The Cool Projects : Mood of the Day Box of 7 Soaps

With Christmas just around the corner, spirits are high and keeping that festive mood going is just what we are looking for, that, and of course, finding the perfect last-minute Christmas gift. At The Amazing Blog we couldn’t resist this Mood Of The Day: Box of 7 Soaps by The Cool Projects, these are a set of 100% natural soaps, beautifully designed with feel-good themes that helps keep the festive mood going.

The Cool Projects is founded by Greek designer Marina Koriolano-Lykourezou and her artist life partner Giannis Zagorianakos after they moved to the island of Aegina from the hectic city of Athens. What they found there were lots of olive tree groves, and a beautiful environment, which would later spark their business idea. Living in Aegina brought Marina and Giannis closer to nature, prompting them to create handmade, natural cold processed soaps using the traditional Greek method of production. In 2013, they began their business journey with the launch of their soap company, Cool Soap. In a recent interview with Greece Is, the co-founders explain how they wanted to develop a “local product that could travel”, and their soaps, made from Aegina extra virgin olive oil and other natural ingredients, reflect just that. Greece is known for its olive oil, and it’s one of its top agricultural exports. Their goal is to “produce a series of quality natural handmade Greek olive oil soaps with respect to nature, people and animals.” Cool Soap has gained an international cult following and expanded to become the brand The Cool Projects, that we all know and love today. Under this umbrella are four collections, Body, Bath, Kitchen and Lifestyle.  The Cool Projects team work in collaboration with skilled artisans from Aegina to produce not only handcrafted soaps but also bath and home accessories ranging from ceramic cups to cutting boards.  The Cool Projects company, as a whole, values the importance of craftsmanship, high-quality designs, “natural handmade products, and an effort to sustain small traditional workshops.” The Cool Projects also works to respect the environment by reusing and recycling as much as possible and only using natural ingredients. 

The Mood Of The Day: Box of 7 Soaps is a part of ‘The Mood Series’ collection which has soap bars, soap flakes and shower gels. The idea for this product stemmed from a collaboration between The Cool Projects and graphic designer Iliana Alexandrou. They wanted to create the ideal gift by providing customers with natural and colourful soaps presented in unique packaging. These offer a range of olive oil-based soaps in seven different colours and scents to help improve specific moods, hence the name. What we like about these seven soaps, is that you can use one for every day of the week for a different positive affirmation. As we near Christmas, being able to choose a desirable mood to improve our day sounds like the best way to let the festivities commence! Each of The Mood Series soaps represents a different mood, curious, happy, loved, sexy, calm, relaxed, and lucky. 

As these soaps are all made with olive oil, they’re rich in antioxidants with anti-ageing properties and are packed with vitamins that leave skin moisturised. They use palm oil which they reassure us is from “responsible sources” see here for more on this. Plus a blend of carefully selected essential oils which are coloured with natural pigments and oxides to match the given mood. For the yellow ‘Curious’ mood soap, it is scented with rosemary and sage essential oils. Some studies have found that rosemary essential oil can increase brain activity and combat tiredness, and sage has been known to clear the mind and fight fatigue as well. The orange ‘Happy’ soap blends citrus fruits and rosewood essential oils together to create an improved mood. Citrus fruits harness the power of vitamin C to help combat depression and drowsiness, and rosewood essential oils have sedative properties that allow the body to calmly deal with stressors. The pink ‘Loved’ mood soap purposefully combines jasmine and bergamot essential oils to encourage a warm, loving feeling, as jasmine has been linked to acting as an aphrodisiac and bergamot is believed to help the brain release dopamine. The ‘Sexy’ red soap is scented with ylang-ylang and bay essential oils, known to promote sensual energy. The jasmine and lavender essential oils found in the blue ‘Calm’ soap accurately depict this mood, as they help relax your nerves to relieve stress. As for the ‘Relaxed’ mood soap, it’s a combination of lavender and chamomile essential oils that creates a masterful cocktail for relaxation. Lavender and chamomile are some of the most well-known essential oils for promoting a sense of calm and fighting both depression and anxiety. Finally,  ‘Lucky’ the green mood soap, is composed of lavender essential oil, which eases stress and boosts your mood, and eucalyptus essential oil, known to stimulate and revitalise your mind and body. 

Their stylish packaging is also very pleasing with the white canvas-looking background paired with the playful and colourful imagery exclusively designed by Iliana Alexandrou, with a character holding the ‘mood’ like a present. We think these are perfect for those looking to create a positive affirmation and good energy, making this box of 7 soaps the ideal gift for all. They also offer a single soap where you can select any specific mood which makes the perfect stocking filler at €4 each, see here. You can purchase the full set of The Mood Of The Day: Box of 7 Soaps on their website here for €22, or you can buy here in the UK for £18.

H Drop CBD : Sixty Moments

As the festive season gets underway, are you getting enough sleep? Perhaps you’re burning the candle at both ends.  Or maybe you’re lying awake feeling anxious about the spread of the new Covid variant. Well, at The Amazing Blog, we’d like to make a suggestion, to try these rather aptly named ‘Sixty Moments’ from one of our favourite and trusted CBD supplement brands, H DROP.

H Drop is a Dutch family business whose story began in the 19th-century when their great-grandfather Rochus Sliupas started his medical practice fighting cholera and tuberculosis outbreaks. Today, his great-grandson, also named Rochus, continues the family tradition of working in the wellbeing sector. Only this time, it’s with hemp-based full-spectrum THC-free CBD supplements. H Drop’s range currently comprises four CBD oils and two CBD capsules, and they conveniently have a CBD dosage calculator if you’re unsure of the amount to take. H Drop uses only 100% organic hemp, sourced from European fields and extracted in German/UK labs, with an ISO 9001 certification and manufactured under the HACCP  guidelines. This means that they comply with the strictest standards of processing raw materials, quality control, packaging and distribution of the products. Where they have perfected one of the most advanced extraction methods with CO2 chromatography technology. The CO2 extraction means that the CBD is a raw oil and not extracted at high temperatures, ensuring that the enhancing properties of the plant are not damaged. This method also allows them to detect and carefully remove 99.9% of THC molecules from the naturally extracted full-spectrum oil. The H Drop extract still contains all the beneficial cannabinoids (CBN, CBV, CBG, CBC), myrcene, limonene, pinene, humulene, flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, cannaflavins) and other terpenes which are found in hemp leaves, except for the intoxicating THC. You can also see their laboratory results here. The range is deemed suitable for everyone (although not vegans/vegetarians, as the capsules are made from bovine gelatine!) The packaging is simple and made of recycled cardboard and filled with hemp fibre. There’s also a nice touch with Braille on the sides, translating their motto of Hemp (fully organic), Help (GMP certified) and Health (CO2 extracted).

Sixty Moments’ capsules are a little stronger at 25mg of full-spectrum CBD than the other 10mg Sixty Breath which we reviewed a while back.  Although with the same ingredients, these have been specifically “created for those seeking precise and stronger dosage.” We took these to help improve our sleep patterns – anything to stop those 4 am brain scrambles that poke us awake. These, of course, are made worse at this time of year, with the series of late nights, followed by super-early mornings at our desks. Striving for better quality sleep and balance, these offer a potential solution done by taking some ‘Sixty Moments’ - and mindful moments - stop, breathe and clear the mind. CBD interacts with the serotonin receptors (these play a role in regulating our mood) and is thought to help promote a more positive mental state and a healthy functioning nervous system. The organic hemp oil in each capsule has the bonus of omega 3, 6 and vitamin E. The hemp oil contains cannabinoids that ease anxiety and help to reduce the symptoms of depression. The essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, are also known to improve memory and work to protect the brain and the nervous system and can work as an immune-enhancing supplement if taken regularly. Therefore helping to improve mood and enhance sleep quality

They suggest dividing the dosage evenly with 1, 2 or even 3 times a day. Swallow don’t chew and gradually increase the dose if needed but never exceed 200mg of CBD per day. The bottle contains 60 capsules (1,500mg) which offer approximately a 30 days supply. As they say, the amount of CBD you take will depend on several factors such as body weight and chemistry, the condition you’re treating and the concentration of CBD. For us, it was trying to regulate our sleep patterns, so we took two capsules at night and two during the day (total of 100mg). As we’re old hands, it only took a few days to kick in. It gave us a sense of calm, and so far, to quote H Drop, “no more anxious days and restless nights.” They are a little pricey, but worth it for the quality of the ingredients. To purchase H Drop: Sixty Moments 60 capsules for €89, see here.

Purdy & Figg : The Original Citrus Hand Sanitiser Spray

Now with Omicron, yet another strain of COVID-19 on the rise, it’s even more critical to keep hands clean and sanitised. And at The Amazing Blog with how often we use hand sanitiser, it’s a must to have one with a good fragrance too. This is where Purdy & Figg's Original Citrus Hand Sanitiser Spray comes into play. Plus, we love their coordinating Refillable Atomiser, making it even more convenient to carry hand sanitiser in our party bags this season.

Purdy & Figg is a company that was founded in pursuit of reducing "the number of toxic chemicals that we use on our skin and plastic waste around our homes." NHS nurse Purdy Rubin and horticulturist Charlotte Figg shared this passion and began experimenting with creating natural cleaning products for the home. When cold and flu season rolled around, these founders wanted to create a solution, "For a better, bacteria-killing and moisturising alternative to the toxic mass-produced hand sanitiser gels found everywhere else." Beyond their passion for finding good, natural products, they have helped others discover ways to make their own products. Purdy & Figg held "workshops to share their knowledge with others on how they could create great products at home, to save money and to help the planet." Purdy & Figg remains a family business with Purdy's sons now at the helm, and Charlotte & Purdy still creating new sprays and products. 

The Original Citrus Hand Sanitiser Spray is an effective sanitiser and made with 70% pharmaceutical grade alcohol and safe, pure essential oils. This spray has a sweet orange, pink grapefruit and niaouli flower scent, making it smell infinitely better than your standard hand sanitiser. For a sanitising product, it's impressive that there are only a few key ingredients: pharmaceutical grade Isopropyl Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (witch hazel), vegetable glycerin and three 100% pure essential oils. Witch hazel is a popular ingredient in skincare due to its anti-inflammatory and bacteria-fighting properties. Vegetable glycerin is Non-GMO and vegan friendly, and this ingredient is essential in helping the skin stay smooth while retaining moisture. This hand sanitiser has proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria. What we love is the uplifting fragrance of pink grapefruit, sweet orange, and the aromatic niaouli flower essential oils, which are energising with anti-depressant and naturally anti-bacterial properties, making them a winner. The essential oil niaouli will probably be new to our readers, it’s a relative of the tea tree plant with many similar healing benefits which is why it’s probably used here. It has sweet camphorous like top notes and undertones of eucalyptus, blends particularly well with the other essential oils pink grapefruit and sweet orange.

Purdy & Figg packages their products in sustainable glass bottles with the option to purchase refills. They even created a 15 ml refillable aluminium atomiser spray bottle in vibrant colours of red or blue (suitable for spotting quickly in a handbag!) With any of the four preferred Purdy & Figg sanitisers, fill up this container to have a stylish yet practical (and sustainable) way to carry your favourite sanitiser. Made of aluminium and glass this reusable container is small and convenient, allowing you to keep it unobtrusively in a pocket or in a tiny party bag.

We’re big fans of hand sanitiser sprays, as they’re easy, quick-drying and less fiddly to use than their gel cousins. Simply spray this Purdy & Figg sanitiser onto your palms then rub your hands together to ensure complete coverage and take in the beautiful scents of the essential oils. There are four fragrance blends to choose from with Floral, Woody, Frankincense & Myrrh and Citrus. Oh, and we must mention that they were voted best hand sanitiser of 2020 by ITV This Morning! This is another one of our #amazingfinds. To purchase the 50ml Original Citrus Hand Sanitiser Spray and 15ml Refillable Atomiser Spray, together, for £17.99 see here. We also think this makes a very practical stocking filler.

Clarity Blend - Mind Spa Bath & Body Oil

At this time of year, at The Amazing Blog, some of the favourite things we enjoy are aromatherapy based products - especially when we can add them into a long de-stressing hot soak. This is where this multi-tasking Mind Spa Body & Bath Oil from Clarity Blend’s comes to our aid. Also for Christmas gift ideas, we thought we’d kick off with Clarity Blend, and share a few more in the run-up to the big day.

Clarity Blend is a natural aromatherapy brand based in the heart of Berkshire, where they offer well-being and at-home spa products for a more balanced, positive, and healthier lifestyle. Bulgarian born Veronika and Dimitar Vasilev, founders of Clarity Blend, wanted to start a brand that shares their passion for aromatherapy. Their love for essential oils was founded when the couple wanted to reconnect with themselves and nature, helping to give them a calmer way of life. “With happy memories of growing up surrounded by the aromatic meadows of the Bulgarian countryside, we found ourselves craving the feeling of calm that time spent in nature had given us.” Their journey began after a long search for natural, non-toxic and sustainable products, that would fit their remit. So, they started with research combining nature’s best from woods, flowers, resins, and fruit essential oils to create quality products with the help of top clinical aromatherapists, and finally launching their two initial ranges with Sweet Dreams and Energy Boost. Clarity Blend values education and sharing the power of aromatherapy and its many benefits with its loyal customers. “The power of aromatherapy is a wonderful thing, and we’re passionate about sharing its benefits so you can enjoy a more balanced, positive, and healthier lifestyle. We like to call it ‘Nature in a bottle,” and they went on to say, “We source pure essential oils from all over the world and sprinkle a touch of our Bulgarian heritage into our blends. Our aim from the outset was to capture the essence of the meandering meadows and flowery scents of our childhoods and share their natural benefits.” All products are eco-friendly, 100% natural, vegan and free from artificial fragrances, parabens, sulphates, phthalates and SLSs. In addition, they are handmade in the UK under Good Manufacturing Practice using oils sourced from worldwide reliable suppliers. A core value of Clarity Blend is never harming endangered or vulnerable plant species. However, what makes this brand even more noteworthy is its sustainability efforts, where they use glass products, bamboo and rubber-capped glass, and metal roller balls to minimise the use of unnecessary plastic. Even their hampers and delivery boxes are made with kraft boxes, fully recyclable filling or biodegradable peanut pellets. They now have ten collections and within each of these are four different products with Body & Bath Oil, Bath Salts Roll-on and a Diffuser Blend.

The Mind Spa range focuses on relieving stress, anxiety, irritableness, and tension in daily life. Truly an at-home spa experience, filled with four key essential oils eucalyptus, patchouli, bergamot and lemongrass. Eucalyptus eases breathing, giving one a sense of fresh air and the feeling of a deep breath. This fresh and clean smell is one of our favourite oils of all time. Patchouli has antidepressant properties that help the nervous system and emotions become more balanced. It also gives this product a sweet and earthy scent. The Sicilian bergamot is fresh, citrusy with hints of floral, and exudes positive and happy vibes. Lastly, lemongrass helps reduce fatigue and lack of motivation by stimulating the mind and emotions. We’re focusing today on the Body & Bath Oil. This product is a good body oil that nourishes and moisturises the skin while also treating the mind and spirit, particularly when inhaling the aroma. In addition to the essential oils, this Body & Bath Oil also has the carrier oils of jojoba and almond. Both these oils treat dry skin while also reducing the appearance of stretch marks and scars. We were curious to try this product as it recently received the Bronze Award for Best 100% Natural product at the Global Green Beauty Awards 2021 and was a finalist for best body oil at the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2021. We put a few drops in our hands to warm it up. As directed, we applied it directly after shower or bath on warm, dry skin, then massaged it in gentle circular motions towards the heart. We also think that you could add a few drops of this oil to a warm bath for even greater relaxation. We liked how there was no oily greasy residue, and it absorbed quickly and thoroughly into the skin. It made us feel balanced, focused and boosted our end of the week self-care night. Whether you’re a beginner or avid lover of aromatherapy, the brand offers the opportunity to join their Wellness Club where you’ll receive valuable tips for healthy living. Plus, members get a free digital copy of our Wellness Pocket Companion and 10% off on all orders. To purchase Clarity Blend’s 100ml Mind Spa Body & Bath Oil, for £16, see here.

The Soap Loaf Company : Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit

We love a challenge at The Amazing Blog, and this time, we thought we’d try our hand at making a hand-crafted soap as it looked like a lot of fun! This award-winning Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit is from The Soap Loaf Crafting Company the same company that sent us their Solid Deodorant Making Kit, which we reviewed here. 

After working as a finance broker for 11 years, founder Natasha Green felt it was now time for her to get in touch with her creative side. This manifested itself into creating a bath and body care business, The Soap Loaf Company , in 2012. The company brings to market handmade toiletries and cosmetics, which has gone on to expand into their renowned DIY cosmetic workshops. Through The Soap Loaf Company, Natasha began to host soap-making parties for children's groups and organisations. As the parties expanded with new products and ideas, she decided that it was time to attract the adult customer audience. In 2018, Natasha launched a sister brand Cosmeti-Craft. It offers customers unique experiences to nurture their creative side and provides them with a wide array of cosmetic products to craft at home, from soap and bath bombs to deodorants and lip gloss. Now with over thirteen different locations around Yorkshire, The Soap Loaf Company has opened up spaces for adults and children alike to explore their crafting abilities. These workshop crafting parties include making body butter, lip balm, solid shampoo bars and deodorant, moisturiser, and many more. They also extend past the borders of Yorkshire and travels around the country hosting events and supporting charities. Cosmeti-Craft works hard to foster a self-care environment for its customers. The brand points out how it excels in the "field of self-care, wellbeing, and mindfulness offering the resources to create a unique self-care, personal hygiene based and creative cosmetic product." The essence of both these brands is to allow others to develop new creative skills in a way that improves their well-being. Many healthcare experts have linked crafting and participating in handmade activities, to a boost in an individual's morale together with a positive effect on mental health. The company also prioritises sustainability, as they're a plastic-free business and only use 100% recycled product wrapping and biodegradable glitter. They focus on offering fully compostable packaging, reusing and recycling all materials from their suppliers, and ordering materials in bulk to reduce shipping frequency and CO2 emissions. They also collect bottle tops for a specialist recycling group, offer paper bags in store for customers, and reward customers with a 20% discount for bringing refillable containers when making further purchases. As a vegan and cruelty-free company, their Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit Kit  (see below) was recently awarded the Best Soap Bar Gold Winner at the 2021 UK Global Makeup Awards. Natasha Green has also been recognised for her impressive business acumen and was a finalist for the Best Business Woman in Retail or Consumer Business at the 2019 Best Business Women Awards.

This time we were lucky enough to be sent the Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit.  The Soap Loaf Company promotes this crafting experience as "the best bar of soap, is one that the consumer makes for themselves." This Soap Making Kit allows you to create two different 85g soaps, which you can decorate and colour in your own manner, giving you the opportunity to explore your creative side. The kit comes with two different kinds of SLS free soap bases, a fragrance oil, two different types of floral petals, soap colour, soap mould equipment, and a step-by-step tutorial to help you through it.  All you need is a microwaveable mixing bowl or large jug, a wooden spoon, and a microwave. The two types of soap bases are translucent, which we used (see photo above) or an opaque one. They are both glycerin and SLS-free (SLS is an acronym for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), a surfactant known to irritate the skin. Glycerin, on the other hand, is a humectant; it hydrates and helps the skin to retain moisture. Without SLS's, the glycerin soap base is more effective in soothing all skin types, including sensitive ones. The kit also comes with a rose fragrance oil that gives the soap its calming floral scent. Rose essential oil combines vitamins and minerals with benefits for both the mind and body; and has antiseptic properties that help combat redness and irritation. The dried rose petals in the kit, apart from the fresh floral fragrance roses emanate, also have other benefits mentioned above. The dried marigold petals are known as an anti-inflammatory and have antioxidant properties to aid with collagen production. Apart from the refreshing botanicals, both these petals contribute to the soap exfoliant properties make the skin soft. The brand also encourages you to experiment with other ingredients, like dried flowers or coconut oil, for increased moisturising and further exfoliating effects. We particularly liked making this soap bar because it avoids all artificial preservatives, chemical foaming agents, and palm oil. 

To help you create your hand-crafted rose soap bar, the kit has an in-depth set of instructions. The process includes using a 'melt and pour' method, where you melt the soap base in the microwave and then mix the ingredients in, using your own unique blend. Then simply pour the contents into the mould and let it set. This will take about thirty minutes, but if you are feeling eager to see your finished product, you can pop it in the fridge, and it should be cool and set in just fifteen minutes. Once it’s all set, gently peel off the mould, and voila! The soap is now ready. If you are not using the soap immediately and avoid surface condensation, it is best to store it in a cool and dry area in an airtight container or cling wrap. NB Cosmeti-Craft advises that this soap should be used within six months of making as it doesn’t have any preservatives.  We loved how the soap smelt, looked and felt and think that it makes not only the perfect Christmas gift but also a super-easy crafting and activity project. The Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit can be purchased here for £19.99, and if you are looking for more structured guidance, you can purchase it for £29.99 here with the Online Workshop Session.