Topp Box - A Monthly Subscription For Men

We are huge fans of the monthly subscription boxes at The Amazing Blog, but we know it can be hard to find the right one for you as the internet is awash with potential options. As great as it would be to subscribe to them all unless you have a bottomless pit of funds it’s a little fiscally unfeasible.  However, having spent a long time scouring the internet, we think we have found the Holy Grail for male subscription boxes, Topp Box. It’s the perfect blend of premium male beauty products and cosy accessories that will leave you feeling pampered and prepared. 

Each month Topp Box will send you an assorted box with 4-5 products selected to suit you and your needs. The boxes are filled with premium grooming and lifestyle products from top brands. The box we received contained a talc-free men’s body powder from Fromonda, an S5 Skincare Resilience Mask, a Henri Lloyd ocean Mineral Spray Sun Defence Cream, a Pits and Bits Rinse Free Body Wash, and a pair of delightful socks from TOPPSOCKS. It’s hard to choose a favourite item from the box, but we are especially fond of the sun cream which had an amazing scent. For only £16 a month it is a steal as the retail value of the box would come to over £40.00; four out of the five products were full size. 

This is the perfect way to treat yourself, it also makes a great gift, and with Christmas around the corner, it’s a fabulous present that keeps on giving. Click here to sign up to the subscription box of your dreams. 

Eco Soapia- Organic Sicilian Orange Hand and Body Wash

It’s a simple fact that you can’t make quality products without using quality ingredients, and we at The Amazing Blog have made this fact a way of life. As such we are always on the hunt for brands that also follow this belief and it has never failed us. This week we came across the legendary brand Eco Soapia who has turned making soap into an art form. Three generations of soap making knowledge have been collected to make this brand as perfect as it can be. 

With a large selection of choices, we decided to try their Organic Sicilian Orange Hand and Body Wash. Unlike conventional soaps which are created using cheap and chemically laden ingredients, which harm skin, Eco Soapia uses only organic ingredients that are Soil Association Certified.  There are no sodium lauryl sulphates, parabens, GMO’s, DEA’s, MEA’s, artificial colours or fragrances. What’s more, the product is cruelty-free and  has been approved by the vegetarian society. The soap, based on an original 1930’s family recipe, left our skin feeling cleansed and clean. The soap has a fresh and citrus scent that lasted all day. 

For centuries the vegetable-based Castile has been considered the soap of European royalty, so treat you and your skin to some luxury. You can purchase the Sicilian Orange Hand and Body Wash here for £6.95. 
 

Friday Favourites LAPADA Arts and Antiques Fair- 2017

The annual LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair is the leading showcase for art and antiquities on an international level and has grown to become one of the most prestigious events in the London social calendar. The Amazing Blog has been a huge fan of the fair since its inception in 2009, as it brings 100 exhibitors together to present work from across the art, antiques, design, and decorative arts spectrum. The authenticity of all these exhibitors is assured by the 70-member specialist committee who approve each item before the show begin. 

We love the variety of what is featured at the fair, from ornate furniture, to delicate jewels, to eye-catching pieces of art, the fair has it all. It is an entirely unique London event that brings together a vast collection of sought-after pieces that are bound to appeal to all; whether you are a first-time buyer or a collector, or a hoarder of the finer things. With prices varying from an affordable £500 to a more eyebrow raising £500,000 the fair is filled with goodies certain to please you and have a place in your home. 

LAPADA will be held at Berkeley Square between the 15th and 20th of September. A ticket will cost you £20 for entry during between the 15th and 20th, whereas a collectors ticket will get you in the day before and only costs £65.00.

Rouge Bunny Rouge- Burgundy Spring

We at The Amazing Blog adore trying out unique makeup products, so when Rouge Bunny Rouge sent us their Burgundy Spring gift set, we were excited. The set includes a blush wand, a shimmery quartz eyeliner and, most excitingly, a deep wine-red mascara.

Rouge Bunny Rouge’s Magnitude Mascara UBIQUITOUS is the perfect mascara for anyone looking for long, curvy and voluminous lashes, with a twist. The mascara with its unique colour gives you a natural yet intense look. The colour adds a little touch of originality to your everyday makeup. The colour will suit every skin colour and really make eyes pop. The UBIQUITOUS mascara is much more than it's burgundy colour; it is made with a unique formulation including paraffin Wax, carnauba wax, beeswax and silk proteins. Together these ingredients give a very soft texture and consistency to the product and help protect lashes. The mascara is long lasting and is also alcohol and fragrance-free, making it ideal for sensitive eyes.

The Blush Wand is our favourite blush that transcends the seasons. The creamy blush gives you a natural and glowy look on a hot summer day, but also gives the cheeks a gorgeous autumnal plummy colour when applied more liberally. The blush is easily blendable and buildable; it glides smoothly onto the cheeks leaving a colourful natural stain. Not only is this product an amazing blush that instantly brightens your face in just a swipe, but it is also infused with high-quality ingredients including jojoba oil and spherical powders. What we love about this product is that it is multi-use; it can also be applied on the lips and eyes. It is the perfect product to put in your daily makeup bag for busy mornings.

The liner is ideal for those of you who like to sport a bolder look. The Quartz Eyeliner is made from particles of artificial quartz giving it an enchanting deep blue colour. The formula is amazing, in that the water based formula makes it easy to apply and it dries quickly for day-long staying power, without smudging. It is also very pigmented and instantly transforms your look into a powerful and mysterious one.

The Burgundy Spring gift set is limited edition, but luckily it is still available here for €60 (approximately £55). Unfortunately, all of Rouge Bunny Rouge's prices are in Euro's, but you can still purchase them if you live in the UK.

Friday Favourites: Tipples With a Twist

Whether you are a cider lover, live only for gins, or a wine aficionado, here are some flavourful and delicious must-have drinks to have in your possession. If you're bored of the usual drinks on offer, we at The Amazing Blog have a selection of some traditional drinks with a unique and interesting twist. 

The Fifty Pounds Gin is produced by a family owned distillery located in London. It is traditionally made with the finest grains spirit distilled four times. The gin is produced using a method that is centuries old, known as Batch Process Distillation, which Fifty Pounds Gin hark as the best way to get the purest gin possible. It is thrice filtered, making sure all impurities are removed. It is self-proclaimed as the 'smoothest gin ever' and we have to agree. The method they adopt is delicate and painstaking; however, we reckon it is worth it. The botanicals selection, a combination of herbs, spices, fruits and flowers, makes it extremely delicious and nuanced in flavour. Where most gins focus on the juniper berries (the ingredient that makes gin a gin, and which can be a bit heavy or resinous), Fifty Pounds Gin have made the more mellow coriander seed their hero ingredient. Angelica root then contributes a lovely earthy and spicy flavour.

It is a classic, smooth, rich and fresh drink that goes well with a good tonic and a lemon zest. A special mention should be made for the design of the bottle that is inspired by the first ever gin bottles, giving them a beautiful vintage appearance. 

You can purchase the Fifty Pounds Gin 70cl bottle here at £34.99.

Cider Lovers are going to love the Cranes Cranberry Cider. When twin brothers Ben and Dan decided to go into the business they thought that cranberries should be the key ingredient of their drinks and they thought well!

Cranes cranberry ciders are a mixture of the finest cranberries and apples which makes them very refreshing, light and tasteful. The ciders are naturally light as the sweetness comes from the fruits used during the production rather than additional sugars, and therefore they have 30% fewer calories than brand leaders. You can enjoy these sweet ciders guilt-free! These delicious cranberry ciders are available in three sublime flavours.

The Cranberry & Lime is one of our favourites; it is crisp, light and ideal for an afternoon refreshment. The second flavour is Blueberry & Apple; a perfectly sweet pairing. The third flavour is the Raspberry & Pomegranate, which is as fresh and invigorating as the first two but with that little delightful fruity taste that makes all the difference. 

A case of 12 Cranes Cranberry Cider can be purchased here at £27.60.

Famous for its alcoholic drinks, the Republic of Ireland will be soon renowned for its fruit wines. Móinéir wines are luxurious artisan fruit wines made in Wicklow Way Wines, the first ever Irish fruit winery. The wines are made from 100% Irish fruits.

The Blackberry Wine is a delicious blend of blackberries and wild elderberries; an Irish plant that was foraged in the Wicklow Mountains. The wine is intensely flavourful and fruity but with a light body making it easy to drink.  The Móinéir Blackberry Wine is a perfect choice for a light aperitif and goes wonderfully well with red meats.

The brand’s Irish Strawberry Wine is created with juicy, delicious handpicked Irish strawberries gently pressed to capture the most of their flavour. It is an aromatic, slightly sweet and crisp wine that will satisfy the palate of wine lovers. Here at The Amazing Blog, we love combining it with some dark chocolate, a real treat! We love that these are a little taste of Ireland captured in a bottle.                                                

Both wines are suitable for vegans and are unique gifts to offer to your loved ones.

You can purchase the Strawberry Wine here at 21.99€ and The Blackberry Wine here at 24.99€. Fortunately, you can buy the products in GBP by using PayPal.   

Sloane Home has found the way to our hearts with the Lone Stag Spirits: the LONE STAG SPIRIT Raspberry and Lime Gin Infusion and the LONE STAG ZESTY Clementine, Lemon and Lime Vodka Infusion.The drinks are traditionally produced in the heart of the British countryside with only the finest ingredients. Bottled, packaged and labelled by hand they are more delicious and savoury than any spirit made by machines. 

The spirits offer an excellent tasting experience; you can taste and identify all the ingredients used during the production. The sweetness and acidity are well balanced making the drinks taste natural, delicate and aromatic. The Lone Stag Spirits come in a fabulous case with cocktail ideas, transforming you into the new cocktails master. It is also a great gift for your friends and family.

We are very fond of these flavourful spirits, and we are not the only ones. Indeed, the LONE STAG SPIRIT Raspberry & Lime Gin infusion was awarded a Great Taste Award by the Guild of fine food August 2017 and the LONE STAG ZESTY Clementine, Lemon & Lime Vodka infusion won the same award in 2016.

If you want a taste of these delicious spirits, you can purchase a Sloane Hamper including both bottles here at £45.00.

We here at the blog can no longer have a dinner or go to a party without one of these drinks. This great selection of diverse and unique drinks will be a show-stopper at any dinner party.