Carlee's Christmas Wish List

I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve! Christmas is my favourite time of the year, especially because I love getting the opportunity to spoil my friends and family with gifts. Of course, I have a Christmas wish list of my own, and I'm hoping to see these gifts under the Christmas Tree tomorrow morning!

Depending on what time I fall asleep, waking up in the morning can be a major struggle. I just don’t have the energy (or the time if I snooze my alarm) to properly get ready. That’s where The Library of Fragrance Pure Soap comes into play. The company creates fragrances inspired by life, capturing over 300 scents that surround us every day. What better way to celebrate Christmas than to celebrate the under-appreciated sense of Ivory soap! Let me tell you, this perfume will come in handy. Whether you spray it as you quickly head out the door or in the bathroom at work, the Pure Soap fragrance will provide you with a fresh-from-the-shower scent anytime and anywhere. If you’re always in a hurry like I am or just too lazy like I also am, this might just be the best way to freshen up your day. You can buy a bottle of Pure Soap here at £15.00 for 30 ml.

After a very unfortunate incident at the airport, I lost my all-time favourite moisturiser. For years, I could never pin down the perfect product. No matter what I tried, my face, within a matter of 2 hours, would produce enough oil to fill a bottle. Somehow, I managed to stumble upon Clinique’s Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. I have worshipped this product ever since. The light cream sinks right into my skin and provides it with hydration all day long. The oil on my face was finally under control and it even helped with my acne. It’s crazy, but I feel so much happier when I use it because I know that it’s the only product that has had perfect results on my face. I cannot wait to receive this for Christmas. It will make my morning and night so much better! You can be just as happy by purchasing the moisturiser here at £34.00 for 50ml.  

I have to have lip gloss on me at all times; otherwise, I panic. As soon as my lips begin to feel dry, I have to moisturise. Even if they don't feel dry, I still have to touch-up my lips. Some might even call it an addiction. Any way, when I heard about Heathcote & Ivory’s new Secret Paradise collection, I knew I had to try something. As soon as I laid my eyes on the Secret Paradise Lip Gloss Tin, I had to put it on my Christmas list. It contains beeswax, which soothes and softens your lips. Not only is it peach flavoured (one of my favourite fruits), but it comes in the most adorable heart-shaped tin. The delicate heart features Madagascan violets and lilies and cute little hummingbirds. With this lip gloss, I will no longer be just a lip gloss freak. I’ll be a lip gloss freak with style. If you share my addiction, you can purchase the Secret Paradise Lip Gloss tin here at £4.00 for 14g.  

If I die, it will be death by chocolate. I can't live without it. If I was stranded on an island with nothing else but chocolate, that would be okay.

Since chocolate is part of my daily food intake, I had to find the perfect balance, which is why I love indulging in Doisy & Dam chocolate. Not only is it delicious, but it's healthy for you too! Each 74% chocolate bar is packed with delicious, health-giving superfoods. Each superfood ingredient brings high levels of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and Omega 3. The cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant properties of the dark chocolate almost make these bars guilt-free! There are currently four products in the range and I just love the Mulberries, Chia Seeds & Spirulina chocolate bar. After devouring it within minutes, I knew I would want more for the holidays.

For all of you chocoholics out there, Doisy & Dam chocolate bars are available in 40g (RRP £1.65) and 100g (RRP £3.99) and they are available from the website and selected retailers including Ocado, Whole Foods and Planet Organic.

I hope all of you lovely readers have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your gifts! 

Hokey Pokey

It is no secret that at The Amazing Blog we love our sweet and scrumptious treats with our gazillion cups of tea a day. We were lucky enough to be sent some Hokey Pokey Honeycombs by The Chocolate Society – a company that aims to raise the awareness of luxury chocolate in the UK. The Chocolate Society not only produces their own products, but they also look for exciting brands to introduce to their customers.

Hokey Pokey is The Chocolate Society’s best-selling brand and product, and we totally understand why! Hokey Pokey’s Honeycombs are handmade in small batches; apparently using a secret recipe, that includes real honey. Ironically, it seems that many companies that make honeycombs don’t use real honey – and Hokey Pokey swears their honeycombs taste better because they do use it! This real honey is taken from the bees that live on the farm that surrounds Hokey Pokey’s small farm in rural Somerset.

The Chocolate Society sent us Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Naked Honeycombs for us to try. While I am not a huge fan of Dark Chocolate, I found that my favourite were the Milk Chocolate ones – the honeycombs are double enrobed in luxury Valrhona milk chocolate. My colleagues loved the Dark Chocolate ones, covered in delicious dark Valrhona 70% chocolate. And the Naked Honeycombs were perfect to mix with milkshakes and to use as decoration for ice creams!

Hokey Pokey has definitely helped us making our afternoon teas sweet and even more enjoyable. All the girls at The Amazing Blog agree when we say that Hokey Pokey offer the most exquisite honeycombs we’ve ever had – the quality of the chocolate, the texture and the honey remarkable.

Each bag of Hokey Pokey (Dark, Milk Chocolate and Naked Honeycombs) retail at £6.50 for 150 gr. There is a sale at The Chocolate Society website at the moment and you can get the Naked Honeycombs bag for only £4. Hokey Pokey also offers a truly amazing hamper that includes a selection of different honeycombs for £34.99 – perfect as a gift and incredibly delicious!

The Chocolate Alchemist

Christmas may be over, but that certainly doesn't mean we've run out of excuse to treat ourselves. December may have been the month during which we allowed ourselves to over-indulge, but with damp and dreary January showing no signs of improving we at The Amazing Blog have found the perfect way to lift our spirits.

The Chocolate Alchemist, creator of the finest chocolate around, has worked its magic once more and launched an exquisite range of mini chocolate bars. The new mini selection comes in an impressive eight flavours and includes intriguing combinations such as White Chocolate with Spiced Cookie Cappuccino, Milk Chocolate with a Salted Caramel Filing and Dark Chocolate with Lemon Curd & Almond Praline. And for the less adventurous out there is the delicious milk chocolate bar.

The range of mini bars has been created by the Belgian chocolate makers using the finest Belgian chocolate and the highest quality ingredients. At 42-45g these mini bars are perfect for an everyday treat and conveniently pocket sized.

There are also six larger solid bars to choose from in equally wicked flavours such as Caramel & Sea Salt and Red Hot Chilli & Orange Dark Chocolate. We at The Amazing Blog were lucky enough to try a number of the different flavours and can say with certainty that the Red Hot Chilli and Orange is not for the faint-hearted, while the Caramel & Sea Salt was gone in an instant!

The delicious new range of Chocolate Alchemist bars is available nationwide from independent retailers, specialist confectioners, Amazon and www.chocbox.co.uk. Enjoy!