Tenax Hair Pomade

Anyone who knows the team at The Amazing Blog knows that the chance of a sojourn to the haven that is Florence is always greeted with a less than dignified scramble to the front door … sadly this time it was all in vain. However, we were placated with the next best thing, as a little bit of Firenze came to visit us in the form of a rather attractive tin from the Tenax team with something special to keep our tresses in tiptop shape.

Shape being the operative word here; this is serious styling ground as the rhinoceros on the packaging suggests - however, no rhino was harmed in the process of bringing this gem to market, we are assured. Tenax have clearly gone to a lot of trouble in developing a brand which can be recognised as Italian, and as trusted as the Vespa scooter. However, the power of such brand recognition is being used to the fullest here as lifting the lid of this delicious pomade immediately transports us to the romance of that incredible place, conjuring up powerful images of suavely turned out ‘Italian gentiluomo’ going about their lives with no hair out of place … and if there is, it’s probably meant to be there, such is their relaxed confidence.

The beauty of this Tenax range is the strength of hold it provides without the cloying clagginess which can be the disappointing by-product of lesser brands. There’s nothing worse than a gentle run-through of the hair turning into a tussle to free the digits whilst trying to retain some semblance of composure! Fortunately the Tenax Matte Pomade saves us from such misery, as when it says it will give you long-lasting hold for whichever style you are going for … well to coin a phrase … it does exactly what it says on that tin! A light masculine fragrance, the water-based wax is simplicity itself to apply by rubbing a small amount between the palms and styling at your own pace - with quality like this, you too can enjoy the suave confidence that our italian friends who make look so completely effortless. For your Tenax Pomade - Matte in 125ml for £14.50 see here Bellissimo!

Leather Love

So a couple of weeks ago I found myself wandering around the shops looking for a new pair of black ankle boots - I came across a fantastic sale on the most amazing black leather ankle boots: they fitted perfectly and were completely my style - so perfect. I was more than pleased when I got home and tried them on again, 'the best purchase ever' I thought to myself. However, I didn't really think about protecting them - until I wore them out in the pouring rain on my way to work on Monday morning. I arrived to the office and Edwina, our Executive Editor, told me off and gave me a rather glamorous jar of what looked like a face cream (!) " Go ahead, this is new and probably one the best shoe polish you'll ever use, Lara." So I tried Leather Love's Shoe Polishing Cream... And I must say that my boots (and recently my handbag)  really love it. It has a light creamy texture with a very pleasing smell (and yes, I have to say in haste that could easily be mistaken for an face cream!) Leather Love is inspired by the beauty counters - leather is skin that needs to be cleansed and moisturised just like ours does, so why not have a skincare routine for our leather products too? Leather Love uses a blend of the finest and natural ingredients to create their nourishing formulas and cleaning sprays without being harmful to your leather products or the environment. One of their ingredients is the rather unusual Carnauba Wax that comes from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm grown in Northern Brazil - it's widely used in all forms of polishes and cosmetics, AND even food. In this case it's mixed with Beeswax to treat and waterproof many leather products where it provides a high-gloss finish and it increases the leather's durability.

When it comes to their packaging, it really looks like you're dealing with skincare - the design of the jars is quite exquisite; black with elegant white details (something you wouldn't expect from a shoe polish!) As Michael Davies the co-founders of Leather Love said "We want take our leather care products from being hidden under the kitchen sink to being displayed on the pages of Vogue." The smell is very pure and fresh - it doesn't smell chemically at all, a fact that impressed us all  at The Amazing Blog.

Love Leather gently cleanses and moisturises your prized shoes and bags. Edwina's Temperley bag  after being 'moisturised' by Leather Love survived an express visit to a cold and wintery Glasgow, coming back to London safe and unmarked.  We at The Amazing Blog we can't recommend Leather Love enough to make your precious collection of shoes and bags last forever and ever...