Marie Reynolds - Hot Toddy Candle

One of the things that we seem to collect at The Amazing Blog's HQ are candles - they sit on our desks and we light them being extra careful (we're too scared of ruining our computers and phones with wax). As soon as Marie Reynolds' candle in Hot Toddy arrived to the office I had to grab my lighter and burn the wick, especially after reading some lovely reviews on the company's products. Due to my clumsiness and my fear of setting the whole office on fire, I decided to take the candle home with me and sit it on my bedside table where the rest of my candles live. Marie Reynold's candle in Hot Toddy is one of the most delicious candles I've burned. Marie Reynolds' Hot Toddy is warm and sweet; its bold smell is the result of mixing spiced apple, mandarin, satsuma, peach, cinnamon and nutmeg - and it's part of the Aromawax range, rich in Argan Oil and a blend of pure essential oils. The Aromawax range is made from ethically sourced organic soya wax; creating a clean and safe candle burning experience. The one thing that made me love this candle (apart from the delicious smell), is the fact that you can use the melted wax as an actual massage oil that adds a beautiful gold sheen to your skin. This is due to the candle's low melting point so can be ‘scooped’ from the glass jar and massaged into the skin, giving a hydrated, silky soft result and leaving the skin as nourished as the richest body butter would.

At The Amazing Blog we'd love to try more fabulous candles by Marie Reynolds, as Hot Toddy has impressed us very much (and it's left my bedroom smelling amazing). You can purchase Marie Reynolds' whole range of candles from their website. Hot Toddy can be purchased in two different sizes: 135 gr and 50 gr - they retail for £30 and £8 each.

Kraken Rum

Now that jugs of Pimms, white wine spritzers and lazy afternoons spent in beer gardens drinking just-pulled pints are but a distant, sun-drenched memory, now is the time to be indulging in winter-appropriate tipples. And while we're not yet ready to be sipping eggnog and mulled wine, the gang at The Amazing Blog has stumbled across the perfect tipple to see us through winter.

Named after a mythical sea beast, The Kraken is a spiced Caribbean rum aged and enriched with exotic spices including cinnamon, ginger and clove. Distilled in Trinidad and Tobego from sweet molasses, the ageing takes place over a two-year period in ex-bourbon whiskey barrels and is blended with an exotic combination of 14 spices, giving it a smooth and sultry taste.

Unlike many rums which have a sharp bite and a burn that lingers long after it's swallowed, Kraken Black Spiced Rum has a rich, caramel-like flavour with a gentle after-taste. Certainly none of the willing volunteers here at The Amazing Blog had cause for complain after drinking a generous serving on the rocks. Perfect on it's own, or mixed with coke for a great alternative to vodka, the rather lovely peeps who have spearheaded a successful campaign making The Kraken the fastest growing rum-brand in the USA have provided us with this rather lovely recipe (to be enjoyed in moderation!):

The Perfect Storm:

Mix together 50ml Kraken Black Spiced Rum with 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice, 5ml sugar syrup and 2 dashes Angostura Bitters.

Top up with ginger beer, serve over ice in a highball glass and garnish with two squeezed lime wedges.

Kraken Rum is available to buy from leading retailers including Waitrose, Asda, Tesco, Selfridges, Majestic Wine and Sainsbury's. Cheers!