Gift Fripery Workshops

We have all been in that position where we have spent ages carefully selecting a gift for a loved one, only to gift wrap it and find that it looks anything other than special! At The Amazing Blog, we believe that appearance matters, and so we think every pressie should look perfect. If, like us, you struggle with your gift wrapping skills, don’t panic, because professional gift wrapper, Amanda White, from Gift Frippery, is on hand to teach you everything you need to know. Amanda hosts regular gift wrapping workshops that can turn even the most novice of gift wrappers amongst us into a wrapping extraordinaire.

Amanda offers two or five hour gift wrapping courses that can teach you all the basics from how to create bespoke gift tags to the wrapping techniques to master awkward shaped gifts – we are all thinking of wine bottles! Her course also involves teaching different styles of gift wrapping – including upcycling techniques to recycle old materials and transform them into beautiful gift wrapping.

Don’t worry if, like me, you are a useless wrapper, Amanda believes that, ‘what most people lack is inspiration, but I think I’m quite good at unlocking that creativity, then there’s no stopping them!’ So there is hope for us all. With Christmas approaching faster than we would like to think about, now is the best time to improve your gift wrapping skills.

 If you would like to find out more about attending one of Amanda’s workshops than visit the Gift Frippery website for more information, a five hour workshop will cost you only £50 per person and includes all the materials you will need. Gift Frippery also hold DIY Wedding crafts workshops to teach you how to create beautiful, personal touches for your special day.

The Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair

As you know, here at The Amazing Blog, we LOVE fashion! If you do too, then there is only one place to be this weekend. The Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair. The fair specialises in vintage pieces, including fashion, accessories and collectible textiles. The collections will consist of key iconic pieces from various eras so there will be something for all lovers of vintage whatever you era of preference. So you are bound to come across something that will spice up your wardrobe.

Over the last four years, the fair has become a key fashion event for not just lovers of vintage, but also leading figures in the fashion industry. Alongside the vintage collections you will be able to find numerous vintage lifestyle brands selling everything from brooches to teacups.

Onsite will be a fabulous vintage salon run by Nata­sha Hall, the founder of Lip­stick & Curls who will be there all day to help add a touch of glamour to your look whether you want the look of a Gatsby-esque flapper girl or a sixties go go dancer. And to top it all off, when you are all shopped out you can take a break in the Tea Salon, which will be serving all the traditional English favourites from vintage china. Between 12 and 3pm you will find a wealth of entertainment here. You can try your hand at some etiquette training or relax and take in a range of performer showcases.

If you would love to attend this fabulously vintage event then get down to Old Finsbury Town Hall on the 15th September between 11am - 5pm. Entry will cost you just £4 and if you are a student with an NUS card, just £2! For more information about the fair visit the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair website.

The Karen Gilbert Perfumery Masterclass

 

It probably comes as no surprise that we absolutely love perfume here at The Amazing Blog. Everyone has their ‘signature scents’ and favourite fragrance notes. I love to have a variety of perfumes so that I can switch from day to night and summer to winter. But have you ever wondered how perfumes are created and what goes into them? We have found the most wonderful events that can answer all of our fragrance related questions. Karen Gilbert is an author and natural beauty expert who offers perfumery classes and workshops so that you can get an inside look at the world of perfumes.

Karen is offering a 5 day intensive perfumery masterclass from the 9th-13th of September, perfect for perfume enthusiasts. Each day is devoted to a different fragrance family: Citrus, Floral, Chypre, Fougere, Oriental, and Modern Abstracts. You will look at an iconic selection of fragrances from each family, and learn exactly what ingredients create these scents. You will also learn about how to play up the base notes and end up creating your very own fragrance each day! This course is perfect for anyone deeply interested in the world of fragrance, as it is a bit of an investment at £800, but you will have the skill and the knowledge for life. Karen also offers one day and weekend workshops that are less in depth, but more of an overview of the world of perfumes. They cover topics like ‘training your nose’ and ‘practical blending techniques’. These day and weekend courses range between £150 and £350.

If you are interested in booking one of these perfumery classes with Karen Gilbert, visit her website for all related information and booking. These classes will make a perfect gift for a loved one, or if you are perfume fanatic, this is a lovely treat for yourself.

If you are inspired by Karen to learn more about perfumes, Harrods are currently running masterclasses, talks and consultations with famous perfumers. Christine Nagel will be revealing her new perfume for Jo Malone on Tuesday 3^rd September 3pm-5pm, entry will cost £50. Linda Pilkington will be running a perfume making competition where she will pick the best fragrance( winning you a bottle of champagne) on Wednesday 4^th September 3pm-5pm, costing £40. On Thursday 5^th September at 8pm, Thierry Wasser will be conducting a Q&A session for Guerlain, entry is £40. Finally on Friday 6^th September 12pm-4.30pm, Michel Almairac will be giving a talk about the creation of the signature scent for Chloé, entry is £20. If you would like more information about these events and to book, please call 020 7730 1234.

Afternoon Tea at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant

Here at The Amazing Blog we are big fans of tea, in fact we have at least eight varieties on the go in the office! But sometimes a mid afternoon tea break just doesn’t cut it, we want to be treated like royalty... Luckily we have found an idyllic spot to spend our bank holiday weekend, basking in the sunshine at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant. Here you can relax and enjoy the splendid scenery, all whilst indulging in a wonderful afternoon teathat is fit for a Queen.

You can dine in Queen Anne’s 18^th Century Orangery in the Kensington Palace Gardens, which we think is a perfect bank holiday treat for any tea and cake lover. The afternoon tea looks delicious, there is a range of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and pastries served as well as a selection of over ten different teas.  Afterwards  you can take a stroll through the enchanting gardens of the palace as well as see the historic King’s and Queen’s State Apartments.

For this quintessentially English treat,  afternoon tea starts at £22.65 per person, and for £29.95 you can also indulge in a glass of wine with your afternoon tea and see the new ‘Fashion Rules Exhibition’; a collection of dresses worn by HM The Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. Whether you are just visiting London or have lived here all your life, this is sure to be an afternoon you won’t forget. To book your Afternoon Tea, please visit the Kensington Palace ORangery Restaurant website .

Go on a Sugar Rush with Chocolate Ecstasy Tours

 

At The Amazing Blog, it isn't just beauty products and fashion that gets our gears going. We absolutely adore food; each one of us having our favourite things to enjoy. Personally, I am an avid lover of chocolate. I find myself always pondering new ways to enjoy my favourite sweet treat. What I can eat it with, or on, and what are the newest and most delicious chocolates on the market. When I found out about the Chocolate Ecstasy Tours, I was incredibly excited, as it is a tour completely about chocolate.

 

The founder, Jennifer Earle, believes that each tour should be a ‘chocolate adventure’ starting with a hot chocolate, and ending with the guests being ‘completely chocolat-ed out’. To me, this sounds like a perfect way to spend a day. There are four different tours to choose from, and I promise, you will want to attend every single one! First on the list is the Mayfair Chocolate Tour, which samples some of the most traditional chocolates in England, even the Queen’s favourite. This tour is perfect for milk chocolate lovers of all ages. A more sophisticated option is the Chelsea Tour, where you will be sampling chocolates from some of the most cutting edge chocolatiers that include a few award-winners. This tour is perfect for someone who wants to become a true connoisseur of the sweet! There is also an Evening Tour, in which you delve into the VIP treatment and get to sample bespoke chocolate cocktails and even get to watch chocolate being made.  Last, but certainly not least: the Full Day Chocolate Tour in which you receive 8 hours of chocolate upon chocolate. Meals are served as well on this tour, so you won’t have to worry about a sugar overload.

The best thing, in my opinion is that on any Chocolate Ecstasy Tour, you are sampling premium chocolate, without artificial flavourings and vegetable fats. You can also choose a customised tour for occasions like a hen party or a birthday. For booking and a calendar of dates, check out the Chocolate Ecstasy Tours website.