The Return of Brick Lane’s Oldest Market, Cheshire Street, London

Sundays are for strolling. After an exciting Friday and jam-packed Saturday, we at The Amazing Blog like to have a bit of a change of pace... The Cheshire Street Market is new to the market scene and strives to support local traders, crafters, and artists who work with recyclable materials, fair trade products, homemade and locally sourced crafts and fashions. Located on Brick Lane, the Cheshire Street Market has an enjoyable, family-friendly environment that we have the pleasure of checking out!

Revived by the East End Traders Guild, the Cheshire Street Market has a showcase for independent designers to present their polished work to the public. As you may know, The Amazing Blog team are huge fans of art and artisan products, like homewares, art, crafts, jewellery, vintage fashions, and clothing. No worries, Cheshire Street Market has it all! It’s powerful to see in person the hands that made the items we take home. If you’re more of a foodie than you are artsy, not a problem! There are plenty of products tailored uniquely to you such as sauces, spices, and chilli plants.

We love how the products are handmade, sustainable, and locally produced—far more meaningful than being mass-produced. We are definitely going to get creative in at least one of their offered workshops to hone new skills! Pop by from any Sunday in September 10.00-16.00 to enjoy the lingering summer heat and discover new artisan products! Also to quickly add, many thanks to Cutlass Comms for sending us information and images which were kindly donated by Phil Maxwell and assorted photographs by Jeremy Freedman and Rossana Leal.

Zip Now London

The Amazing Blog is seeking adrenaline junkies, adventurists and those unafraid of heights. Zip across the scenic Archbishops Park with Zip Now London is on until 9 September. During the trip, riders will see Lambeth Palace, Parliament, Millbank and Nine Elms. Join our team on the world’s longest and fasted urban zip line.

The zip line has three wires, these are 225 meter zip wires with speeds of up to 50 kph. Now, friends and family can ride alongside each other. Prepare to launch at the height of 35 meters – the equivalent of nine double-decker buses stacked on top of each other! As you glide across the 225-meter zip wire, you will reach speeds up to 50 KPH. Thrill seekers can top off this exhilarating experience with a mega drop free fall. Instead of taking the stairs, riders can exit by a 15-meter jump. Want to get a feel of the excitement? Then see Youtube link here

Although there isn’t parking available on site, it’s just a ten-minute walk from the Waterloo station and the Vauxhall tube, train and bus station. Tickets vary according to packages and group rates. You can purchase an adult ticket for £26.50 or at a discounted price of £20 on weekdays. Tickets for 8 to 15-years-old are £18.50 or £15 on weekdays. Please note that children are welcomed to participate, but must be over the age of 8-years-old and over 1.2m tall. Opening times are from 12-20:00 on weekdays, 9:30-20:00 on Saturdays and 9:30-18:00 on Sundays.

Friday Favourites: Organic Tanning Products

As our regular readers will know at The Amazing Blog, we're big fans of natural and organic products, and today we are talking about sun care. We've included a couple of new brands that have just launched in the UK, as well as a favourite, trusted British brand. These will all help you to enhance your colour and protect your skin naturally. So be sure to take note, and make your friends envious of your effortless glow and sun-kissed complexion. 

There are few things in life that can make us feel better than sporting a healthy and glowing tan. It gives us newfound confidence and a revitalisation. And what could be better than if it can all be done in a safe and controlled manner? We turn first to Rosenserien, an award-winning brand, to help us achieve a safe natural tan. This isn’t the first time we’ve reviewed Rosenserien, and certainly won't be the last. We have rather a soft spot for this established Swedish organic skincare company. Rosenserien only ever uses natural ingredients, of which over 75% are actually organic. The formula in the Self Tan consists of mainly sugar beet extract for long-lasting results and natural colour. NB: It’s recommended to exfoliate and moisturise the skin before using the self-tanner in order to get an even colour. Depending on your preference, apply up to two layers of the lotion for a deeper tan. Within 4-10 hours of application, your skin will be the perfect shade of tan for 3-5 days. We tried this on the face and loved it, very good results with no blotchiness. The product comes in a 100ml tube and can be purchased here for £22.00.

Sun protection should always be an essential part of your daily routine. Although you may not always be lying out on a beach, your skin still comes into daily contact with the damaging UVA/UVB rays even during your daily commute. A fabulous addition to our sun care collection is Eco Cosmetics' Sun Milk with SPF50. The lotion is moisturising, and allows for full coverage – it must be said that a little does go a long way with this product. It is comprised of certified natural ingredients most of which are sourced from organic farming in Germany. This German sun care line is water resistant, vegan, cruelty-free and coral reef friendly. Due to the formulated titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the sunscreen protects instantly. Supplemental benefits of the product include improved hydration levels, elasticity and suppleness. If you still want a tan naturally and soak up the sun without harming your skin, then we recommend this 75ml product found here for £22.95.

Our third choice this summer is The Organic Pharmacy’s Self-Tan product.  Margo Marrone, a leading pharmacist and homoeopath, founded the company in 2002 and has been working ever since to improve skincare through the combination of nature and science. Each product is formulated naturally without toxins and is created to meet the highest standards. Similar to Rosenserien’s product, The Organic Pharmacy’s self-tan derives from sugar beet. The British made lotion is light and soft, and best for sensitive skin. First, exfoliate your body before slathering on the lotion. While applying, make sure to cover every crevice and to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. We preferred using this on our bodies rather than our the faces - it was lighter and more absorbent. Your tan will develop after three hours when you will notice a uniformed tan, free of streaks. Enjoy your natural glow by purchasing the 100ml bottle here for £38.00. As they say, don't forget to: 'Slip, slap, slop', and we've certainly you covered for the Bank Holiday weekend, enjoy the sunshine.

Friday Favourites - Natural Deodorants

Summer for us at The Amazing Blog, is enjoying the sunshine, drinks on the terrace, buying new swimsuits, and lots of SPF protection. Wonderful though it is to be in Summer, currently here in the UK it's 30+ degrees, humid and very hot! Which has concentrated our thoughts on coping with the sweaty commute and being forced to get far too up-close-and-personal on the crowded tube. Why is it that some people don't use a deodorant?! This led us on to a search for effective, fragrant and natural deodorants that don't contain harmful chemicals like aluminium and parabens. We hope these three new and natural #amazingfinds will inspire you to throw out your old deodorant and try something new. 

First up is the recently launched vegan and certified organic company, Ben & Anna. Ben and Anna are a German conscientious vegan couple, who wanted to formulate their products with as many sustainable and organic sources as possible. They saw a gap in the market and decided to create their own range of unisex deodorants, all based exclusively on natural ingredients.

Ben & Anna have created seven different fragrance combinations for their deodorants, all packaged in their eco-friendly plastic-free Natural Soda Deodorant Stick Paper Tubes. Each of the deodorants contains the key ingredients of shea butter and soda. These are solid deodorants, free from aluminium compounds, vegan and cruelty-free.

We tried the Pink Grapefruit scented stick which glides effortlessly over the skin with absolutely no sticky residue. When applied to the skin, it activates the sweet citrus scent of pink grapefruit, proving to be light and fruity summer choice.  The packaging is young and stylish featuring each of the fragrance themes on each tube, all of which are coated with a natural wax. Purchase a Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant Stick Paper Tube 60g here for £9.95

We now move on from the stick deodorant to a deodorant balm 'Déodorant Crème Botanique' by o.Moi Skincare. O.Moi is a Danish company founded by Kristele Sun, who sought to develop a gentle, skin-friendly range to help soothe her eczema. Every o.Moi product utilises aromatherapy and is inspired by Kristele’s experiences. For instance, some products contain neroli oil (orange blossom) because the scent reminds her of her childhood on the island of Mauritius. 

Finding the right cream deodorant can be very tricky. We've found that many of the cream deodorants were too pasty and left our underarms feeling sticky and damp. O.Moi offers a wonderful alternative. Their award-winning Beauty Shortlist  2018 Editors’ Choice  Déodorant Crème Botanique (Botanical Cream Deodorant) is made from pure, moisture-absorbing kaolin clay, to preserve dryness, and deter odour-causing bacteria. When we tried this certified organic deodorant, we found that it had a revolutionary cream-to-powder consistency. When smoothing it onto the surface of the skin, we also noticed it absorbed quickly as it released a subtle mix of essential oils.

The Botanical Cream Deodorant is composed of shea butter, grapeseed and glycerine which hydrates to protect the skin. It also encompasses tea tree, lavender, bergamot, and sweet orange oils for scent. We found that this combination leaves the skin with a clean, sweet fragrance. It is also aluminium-free and an ideal natural solution to body odour. Purchase o.Moi Skincare’s Botanical Cream Deodorant 50ml here for £23.00.

We’ve looked at German and Danish skincare companies, next up is Sweden with the beauty brand Rosenserien. Established in 1980's they are an award-winning and leading Swedish organic skincare brand, who is one of the top trailblazers in the natural and sustainable beauty sector. Rosenserien has a long-standing international fan base of environmental-friendly consumers. With a range of over thirty-five different skin and haircare products, they are all free from synthetic and animal ingredients, are vegan-friendly, and use only 100% naturally sourced ingredients.

We tried their rose-scented Deodorant Spray and were not disappointed. This was on the recommendation from our client The Beauty Shortlist, where they recently won 2018 Finalist with their Roll-on Deodorant. As you can imagine we were eager to try one of their organic deodorants. We found that the Deodorant Spray was long-lasting and had us feeling fresh throughout the day. As big fans of rose based products, we were excited by the fresh floral scent and also loved the easy action spray pump. Their organic ingredient index must be applauded too: Essential rose oil, certified and fair trade aloe vera gel, Chinese green tea, and vegetable oils. Making this product perfect for sensitive skin, it's free from parabens, aluminium, and alcohol. This Deodorant Spray will certainly be keeping us dry and smelling garden-fresh this summer. Purchase Rosenserien Deodorant Spray 100ml here for £14.00.

Sea Creatures: Life Beneath the Ocean

We are always searching for new and exciting events happening in London, especially those where the whole family can partake. If you’re interested in marine life and the creatures that inhabit our oceans, then dive into Sea Creatures: Life Beneath the Ocean’s immersive experience. The exhibition is making its first European debut this summer, and The Amazing Blog is eager to grab tickets.

With 200 exhibits of 50 full body and 150 body parts of ethically-sourced specimens, visitors learn about marine life and conservation through various tactile approaches. While exploring the anatomy of the sea creatures, the exhibit offers a digital interactive experience for children, virtual reality installations and a mini cinema. The exhibition creates a narrative around sea life that engages its visitors in environmental awareness, through its interesting visuals. This will also be the first time that Hai Hai, the world record-breaking Minke whale will make its way to London.

Before the exhibition’s tour to four UK cities, the London exhibition will open on 27th July until the end of August, at Royal Horticulture Halls, Lawrence Halls. The exhibit is open from 10:00-18:00, with extended hours on Thursdays. Tickets are £18 for adults, £12 for children, or £52 for families (which include tickets for two adults and two children, or one adult and three children). It’s recommended to take public transportation as there isn’t available parking at or near the venue.