Friday Favourites - Valentine's Day Feature

We here at The Amazing Blog are all about Valentine’s Day. We quite fancy celebrating all of the relationships in our life, including those with our family, friends and romantic partners.

Even though we show them love every day, it’s nice to have one special day every year designed to show our appreciation. Check out our top gift suggestions so you can give your loved ones proper gifts this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is all about romance and love, so set the mood with a relaxing, heart-shaped candle from Ancienne Ambiance. Their special Valentine’s Day candles come in two colours: romantic red and elegant ivory. With three wicks and a burn time of 90 hours, these candles will last all day long to make your Valentine’s Day extra special.

The candles have a Damascan rose scent that stays strong throughout its burn time, so you home will even have a special Valentine’s Day touch to it. If you purchase the elegant ivory candle, you can also opt for an unscented version if you’re not keen on the rose scent.

Pick up the romantic red candle here and the elegant ivory candle here for £40 each, and keep the flame alive this Valentine’s Day.

Since hearts are a signature icon to represent Valentine’s Day, many companies are selling products adorned with hearts for the holiday. The team at In-Spaces are no exception, yet their Valentine’s products stand out from the rest due to their creative spin on everyday products.

A few of our favourite Valentine’s Day exclusive products are the Handmade Porcelain Hanging Heart with a Red Flower (£7), the Pink Bespoke Table Lamp (£120) and the Queen of Hearts Red Egg Cup (£7). All of the products are handmade, designed with care and feature the signature Valentine’s Day colours – red and pink.

You can also check out the Valentine’s Day section of the In-Spaces website for more suggestions and ideas for what to gift your loved ones this year.

Nothing quite says “Valentine’s Day” like a bouquet of beautiful red roses. The luxury flower brand Roses Only recognises this and strives to offer only the best when it comes to floral arrangements.

Only the finest flowers make the cut to be placed in a Roses Only bouquet, coming from England, Ecuador and Holland. When roses aren’t enough, they are pleased to compliment your bouquet with lilies, tulips, gerberas or a mixture of every type, depending on what you’d like to see.

Even though red roses are the company’s top favourite and best-seller, they also offer roses in the following colours: pink, white, yellow, lilac and orange. The bouquet are placed in elegant flower boxes and tied with ribbon, although you can request a vase if desired. You can also buy a roses set, paired with a bottle of champagne and a chocolate bar, for that very special someone.

Check out the Roses Only website to see all of their limited-edition Valentine’s Day arrangements.

We never need an excuse to indulge in some delicious chocolates, but Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy a few sweets. This year, we’re loving the fine Valentine’s chocolates from Demarquette, which are both delicious and visually appealing.

The pink and red heart-shaped chocolates are filled with Marc Demarquette’s speciality melting caramel, as well as fresh fruit purees. A combination of freshly-picked Devon strawberries combined with passion fruit puree and the caramel, make for a beautiful combination of tastes perfect for the holiday. Each heart is covered with the Demarquette milk chocolate house blend for the perfect finishing touch.

Pick up your own set of Demarquette chocolate hearts here for £12 and put a smile on your loved one’s face with the simple goodness of quality chocolate. 

Friday Favourites - Lip Balm Feature

We at The Amazing Blog love a good lip balm for keeping our lips moisturised. This week, we picked our four favourite balms that will ensure your lips stay soft and smooth all day long.
 

Stress from work and bitter, weather-induced colds can mean unsightly cold sores, which can affect your confidence and your party-ready image. Thankfully, we have the liquorice lip balm from Skin Shop to keep cold sores at bay and our lips hydrated. The lip balm contains liquorice extract, so it helps to reduce the severity and duration of cold sores naturally. It evens works better than most traditional cold sore treatments, but doubles as a chic balm that comes in a stylish, circular container. The liquorice balm is free of parabens, perfumes, MI and SLS and is clear and natural with a faint liquorice aroma. To cure your cold sores fast and prevent new outbreaks from occurring, get your own container from Skin Shop here for £7.95 and get ready to see immediate results and flawless lips.

For a fabulous lip balm you can share with your lover, we love the unscented lip balm from Dr. Harris & Co. because of its modern packaging and super moisturising texture. The balm contains menthol and cocoa butter, which are restorative properties designed to make you lips as smooth as possible. It’s unscented and has a lightweight texture that is never sticky or overwhelming, and feels as soft as butter on your lips. The product is luxurious yet affordable and was previously featured in the British Airways First Class bag. To get your own Dr. Harris lip balm, head to their website here and pick one (or two) up for £4.95 and get ready for a kiss-worthy pucker.

Trying to find a solution to dry, cracked, winter-damaged lips? Look no further than the transparent lip balm from Couleur Caramel cosmetics for an easy, one-step fix. The lip balm is loaded with super-nourishing ingredients and comes in a cute lipstick-style tube, rather than a standard lip balm tube or pot. Since it isn’t sticky and feels ultra-lightweight, you can apply it as often as you desire from its lipstick-style tube to instantly smooth and soften your lips. It applies cleanly and is a wonderful base before using your standard coloured lipstick. Get your hands on your own nourishing balm for £15 on the Couleur Caramel website here and never worry about chapped lips again.

For a fresh and tropical twist on your everyday lip balm, we highly recommend the lime and coconut lip balm from Filbert’s Bees, a 100% natural body care company. The lime and coconut lip balm is only one of many different balms the company makes, but this flavour is one of their best sellers. It comes in a cute, little tin that makes it easy to take with you wherever you go. The organic coconut scent offers a smooth, buttery feel, while the zesty lime scent refreshes and awakens the senses. When combined, the two scents will transport you from your office to a tropical holiday whenever you use the product. To pick up your own Filbert’s lip balm, head here and purchase as many as you’d like for £3.85 each.

Friday Favourites - Touché by Flavien

We here at the Amazing Blog have tried our fair share of anti-ageing products. We particularly rate some of the collagen supplements which we have experimented with recently. And we still have a plethora of anti-ageing products that we are gradually working our way through. However, there is one company that always seems to stand out for us. In fact, our Executive Editor just can’t get enough of Touché by Flavien and the products that this company send us. This time around we are focusing on their luxurious skincare.

The initial product we tried was the Rejuvenating Eye Cream. And what good is the perfect anti-ageing product if you can’t see the results? Thanks to the special ingredient of Lichens, sourced 2500 meters below sea level, the product is extra rich in anti-oxidants. The cream also contains the signature exclusive Prickly Pear Oil, which we have discussed in our previous post on Touché by Flavien’s Bodycare. The product ingredient here is the Konjac Powder, a plant derivative from an Asian potato, that is loaded with protein, copper, zinc, phosphorus and more. With this ingredient, you will never have to worry about those nasty dark circles underneath your eyes or crows feet. If your eye areas feel a little lacklustre, you can purchase the Rejuvenating Eye Cream here for £79.00 for 15ml. 

Next, we’d like to focus on the entire face with the Rejuvenating Face Serum. Like the eye cream, this serum also contains the special ingredient of Konjac Powder. However, it also contains its own unique ingredients, including Moringa Oil and Progeline. Moringa Oil has been revered as one of the world’s most nutrient dense oils and has amazing rejuvenating properties. Recently, current technology has given us Progeline, which not only tackles wrinkles, but also remodels and improves texture and tone. Even if this product was designed to use on the face, we, along with others, have found that you can actually apply it on your chest, shoulders and neck as well.  Unlike your average anti-ageing moisturiser, this product truly replenishes every layer of your skin, rather than just moisturising the top. Say good-bye to sagging skin and purchase the Rejuvenating Face Serum here for £170.00 for 30ml. 

Finally, we would like to tell you about the Cell Regeneration Moisturiser. This moisturiser contains a very special ingredient: Lotus Root Liposome. It is the only known plant to live in all three elements at the same time: earth, water and air. Can you say that about any of the anti-ageing products that you’ve tried? We promise that this moisturiser will not only hydrate your skin, but it will also balance your skin tones, complexion and the overall colouring of your skin. It’s time to breathe new life into your skin by purchasing the Cell Regeneration Moisturiser here for £89.00 for 50ml.

The quality of all of these products is just absolutely top notch. Not only do they have some of best the ingredients and the performance that we’ve tried, but they’re also boxed up in extremely chic black and gold packaging. Touché by Flavien also very generously sent us other skincare products, which we tried and loved just as much as we usually do. Instead of revealing all of the utterly unique and elite ingredients, we suggest you try them yourself. Take a look at the company’s entire skincare line and you will never have to worry about looking your age again. Thank you, Touché by Flavien! 

Friday Favourites - Candles

There are many different ways to go about choosing the perfect fragrance for your home. We at The Amazing Blog adore candles, but sometimes we find it difficult to narrow down all of the choices each candle company in the UK has to offer. In attempt to truly broaden our horizons, we have decided to select candle companies that started in countries outside of the UK and have a special back-story. La Montana, EssentialCandles, PaddyWax and Mila Isla are just the exotic and refreshing companies we have been looking for.

Inspired by a mountain village in Valencia, each candle made by La Montana is sure to provide a special experience. The story behind each candle is based off of the founders’ new experiences after their move from London to Spain. Featured scents include: First Light, Alfredo’s Café, Galan De Noche and Winter Oranges. Each variety resembles either a scent or place that reminds the founders of a special moment in their lives, and we just love this concept. If you would like to read more about this candle company and their story, visit their website.

Mila Candles is a company rich in history and family values, for its founders are a niece and aunt power team who desired to carry on their great-grandfathers legacy. The business is based off of an essential oil company in Vienna, which extended into the UK once the grand-father immigrated prior to WWII. We received one of their newest candles, the Isla candle, which reminded us of a casual and relaxing day at the beach. The company offers other fragrance scents as well, including Chiara and Scuro. To browse around their candle, diffuser and oil selections, visit their website.

Now that we have ventured to companies all throughout Europe, we decided to seek a candle company based out of the USA! When we were sent samples from PaddyWax Candles, we were pleased to find that not only are their candles American, but each candle is truly one of a kind. PaddyWax sent us two candles: Amber & Smoke from the Apothecary collection and Old Fashioned from the Mixology collection. The Mixology collection was our favourite because they honour the craft cocktail movement. Each candle contains a hint of alcohol, which inspired the cocktail glass it is presented in, along with a recipe on the back. After each burn, you can enjoy a room that smells like the drink you will soon indulge in. There are other collections you can browse through on the PaddyWax website.

We believe we saved the most interesting story for last. EssentialCandles was started by a young boy at the age of 12 as merely a hobby, when he would make candles for his family and friends and give them away as Christmas presents. Once he discovered his knack for it, he started his own business of different kinds of seasonal fragrances. The company is based of out Scotland, and he supplies shops in the Borders and Edinburgh with his distinct seasonal scents. We particularly had a soft spot for the scent Christmas Hearth considering the fact that we we received the sample, it was so close to the holidays! To read more about how Aidan Paterson and how he got his company off of the ground, visit the EssentialCandles website.

Friday Favourites - Nut Butters Feature

We here at The Amazing Blog love when we come across a healthy snack we don’t feel guilty indulging in. This is why we decided to look for some delicious and health nut butters to make your meals and snacks fabulous and guilt free.

Soil Association approved, the Primrose's Kitchen Almond and Chia Spread is a delicious butter alternative to the tasty peanut butter we all know and love. It’s still just as nutty but it’s actually better for you! You can spread it on bread, add it to dress or use it in baking. The key ingredient, almonds, is our nut of choice because they alkalise the body and make the perfect high protein snack when combined with Chia Seeds. Not only is this spread organic, but it is also gluten, wheat and sugar free.

Mix it up a little bit and purchase Primrose's Kitchen Almond and Chia Spread here. 

Instead of a spread, we decided to try Meridian nut butter bars. They come in two flavours, Almond and Peanut, and let me tell you, they are literally crammed full of nuts.   
Each delicious nut bar is 55% nuts, providing an excellent source of nutrients and energy.
These bars prove to be a satisfyingly tasty choice for people on-the-go because they are high energy snacks and super healthy. Each bar contains 8 and 7f of protein respectively – significantly more than mainstream cereal and nut bars. All Meridian nut butter bars are suitable for vegans and are gluten, dairy, soy and wheat free. They would make a healthy addition to any lunchbox so purchase these Meridian bars and other butters here.

Get your taste of Moroccan sunshine in a jar. The Berber tribes’ answer to nut butter, Alassala’s Amlou Paste is a traditional Moroccan food that can be used as a spread or a dip for bread or crackers. Winner of a Gold Star at the Great Taste Awards 2013, Alassala Amlou Paste sets itself apart by being pure and natural with no added honey or sugars. Made with only 72% ground, semi roasted almonds and 28% Organic Argan Oil, the paste is perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes. It is a great source of Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to lower cholesterol. Its distinct almond flavour makes a delicious, healthy addition to any recipe. Moroccan’s thought it to be the ideal enhancement to any romance, and it has certainly made its way into our hearts and our kitchens.

If you’re looking to add an exotic twist to your nutty snacks, Alassala Amlou Paste is available in two sizes: 226 grams RRP £14.99 and 113 grams RRP £7.99. Alassala also has a selection of recipes available here. The Amlou Paste is currently stocked at The Hale Clinic’s Nutri Centre online, and at other independent Health Stores and Speciality Food Stores. You can also buy Alassala’s products online.

This all-new brand of natural nut butters is changing the game when it comes to providing customers delicious and nutritious products. Pip & Nut have recently launched their line with three yummy, irresistible flavours: Peanut Butter, Almond Butter and Coconut Almond Butter. Each one is free of palm oil, refined sugar, preservatives, additives and emulsifiers. Their motto is, “if it’s not natural and a squirrel wouldn’t eat it, then we don’t use it.” The brand has already been mentioned in an article from The Grocer about healthy January comfort foods available at Selfridges. The founder was mentioned in an article by The Guardian about sacrifices start-ups need to make when they launch. Talk about go-getters!

You can find these tasty nut butters on display at your nearest Selfridges, until the Pip & Nut website is fully up and running. The containers are £5 each, and since each jar is loaded with health benefits and great taste, they are worth every pound.