Tag: plant skincare

Sometimes it’s hard not to feel drowned in by the amount of new beauty launches and to choose wisely, not impulsively. But the older I become, the better I understand not just myself, but my skin & body needs, so they are the ones to dictate my skincare choices, not the marketing or advertising. As consumers we also develop affinity with certain brands, which makes us keep an eye on their new launches & A.S. Apothecary is one of those brands for me. Amanda Saurin‘s latest launch, Wild Beauty Balm Concentrate No.30 came about ‘over a series of months, meetings & musings’, including with yours truly. Once I tried one of Amanda’s early samples of the balm I was intrigued, after using the launched balm for about a couple of months, I can now say that it has become tightly woven into the fabric of my daily skincare routine.

Unscrew the lid, close your eyes & take a few deep, slow breaths, inhaling the indulgently flowery, uplifting scent that brings an almost instant feeling of calm & comfort. Open your eyes & continuing to take deep breaths, dip your finger into the smooth surface of the balm (and feel the satisfaction, as it sinks into a rich texture, releasing its aroma even more).

Amanda developed this balm over months, testing & refining it tirelessly, trying to create a product that will nurture not just your skin, but your soul as well. Several moons ago, when I visited Amanda in her studio in Lewes, well before she opened her beautiful store, I showed her a multipurpose balm that I use for healing the skin. I stock up on it in Moscow during my visits, as I came to rely on it due to its multiple purpose use, but it has a big minus, as its texture becomes too runny when it is warm, which led to quite a few accidents during my travels in the past. A lovely, but in someways imperfect product (and not 100% natural), which clearly gave Amanda some food for thought & the end result of her creative process continues to blow me away with its nurturing loveliness. As I was writing this post & exchanging e-mails with Amanda, it was important for me to incorporate her wise & creative voice into the conversation about this product, as noone understands the process behind its birth better than she does.

‘I also find ridiculous pleasure in opening the new pot and pressing my finger hard onto the surface, feeling it give way to reveal the soft buttery interior…’[...] read more