Friday Favourites - Chocolate bars

With Easter fast approaching, we've noticed that shops have been stacking their shelves with loads of tempting egg-shaped sweeties. While sadly, the days of childhood egg-hunting are over for us here at The Amazing Blog, we still appreciate a good opportunity to enjoy a sweet treat or two... This Easter, we thought we'd find some alternatives to the eggs. So we've chosen to feature three different chocolate brands with some of their latest bars, which will make a great addition to your Easter celebrations!

For those of you who enjoy a little floral twist in their chocolates, Urban Village Chocolates has a Rose & Bergamot milk chocolate bar that we think you'll love. Urban Village Chocolates are an artisan chocolate company that produces hand-crafted luxury chocolates with their unique recipes. We've previously featured some of their other chocolate discs which are imprinted with pretty, modern designs, see here. We think this award-winning chocolate brand produces some of the prettiest chocolate bar designs we've seen to date. 

This Rose and Bergamot Chocolate Bar is made with steam-distilled pure organic rose and bergamot oils. To complement this scented combination of ingredients, the brand also adds cocoa solids, cocoa butter, vanilla flavouring and milk. The well-balanced mix of all these ingredients makes for a luxurious, moreish and irresistible chocolate bar. Apart from being handmade, each bar is hand-decorated with beautiful floral patterns making it almost too pretty to eat! Also, this chocolate bar contains 110g of chocolate making it the perfect size to share with your friends and family (or perhaps just keep it all to yourself!) You can purchase this delicious chocolate bar here for £5.50.

We also suggest trying out Rhythm108's range of Deeelicious Swiss Chocolate Bars. This Swiss brand used the expertise and craftsmanship of their chocolatiers to create organic bars that not only are innovative and healthy but also are gluten-free, vegan and handmade. Their products allow us to enjoy a treat without compromising our healthy lifestyles. Their chocolate bars are available in three different flavours including Hazelnut Praline, Sweet 'n' Salty Almond and Super Coconut.

Rhythm 108's chocolate bars are made with only natural and organic ingredients. The ingredients include nuts, cacao butter, oat flour, quinoa and coconut which makes them healthier and tastier than competitor brands. The mouth-watering Hazelnut Praline bar is the perfect bar for nut lovers and for anyone else that enjoys succulent and high-quality chocolates. The clever mix of smooth praline and nutty hazelnut is heavenly. The Sweet’n Salty Almond bar is filled with oat and almond butter which gives it a sweet and salty taste that instantly brightens your snacking time. Coconut and dark chocolate - what an amazing combination. At the blog, the Super Coconut bar is one of our all-time favourites (and we measure our words here). The bar is an explosion of coconut flavours; add to that a fine dark chocolate, and you have an intense and delightful snack. If you’re still hesitating about trying these bars, then you should know that they have 46% less sugar than other chocolate bars. Amazing isn’t it? Tasty and healthy, so you can enjoy them without feeling guilty. You can purchase the Hazelnut Praline Bar here for £1.65,  the Sweet 'n' Salty Almond Bar here for £1.65, and the Super Coconut Bar here for £1.65. 

Finally, we have found a vegan chocolate that tastes even better than a non-vegan chocolate, and think that it certainly deserves its own 15 minutes of fame here on this blog. In fact, we've written about some of their other cult chocolate bars here. Moo Free was started by husband and wife team Mike and Andrea Jessop in 2004, and has grown from strength to strength as an award-winning chocolate brand with a loyal fan base. Any vegans out there know the struggle of finding delicious and fruity chocolates that taste like regular chocolate. Moo Free Chocolates offers a wide array of organic, high-quality vegan, dairy free, lactose-free and gluten-free chocolates. We tried out their latest Crunchy Organic Banana Bar and think it makes an ideal springtime treat.

The Crunchy Organic Banana Bar is packed with organic ingredients including cacao, cacao butter, rice powder, banana chips, and coconut oil. Everyone knows that chocolate and banana taste great together. So the wonderful blend of these two-star ingredients makes a balanced bar that is sweet, comforting and fruity. This Crunchy Organic Banana Bar melts in your mouth when you eat it and left us wanting more. This chocolate brand it has become an iconic chocolate here on our blog, particularly with the vegans in the office. You can purchase the Moo Free Crunchy Banana Bar here for £2.99. Or you can find their products across the UK, in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Asda, to find your nearest stockist see here.

Organii Arnica Gel

Getting out of bed in the morning is difficult enough, and when you have sore muscles and stiffness, it becomes quite the mission. We here at The Amazing Blog have found the solution to all your bodily aches and pains with the Organii Arnica Gel. This miracle in a bottle has us no longer fearing those days of sore muscles after a tough work-out, which is why we couldn’t wait to share it with you. In the past, we tried Organii's Shea Butter Shower Gel and Aloe Mouthwash what we love this brand is its dedication to producing natural and organic products. Organii places importance on obtaining their ingredient from similar ethically minded manufacturers so that they can produce highly effective and affordable products that are suitable for the whole family.

The key ingredient in this gel is Arnica Montana Flower Extract, which has been used medicinally for hundreds of years because it has a powerful ability to soothe aches and pains and reduce inflammation. But the benefits of this gel don’t stop there; it also helps to reduce bruising as well as pain from arthritis and osteoarthritis. All you need to do is apply the gel to the injured area and massage in well. The gel will be quickly absorbed into your skin and you will notice its soothing effects. The Soothing Arnica Gel leaves skin with a light Arnica flower scent that smells absolutely delightful. It’s also certified organic and vegan and uses 100% natural ingredients. If you are a bit accident prone, this gel will be perfect to keep in your bag to prevent and reduce any swelling, bruising or pain throughout your day. You can purchase a 50ml tube of the Soothing Organii Arnica Gel for £3.95 here and rest easy knowing it’s got your back.

Friday Favourites - Lip Feature

Exposing your delicate lips to these chilly winds and unpredictable Spring weather is such a risk. Fortunately, here at The Amazing Blog, we’ve got you covered. We have discovered four new products that will surely be your pocket’s new best friends.

We all know how the brutal north winds are tough on the lips and leaving you susceptible to nasty, painful cold sores. With SoreFix, you will definitely wave goodbye to the cold sores and welcome back your beautiful smile! Their acyclovir-free, zinc-based treatment blocks off the cold sores from appearing with a subtle physical filter, without any known side effects. It both treats and prevents cold sores by reducing and healing the infection. It also moisturises those chapped and dry lips with extra high UV filter, SPF 30, and vitamin E. The Lip Balm comes in two different shapes. It is available in both a convenient squeezable tube and a 10ml jar making them both lasting and cost-effective. You can purchase both products from SoreFix here for £8.99 as a special offer (at the time of publishing) .

The second product we discovered is from Balmkind. Winner of an Award in The 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards in Best Lip Balm category. The Alpine Rose & Lysine Lip Balm nourishes, protects and soothes lips with its carefully blended natural ingredients. It contains a comprehensive list of antioxidants and is rich in Alpine Rose, Lysine (which is an essential amino acid), oat lipids with skin active ceramides, licorice root, lipid-rich pomegranate sterols, and vitamin E. We particularly like the non-tacky lightness of this balm, it's definitely a lip balm for those whose partners are adverse to a sticky lip kiss! This soft rose-scented lip balm can be used daily and leaves you with natural shiny looking lips - just gorgeous. The Alpine Rose & Lysine Lip Balm you can purchase here for £12.00.

If you’re into a more natural tinted lip products then Living Nature has got you covered.  The Tinted Lip Hydrator has everything you could wish for in one single tube. Hailing from New Zealand, this Lip Hydrator contains castor oil, vitamin E, manuka honey, jojoba esters, candelila. With the addition of calendula oil and carnauba waxes (both certified organic). This product is also free of synthetic chemicals or preservatives. The 'Lush' colour that we tried gave a subtle coral tone and a 'luxurious sheen' to the lips. The Tinted Lip Hydrator is available to purchase here for £15.00.

Last but not least, if you love rocking red, but you’re worried about chapped lips, Benecos is right for you. Their Benecos Natural Lipgloss in Kiss Me is a combination of lip plumping and moisturising. Not only does it care for your sensitive lips, it moisturises, adds colour and gloss, and protects the lips while maintaining a sophisticated look.  All of these benefits come from certified organic and natural ingredients which are castor seed oil, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, calcium aluminium and borosilicate alongside a natural fragrance. Finally, if you wish to buy Benecos in the UK you need to go here and it will be £6.95. With our selection here, you now have no excuse not to have soft, lush and kissable lips!

Leaf & Stem Scent-Free Body Collection by Green People

With spring just around the corner and winter finally behind us, it’s time to start indulging our bodies with some natural botanical products. At The Amazing Blog, we are excited to share one of our latest amazing finds from Green People: They have created a Modern Botanical range with five different gift sets. Today we are reviewing the Leaf and Stem Scent-Free Body Collection which includes a Shower Gel and Body Lotion. Green People have over 20 years' experience and are pioneers of the clean beauty movement. They are a natural and organic skincare brand that prides themselves on making high-quality products with the finest ingredients. As always, we at The Amazing Blog like to be first in the line to try out any natural products!

The Leaf and Stem Scent-Free Shower Gel and Body Lotion are both designed to suit sensitive skin and provide the body with the moisture it requires. In addition, both products are scent-free, which we really like, as one of our team members suffers from eczema.  An added bonus to these products is that they both come in 100ml tubes, making them the perfect size to pop into hand luggage. 

The Shower Gel is 83% organic and is made with a unique combination of botanical ingredients. The ingredients involved include aloe vera juice, marshmallow extract, yucca extract, and sea salt. It’s the mix of these ingredients that give the Shower Gel its hydrating, soothing and skin protecting properties. While the Shower Gel gently cleanses the body, the Body Lotion is formulated to provide sensitive and dry skin with extra hydration. The Body Lotion is 91% organic and is enriched with shea butter, sunflower oil, olive oil, perilla oil, jojoba oil as well as rosemary extract, chamomile extract and aloe vera juice. With all of these wonderful ingredients, this Body Lotion intensely moisturises skin and leaves it feeling soft and smooth. 

Both these two products offer the skin an ideal start and end to the day; and there is no better way to welcome in the spring, than pampering our bodies with these natural products. After using these products, our skin was left nourished, rejuvenated and satin smooth. The delicate light formula of the body lotion melted into our skin and was absorbed quickly. Added to all these benefits, the Shower Gel and Body Lotion are also suitable for children which makes them ideal for the family bathroom. We must also mention that all Green People products are vegan, cruelty-free and free from parabens. What we particularly like is that a donation from the sale of each of the Modern Botanicals Gifts goes to Plantlife a British conservation charity that works to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi. You can purchase the Leaf and Stem Scent-Free Body Collection here for £18.40.

Vbites Vegan Food and Cookbook

Vegan food has had a bit of a bad reputation in the past. When people think of vegan food, they only think of salads and tasteless fake meats, but bland vegan food is a thing of the past. Due to the bountiful health and environmental benefits of veganism, we here at The Amazing Blog have put a lot of thought into the idea of starting a vegan diet. When we learned the story behind Vbites founder, Heather Mills, we were inspired to try out veganism for ourselves. After enduring a devastating motorcycle accident, Heather discovered that the best way to heal her body was from the inside out. Which meant using a holistic approach rooted in a vegan diet. This story helps to explain why she was determined to create delicious foods that satisfy every craving, while nourishing the body. After learning her story, we were even more thrilled to receive a sampling of the Meat-Free products from this pioneering and award-winning plant-based brand at Vbites.  

Eating less meat or cutting it out completely can be daunting for many individuals, which is why Vbites products are perfect for anyone who needs a little help getting their foot in the door when it comes to becoming a vegan. Vbites offers a wide array of vegan products including meat-free, dairy-free, and fish-free products. To help with meal preparations, we would suggest using The LoveBites recipe book. This cookbook from Vbites comes with each of their Plant-Based Kits, which offers 60 new easy-to-follow recipes to try out and fall in love with. You can whip up delicious alternatives to some of your favourite meals like shepherd’s pie or asparagus quiche that are all completely vegan. From starters to soups, salads and main dishes, these recipes have definitely inspired us to cook more hearty meals that make us feel good from the inside out.

Our personal favourite of the Vbites selection that we tried was the Meat-Free Duck Hoisin (£2.99 for 150g). We added it to a veggie stir-fry and were licking our plates clean. We had some friends over to it try out and they were amazed to learn what they thought was a duck hoisin stir fry was in fact 100% vegan! Coming in a close second was the Meat-Free Lincolnshire Style Sausages (£2.69 for 295g) which we plated up as Bangers 'n Mash for a quick Sunday night supper (with a dollop of baked beans). They truly did taste like savoury sausages and certainly satisfied one very hungry male guest! 

So whether you are already practising a vegan lifestyle or you are considering starting, these Vbites will help you to incorporate some seriously tasty and healthy meals into your diet. You can check out the wide array of Vbites vegan products on their website here.