West Hampshire School of Art – Adult Classes

We don’t like twiddling our thumbs at weekends or evenings at The Amazing Blog and look for opportunities to educate and inspire us. So when we heard about experimenting with different art forms as a therapy to disconnect, heal our minds and release tension, we couldn’t resist exploring it more with the West Hampshire School of Art classes.

The West Hampshire School of Art is based in Broughton in Hampshire was recently formed in January 2019 by Daisy Rogers. It is a non-profit organisation that is set to offer fine art classes and workshops to those who not only want to improve their artistic skills or experiment with creative practices but also to those who want to make a difference and add their grain of sand to build strong communities. The school drives its profits to community art programmes as well as to fund children’s places for low-income families. Art is a vibrant way to make a change.

This initiative has been well received with classes filling up fast. Why not hone your artistic skills this autumn joining their 6 or 10-week programmes ranging from fine art foundation courses, tutored or untutored life drawing and landscape painting to ceramics and printmaking. All classes are taught by experienced professional artists giving you a solid knowledge of art history and technique. We like to encourage others to try new things too, and taking up an art class at the West Hampshire School of Art as they also offer both part-time and full-time classes, with many options to help adapt to your busy schedule. No excuses now! Another aspect that we like is the fact that classes only allow a small number of students, meaning you can get the most out of the class, i.e. getting a lot of one-to-one tuition. Located in Broughton Down Farm, visit here to find out more about the courses. Why not sign up now and start thinking about what masterpieces you’re going to create. Prices start at £165.00 for 10 week programmes.

Friday Favourites - Hair Masks

Well, it’s finally Friday and time for another of our Friday Favourites! Have any fun weekend plans that require you to look radiant? Maybe a date night? Or just finally having some time for a bit of self-care? At the Amazing Blog, we like to take time out to apply a weekly hair mask. Whether it’s lying in the bath relaxing with a glass of something chilled, or feet up on the sofa watching Netflix - all are ideal moments for allowing a hair mask to work its magic. Today we have three of our favourite hair masks to introduce, they are hair mask and treatments that will not only leave your hair shiner and more nourished but also help to moisturise your much-neglected scalp too.

Let’s start with the 72 Hair Intense Replenishing Mask. 72 Hair was started by the Greens, a family of hairdressers with over 40 years of combined experience. With three generations of hairdressers, Gary has salons in Miami and London, while Matt is one of London’s go-to colourists. Johnny is 72’s ingredients expert, hand-selecting the finest ingredients to make up the formulas; while Nick is passionate about communicating 72 Hair’s philosophy to clients. As a joint effort, they decided to come together with their experience and knowledge and create an exclusive range product for both their salons and clients.

Winner of the 2018 Hair Awards the 72 Hair Mask is an ideal way to show your hair some love. We recommend using this alone or with the full range for 72 hair. We used it once a week, waiting 10-15 minutes before rinsing for best results, although it can be used more often on damaged hair. Infused with avocado and wheatgerm oil, your hair will be shinier, stronger and more nourished as It penetrates to de-frizz and is suitable for all hair types. It certainly left our hair smooth and tangle-free. To buy your 72 Intensive Replenish Mask for 250ml at £25, see here.

Lore Originals was started with the mission to create a simplified, unisex haircare range that provides integrity and health no matter your gender. A joint-effort between acclaimed stylists, clients, British chemists and perfumers, Lore Originals is suitable for all hair types. With Lore Originals, ‘his and hers’ products are a thing of the past. They are meant to be minimal and the products are all multi-use and versatile.

Packed with natural oils, essential acids, advanced scientific compounds and marine plant cultures the Legend Dry Mask provides complex levels of conditioning and strengthening. The Legend Dry Mask is pre-shampoo mask, and unique because it must be applied to dry hair for concentrated absorption. Volcanic marine bio cultures assist in prevention of heat-induced environmental stress and scalp dehydration, something that most people have. Not to mention, the scientific actives target the core elasticity of the hair which helps to speed up the drying time, great for those of us on the go! As mentioned, it works best on dry hair leaving where you leave mask ‘to set’ for a minimum of 15 minutes in surrounding temperatures of 25 to 40 degrees, which gave us the perfect excuse to have a bath or sauna (make sure to keep the hair dry). Free from parabens, sulphates, triclosan and MIT; with key ingredients including cystine co-polymer, green tea extract, kaolin, shea butter, sunflower and grapeseed oils. This was the best smelling hair mask, we loved the subtle green tea fragrance, that left our hair smelling simply divine. If you would like to purchase the Lore Legend Dry Hair Mask, it can be purchased here in a pack of 6 individual packets of 30ml each for £38. Ideal for travelling or taking on holiday.

Zenz Organics is a Nordic professional beauty and hair care company founded by Anne-Sophie Skjødt Villumsen who also founded the first green hair salon in Denmark back in 1999. After developing allergies towards chemical-based hair products during her apprenticeship as a hairdresser, Anne-Sophie was inspired to create her own line of organic and vegan hair care products. That’s where Zenz Organics was born.

The Zenz Organic Treatment Pure No. 03 Hair Mask is perfect for every member of the family. Made from only organic ingredients and without synthetic perfumes, it leaves the hair silky and soft without weighing it down. We love how it uses organic cold-pressed avocado oil and purified aloe vera to strengthen the hair from scalp to end. It coats each strand with a protective film to maintain the intensity of salon coloured hair, making it ideal for those who use dye. It is meant to be applied on freshly washed hair once a week but can also be used as both a rinse-out and a leave-in treatment. One of us here, has a very sensitive scalp and she said that this is the first EVER hair mask that hasn’t irritated her scalp. So it gets a big thumbs up from us. We’re very excited to have made the discovery of this brand and look forward to trying more from their range. The Zenz Organic Treatment Pure No. 3 Hair Mask 250ml can be purchased here for £28.27.

Which one will you choose?

Friday Favourites – Healing Face Mists

Don’t you love it when you wake up, spray your face with a natural, delicate and fresh face mist, both invigorating and uplifting, all to start your day off right. At The Amazing Blog, we’ve always been keen on facial mists, but in our recent search we’ve found that too many high street facial mists are ineffective, watery or filled with chemicals. Today we’re happy to say that we’ve discovered some new and natural healing mist solutions to share with you.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

The first #Amazingfind healing mist we have is from Max and Me, a company dedicated to making you look better but also feeling better.

The brand was founded by Max and Tanja Gruber, who set out to create skincare that they quote that it “Goes beyond mere product performance. Skincare that suffuses you with a most beautiful, vibrant flow of energy.” Max is the entrepreneurial spirit of the pair, and designed the company’s structure so it is as fully ethical as possible particularly regarding ingredient sourcing and sustainability. His partner, Tanja trained in Energetic Healing, Kinesiology, and Aromatherapy for three years at the Austrian Academy of Kinesiology. The couple’s respective backgrounds fused into a line of unique skin care products with an energy-healing basis.

The Intuitive is a botanical facial mist that has a blend of ingredients to ‘elevate skin, soul, and spirit’. One of the main ingredients, palo santo, is an Ecuadorian-sourced plant that heals and increases positive energy around you, which uplifts your mood. On top of this, wild agonis essential oil regulates your circadian rhythm for better sleeping at night, and blue tansy relaxes and calms your mind. These natural ingredients work to balance the flow of energy around you and reduce any negative ions while smelling like the woods after it rains. They are also gentle yet effective for inflamed, dry, or acne-prone skin.

Besides providing much-needed relief to our dry summer skin, what drew us to this product was its healing effects. When we sprayed it, we instantly felt tranquil - and it’s something that we’ve carried with us throughout the day even as we walked through the busy London streets. You can use this facial mist for many purposes, such as a room and pillow spray or mixed with a balm for a face mask, but we preferred using it on freshly cleansed skin to let our moisturiser soak in better. The spray has very fine particles, which evenly distribute the mist onto your face, and is hand-blended into a sturdy glass bottle. You can purchase The Intuitive (100ml) here for 70 €.

The next product we have for you is made specifically for skin hydration by Alexandra Soveral. As regular readers will know, we recently featured her Sweet Orange & Rosemary Shampoo. Soveral founded the brand with her business partner Jori Aleem to form natural products developed using cutting edge science. Before starting her beauty and perfume line, Soveral spent time understanding skin as an aromatherapist and facialist. She also learned how to curate products organically as a cosmetic designer. The company is also dedicated to sustainability and given the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark, which ‘identifies the luxury brands that meet the highest standards of verified innovation, social, and environmental performance’. It uses pure and natural ingredients found in its Floral Rain Hydrating Face Mist.

This face mist combines vitamins and antioxidants with essential oils that hydrate and even your skin, making it optimal to use as a toner to prep your face for oils, serums, or moisturiser. Aloe vera nourishes your skin but doesn’t make the product watery so that you can use it over make up for a midday skin pick-me-up. The orange blossom and rose scent is also refreshing to use on your neck and décolletage. We found that it smells good when sprayed around your surroundings as with just a single spritz of the mist, the fragrance holds its aroma. It is hand-blended in London and packaged in a recyclable plastic bottle. You can buy the Hydrating Face Mist (250ml) here for £45.

Finally, to complete this week’s Friday Favourite’s trio of healing mists, we have the Universal Soul Company’s, 3-in-1 Soul Mist in their signature fragrance STILL. The luxury lifestyle brand was founded by well-known British actress Sara Griffiths to value all five of your senses amid all the media and technology that surrounds us and empower others through positive well-being. The company focuses on the idea of ‘profit for purpose’ and donates a portion of its revenue to different causes as another way to enable others. The Universal Soul Company also has the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark of approval for sustainability.

The name of the Soul Mist comes from its three intended uses: room spray, meditation, and pillow mist. Instead of needing three separate products, only this mist is necessary throughout your day from morning until night. Patchouli and vetiver base notes combine to create a strong musky scent while lavender oil and may chang layered on top of it create a sweet floral fragrance that appears a few moments after spraying the mist. May chang has been proven to relieve fatigue and lethargy, leaving you in a better mood and lavender helps you sleep and relieves body aches. The mist is made with 100 per cent natural essential oils and mineral waters, which break up air molecules and generate negative ions of well-being like being near a waterfall or the ocean. It is alcohol-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and has no artificial fragrances, so it is safe for use on your face and around children, animals, and furniture.

The 3-in-1 Soul Mist is Universal’s first brand product, and it does not disappoint. The smell made us feel instantly relaxed and lasted. We found it was particularly helpful in making us feel less stressed when waking up and getting going in the morning. You can purchase the hand-blended product (100ml) here for £37.

These three healing mists prove that creating a relaxed state of mind is not just reserved for a retreat or an exclusive yoga studio. In fact, they teach you how you can build a tranquil zone of your own with just one spray. Using each of these healing mists helped us to feel like we could conquer the day with both an uplifted mood and more radiant looking skin!

Kayaking on the Thames

Feel like a bit of adventure?  Then read on…We at The Amazing Blog are always open to new thrills. I wonder, have you ever thought of viewing London by night on the water? However, all from a very different perspective. Enter Kayaking London who give you the opportunity to bob along the Thames, tripping the lights fantastic, in a way that only London can offer. Kayaking London have bases in Chelsea and Ladbroke Groove with excellent facilities and equipment. In both centres they have hot showers, changing rooms and lockers to keep for your valuables (you’ll need a small padlock).  Kayaking London is an activity that allows you to kayak along the river Thames while sight- seeing in London.

The tour we’re going to talk about is their Big Ben by Night. These run from now in September to April. London is equally beautiful at night as it is by day and is more beautiful as the sunset reflects on The River Thames. The trip is 2 1/2 hours long, where you glide along on the river, you’ll be able to see the Houses of Parliament and central London in all their lit-up splendour before heading back to base in Chelsea on a new tide. As the trip is run on highly stable boats, no experience in kayaking is required.

The coaches are highly trained and qualified by British Canoe Union, fully CRB checked and have years of experience. They will prep, equip and help you master the basics of boat controlling before you begin your tour. They have a range of kayaks, spacious and stable doubles, or fast sleek singles – something to suit everyone. Quickly added you have to be over 18 years old to partake in this activity. Big Ben by Night tickets are £42. purchase your ticket here Fall in love with London all over again, as you experience night-time kayaking on the longest river in England.

Friday Favourites: South West Wine School

Wine fascinates us with all the varieties, colours and flavours which are infinite; and being able to identify a specific wine is pretty much in everyone’s wish list. At The Amazing Blog we always enjoy learning more about the origin of the wines, how it affects the characteristics with the difference in taste or texture and so on. This is why we were intrigued to find out more about the South West Wine School with their Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses.

The South West Wine School, was co-founded by Jonathan and Hayley Reynolds with the aim of providing first class wine education across the country. Both with numerous years of expertise, Hayley holds the DipWSET diploma, while Jonathan is WSET Level 3 certified and said “I have recently taken and passed my WSET Level 3. It provides such a comprehensive education on everything related to wine, from growing vines, winemaking and the different grape varieties to serving recommendations and food and wine pairings.” This year, they are holding WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) courses to give you the chance to get your diploma, just like Jonathan and Hayley. Sponsored by the likes of Salcombe Gin, Eversfield Organic, Enotria & Coe, Vineyard Productions, The Eco Laundry, Kingston Estate and Deer Park Country House, this event couldn’t look more promising. They offer comprehensive education from growing wines, learning about the different grape varieties, to winemaking and serving recommendations. They are also members of associations like Food & Drink Devon and Taste of the West.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) was established in 1969 for the UK wine trade. It provides optimal education courses and certifications recognised globally as the international standard in wine and spirit knowledge for both wine enthusiasts and professionals. The courses will take place at the South West Wine School’s headquarters in Wakeham Farm, in South Devon and will be primarily taught by Hayley Reynolds and Rebecca Mitchell (also DipWSET certified). The next available courses begin in September and go along until the end of November.

Please see the following dates:

WSET Level 1 is on Thursday 5th September, Wednesday 9th October and Wednesday 6th November. Sign up to obtain the WSET Level 1 diploma. This course is ideal for those who are new to the wine industry. You will learn about the world of wine, explore the types and style through sight, smell and taste and gain skills to describe wines accurately to know what the best food is for pairing. Sign up for a 7 hour day course beginning at 10am for £155.

To achieve the WSET 2, they are doing 3 day courses, a total of 21 hours, for £395. This qualification is suitable for those seeking a deeper understanding of wines. From wine regions, grape varieties and styles, to classifications and labelling terminology, this course is excellent to be taken to the core of the wine industry for those aiming to achieve an intermediate level of knowledge. Moreover, you will also receive an overview of the key categories of liqueurs and spirits. WSET Level 2 – 3 day courses: Wednesday 11th, 18th, and 25th of September. Or Tuesday 12th, 19th, and 26th of November.

WSET Level 3 – 6 day course: Tuesday 10th, 17th, 24th September continuing Tuesday 1st, 8th and 15th October. In order to take the WSET Level 3 course, you will need to have passed the Level 2. This level is for those wanting to become professionals and work in the wine industry. This is a much more in-depth course, touching up on grape growing and the mastering of wine making. Once completed, you will be able to confidently assess wines accurately, delving deeper onto style and quality. The course is 6 days long and has a price of £695.

They welcome the professional, enthusiast or beginner to these courses. You can sign up here and embark on this journey to become wine expert obtaining an international qualification. Perfect for ticking off on your wish list!