Posh Tart - Filthy Velvet

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love nothing more than lighting some candles and unwinding with a few close friends, so when Filthy Velvet sent us one of their fun candles to try, we couldn't wait to use it.

There is a cheeky element to Filthy Velvet that we love, and while they make fabulous candles with beautiful scents, they don't take themselves too seriously. The candles, or "Scented Scandals" as they call them, are chic and set in a circular metal tin, looking at home on any counter, table or mantelpiece. The fun begins as you watch a shocked friend reading one of Filthy Velvet's unexpected names, such as "Big Pants" or "Busty Blonde" or "Pot Head." The provocative product names are original, odd and hilarious, making a superb gift for your sassiest friend.

We were sent the apple pie candle "Posh Tart" which had a sweet apple aroma, with notes of rich, spicy cinnamon and hints of nutmeg, vanilla and sugar pastry. The scent was noticeable but subtle, so you don't have to worry about it overpowering your home. Filthy Velvet's products are all hand poured in Northern Ireland, and are made from the finest fragrance oils, natural wax and cotton wicks. With a burn life of up to 50 hours, these "filthy little scandals" are sure to leave you smiling for a long time.  

If you want the perfect quirky candle for your home, or a fun gift to give to a loved one, you can purchase a candle from their website here from £10.50.

The Dictionary of Idiocy - Stephen Bayley

According to Wittgenstein, if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever happen. When The Amazing Blog came across with the chance of reviewing this unique and quirky book, we couldn’t just say no. Stephen Bayley talks objects, abstract concepts, technology, ideas and opinions... in a nutshell, about anything that makes the world tick.

When I began reading The Dictionary of Idiocy I was delighted with the way it started: “This is a book about opinions. It is a misguided tour with no real beginning or end, but one which passes some interesting places on the way. Opinions require knowledge and a quest for knowledge is a defining characteristic of civilisation”.

Stephen Bayley does a brilliant job gathering curious, funny and shocking facts about cars, nudity, art, wine, perfume and many other ‘every day’ issues… general stuff, as they say. One of the things I’ve liked the most about this witty and clever book is that even though the author intends to criticise humanity’s opinions on 'general stuff', Bailey expresses his own with useful and very interesting etymological observations too.

Even the title of the book has an encrypted meaning of its own… “’Idiocy’ has become to mean a deficient intellect, almost synonymous with stupidity, which the dictionary says is a slowness of mental processes. But originally, an ‘idiot’ was a private man. This is the form of idiocy we are examining here: the private man with opinions of his own”.

You can buy Stephen Bayley’s book from Amazon for £6.39.