

The Starter Kit comes with a mini LED lamp that transforms each nail in seconds, a GelTouch Top Coat and Cleansing Wipes. They recommend that you allow your regular nail polish at least 20-30 minutes to dry on your nails. Then once the polish is completely dry, apply a thin coat of GelTouch Top Coat; cure your nails under their LED Lamp for 60 seconds. Finally, wipe the sticky residue from each nail using a Gel Cleansing Wipe. Do not fear; the nail polish won't be impossible to remove at home. They say: 'When you’re ready to remove, simply peel GelTouch off of your nails' (which we don't recommend!) We say lightly soak them in acetone.

The lamp comes with a USB power cable, so all you need to do is plug it into a laptop for example. The kit is so ‘mini’, that the lamp fits just the tips of your fingers on one hand and is genuinely portable. Why not take it away with you on holiday? We think that it's just perfect for manicures on the go!

Don’t let the size fool you though, it may be mini, but the staying power the combined effect of the GelTouch Top Coat and LED lamp gives your regular nail polish is mighty. The final bonus is it only takes 60 seconds to transform nails, into a chip-resistant, shiny result that can last up to ten days. vailable to purchase from ublondon.com for £24.99.

Nail Polish By Maggie Anne

Nail polish is the perfect accessory to transport your look from season to season, and so we, at The Amazing Blog, have hand-picked some gorgeous autumnal shades from Maggie Anne’s extensive colour choice, for you to sport as summer melds into winter. Not only this, but it is vegan, 6-free and the formula is a winner.

We were lucky enough to receive the colours Olive, Sapphire, Nancy and Jasper. Olive, a muted sage green with creamy and grey undertones is ideal for the cooler months. Sapphire, like that of its name, is a rich blue, but still with those grey undertones to give it that autumnal vibe. We had to include a nude, as it is a staple in any girl’s collection, and Jasper is our new favourite. A best-seller for Maggie Anne, Jasper is the perfect pinky-beige that will complement any skin tone. For those who like a little pizzazz in their nail polishes, Nancy delivers a gorgeous deep purple with a shimmery shift.

Many people still remain unaware that regular nail polishes are not vegan; they contain ingredients derived from animals, such as crushed up beetles, fish scales and oyster shells. It is these ingredients that lend nail polishes their shine. However Maggie Anne has not compromised on the quality of their polishes, and they’ve achieved both a cruelty-free product and a fabulous formula. They have been given the stamps of approval from Peta and Beauty Without Bunnies. It is even ideal for pregnant women, as it is free from harmful chemicals. They are  6-free, meaning these formulas do not contain six harsh chemicals that many nail polishes contain, such as formaldehyde, toluene and camphor. The result is a gel-like finish without the use of a UV lamp or soaking your nails in toxic acetone. We’re not the only ones who champion Maggie Anne nail polishes. They won ‘Best Nail Brand’ at the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2017 and ‘Best Nail Polish’ at the Natural Health International Awards.

Purchase Olive here, Jasper here, Nancy here, and Sapphire here for £10.50 each, or sample the whole range here.